“And I, God, saw everything that I had made, and, behold, all things which I had made were very good” (Moses 2:31).

As I walked today, it was really beautiful outside. The sun was out and the temperature, once I started walking, wasn't too cold. I was inside my head as I walked, not really paying attention to where I was headed as much as I was focused on just taking steps forward. It wasn't until I was more than halfway finished with my walk that I really noticed the beauty around me. What made me come out of my self focused walk was a clear call of a bird that sounded like the first notes of a melody. “The time of the singing of birds is come” (Song of Solomon 2:12). I stopped and looked around for the bird. I could barely spy it in the top branches of a tree, white like the aspen it was hiding in. Camouflaged. 

I then noticed the cracks in the cement sidewalk made by a large fir tree. The sidewalk yawning upwards, separating into two pieces like a large, wide mouth. I was impressed with the strength of the roots and wondered how deep they really went and if the roots could withstand a micro burst. Maybe the owner had watered it too much and the roots really didn't sink deep at all. Or maybe it had really deep roots and could withstand great gusts, remaining strong. “But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life” (Alma 32:41).

I noticed some crushed small fruit from trees that I had to navigate through carefully so as not to fill the bottom of my shoes with the pulp that had been smashed on the cement. I thought, “How gross, yet at some point I’m sure they gave great beauty”. So much is given, and we are asked to give our best. “Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut” (Leviticus 22:24). But sometimes, the crushed fruit is not of our doing, and we carefully walk around it, grateful we didn't step in it. 

Maybe life is like all these creations. I would miss them if I had continued to be in my own mind, thinking of things I can’t recall. Yet, they are so beautiful, powerful enough to change my thoughts and gladden my heart. All these beautiful creations. Made for us. “Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul” (D&C 59:18-19). 

Perhaps I will take more notice, I hope so, but sometimes, my efforts are so short lived. I will practice- practice noticing God’s creations and the blessings He gives through them, for they are good. “And I, God, saw everything that I had made, and, behold, all things which I had made were very good” (Moses 2:31). As I type this, the word “behold” stands out (see blog on “behold” here). I must practice beholding the creations of God. For they are good!

I’m grateful to be a practicing Christian.

"...Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44)

Practicing is important...and this is what I learned about practicing from a sandwich.

I was riding my trike up a hill close to the local high school when I got smacked on the arm with something wet, soggy, and it hurt. Stuff splattered all over my bike and me. I was shocked to find that the kids in the black Jeep had just thrown a sandwich out their window at me. They were laughing as they accelerated away from me. I sat up in my seat and yelled, "Thanks a lot! Nice, really nice!" If I could have, I would have caught up to them...but going uphill on a trike, pretty much impossible.

As I continued on my ride, with the stench of  what smelled like some sort of salad dressing on my arm, I was trying so hard not to be angry, I mean really angry. I don't like being mad on my rides. It's my way of relaxing and enjoying life. I usually get a lot of friendly waves and thumbs up when I ride- never food thrown at me. So, I kept thinking about how I should handle this. Honestly, I wanted to knock some sense into these kids, but I had no idea who they were or where to find them. So, I just had to keep thinking about what is the better way to handle this. I didn't want to ruin my ride by thinking negative thoughts.

I did think, "Forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34), but I believe they knew exactly what they were doing. So, that one did not defuse my frustration or anger about it. I was still just so shocked that someone would be so mean. Then the thought came to me, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). Well, I could do that, pray for them...

But as I continue to ponder this incident, I realize that there are some mean people in the world. I don't have to judge them or even knock some sense into them. It is "required to forgive all men. And [I] ought to say in [my] heart-let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds" (D&C 64:10-11). Easier said than done.

As the days have gone by, and my anger has defused, and I have had more time to ponder this incident I realized that, ultimately, I don't want to behave as they did. If I had caught them and clobbered them or even been rude to them, I would have behaved as they did. Rude and mean.  I don't want to be mean-whether on accident or on purpose. So, what I realized from being splattered with sandwich and smelling so lovely (sarcasm) of salad dressing, was that I really want to be able to truly be kind in all circumstances. It is so easily said, and not so easily applied. But, I do believe it is possible to "love your enemies" and "bless them that curse you" and "do good them them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). It just takes a lot of practice. It really is good to be a practicing Christian, because if I weren't then that sandwich would have been a real waste.

"...My grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me..." ( Ether 12:27)

I don't know if you noticed that I have on my profile that I am a practicing Christian, not a prefect one. I would really like to be perfect, but that isn't the case at all. I get mad at my children (unfortunately, even when I say I am not going to, and I repent of it every day:) I yell at the drivers of cars even though they can't hear me (my kids remind me of this). I make mistakes and say things that I wished I hadn't, and I hope that people know the intents of my heart, but more than likely, all they heard were my words. So, I resort back to asking for, and praying for patience and of course I get more opportunities to practice learning how to be patient. It is a lot of work. There are some things in my life that are just meant to take more time than I would like, and getting patience is one of them.

