BYU Devotionals- I love them!

In the early morning hours, BYU tv runs BYU devotionals.  These are so inspirational.  I am getting a lot of favorites.  I thought I would use this post as a place to post links to the ones that I wanted to be able to find again easily:

J.B. Haws- Wrestling with Comparisons

Brad Wilcox- His Grace is Sufficient

Gifford Nielson- Rise and Shout and Shine Forth

Todd B. Parker- “True Doctrine, Understood, Changes Attitudes and Behavior”

Lawrence E. Corbridge- Stand Forever

Here is the link to the general site:
http://speeches.byu.edu/index

Weatherford T. Clayton:  Christ: The Rock of our Redeemer

Ed Eyestone: Following Worthy Mentors

Chad Lewis: The World Needs to See and Feel Your Light

Scott Esplin: "Daddy, is Jesus real?" Overcoming Fear Through Faith in Christ


Gordon Limb: Recognizing and Responding to the Promptings of the Holy Ghost

Mike Middleton: Adding Star's to Your Life's Stars

Paul Farnsworth:  Avoiding Spiritual Drift

Elder David Evans
Elder Ron R. Clarke

Celia Peek- "Yea, They May Forget, Yet Will I Not Forget Thee."
http://www.byutv.org/watch/a974c56f-cbd1-483f-9f5f-92b6394add2b/byu-devotional-address-cecilia-m-peek-11910

Russell T. Osguthorpe- What if Love Were our only Motive?
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/osguthorpe-russell-t_what-if-love-were-our-only-motive/


Marilyn Berrett
Earnest Prayer

Damon Bahr
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/bahr-damon-l_the-unique-opportunities-of-living-at-this-time-in/

Jeff Bellison- Gospel Gifts
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/belliston-c-jeffrey_gospel-gifts/


 Trenton Hickman- Weaknesses into Strengths in our Search for Knowledge
http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=2183

Richard B. Miller- Repentance and Forgiveness in Marriage
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1880

Jane Lassetter- Lead me, Walk Beside Me: Life Lessons with the Holy Ghost
http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=2169


Barbara Heise- Growing Toward Christ
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1885


Brent Nelson- I Know That He Loveth His Children
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=2189&view=2

Elder Anthony Perkins- Nevertheless, I Went Forth
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=2164


Bishop Gerald Causse- "For When I Am Weak, Then Am I Strong"
 http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=2157 

Jeff Ringer- Finding Sanctuary
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1899 

Hello, I'm my Super Self!

A couple weeks before school got out, there was a day that the kids were supposed to dress up as their hero.  In the hallway, I overheard a little girl talking.  She was probably 1^st or 2^nd grade.  Anyway, she was wearing a cape and I heard her tell someone, “I’m my super self!”   She was so proud of herself.

That really struck me.  We should all try to be our super self! We should all try to be the best version of ourselves that we can be.  We may not always be able to do it on our own, but we can surely do it with the help of God our Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and our friend, the Holy Ghost.

I need to try harder to be my super self!

My life- the War chapters

 I am reading in Alma in my gospel study.  You know- the War chapters.  As I read these, it makes me tired.  They spend so much time preparing for war and then they fight in the battles and they win.  Then they go home and continue preparation and then they have more battles.  Then it looks like peace is established and they might be able to relax a little, but no.  There is an army approaching and they have to fight.  It seems relentless.  They never get a chance to take a break!

Sometimes my life feels that way.  There always seems to be something challenging occurring.  When you think the challenge is over, you turn around and there is more to be done.  It is relentless.  You work hard all day, you go to sleep, you wake up and do it over again, and on and on it goes.

But, always, there is the help of the Lord to spur you on and encourage you.  Good luck with your "War Chapters"!

Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.

                                                                                                        Doctrine and Covenants 128:22

                                                                                         

Church Service

Years ago, I was invited to a couples shower where the gift we brought the soon-to-be married couple would reflect something in our own lives that had helped our marriage.  I brought a basket of church resources and manuals and I said that from the first day Kevin and I entered our first ward as a married couple, we introduced ourselves to the bishop and said we were ready to serve.  I feel that this attitude about serving in the church has been a great blessing in our lives.  We have served in various callings and have encouraged and helped each other in various callings and that has been a huge benefit to our marriage.  That is why this thought from Pres. Eyring's conference message  (To My Grandchildren  Nov. 2014 Ensign)  resonated with me:

I urge those I love to accept and to magnify every calling offered them in the Church. That choice is one of the great keys to family happiness. The pressures at every stage of life can tempt us to reject or neglect calls to serve the Savior. That can put us in spiritual peril for ourselves, our spouse, and our families. Some of those calls may seem unimportant, but my life, and my family, was changed for the better by my accepting a call to teach a deacons quorum.

10 scriptures to cheer you up

This is from the LDS.org site:

10 Scriptures to Cheer Up Your Friends

Know people who are having a bad day? Sharing a scripture with them might be just the thing to brighten their day. And if they see that you believe in the scriptures, they may ask you more about your beliefs or the Church. Here are 10 scriptures that inspire with hope and provide comfort to the soul.

• Joshua 1:9
  
• Proverbs 3:5–6
• Isaiah 12:2
• Matthew 11:28–30
• John 16:33
• 2 Nephi 31:20
• Mosiah 4:9
• Alma 36:3
• Helaman 5:12
• D&C 136:29

There are other things at the site, like 10 videos to share and 10 conversations starters.  I thought I would add the link to the whole thing so that I can find it again.

Book of Mormon page titles- pretty cool

Here is a link to a pdf of Book of Mormon page titles that is pretty neat. This is from The Red Headed Hostess who got it from A Slacker Mom. http://www.theredheadedhostess.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Book-of-Mormon-Page-Titles.pdf

Stripped of Envy

Alma 5:29 

Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.

This scripture really caught my eye a couple days ago when reading in Alma.  I usually concentrate on other parts of Alma 5.  Envy.  Other synonyms are: coveting, jealousy.  I can see that this is a huge problem universally among all people.  Not coveting is one of the ten commandments!  This is something I need to pay more attention to.  I really need to have faith in Heavenly Father's plan that the events that unfold in my life are the experiences I need for me to make it back to God, and also trust that experiences that others have are their needed experiences to help them make it back to God.  We all need to be happy for the good fortune and successes of others.


I feel it is interesting that this is one of the ten commandments, yet we don't hear about this as much as other gospel concepts.  Elder Holland has given two great talks about it though. 


The Other Prodigal  by Elder Holland

The Laborers in the VIneyard by Elder Holland

Charity Envieth Not  Feb. 1988 Ensign, Visiting Teaching Message