Second Chances

Hello, I watched this Mormon Message, Look to the Light , it touched my heart so much that I had to share it with you.  I relate to this on such a personal level, I remember being right out of High School, feeling the freedom of being an adult.  Not being restricted by all the rules of childhood.  Though I have always attended church, I still continued to make choices that were contrary to what I was taught.  Like the Model in the video, I didn't know who I was, I didn't know  I was a Daughter of God, who know's me and loves me.  Oh, how that would have made a difference back then.  I remember one night feeling so alone, and nothing left, so I did what the business man did, I prayed.  I hadn't gone 10 years without praying, but my prayers back then, were pretty scarce and mote.  But I remember being specific in this prayer, asking that He would make something happen in my life, or one of my family members life, to help me get back on track.  Preferably my life, I wouldn't want my family to suffer because of me.  And a week later, I got in a car accident, where I broke my neck. Now, does Heavenly Father always answer prayers that quickly and that precise?  Not always, but He knew that is what I needed, at that time to get me back on track.  And that is what happened.  I realized at that time, that I had to look to the light, to get rid of the darkness, that was engrossing my life.  I had to embrace the light, and fill my life with light, to be able to walk back into His presence.

How grateful we should be, for the second chances we get, from our Savior's love and mercy He shows us daily.  His love is what changes us from within.  Whatever we seek for, to fill our lives from without, will never fill our lives, if we don't seek Him first within.  We will always be filled when we look to the light, He will never leave us in the dark.  We have that chance to change, because of the Atonement, how blessed the world would be if we all understood, and applied it daily, and by doing so we would be filled with His love.  Which would change our behavior, and we would be more like Him.  And who wouldn't want that?

The Atonement

So this week in my Pathway Program I was the lead student in my Book of Mormon Class. It is the religion class, yes I go to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, most people know us as the Mormons.  So I had the opportunity to teach my class on Chapters found in the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 9 through 16.  There were two topics to really choose from, The Atonement and Isaiah.  You are correct I chose the Atonement.  I did this because I have a testimony of the power of the Atonement and I know it will and can change lives.

So to start out the lesson I read a thought that was called The Bridge By Melanie Day. It was about a man that sacrificed his son for a passenger train that would cross a larger river.  She compared it to the feelings of how our Heavenly Father felt when He sacrificed His Son for us.  How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that He willingly did that for all who came to this earth so that we could return to live  with Him.  I love object lessons, I feel they teach in a powerful  way, so I used two different object lessons. The first one, I brought a hard-boiled egg and explained that as we make choices we mark up the shell, the shell sometimes cracks, and it doesn’t look all that pretty anymore.  But as we repent and renew our covenants each week, the power of the Atonement purifies us and we are cleansed (I removed the shell off) from sin and we get to start over again.  The second, object lesson  I took a paper airplane and taped a nickel inside and threw it across the room, it didn’t fly very well.  I explained why, that there was a nickel taped on it.  I told them that the nickel represents our sins or bad choices that hold us back and bring us down.  I then took off the nickel and flew the plane again across the room, and it flew straight.  They then broke up into two groups and discussed the analogy and came up with a question for the other group to answer.  After we came together and discussed it. 

To end the lesson I had found this video  lifting burdens  it talks about how the Atonement can lift all our burdens and how we are forever connected to our Savior Jesus Christ because of the Atonement. I then sang as our closing song a song from Mercy Me called "I can only Imagine" that talks about if you were standing in front of Jesus right now what could you imagine doing?  Would you be speechless?  Forever on your knees?  Or forever worshiping Him? It is one thing we can spend the rest of our lives imagining or we could live now so that when it does happen we will see Him as we know and feel Him now.  That is my hope and prayer for all.  
 

Broken things to mend

Hello

For those who don't know I am in the BYU-I Pathway's Program.  I am taking two classes.  The first class, is Life Skills which teaches you how to learn certain study skills to succeed in school.  the second class, is The Book of Mormon class, the first half of the Book.  Yes, I am a Mormon or what we should more commonly be called, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In my Book of Mormon class we are learning a lot.  I would like to share with you a principle that has touched my heart.  I hope it will touch yours as well.  We have the opportunity to Dig Deeper into the Scriptures, the Book of Mormon, for that is what we are studying right now. They provide these videos I would like to share one with you.  It is a clip from a full talk from Jeffery R. Holland broken things to mend , one of my favorite Apostles.  Yes, we do have Apostles just  like times of old, isn't that awesome the same setup now as in ancient times?  That is one thing I love about the Gospel.  I have to admit, every time I listen to just this small segment of his talk I cry.

I feel the main principle that touched my  heart in his speech is, as we come unto Christ, come to know His voice, and do His will we will find a strength beyond our own.  I look back in my life and realize  that when I live closer to my Savior in action and word my strength is beyond measure.  I find that I had no idea how I got through that trial then when it is all said and done with I look back and  it was because I was listening to the voice of my Savior and striving to do His will, and by doing so I was coming unto Him.  Elder Holland also said, "The Savior will not turn His back on us now, when He says, ""Come unto Me"",  He is saying, He knows the way out, and He knows the up.  He knows it because He's walked it.  He knows the way because He is the way".  This much I know is true because the Spirit has told me so.  I  have felt His love as I have turned toward my Savior in troubled times.  He has always been there for me He has and never will turn His back on me.  I know if you come unto Him with full purpose of heart with real intent He will be there for you to comfort you and give you the strength to endure what you are facing.  Your faith will be sustained and you will find peace in the middle of your storm.  This I testify to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.