There are actually many things in our lives that we haven't received but would like that are righteous desires...or perhaps we are receiving them a little at a time and we just are not aware of them. The Lord says: "But all things must come to pass in their time" (D&C 64:32). All things must come to pass in their time, not our time. Sometimes we may feel like we are in limbo not knowing if something is going to happen or not, and we really want it to happen or work out. But the thought came to me today that we are not in limbo, we are in God's time. "Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us" (Psalms 62:8). He does know exactly what we need, including patience, mercy, marriage, or increased faith, humility, or diligence, children, or perhaps even "the trial of your faith" (1 Peter 1:7). He "knows our needs before we ask" (Elder Henry B. Eyring). 

He also knows what we are capable of becoming. His complete work is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). He want to bless us with immortality and eternal life, not just immediate gratification. Immediate gratification only stunts our growth. We may think that it is really the best thing ever, but in the long run we don't learn patience, a true godly characteristic. Think of how patient God truly is. If we are to follow Jesus Christ, then instant gratification isn't His way. He says: " Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great" (D&C 64:33). We can't give up on practicing being good Christians. We are laying the foundation of a "great work", us! We are God's greatest work, and out of our small efforts to continue to keep the commandments to love God and love our neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40) are great things happening~us becoming more and more like our Savior, even Jesus Christ. 

Jesus said, "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (3 Nephi 12:48; Matt. 5:48). He does have very high expectations of us. He wants us to be perfect. But He also knows we can't be perfect on our own. That's why we have grace, "divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ" (Bible Dictionary). He told the prophet Moroni these very comforting words and they are for us, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27). We all have weaknesses, we all need Christ. And through His grace He can and will make us sufficiently strong as we turn our hearts and minds to Him. "What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes"( Deuteronomy 10:12-13).

As we keep the commandments, love God and love our neighbor, and continue in our imperfect, but practicing ways of following Christ, His grace is sufficient for us. "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is His grace sufficient for you, that by His grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God" (Moroni 10:32). You and I will be able to see that His time is the right time as we turn our hearts to Him. He knows exactly what He is doing because He is the Master of all creation (see Lord). And we are "the crowning creature" of all He created (Elder Bruce R. McConkie). 

We can go forth, with faith in Christ, "having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men" (2 Nephi 31:20)...practicing His ways, and being perfected in Him in His time. This I testify is the way to truly live as a practicing Christian. 

"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land" (Isaiah 1:19)

I hate it when I burn food. It stinks for a really long time, and nobody wants to eat it. And it's even worse when I have spent a lot of time preparing what I thought would be a great meal...and then I burn it, or I don't add the right ingredients, or my family tells me it tastes gross, or they refuse to eat, or they have even said that they are full. I tend to get mad. I try not to, but the natural woman comes roaring out of me, or sometimes tearfully out of me and things just fall apart.

Sometimes...things just fall apart. Sometimes the food does get burned and I can't fix it. Sometimes people really are full and don't want to eat right then. Sometimes the food really is gross. And sometimes, I do act like a maniac and behave badly. But all is not lost (even though at the moment I may feel that it is).

We all make mistakes. Everyone of us. Heavenly Father knew this from before our birth. That's why He had this great plan in place for us to follow if we choose (see Moses 6:62; 1 Cor. 15:22; Titus 1:2; Alma 42:8). It is hard not to get upset with ourselves or others when things don't go as planned, or when mistakes happen, or when tragedy strikes. It doesn't feel good to be out of control. But there is a plan in place and we don't have to be out of control. It does take faith..."For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7) to believe that our Father in Heaven can see far beyond our own natural vision. And it does take faith that He can make burned food not burned.

The plan is made clear in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has made food from nothing that we might follow Him. He did this more than once with the loaves and the fishes. He fed five thousand men, this doesn't mention how many women and children were among them. (see Mark 6:34-44) and again he fed "four thousand men, beside women and children" (Matt. 15:32-38). Both times there was food left over. He can take our "burned food", or our mistakes, our sins, our wrong doings and make them whole. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18). The next verse relates perfectly with food..."If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land" (Isaiah 1:19).

If we are willing, we can eat whole food~ eat the food that Christ offers us. It isn't burned or gross. It might take some repenting (meaning turning of the heart and will to God and renunciation of sin (see Bible Dictionary)), but the well cooked food, and the clean smell in our house from the mess being cleaned all up, is so worth it! We all make mistakes, but we don't have to continue to live in them. This I testify is the "good of the land"  (Isaiah 1:19). Come, let's eat!