"The God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:13)

The other morning my daughter came rushing into the kitchen a bit upset, and frazzled. This is so not like my daughter; she is usually like her dad, really laid back and very easy going. She proceeded to tell me that she had left her rings on the sink at the swim meet the night before, that she was late for an early morning meeting at school, and would I please call the pool across town and ask about her rings. The conversation proceeded something like this:

 I said, "You left them in Kearns?! Which rings? There is no way they are going to be there. Especially over there."

"Please, just call them and ask if they are there or if someone found them and turned them into the lost and found. I am late, so late! It's a thin silver one, a thicker silver one with my initials, and the one grandma gave me with the garnet."

"Okay, I'll call. Look up the number while I finish cooking the eggs. You know that they are not going to be there." I responded with absolutely no belief they would be turned in, they were worth a little money, and on the West side? Ha! I had little hope in that idea...but, I really wanted to hope, for my daughters sake.

She looked up the number and I asked the girl on the other end of the phone if there had been three rings turned in after the swim meet. She said, "Let me check the lost and found." I waited patiently as I stirred the eggs, potatoes, and sausage. A minute or so later the girl says, "What do the rings look like?" I proceeded to describe them to her. She said, "Yes. We have them here. What name should I put on them and you can pick them up?"

I was SO shocked and SO happy! My hope in humanity is...well returning, slowly. When I picked up the rings the woman at the counter told me to tell my daughter to, "...leave them at home next time, especially if she comes out here! She was lucky she got them back." I know my daughter was truly blessed to have them returned to her.

Two thoughts have come to mind from this experience (there are always more, but I think sharing two is sufficient for the day). One: The woman who turned the rings in was "...true at all times in whatsoever thing [she was] entrusted" (Alma 53:20). As women and men who follow Christ, true disciples, we "stand for truth and righteousness" (Relief Society Declaration) even when no one is watching us. The woman who found my daughters rings could have easily slipped those rings into her handbag or pocket without anyone noticing. Instead, she chose "the better part" (Father in Heaven, We Do Believe Hymn #180) by being honest and turning them into the lost and found. Through her example I was able to see that there are still good people in the world today and the news/media just needs to do a better job of reporting that kind of news. Also, I need to relinquish some of my doubts about others...not everyone wants to take "advantage of one" (2 Nephi 28:8). That's something I can work at doing a better job.

And the second thought: Even though I have had plenty of experiences to jade me and make me not trust people like I used to (I am definitely more cautious), there is great hope! After I got the rings and went to my car, I couldn't stop weeping from the blessings of  "lost and found". President Howard W. Hunter said, "I promise you...in the name of the Lord, whose servant I am, that God will always protect and care for His people. We will have our difficulties the way every generation and people have had difficulties. But with the gospel of Jesus Christ you have every hope, promise, and reassurance. The Lord has power over His Saints and will always prepare places of peace, defense and safety for His people. When we have faith in God we can hope for a better world- for us personally, and for all mankind. The prophet Ether taught anciently (and he knew something about troubles): 'Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God' (Ether 12:4)" (An Anchor to the Souls of Men).

We all have lost important items or perhaps even valuable relationships. We all have trials, challenges, dark days, fog, and cold, that might seem to last too long and we may get a little lost in some of the "dark and dreary waste" (1 Nephi 8:7). But, we need not despair. For most definitely, "whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world" (Ether 12:4), even our small world that sometimes may seem lost. Even if we hadn't found the rings, which would have been very disappointing, I can testify that nothing is lost to God. As Paul taught the Romans: "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:13).

Christ is "the God of hope". He taught through the parables of the the lost sheep, the lost piece of silver, and the prodigal son that nothing is lost to the Lord (read parables here). We must, in our relationships with our loved ones, and even our enemies, put our faith and trust in Him, the Keeper of the lost and found. I realized that to the Lord, we are all "the one" when He taught: "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it" (Luke 15:4)?

The found rings~
honest people and hope.

