Savior

You know what? Trials are a part of this life. Big ones and little ones. And you know what else? They are custom made for each of us. And you know another thing? I am truly learning that my Savior and Brother Jesus Christ understands perfectly everything that we are going through. Elder Holland said "He knows the way out, and He knows the way up."

It is this truth that gives me so much strength. I won't go into personal detail, but I, like all of us, have something difficult in my life. The thing that makes it hard is that I will think that I have overcome it completely, and then everything crashes down again. It is a very quiet trial that I rarely talk about, mostly because other people cannot understand the pain it causes unless they have experienced it themselves. But He knows. He really does! He knows exactly how I feel and the emotions I experience. And most importantly, He can heal me. I know that healing is a process, a learning process, but I find great joy and peace in waiting upon the Lord.

I am grateful for my trials. I look back on them and I wouldn't trade the lessons they have taught me and the person they have helped me become for anything. My trials seem so small and insignificant compared to the truly heartbreaking things that so many people endure; but to my Shepherd they are not small. He is there, He understands, He loves us, He will heal and help us.

Why I Wanted to Delete Facebook

DISCLAIMER: Upon reading this post, you may find the author to be old-fashioned, prudish, and over-the-top. No offense is intended. :)

So some of you may have read the facebook status I posted a little bit ago declaring that I intended to delete my facebook account. Since then I have decided to keep my account, so I can keep in touch with friends and see people's wedding and baby pictures, but I would like to take this opportunity to explain why I do feel the way I do about facebook and all other social networks.

I think it's silly. Silly! It is silly how dependent our society has become on social networking. I see so many people who cannot fully enjoy anything in life unless they have posted a facebook status about it, written a blog entry, tweeted, and put up pictures on Instagram. It is silly that people's real lives have become inseparable from their virtual lives. And more than silly, I think it is sad. It is sad that people will spend so much of their lives in front of a glowing monitor, not really living at all. And on top of being silly and sad, I also think it is quite dumb.

So, to each their own, but as for me, most of the time you will find me actually living my life for reals. I will be going on walks in the foothills, having meaningful face-to-face conversations with the people I care about, smelling the gorgeous roses that are in full bloom outside, and singing for residents at assisted living centers.

I am so grateful for my life. I am so blessed. I love to live.

Issues

I absolutely love my Institute class. We are studying the New Testament and my teacher is amazing! He is so knowledgeable about the scriptures and the things I am learning are blowing my mind. I look forward so much to every Thursday evening and I wouldn't miss a class for the world.

One of the things we learned about last night was how we can liken the miracles of physical healing that Christ performed while on the earth to how He heals us emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually in our personal lives. I will probably never be blind or have leprosy, but there are areas of my life in which I am spiritually blind or emotionally ill.

We took a look at the story of the woman who had the issue of blood 12 years. Our teacher asked us to replace the word "blood" with something that is personal to us, perhaps "an issue of depression" or "an issue of self-esteem" or "an issue of an addiction." Just like the woman who's faith made her whole by touching the Savior's robe, we too can be made whole when we touch Christ and access His Atonement.

Thanks so much for reading! I like this blogging thing. :)