More to Ponder

I read this today from Ezra Taft Benson.
  
"Sound principles and eternal truths need to be frequently repeated so that we do not forget their application nor become dissuaded by other arguments."

It is exactly right.  Exactly why I put quotes up to reread at my kitchen sink.  I believe it.


And I need some new quotes.  Last week's thoughts are so long.  Too much to grab onto in my 30 seconds stops at the faucet.  


I've been thinking for a couple of weeks now about Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf's message about simplicity from the last conference.  He talks about four key relationships that matter most.  I learn from what he says about all four, but here's what he says about our relationship with ourselves:

It may seem odd to think of having a relationship with ourselves, but we do.  Some people can’t get along with themselves.  They criticize and belittle themselves all day long until they begin to hate themselves.  May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better.  Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God’s creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally.  Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you—as His precious daughter or son with divine potential.

Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Also from the same talk by Pres. Uchtdorf:

Brothers and sisters, let us be wise. Let us turn to the pure doctrinal waters of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us joyfully partake of them in their simplicity and plainness. The heavens are open again. The gospel of Jesus Christ is on earth once more, and its simple truths are a plentiful source of joy!

Now the rest of my quotes for the week without explanation:

As you walk to the boundary of your understanding into the twilight of uncertainty, exercising faith, you will be led to find solutions you would not obtain otherwise.

Elder Richard G. Scott

From a different talk by Elder Scott:

When all the challenges pour down on you, you will have a quiet inner feeling of support. You will be prompted to know what to do. You can live in a world of turmoil and great challenge and be at peace. You will be inspired to know what to do and to have the power or capacity to do it.

Home is love, understanding, trust, welcome, and a sense of belonging. If you, as wives, mothers, daughters, take proper care of yourselves, your families, and your homes, and keep close to each other as sisters in the Relief Society, many of the problems of the day troubling youth and parents will pass you by.

President Ezra Taft Benson

To Ponder

Here are two big quotes to think about for a while.
Click the source links to find more.  Read.  I love these messages.

In a world where the measures of success are often distorted, it is important to seek appreciation and affirmation from proper sources. To paraphrase a list found in Preach My Gospel, we are doing well when we develop attributes of Christ and strive to obey His gospel with exactness. We are doing well when we seek to improve ourselves and do our best. We are doing well when we increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help others who are in need. We know we are successful if we live so that we qualify for, receive, and know how to follow the Spirit. When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us. Peace, joy, and hope are available to those who measure success properly.

Julie B. Beck

You who pray sometimes, why not pray more regularly, more often, more devoutly? Is time so precious, life so short, or faith so scant? 

Do you get answers to your prayers?  If not, perhaps you did not pay the price. Do you offer a few trite words and worn-out phrases, or do you talk intimately to the Lord? Do you pray occasionally when you should be praying regularly, often, constantly? Do you offer pennies to pay heavy debts when you should give dollars to erase that obligation? . . . How much do you pray, my young friends? How often? How earnestly? If you should have errors in your life, have you wrestled before the Lord? Have you found your deep forest full of solitude? How much has your soul hungered? How deeply have your needs impressed your heart? When did you kneel before your Maker in total quiet? For what did you pray—your own soul? How long did you thus plead for recognition—all day long? And when the shadows fell, did you still raise your voice in mighty prayer, or did you liquidate it with some trite word and phrase?

Pres. Spencer W. Kimball

A Summary of my lesson on Courageous Parenting

On Sunday, I gave a lesson based on Courageous Parenting by Elder Larry Lawrence.  In our ward, who ever teaches the lesson to the women of Relief Society is responsible to send out an email recap of what she taught.  Here's mine for this week.  Bear in mind, this is not all that I said nor all that was important.  But it's something.

What is courage?  Based on this scripture in 2 Timothy 1:7-8, we could get a good definition of courage.

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord."

So, courage often means

power

love

a sound mind

and testimony

What are you currently being asked to do that requires courage (for you)?

How could acting with courage help any of your relationships?

How could courage help you fulfill your church callings better?

How do we help each other be courageous?

