Overcoming Adversity

We had the most wonderful surprise yesterday. Yesterday, a dear man chose to come worship with us. I watched as this brother was embraced and welcomed. One by one, people came over and spoke with him. From where I was sitting, it looked as if expressions of brotherly love were given and received on both sides. The miracle of this event is that this brother had withdrawn from our fellowship a few years ago. He had taken offense over some small matter and would not forgive even when apologies were extended his way. Yesterday, all that appeared forgotten and forgiven. There was only joy! I'm sure that most of us have taken offense at one point or another in our lives. Justified or not, taking offense can sometimes lead to decisions that hurt us far more than the original w... Read More

Mistakes! We've all made them. Some mistakes are easily corrected, others can take quite a lot of time and effort to fix. I've made my share of mistakes. I will probably make a few more before my time on this earth is through. Big or small, I can honestly say that I've learned from my mistakes. They've made me a better person, a better mother and wife. My mistakes and my journey to overcome those mistakes are as much a part of me as any other attribute that makes me - me. But what happens when our children make mistakes? Are we as patient or as understanding? Do we forgive? Do we look at it as an opportunity for them to grow, or do we only see the looks that we imagine our neighbors and friends are giving us? Do we view it as a reflection on our abilities (or lack thereof) as pa... Read More

Families, can't live with them, don't want to live without them! Isn't it funny how the ones that we love the most can also be the ones that make us the maddest? It seems to me that the ones that I love the most can push all my buttons the wrong way. Probably because they know all the right buttons to push. Of course by saying this, I'm fully aware that the ones who love me the most can say the exact same thing about me. My extended family is pretty normal, at least we like to think we're mostly normal. We have our good times and our bad days. We have days when we all agree on the best course of action, and we have days when we absolutely know the right thing to do and everyone else is wrong. We have days when we just can't get enough of each other and we have those othe... Read More

In the last little bit I have found myself flying a lot more than I am comfortable with. Flying didn’t bother me for a long time, but then a few years ago I had a bad experience. On a long flight across the country, I was faced with an exaggerated amount of air turbulence that frequently caused my stomach to lurch as the plane dropped and bumped. Though I tried to keep a calm exterior, I bit a hole in my cheek on that flight as all the terrible thoughts raced through my mind while the plane rocked and buckled across the United States. Since then I’m faced with a sense of dread every time I settle into the sea... Read More

For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. (3 Nephi 11:29) Everyone has differences in opinion, whether tastes, or preferences. That is what gives each person a unique perspective, and there is nothing wrong with that. But in any relationship, be it a friendship, family member, or couple, there must be an agreement made between all parties involved to seek understanding with one another and look beyond those differences. The goal of the ... Read More

One of the most remarkable things about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons) is how organized and equipped the Welfare Services and humanitarian program is to be able to provide systems of relief for those in need not only locally, but on a global scale during times of adversity. From gigantic events such as the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Mormon church is often the first to arrive with aid, and often the ... Read More

In the scriptures, our Savior, Jesus Christ has told us, In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) Sometimes, it is difficult to see beyond our daily trials. Things can become so overwhelming and stressful that it can often leave us feeling alone and fearful. These types of feelings can linger, and unfortunately, have the tendency to lead to more severe feelings, such as desperation and hopelessness. Having these types of emotions poses a danger in our lives. It allows an opening and susceptibility for ... Read More

The end of 2007 is finally here. Personally, I could not be more relieved. I survived! This past year was one of the most difficult years for me and by extension, for my family. Although I am filled with hope and anticipation for a better year next year, I know that at the same time I am truly grateful for the trials and tribulations I faced this past year. What was the lesson I learned from all of the adversity I dealt with this year? I learned to not take my faith for granted, and that everything that is important in life takes a lot of consistently hard work to maintain. But in the end, the reward is worth it, and the alternative is unacceptable. When I was baptized into ... Read More

