An Attitude of Gratitude...

Doctrine and Covenants 59:7 Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things. When we choose to have a positive Attitude and to live our lives in joy we are showing our thanksgiving to God. We are showing Him that we are grateful for the very life which he has given us. In the book of Luke, chapter 17, we read: “And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. “And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: “And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. “And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, “And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed, but where are the nine? “There are not any found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. “And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Luke 17:11–19.) Through divine intervention, those who were lepers were spared from a cruel, lingering death and given a new lease on life. The expressed gratitude by one merited the Master’s blessing, the ingratitude shown by the nine, his disappointment. Like the leprosy of yesteryear are the plagues of today. They linger; they debilitate; they destroy. They are to be found everywhere. Their pervasiveness knows no boundaries. We know them as selfishness, greed, indulgence, cruelty, and crime, to identify but a few. Surfeited with their poison, we tend to criticize, to complain, to blame, and, slowly but surely, to abandon the positives and adopt the negatives of life. This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help. We can lift ourselves and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. -Thomas S. Monson, An Attitude of Gratitude, Ensign, May 19 Gratitude... is a quality that instantly makes a person more likable and more at peace. Where there is an abundance of this virtue, there is happiness. Where there is an absence of this virtue, there is often sadness, resentment and futility... If we only look around us, there are a thousand reasons for us not to be happy... the more we focus on the things we don't have, the more unhappy and more resentful we become. -Joseph B. Wirthlin, Live in Thanksgiving Daily, Ensign, September 2001 A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don’t get around to it. Someone has said that “feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” -President Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, October Conference 2010 May I have a grateful heart...for all that I am...all that I have...all that the Lord sees fit to bless me with.

Enduring to the End...The opportunity to be shaped and molded by our Savior is allotted only to those in mortality.

The purpose of mortality is to receive a body, receive the ordinances of the priesthood and be tried and tested to see if we will be obedient in all things. Trials come to all of us as a natural course of mortality. There seems to be an endless list of things to refine us, illness, injustice, money challenges, even prosperity, loneliness, heartache, being misunderstood, the consequences of our own choices…and the list could go on and on. To Endure: is to suffer without yielding. Jesus taught… “if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God”. D&C 14:7 Neal A. Maxwell asks…”How could there be refining fires without enduring some heat? If our mortal experiences were cut short, it would be like pulling up a flower to see how the roots are doing. Too many anxious openings of the oven door… and the cake falls instead of rising. The Savior taught… “Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.” D&C 24:8 The opportunity to be shaped and molded by our Savior is allotted only to those in mortality. For this is the time to choose…

