"I Choose!"

As 2013 begins and many of us recommit to do better and be better a Lehi's words to his son Jacob come to mind: "And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon" (2 Nephi 2:2, emphasis added).

What this says to me is that because we have a Messiah, someone who has saved us from the consequences of evil if we will just let Him, we have the ability to act or to choose what we will do, say, and feel in any given situation. Situations and circumstances do not have the power to act upon us. We have the power to act upon them. Remembering that simple fact is empowering.

So when tempted to be less than you can be, shout out, "I choose good!" and then envision yourself doing whatever good you are contemplating and watch what happens. You have the power to Live in Truth every moment of every day!

We're Radios

I was struck the other day by the analogy that our bodies are like radios. Why? Because we are energy-sensing beings. Daily we receive input from hundreds of sources. This happens automatically without us doing much to make it happen, but what we too often fail to realize is that like a radio we can choose which reception we want to tune into and which we don't.

The other thing we fail to realize is that unlike a radio, we also broadcast to those around us. Obviously when we talk we are broadcasting, but we also broadcast energy into the environment that influences those around us. Realizing this helps us become more conscious of the energy we are emitting and the influence we have on other people.

So tune yourself to the sources that empower and strengthen you, and then the power that flows from you will automatically be positive. It will strengthen and empower those around you.

Power Words

I keep finding the most interesting things about words and the power of words. For example, this morning while studying I found a study that shows that negative words produce a lower energy or heavier vibration level and positive words produce a higher energy or vibration level. This corresponds with how you feel when negative words or positive words are used. You feel lighter when using or hearing positive words and heavier when using negative words.

Usually we aren't aware of the energy produced by the words we hear and speak, but if we are looking and scrutinizing we can feel the difference. Our minds are like computers that sort our, process, and then respond to the codes that are inputted. Our minds unconsciously sort, process and then respond to the words we hear, think, and speak.

This means that every word is processed so that in fractions of a second meaning, associations, and memories connected with that word are sorted and then relevant ideas are brought to conscious thought. The mind is amazing! But what is important here are the ramifications of using low energy negative words versus high energy positive words.

Some of us have filled our vocabulary with negative ways of stating positive things. For example, someone requests something of you and you answer, "No problem" instead of "You're welcome" or "I'd be happy to do that." The word problem is a low energy, negative word, but welcome and happy are positive and high energy words.

So fill your day with happy words and watch what the good that happens!

A Job, A Career, or A Calling?

When a person Lives in Truth, which means he or she is living in the present moment, amazing things happen. One of those things is that we feel a peaceful sense of who we are and what we are to do. It is as if we are being called to a higher calling, but there is no stress or worry associated with the feeling, simply a peace in knowing what we are about.

To understand this better let's look at the distinction sociologists make between a job, a career, and a calling. A job is something you do for money or for some other reason you feel like you have to do it. You'd rather be doing something else, but to eat or fulfill others expectations you do it. A career you do because you are seeking advancement. You are after the promotions that will make you feel better than the people around you--being "above" or "over" everyone else is what motivates you. A

calling, on the other hand, is performed because something deep inside you says this is the thing to do. You want to contribute to help others to make things better.

With a job, if there is no reward involved the person won't do the job. With a career, if there is no chance to be elevated over others the person begins to look elsewhere or goes numb. With a calling when obstacles arise the person's determination intensifies and they try even harder.

When we Live in Truth we know our calling and respond to it because we are in touch with our highest self and despite adversity, trials, temptations or what other obstacles life offers us we understand the Good News! that there is something more than money or prestige or power and that knowledge gives us peace to do and be what we are called to do and be.

Remembering!

The people who have given me such wonderful memories!

On Mother's Day I was overcome with a flood of memories of all the good times I've experienced as a mother. My mind floated through the years and landed on sock wars, Family Home Evening pantomimes, camping trips, dancing in the rain, playing machines, picnics at Mueller Park, story telling, and especially moments when I snuggled my toddlers close and listened to them giggle. I was in tears most of the afternoon as all these thoughts and many others danced in my mind.

Then on Monday I received a gift in the mail from D6. She had taken some of our old VHS family movies and converted them to DVDs. It was the best gift I've ever been given and as I watched three hours of home video so many more memories came dancing into my head. My head is a family tango! But the best part is how thinking about all these wonderful things has made me feel.

Too often in the past I've been guilty of remember the worst of the past instead of the best. But I'm here to tell you that by forgetting the worst and dwelling on the best it makes every moment of life richer and happier, and it infuses hope into the soul. After all, the past is over and we can't do anything about it so why stew over it? Instead relish every good thing from the past and watch how it enhances the present and the future.

There is power in doing this!!!!

You Are Radiating

I changed the Words of Encouragement today. The quote I posted is one of my all time favorite quotes. It came from President David O. Mckay. “There is another responsibility correlated and even coexistent with free agency, which is too infrequently emphasized, and that is the effect not only of a person’s actions but also of his thoughts upon others. Man radiates what he is, and that radiation affects to a greater or lesser degree every person who comes within that radiation.”

We’ve all been in the presence of someone who lifts and encourages us just by being. It isn’t the words they say or the stories they tell. It is something tacit that radiates from them and empowers us. On the other hand, we have all been in the presence of someone who depletes us, sucks power from us, and drains us. This empowering or depleting is the effect of the radiation that President McKay is talking about.

