"...be of good cheer..." (John 16:33)

My mom, a woman of great strength and good cheer

As thoughts of my mom distill  upon my heart and mind, I hear her voice in my head call out, "Be of good cheer!" She would enthusiastically say it, frequently, as I was leaving her home. Rather than saying good-bye on her answering machine, she ended the message with, "Be of good cheer". Those were words of comfort she afforded me when I was seeking support and understanding. I believe it was her motto, and she truly lived it.

Those same words were spoken by Jesus Christ. He said it while talking to his disciples shortly before the agonies He would suffer in Gethsemane, before being betrayed by Judas, and before He would endure an unjust trial which would lead to His crucifixion and death. He said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). I believe that Christ knew life ahead would be challenging for the twelve apostles as He used the phrase, "ye shall have tribulation".

In modern revelation He offers comfort to us through this same declaration. "And ye cannot bear all things now (again, Christ is letting us know we will have trials and life won't be easy); nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along." (D&C 78:18). I love the word, nevertheless. It means, " in spite of that" (nevertheless). Thus, in spite of the trials. In spite of the worry. In spite of betrayal. In spite of hardship or pain. In spite of the monotony of daily life, which can be its own curious type of pain..."be of good cheer".

Even though my mom got weaker and less independent,
she always chose to be of good cheer.

I have learned over the years that we never know what someone is suffering or going through at any given time. No one gets out of this life without trials, pain, sorrow, or loss. Life for my mom was not easy- she definitely had her fair share of tribulations.

Nevertheless, she was one of the most optimistic, cheerful, and positive persons I have ever known. She quietly lived the gospel, which spoke volumes of lessons for me. She did "submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord" (Mosiah 24:15). She embodied the words of Pres. Thomas S. Monson in which he encourages us to "be of good cheer". He said, "This attitude is what will pull us through whatever comes our way. It will not remove our troubles from us but rather will enable us to face our challenges, to meet them head on, and to emerge victorious." He continues, "I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us." Pres. Monson ends with, "My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith" (Be of Good Cheer).

I testify of the power of being of good cheer. It is real- even life changing. I testify that God is with you. He hears and answers your prayers. We have nothing to fear. This I testify.

"I was in prison, and ye came unto me." (Matthew 25:36)

#LightTheWorld #day23

As I read the scripture for today, "I was in prison, and ye came unto me" (Matthew 25:36), I couldn't help but think of how we are all "in prison" at times. This means that we are held captive by our fears, by hanging onto the hurts, or pains that we have experienced intentionally or unintentionally afflicted upon us. Being unforgiving is one way of being spiritually in prison. "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body" (Hebrews 13:3). Prison can be physical captivity, as well as spiritual captivity.

I have come to notice that when I am unforgiving I tend to see others through the eyes at the age in which I was wounded. I am "unable to break out of the prison of [myself]" (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland). As I think about how I have changed over the years, I do hope that people see the "new me", even the me that has changed, and been "born again in Christ" (conversion). As I offer this same compassion to others, as I hope they will give to me, I have felt like I am free, even released from this self made prison that has held me captive.

Sometimes that prison is the prison of envy, hate, fear, not forgiving others or myself, resentment, pain, loss of faith or hope. Sometimes we get locked into prison of not being compassionate. President Monson gives us a wonderful solution that helps us free ourselves and others from these prisons. He said, "We must develop the capacity to see men not as they are at the present but as they may become when they receive testimonies of the gospel of Christ" (Pres. Thomas S. Monson). As we continually strive to have this perspective, to see the truth of what really is, then we can be made free. "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (see John 8:32).

Jesus Christ is "the way, the truth, and the life"(John 14:6). He is the One that can and will set us free. This I testify.