When our boys were young we had a swimming pool…one spring Ken was out opening the pool and preparing it for summer use. The boys were so excited so I offered $5 for the first one in the pool. Off they raced…David was first in the pool and first out of the pool…and off to a hot shower as the water was barely 50 degrees. The next year just to have fun…I offered another $5 for the first one in the pool…off Kenny and Brandon went…Brandon was the first one in the pool and right back out to the hot showers. Well…the next year come and I thought it was old news…but not David…he offered $5 for Kenny to go jump in the pool. Kenny slowly appeared with his suit on and went out to the back yard to jump in the pool. Several minutes went by…and I thought, “I wonder where Kenny is?” I went to the patio door and found Kenny swinging on the pool ladder railing. I said, “Kenny, I thought you were going swimming?” He said, ”I am…I’m just not going to get wet.” Is that how we approach our trials? Sure refine me… but not too pain and suffering… anything but the loss of a loved one… the sorrow of a wayward child… a broken and feeble body. Yes…yes…I want to go swimming... I just don’t want to get wet. Robert D. Hales said…“We cannot expect to learn endurance in our later years if we have developed the habit of quitting when things get difficult now.” Are we teaching our children that they can do hard things? More than a few years ago we visited Sandy Beach on Oahu. It appeared to be a fun body surfing beach. Lots of people were having a blast…looking back on it now they were all locals…but that didn’t even alarm us then. Well Ken and Dave Haslam walked out to jump in the waves when ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY DISAPPEARED. After being tossed and turned in the waves they surfaced….coughing and sputtering, gasping for air. They literally crawled ashore… Isn’t that just how life is… we are walking along what seemed to be harmless waters and WHAM… before we know life picks us up…. tosses us around and then spits us out. All too often we find ourselves instinctively asking…WHY ME? The prophet Joseph Smith was no different than we are in his pleading with the Lord... Where art thou? O lord, how long shall they suffer… Let thine anger be kindled against our enemies… and again pleading… Remember thy suffering saints… The Lord answered Joseph his beloved obedient prophet just as he answers us today…My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine affliction shall be but a small moment. And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high. D&C 121 Elder Hales teaches… There is nothing that we are enduring that Jesus does not understand… When suffering upon the cross, Jesus felt the loneliness of agency when He pled to His Father in Heaven, “Why hast thou forsaken me?”. Matt. 27:46 The Savior of the world was left alone in the garden to experience, of His own free will and choice, an act of agency which allowed Him to complete His mission of the Atonement. Jesus knew who He was—the Son of God. He knew His purpose—to carry out the will of the Father through the Atonement. His vision was eternal-“to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”. Moses 1:39 Likewise we need to keep an eternal perspective… Riding a bike with no hands… While on our mortal journey and at times desperately clinging to the iron rod… one does not hear the serious traveler exclaiming, “Look, no hands”! There will always be the spacious buildings, those scoffing at your desire to hold firm to your testimony, there will always be the fog… ever increasing in density and threatening to blind those who would loosen their grasp….even for a brief moment. We need to cling to the iron rod with unwavering… undistracted determination. No matter who you are, you will have problems. Tragedy and frustration are the unexpected intruders on life’s plans. It is important that we not look upon our afflictions as a punishment from God. True, our own actions can cause some of our problems, but often there is no evidence of misconduct. Sometimes our trials come from the unexpected actions of others as they exercise their agency. More often trials are just part of our normal journey through life. Stuff just happens… President Hinckley with his wonderful humor said… “Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to just be people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey…delays…sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling burst of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” Christ does not recite or retell every detail of his suffering. Enduring well means shouldering disappointments with some level of grace. Often times in silence; without harsh criticism, without retaliation and without public declarations. Jesus urged us to “walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.” D&C 19:23 When Sharee was a sophomore in high school she made the cheer leading squad. Of course Ken and I dutifully attended her games to support her. One evening we went to video her cheering and got there early to get a good seat. Little did we know that we set up in the student body section….we quickly moved as not to intrude on the students fun. I was somewhat interested and watched as the game got started at how the adults sitting behind the student body section were behaving. The students would stand to cheer on their football team…and remain standing to chant and cheer. The adults would YELL from the stands behind the students… “Down in the front…” I watch as the student would turn around and look at the adults…at first they tried to sit down but as the game got exciting it was impossible to contain their enthusiasm. The adults continued to yell, “Down in the front.” I wished just one student would have stood and yelled… “UP IN THE BACK.” There will always be those calling with increasing pressure, “Down in the front”…accept sin as the “norm” and shut up about repentance. We will all experience some degree of sin, persecution, heartache, sorrow, weakness, disasters, physical illness, pain, mental anguish, unjust criticism, loneliness, and rejection. How we handle these challenges determines whether we become stumbling stones to those around us or building blocks for others. Elder Maxwell teaches us so profoundly… “When, for the moment, we ourselves are not being stretched on a particular cross, we ought to be at the foot of someone else’s—full of empathy and proffering spiritual refreshment.” I truly believe that this is where we find healing from life’s bumps, bruises and broken bones. We will not be able to take away the suffering of a brother or sister…but we can be someone who will follow the Saviors admonition to…“succor the weak, lift the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knee.” D&C 81:5 I know we are not alone… there are Heavenly grandstands cheering us on. To the voices yelling “Down in the Front”… we should boldly reply… “UP IN THE BACK”. It is my testimony that our Father in Heaven knows and loves each of us individually. Our Savior knows how to succor and heal us… because he suffered every pain, whether physical, spiritual or emotional that we experience. I know through personal experience that as we ask Father for strength, courage, patience and the ability to endure all things… He will send the comforter to buoy us up… and our Savior to succor and heal the broken and grieving heart. I believe that reaching out to each other as directed by the Holy Ghost unites us in our common eternal goal of enduring to the end in meekness and grace.. I also I know the glorious day will come when after we have endured to the end… we will hear the promised words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.”Matt. 25:23

I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked...