Elder Lawrence shares the example of Alma, who is asked by the Lord to counsel and correct his son Corianton, who has committed serious sins and by so doing has led others away from the church.  We need to follow Alma's example as shown in this verse (Alma 39:12) where he says, "And now the Spirit of the Lord doth say unto me: Command thy children to do good, lest they lead away the hearts of many people to destruction; therefore I command you, my son, in the fear of God, that ye refrain from your iniquities;"

Alma chooses to have the difficult conversation with his son, even though it might be unpleasant, because he fears (reveres, loves, respects) God more than he fears Corianton's possible response. We need to act and speak with that kind of courage when we counsel our children, as prompted by the Spirit. We need not be afraid to let our children know that we're acting based on a prompting from the Holy Ghost.  

So what could courage look like in your family?

Elder Lawrence recommends 5 practices for courageous parents:

family prayer

family scripture study

family home evening

family dinner together

regular one-on-one interviews with each child

I love this quote from Elder Lawrence about one-on-one interviews with each child: 

"One of the most effective ways we can influence our sons and daughters is to counsel with them in private interviews. By listening closely, we can discover the desires of their hearts, help them set righteous goals, and also share with them the spiritual impressions that we have received about them. Counseling requires courage."

Sometimes the courageous thing is to leave our old self behind and become someone new through the atonement--someone who does something outside her comfort zone because it will help bring unity and share love. But sometimes the courageous thing is to stay the same--to be exactly consistent with rules and consequences with our children. Sometimes the courageous thing is to bite our tongues and listen listen listen to our children even if what they say is hurtful to us or is unkind. Listen to understand them. Sometimes the courageous thing is to speak up. Say the thing they need to hear. Say no. Bear the testimony they need to hear. Pray for them what the spirit prompts you to pray, even if they are listening to the prayer.

Acting with courage as prompted by the Holy Ghost brings personal growth and increased closeness in our relationships. Let's all help each other do it.

To Ponder This Week

I've started a new thing to help me remember the good things I study in the morning or hear in lessons or talks. Since I noticed that I spend a good deal of time at my sink, and since above my sink is not a lovely picture window but a blank wall, I decided to put those thoughts and scriptures above my sink so I have somewhere uplifting for my eyes to rest when I'm at the sink.

And it works. I do reread these thoughts frequently throughout the day. It's not that I do that many dishes, but between washing my hands and doing dishes and filling the water filter and wetting a paper towel to wash baby's hands, I seem to get a lot of chances to read a little snippet of inspiration every day.

So, I've been sitting down once a week to compile the list of quotes or thoughts. Sometimes I keep some of the previous weeks thoughts and add a couple of new ones. Sometimes I start over from a blank page because I have something new I want to focus on for the new week. And if I'm sitting down to compile it and print it out, why not just post it here, too?

Here is this week's page. Some are things I need to learn about work, from a lesson a couple of weeks ago.  Some have to do with Courageous Parenting, the topic of a lesson I gave. Others have been on the list a long time as I constantly need reminders of them. If you want to read more on any of these, the link at the end of each quote will take you to the source.

Let us do whatever is required to qualify for the Holy Ghost as our companion, and then let us go forward fearlessly so that we will be given the powers to do whatever the Lord calls us to do.

Pres. Henry B. Eyring

By work we sustain and enrich life. It enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. Hard-earned achievement brings a sense of self-worth. Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson 

Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made. Give priesthood blessings. And bear your testimony!  Don’t just assume your children will somehow get the drift of your beliefs on their own.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but  treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.

Doctrine and Covenants 84:85

You are creatures of divinity; you are daughters of the Almighty. Limitless is your potential.  Magnificent is your future, if you will take control of it. Do not let your lives drift in a fruitless and worthless manner.  Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you.  Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart.

President Gordon B. Hinckley

I know we like to be appreciated but if we do not get all the appreciation which we think is our due, what matters? We know the Lord has laid high responsibility upon us, and there is not a wish or desire that the Lord has implanted in our hearts in righteousness but will be realized, and the greatest good we can do to ourselves and each other is to refine and cultivate ourselves in everything that is good and ennobling to qualify us for those responsibilities.

Eliza R. Snow, as qtd. by Julie B. Beck

Check back in next week for more!