"Stand therefore, having...your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:14-15)

Having been dealing with foot pain for several months now I have come to realize that perhaps I may have to deal with this pain for a long time. I did finally go to the doctor and find out that there is a problem with my feet and it's something that may not go away on its own. It was a relief to identify the problem and a little scary to learn it might not ever clear up. What can help give some relief is to have the right footwear and to make sure I am not inflicting more pain by being fashion conscious and wearing unsupported, or flimsy shoes that will make the problem worse. There's pretty good footwear out there to help alleviate the pain but, I have found the best "footwear" to be in the gospel.

Paul told the Ephesians, "Stand therefore, having...your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:14-15). Shod means the past tense of shoed or simply put, shoe. So, put on the shoe of preparation of the gospel of peace. It's not the gospel of stress or anxiety, but of peace. I love this! Wearing the shoes that are taking me down the path of preparation and peace is very comforting and comfortable. In modern revelation we are taught, "...if ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30). I think it's a good question to ask, "what am I preparing for?" I know it's a good idea to prepare for those opportunities that come to "stand in the office which [God has] appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees" (D&C 81:5 see also Hebrews 12:12; Isaiah 35:3). When we have on the right shoes, we are able to serve and help others on their journey, thus finding "joy in the journey" (Pres. Thomas S. Monson), forgetting our own pain and helping others with theirs.

To be prepared with such shoes, when we are given the correct footwear we must "bind on thy sandals" (Acts 12:8). Binding our  sandals or "shoes" on our feet is being ready and prepared for the opportunities to serve, lift, and go forward in faith. If we have them sitting in the closet and do not have them on we may lose out when we are called to serve or feel unprepared and inadequate when we are called. I love what Pres. Howard W. Hunter said about having on the right footwear:

"May I say once more to the youth of the Church (and may I add all the adults of the Church)- prepare, believe, be ready, have faith. Do not say or do or be that which would limit your service or render you ineffective in the kingdom of God. Be ready when your call comes, for surely it will come...The Lord would say to you..what the angel said long ago to Simon Peter: "Arise. ...Bind on thy sandals. ...Follow me" (Acts 12:7-8). 

So, as I deal with foot pain, and getting the right shoes on my feet, I know that we will be wise to have our feet "shod with the preparation of the gospel", it truly does bring peace and it is the most comfortable footwear out there. This I testify.

 Great idea to "bind on thy sandals" to be prepared when the waves or wind come, for they surely shall come. 

"...I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up" (D&C 84:88)

Riding around Bear Lake has become somewhat of a tradition for my dad, my brother David, my brother-in-law Kevin, and the past two years has increased with my nephew Garrett, and this year two of my sons- Stockton and Ethan. Often we ride fast, and there is a bit of a competitive edge about doing it to see how fast one can finish the ride. But this year was a little different in that my son Ethan has absolutely no desire to go fast. He goes at his own pace. I stayed behind him, and for the first 15 miles thought he may turn around because everyone had gone ahead of us. We caught up with them, they started again and passed us, with the exception of my brother David (therefore Ethan's Uncle). He stayed with us. He told Ethan, "Riding is suppose to be fun. You go at your own pace. Especially with this being your first ride, don't worry about how fast you're going. I will even ride back to the cabin with you if needed". With these words of encouragement, Ethan settled in and kept pumping away, slow and steady.

This was a ride in the true sense of the word. It was not a contest, but a ride. All too often in life the competitive side of our natural man comes charging in and wants to take control, or be the best, fastest, better than, or greater than all other participants when in reality, it's a ride...not a competition and there is no need to contend for one's place or position while on a ride. When David told Ethan to "enjoy the ride" I couldn't help think of this scripture: "Adam fell that men might be; men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi  2:25). The joy comes in the journey!

I had started out on this ride expecting to ride fast, keep up with everyone, and be back in time for lunch. Well, it turned out to be different and in the long run (or ride in this case), one that will stand out in my mind forever. It was an incredible experience to watch my son continue pedaling hour after hour, enduring the heat, and receiving encouragement from his Uncle David. Pres. Monson says it so beautifully about enjoying the journey now: "This is our one and only chance at mortal life- here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey- now" (Finding Joy in the Journey).