I will always remember the moment I realized that the person I am while serving in the temple...should be the same person I am in my daily life. It feels like a lifelong quest....but one worth striving for.

Whether grocery shopping, playing at the park, trying to navigate traffic or juggling a house full of happy rambunctious grand children...I want my demeanor to be the same loving, patience, gracious person that walks the halls of the temple. I love the song, "I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked"...and often sing those words after spending time in the temple.

Will Ye Also Go Away?

"There is a special sense of urgency infusing itself into many church members everywhere that says, quietly, but insistently- this is the time for us to choose! It is not just that God will insist that we choose for our own sake, but that those that depend on us, or use us as a reference point, need and deserve to know which way we are going. It is no good posing as a lifeguard if one is a non-swimmer. It is no good being a guide if one leaves his post and wanders with the multitude in search of another way. "for there is none other way," especially at a time when there is a sharper and sharper divergence in the ways of the world and the straight and narrow way. The disciple must not only stand in 'holy places' but on holy issues and 'not be moved.'

In short, the events of our time and spiritual decay in the world have produced for us the equivalent situation faced by many disciples who followed Jesus. They followed him until he began to preach the 'hard sayings' -the doctrine that really demand not only belief, but performance: doctrine which would distinguish them from their contemporary society. The Lord wants us to put some distance-behaviorally-between ourselves and the world, not because we love mankind less, but precisely because we do love men. It is for the world's sake that we must sanctify ourselves. When Jesus' followers faced their moment of truth, John records, 'From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.' Jesus turned to the remainder and queried them, 'Will ye also go away?" Neal A. Maxwell

I keep this quote in my office and in my personal scriptures... it is a perfect reminder to me that at some time we will all face that moment when we are asked by the Lord to "follow Him". What we may have to give or give up could stand in the way of us accepting that invitation if we are not fully committed our own personal discipleship. What would He ask of me that I could not or would not eagerly give? Standing in holy places and on holy issues sometimes means standing alone. When the rest of the world walks no more with Christ... I want to stand unwavering... firm in my testimony that Jesus is the Christ. His way is my way...

For God So Loved the World...

...that He gave His only Begotten Son.

I have been pondering the LOVE God has for His children... a LOVE so strong and so fierce that he gave His Son as a ransom for our sins... our sorrows... our suffering... the injustices of mortality... the insults and injuries perpetrated on the hearts and lives of His children. God gave us His son... whether we accept Him as our Savior or not.

He gave the "world" His son... collectively. I have asked myself... if he gave His son collectively, "What did He give me personally?"
I am reminded of a scriptural question... "What lack I yet?" A question worth asking myself... the answer... I lack so many qualities that I need to develop to be like Christ. But it is worth sacrificing anything for if it brings me closer to my Savior and proves me a more profitable servant. I try to remember daily that Father has promised me everything...equal heirs with Jesus Christ of everything he hath...if I don't want something else more.

Sometimes I try to talk it out with the wrong person...

Sometimes I spend too much time trying to talk things out with the wrong person. This came to me after I found this quote... it made me stop and think. Are there still some issues that no matter how long I talk about them or to who I discuss them with; there will not be a resolution... because I'm talking to the wrong person. The Lord said "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 How profound...

Live Like You Believe...

One of the ever increasing challenges in the world today is to live our lives so that our actions are consistent with our beliefs. It seems that everyday we are faced with a choice... the choice to "Do What Jesus Would Do". Would he retaliate when a hurried or impatient driver cuts us off...? Would he allow the mother with small children to go ahead of us in a crowded shopping line...? Would he in anger send a crying child off to their room...? Would he...? Just what would Jesus do...? I would submit that he would say.... " Come... come in front of me." "Come... come unto me". "Come... come unto me and I will give you rest." Being a softer gentler person does not mean being a weaker person. It simply means becoming more like Jesus... and living like we believe He is our Savior and Redeemer.