We are all "prodigals" and the Father says of each of us, "It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found" (Luke 15:32). We are each that lost brother and He rejoices when we repent. Repentance is: "A change of mind and heart that brings a fresh attitude toward God, oneself, and life in general. Repentance implies that a person turns away from evil and turns his heart and will to God, submitting to God's commandments and desires and forsaking sin" (The Guide to the Scriptures). He rejoices when we return to Him in prayer each night or any time of our day for that matter.

Just as my daughter lost her rings and she wanted to find them, she needed to ask for help. We too must want to be found, ask for His help that He may find us (see 1 Nephi 8:8; Enos 1:1-5; Mark 9:14-29). We are never lost to Him, no matter what we are struggling with, our location, or perhaps even our mood. He is waiting for us to open the door and invite Him in (Rev. 3:20). "The God of Hope" will fill us with hope when the impossible seems to loom before us through the power of the Holy Ghost. He will fill us with hope when the "mist of darkness" (1 Nephi 8:23-24) makes the way difficult to see and we feel lost. He is just waiting for us to ask that we may be found.

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." Luke 2:10

This is my one hundredth post. I think about the number one hundred and I remember when my children were little and they would hit 100 days of school and bring in 100 items of something to celebrate. It was a big deal to hit 100 days of school. If someone turns 100, which is a rarity, there is usually a big celebration and there might even be some sort of announcement put in the newspaper. Which led me to thinking about other special events and announcements throughout history.

There was an announcement made, longer than 100 years ago, of a very sacred, planned, celebrated, prophesied, and foretold event (see Isaiah 7:14). This would be the announcement of the birth of the Savior of the world. It had finally taken place. It wasn't announced in a newspaper, or on television, or even announced by the king to all the people of the land. It was announced to a few, chosen people who were prepared to hear the news and had been waiting and anticipating His birth. The announcement went to some "country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). Granted, they did get it announced in a pretty spectacular way. Having an angel appear would be pretty awesome.

As I read this account, found in Luke 2, of the Shepherds being told of the birth of Jesus Christ, I find it humbling that they were "sore afraid" when the angel appears to them (Luke 2:9). I am sure, as shepherds, they were used to being out in the fields at night and had faced dangers to protect their sheep. These were good, honest, and faithful men who were able to receive this witness. The angel calms them and says, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10-12).

Tidings simply means news or information. The angel brought "tidings of great joy"! So great was this news that "...suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:13-14). When using the term "multitude" this implies too many to count, or innumerable. I envision the heavens filled with "heavenly host". This was "glory to God"(Luke 2:14). The shepherds responded to this message of "great joy" and went "with haste" to see the baby "lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12). "And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child" (Luke 2:16-17)

As I ponder the announcement being made to shepherds, I realize the "Good Shepherd" is Christ (see John 10:14). It is only fitting that His birth should be announced to shepherds. Even in His birth the angels are prophesying in a symbolic way, of His incredible mission of saving all mankind (see Articles of Faith 1:3). He is the Shepherd of us all who choose to follow His voice and "bring forth good works" (Alma 5:41).

As followers of Jesus Christ, we hear His voice and follow Him because we want to know Him and we are His sheep (see Guide to the Scriptures). We can, as the shepherds, go "with haste" and see and then make it "known abroad", and we can be shepherds and follow Christ's example by "taking up our cross daily" (Luke 9:23) and "feed [His] sheep" (John 21:17). We don't have to wait for something significant like 100 days, or even years to pass to celebrate this incredible event, the birth and life of our Savior. We are shepherds every day as we follow the "Good Shepherd" (Topical Guide-Good Shepherd) and live with Christ at the center of our lives.

Pres. Howard W. Hunter said: "Please remember this one thing. If our lives and our faith are centered upon Jesus Christ and His restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and His teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right" (Fear Not, Little Flock). We don't need to be "sore afraid", but can "rejoice evermore"  (1 Thessalonians. 5:16) and be shepherds, "glorifying and praising God for all the things" we hear and see (Luke 2:20). This I testify.