When we consistently use our agency to choose righteousness, we become strong and that radiates to influence others. When we consistently use our agency to choose evil, we become weak and needy and that radiates to influence others. It is a mistake to think that we are just one little person and so what we do or say or think doesn’t matter. We do matter. We influence all those we come in contact with and we add to the righteousness or evil in the world. That is why it is so important to remember what King Benjamin said, “Watch yourselves and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds” (Mosiah 4:30). Our thoughts determine our words and deeds and are the source of what we radiate. If we live in Truth and watch our thoughts and feelings we will radiate goodness and love and will be a powerful influence for good in the world—especially to those around us.

A Woman's Power

Throughout history headgear has been a symbol of the power or authority a person possesses. This cultural phenomenon isn’t used much in modern society, but it is still used enough that we all recognize what many hats represent. All of us recognize a nurse’s cap, a mortar board, a chef’s hat, a policeman’s hat, a court jester’s hat, and a crown. Throughout time there have been many other types of head gear to represent a person’s attainment or the power they have acquired to tend to the sick, or to cook, or to rule a country.

One of the most interesting types of headgear that modern society has lost the meaning of is the veil that brides and women in many parts of the world still wear. You remember that when Eliezer brought Rebekah back to marry Isaac, as they neared Issac’s lands, she saw a man off in the fields and dismounted from her camel. “What man is this?” she asked Eliezer. “It is my master,” Eliezer answered, and upon knowing that this was the man she was to marry, Rebekah “took a vail, and covered herself” (Genesis 24:65).

What is happening here is beautifully symbolic. A woman’s veil, like any headgear, is a symbol of her power. In this case it is a symbol of the power a woman has to give life. When veiled a woman is unseen and inside the veil, just as her power to give live is internal and unseen to anyone looking at her. So as Rebekah beholds the priesthood bearer she is to marry, she veils her face representing the fact that she is bringing to him the power to give life. Sealed together they will then have the authority of priesthood and the power to bear life which are both needed in order to be like God.

It is such beautiful symbolism that it sends a tickle of delight through my soul when I see a bride or one of my Muslim sisters who still wear veils that symbolize the great power God has entrusted to women.

"Bespeaketh"

There is an interesting verse in the Doctrine and Covenants that’s meaning has escaped me until recently when I finally stopped to look up a word in it. The verse is D&C 60:4, “For I, the Lord, rule in the heavens above, and among the armies of the earth; and in the day when I shall make up my jewels, all men shall know what it is that bespeaketh the power of God.” Always before I had assumed that the word bespeaketh meant speaks, but this time I realized that “what it is that speaks the power of God” didn’t make much sense. So as I instruct my students to do, I went to my dictionary and looked up bespeaketh. A definition about speak (to speak to with formality) is the second definition of the word, but the first definition is “to hire, engage, or claim beforehand.” The third definition is “to request” and the last definition is “to indicate; signify.”

The two definitions that fit best here are the first and last. So the phrase can be read as “what it is that engages the power of God” or “what it is that signifies the power of God.” Both of these make sense and give us beautiful insights as to what is to come. When the Lord gathers His righteous people—His jewels—all people will know that righteousness engages the power of God and all people will know that righteousness signifies the power of God. There will be such an obvious connection that no one will be left wondering how one obtains the power of God.

This is a beautiful promise. Right now so many people deny the power of God, but some day not only will no one deny the power of God, but they will all know what it is that brings the power of God into a person’s life. I can’t wait for the day!

Safely In The Stall

If you’ve been reading this blog very long, you know how much I love the words of Isaiah. He was an amazing man and an incredible teacher. His words are poetry and prophecy at the same time. One of my favorite things about him is how he encourages and uplifts. But there are other Old Testament prophets that I haven’t talked about before that also lift and encourage. One of those is Malachi.

One of my favorite verses from Malachi is “But unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves in the stall” (Malachi 4:2). You have to think about this for a few minutes to really understand what Malachi is saying. First of all the play on words with Sun substituted for Son. Christ is the Son and He is the Light—the Sun—the bright light of righteousness. He will arise from the dead with healing in His wings. Throughout scripture wings is used for a symbol of power. There are many symbols that are used to denote power and each has a slightly different emphasis. Hands denote power in that they do work. A head denotes power in that it houses our brains where we choose what we will do. A wing specifically refers to the power to escape earthly enemies just as a bird can lift itself into the air and escape predators—as long as it stays in the air! Likewise Jesus will give us the power to escape our earthly enemies and lift us to God the Father.

But the last part of this verse is my favorite. In this day and age of cities and suburbs most of us don’t recognize the amazing promise being given us that the righteous will “grow up as calves in the stall.” Cattle that roam the range have to forage for their own food which is usually grass and weeds. They have to search for water and constantly be on the lookout for predators and a place to rest safely during the night. They have no one to care for them. But a calf in the stall doesn’t have to forage. In human terms, it as if he has room service. His meals are brought to him and placed in the trough. He is not only fed hay, but often grain. Water is constantly available. The calf in the stall has shelter from the elements, and not only a fence, but a caretaker who protects him from predators. More importantly, a calf in a stall often gets special treatment such as grooming because it is going to be shown at fairs or other events.

In short, what Malachi promises is that if we will turn to Jesus Christ He will heal, empower, nurture, protect, and care for us. What more could we ask for?