On that ride I learned so many subtle, but powerful lessons and the ride ended up being one of incredible joy. While seeing my son Ethan with his Uncle David encouraging him and patiently riding beside him, I understood more clearly that the Savior will always be there for us. He says, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:18). There are so many times when we think we are on our own, and yet he will always be there to comfort and guide us on our life's journey.  We are told, "...I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up" (D&C 84:88). Most often, the angels beside us are our family members, friends, and people we associate with on a regular basis. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland teaches us this about angels:

"But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with-here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems close than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind" (The ministry of Angels).

This ride called life is meant to be enjoyed, and yes, endured well. As a mother who witnessed a miracle of her son finishing the longest ride he had attempted (the longest he had ridden was 4 miles prior to attempting this 50 mile ride), I testify that we are never alone, we will never be left comfortless (see John 14:18), and there will be angels in our lives to "bear [us] up".

Riding behind Ethan and David

We did it! Ethan, David, and me. It was a journey of great joy :)

P.S. Know you are loved!

"...The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

Last night, for Family Home Evening, or FHE (click here to learn more about FHE) our 12 year old son said he had a good idea and wanted to be in charge of it. He was well prepared and we gathered rather late (9:40pm), but it was well worth it. His idea was to have everyone share a talent, 2 minutes or less. We opened with a Primary song (you can find many to choose from here) and said a prayer to begin. This is what the talents were: Dad- flipped a coin on his wrist. Also demonstrated how to twirl numb-chucks using a towel. Mom- blew her nose and can make it "honk" and then danced to "I will Survive", a 30 second short.  Our 9 year old son- walked "weird" on his knees by tucking his feet into his pants. He did many variations of this unusual talent. He tried to show off his belching talents but that happened during his older brothers talents. Our 15 year old son- demonstrated his talent of yo-yo-ing. (Pretty complicated stuff! You can view his video on YouTube here). He displayed some new tricks. Our 12 year old- did boon-doggling or plastic string without looking for 2 minutes and completed a key chain with his younger brothers name on it. And our soon to be 17 year old daughter- showed off her talent of making her head disappear into her sweatshirt, twice. We all laughed and laughed. We had so much fun together. It felt so good to spend this time together and enjoy each other's "talents". We ended with another song, a prayer and sited the scripture, "O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God" (Alma 37:35).

The feeling in our home when we were finished was incredible. We were filled with joy and love for one another. The power that comes through having Family Home Evening was tangible. It strengthens ones family. It brings in a spirit of joy and happiness. We are taught by our prophets, "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities" (The Family Proclamation italics added). When we have good fun together, the Spirit is present and brings the "fruit of the Spirit" which are: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). These feelings from the Spirit feel so good. What's so wonderful is "...all things which are good cometh of God" (Moroni 7:12) and "that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually...every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve Him, is inspired of God" (Moroni 7:13). This is how we can strengthen our families, how we teach them, how we guide them. We invite them and entice them to do good continually. We don't manipulate or coerce them. Christ's way is charity, and "charity never faileth" (Moroni 7:46). We love and lead and invite. We show them the good that is in Christ by the way Christ does everything for us, through love.

The "fruit of the Spirit" can be felt anywhere when we are choosing the good. You don't have to just be in church or some "spiritual/religious" activity. We need to understand that "all things unto [the Lord] are spiritual, and not at any time [has He] given unto [us] a law which was temporal" (D&C 29:34). Everything that is "good" draws us closer to Him and allows us to feel His Spirit more.

The Lord wants us to "come unto Him" in all things. What better place than in our homes, with our families, having a good time together, for us to "feel after Him...[for] He is not far from every one of us" (Acts 17:27). President Monson said, "Family Home Evening, we cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program" (Constant Truths for Changing Times). When we have FHE on a regular basis our homes will be filled with "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23). This is Christ's power that will strengthen, lift, and help nurture, and protect our families. This I testify.