Adversity comes in many shapes and sizes. It happens to everybody, even members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). It happens to the best of us and the rest of us. We come from all walks of life, and experience all kinds of adversity. Recognizing adversity from an eternal perspective, a perspective often seen through the eyes of Mormons, can often provide hope even during the darkest hours. Adversity can come at you in the form of events, circumstances, through the actions of other people, or misguided intentions of those closest to you, even yourself. It comes because it is supposed to, and it comes daily. For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. (... Read More

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour...(1 Peter 5:8) It is time for everybody to awake and be aware that there is an Adversary in our midst. The Adversary I am speaking about has many names and has many layers. He has been known as Lucifer, Satan, and the devil. He has always been around in some form, generations among generations. But, for the people born in our lifetimes, his methods of leading us off the path of spiritual enlightenment towards our Heavenly Father are now more sophisticated ... Read More

It is with sweet admiration, that I find it remarkable that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly referred to as Mormons) has such a successful Missionary Program, especially in this day and age. Young men and women, ages nineteen through twenty-five (retired couples can also serve missions) who are actively involved in the Mormon church volunteer up to two years of their lives to serve missions in various locations throughout the world for the sole purpose of helping to bring the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have not learned of Him. They follow the teachings of ... Read More

At first, the day seemed quite uneventful. That is, until the event that I would let shape my day came to my attention. My darling four year old daughter walked into my office and announced that she had lost one of the earrings from a pair of earrings I had only put on her only three days earlier. These were not any ordinary earrings, but a pair of gold earrings that I had owned since I was a child, around the same age as she is now. I had put them on her for a Christmas show she was participating in, but they looked so cute on her, that I decided to keep them on her for a couple more days. It didn't occu... Read More

For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven. Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand. (Doctrine & Covenants 58:2-3) What does it mean to be faithful in tribulation? When faced with adversity, sometimes the easiest t... Read More

It never makes sense. Why would someone with no apparent motive decide to randomly murder numerous people before taking their own life? This past week in Omaha, Nebraska was the most recent, horrible massacre. Every thought in relation to these types of occurrences is filled with sorrow, anger, and frustration as to why these things seem to be happening at an all too frequent rate in our society. What is also disturbing is that it seems to be a trend coming from younger people. The first question then, should be, what is happening to our young people? What is lacking so badly in their lives that causes them so... Read More

The shadow of adversity is cast over all of us in our mortality. It happens to everyone. But there are things that we can do to help us remember that there is hope, and that the shadow will not last any longer than we sometimes let it. One of those things that helps us hear the Spirit of God is through listening to music, specifically, music inspired from scripture, otherwise known as hymns. It is not a cure all, but it does help to instantly inspire good thoughts.... Read More

There are those moments in life when people have aspirations (whether daily or life-changing) which they are more than determined to achieve, but due to certain physical afflictions, it makes it nearly impossible for them to accomplish. For some, those afflictions can last a lifetime, but for others, it is only a matter of time before their afflictions either heal or resolve themselves. Often, it is not the physical affliction that causes the most challenges, but the thoughts in the mind of the afflicted. They can be stricken with thoughts of self pity, or at worst, thoughts of suicide. It is hard to keep a positive outlook because the physical affliction can be overwhelming at times. But, if we put our trust and faith in the Lord, Jesus C... Read More

Christmas is right around the corner. It is supposed to be a time of joy, peace, and happiness for everyone. It is a time to remember and reflect upon the amazing miracle of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a time to reopen in our hearts the glorious gift of hope that our Father in Heaven gave to all mankind. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)... Read More

At the beginning of last week, as I pondered and prayed about what I should write about in my first post under the category of Adversity, it honestly did not occur to me that the answer would be so ironic. The days that followed after my prayer were filled with challenges every single day. It felt like everything was going wrong and that I had no control over anything. It also seemed like no matter how well I planned ahead the events of the day, something would happen to throw my whole schedule off, with little hope of recovery. My biggest challenge was trying not to take the daily stuff so seriously. I had to try very hard to not linger in the challenges that I faced. But the daily stuff seemed to come at me from all angles and in great number. Sometimes, I really had t... Read More