On My Mind...

Where have I been?  Some of you have been wondering.  I've had a rough few months so I wasn't much in the mood for putting on a happy face and blogging the happy things in my life. 

 I've been reading this talk a lot over the last several months.  These few parts I read over and over and over. 

"Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others".

 "... put our trust in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. 'God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.^'  The Lord Jesus Christ is our partner, helper, and advocate. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be successful. If we do our part, He will step in. He who descended below all things will come to our aid. He will comfort and uphold us. He will strengthen us in our weakness and fortify us in our distress. He will make weak things become strong".

"The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude".

 I also spent a lot of time reading the story of Job. Job is my new hero.  Anyone who can lose everything, and still have faith is pretty cool.  I need to work on that.

Job is someone I wish I could have turned into about 4 months ago. Sadly, I like the learn some things the hard way, I guess. 

When you face adversity, you can be led to ask many questions. Some serve a useful purpose; others do not. To ask, Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this, now? What have I done to cause this? will lead you into blind alleys. It really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of God. Rather ask, What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help? How can I remember my many blessings in times of trial? Willing sacrifice of deeply held personal desires in favor of the will of God is very hard to do. Yet, when you pray with real conviction, “Please let me know Thy will” and “May Thy will be done,” you are in the strongest position to receive the maximum help from your loving Father.

 Richard G. Scott, “Trust in the Lord,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 17