Dear Elder Holland,
I don't think it is possible for me to love you more. Thank you for always tailoring your messages to my needs, starting back in 1985. It means a lot.
Love, Me
***
I am feeling so edified by The Best is Yet to Be. It's not that I have been discouraged or anything--I've been quite excited about the coming year, etc.-- but it was just nice to read something so totally uplifting, ya know? Here are some of my favorite bits:
[of Lot's wife]"In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future...She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had."
I don't think it is possible for me to love you more. Thank you for always tailoring your messages to my needs, starting back in 1985. It means a lot.
Love, Me
***
I am feeling so edified by The Best is Yet to Be. It's not that I have been discouraged or anything--I've been quite excited about the coming year, etc.-- but it was just nice to read something so totally uplifting, ya know? Here are some of my favorite bits:
[of Lot's wife]"In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future...She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had."
(This story made me think hard about being ready to do what Lot's family, and Lehi's family, had to do. I am doing everythign I can to balance making this a wonderful home and life for us, but also to keep perspective enough so that if God asked us to walk away, we would. Without looking back, without hesitation...think about THAT challenge for a minute!
Anybody remember that song, "Called to walk in high places/ far from the ground/ where light and truth and love abound..."????for some reason that chorus came to mind while I was reading this article).
[He cites Paul as the opposite of Lot's Wife]: “ 'This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 3:13–14)."
"Dismiss the destructive, and keep dismissing it until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future and the bright future of your family, your friends, and your neighbors. God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go."
[He cites Paul as the opposite of Lot's Wife]: “ 'This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 3:13–14)."
"Dismiss the destructive, and keep dismissing it until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future and the bright future of your family, your friends, and your neighbors. God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go."
***
I believe the bright future of my family has been revealed to me, and when I focus all my energy of heart on that revelation, I am happiest. My goal for the new year is to keep my eyes on that prize and to ignore/avoid those in my life who lie in wait to see me to fail, who believe I can't succeed as a mother or as a Saint because of who I may have been or where I may have come from. I want to surround myself with those who believe in our bright future, who "cheer on every runner" knowing "that the race is against sin, not against each other "(quote from THIS masterpeice from Holland--see also the very bottom of this page). Not only do I not have to "go there," I've been commanded not to, and I won't.
7 comments:
Thank you Jamie!
Amen sistah!! I am trying to focus on MY future as well...and it really is poerful to think that God is more concerned with where I am going and where I will end up...rather than where i have been (or where I am right now!) KWIM? Thanks for being a good friend and my sister....from another mister...hahahaha...I kill myself!
Matt and I just read this a few days ago for personal scripture study! It was extremely uplifting and very interesting in his insights into Lots wife. LOVED this article.
Also, a friend of mine just recently lost her husband (cancer/old age) and she bore her testimony about another article in the Jan ensign entitled "Widows and Widowers, Moving On With Faith." She recommended we all read it to get a small idea of what she is going though and how to continue to support her. Wonderful article, which also focused on some of the same ideas as yours, living in the present, having faith and hope, etc. I definitely pass along the recommendation to help you in serving either the Elderly Widows and Widowers in your ward or young ones.
Good thoughts Jaim.
ps- matt is in the shower right now singing "fell intooooo a burnen ring of fire, went down down down and the flames went higher!" hahaha you would laugh so hard if you could hear it. What an adorable man. There's absolutely a cowboy in him.
that's my bro! he's got the cowboy in him!
I read that widow article, too, and I thought it coincided nicely with the courage to comfort article, too. I've often thought about writing the same kind of article because I sometimes hesitate to comfort because grief makes me awkward, but it's still important to say/do something, even if it's "I don't know what to say, I've never experienced this, but I love you and I am here for you." Good stuff! Miss you guys. Anybody up for a Dino Museum date?
Thinking about the future, Do you think that people can change? Just wondering!
Actually! Ma boys just finished their last star chart today! Their final big prize was a ski day (which I need to post pics of).
We had so much fun and after I said "lets go home and make a new star chart with a ski day!" And Jake said "ummm....can we have dino museum instead?" hahaha. Your timing couldn't be any more perfect Aunt Jaime. Lets maybe shoot for the next big holiday that the kids are out of school? come and see you guys?
We listened to a talk in church today about this. It totally lifted my spirits! I couldn't love Holland more either!!!
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