Thanksgiving Thoughts

This past month so much has happened. The most inspiring is the conference in Rome where leaders of many faiths gathered to join together to show support for the traditional relationship of marriage.
President Eyring spoke at the Vatican Summit. To see this happen on a world wide scale is amazing!
It contrasts so much with what is usually what we see.
There are many things to be thankful for.....our families, our friends, the Gospel, our Ward family and of course, the leaders who devote so much of their time to guide and lead us down the path of righteousness.
In this wonderful season of thanksgiving, let's not forget the why, what, where and how in the thanksgiving. Let's not forget to be thankful for the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His Atoning Sacrifice so we, as we follow the path of righteousness, can find our way home again with Heavenly Father.
May this Holiday Season be filled with love, laughter and life to be lived!
Kathy

Trials and Tribulations

Hello!
I went away on vacation and had a good time visiting my son and grandchildren. It was nice!
My first week back at work and it felt like a punishment for being gone :( So much to catch up on and long hours as I covered the floor most of this week in various positions.
But last night, it was different. I felt the need to stay....and I kept getting little things thrown my way that kept me there.
One of my residents was having a rough evening so I escorted her to her room. I sat with her for about 20-25 minutes talking. In the middle of our conversation, she settled back into her wheelchair and looked me square in the eye. She asked me, "Do you believe in God?" I said, "Yes, ma'am, I do." The next question was "What do you call Him?" I responded, "I call Him Heavenly Father." The last question was, "What do you know about Him??" My response was, "I know He loves me in spite my failings." She accepted that answer and nodded her head. Maybe she needed to hear that, to hear I believed. I bore a very simple but powerful testimony.
I left her and went out into the hall, towards the Nursing Station. The Med Assistant came towards me with a frantic face. Her sister-in-law was in a horrible wreck and she had to go. I took over the medication cart and finished the med pass.
This morning......in reviewing what happened yesterday.....I know Heavenly Father knew I needed to stay and be there. He knew what was happening......He knew my Med Assistant needed this tender mercy.
I may be tired beyond exhaustion but I answered the call of the promptings of the Holy Spirit and was able to see Heavenly Father in full action last night.
I know He loves me in spite of my failings. He loves my co-workers, He love my residents. He loves all of us in spite of our failings.
Kathy

Conference Thoughts

Good Evening Sisters!
I hope you were able listen to Conference this weekend.
I enjoy listening to our leaders. There is always some little tidbit that seems to be directed right at me......do you also find this so?
So many little thoughts flutter through my mind and have me going off in different directions. Then I lose my place in the talk....
I have several quotes that I really like and touched me. Do you have any favorites? What are they?

A) "Walking where Jesus walked is less important than walking as he walked." President Monson

B) "4 Tools to help you in life: 1) Prayer 2) Scripture Study 3) Weekly Family Home Evening 4) Go to the Temple" Elder Richard G Scott

And one last favorite to share:

Good Night! 

Kathy

Missing In Action!

Hello My Dear Sisters of the Brownsville Ward!
I have been missing in action the past few weeks! And it shows!! I have missed being at church and seeing your loving smiles!! I hope to make it to church this Sunday! Keep your fingers crossed!!!
Playing around on facebook while I do laundry tonight after a long week at work; I found a link to a wonderful article that touched my heart.
I hope you enjoy it also!

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/09/young-adults/sisters-in-the-covenant?lang=eng

Have a great weekend!!!
Kathy

In the World but Not of the World

The lesson today was about being in the world but not of the world. We talked about struggling with the enticements of the world and how easy it is to slip away without realizing it. 

We talked about how important it is to live the Gospel and how it gives us strength and peace of mind. 

I found this poster and it seems to fit right in with the lesson. 

As President Smith stated "Life never was intended to be easy, but the Lord has promised that He will cause all trials and difficulties to  result in our good. He will give us strength and ability to overcome the world and to stand firm in the faith despite all opposition."
We only need to continue what we are doing; attend our church meetings faithfully, attend to our callings faithfully, pray, read our scriptures, pay our tithing, live the Word of Wisdom and hold true to the standards. We need to dress modestly and keep the law of chastity.
All these steps are like holding onto the iron rod -- which provides us strength against the spiritual whirlwinds, the earthquakes that Satan sends our way. It all sounds so easy but as we know, it takes conscious thought to stay true to the path we are walking.
President Smith also stated "The Latter-day Saints are as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid, and like the candle that gives light to all who are in the house. It is our duty to let our light shine as an example in righteousness, not only to the people among whom we live, but to the peoples of the whole earth."
We are the living, breathing examples of our Lords' Gospel; whether we are aware or not, people are watching us, learning about us through our examples. We need to live in the Gospel, to have our feet solid in Gospel soil so they want what we have.
We need to Come Unto Christ.
Kathy

Thoughts To Ponder

This week has been a mix of many surprising things. Good stuff mixed in with not so good stuff. And underneath it all, is this amazing love the Savior has for me, for us, for everyone.
In rereading the talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, "The Resurrection of Jesus Christ"; there was a phrase that caught me. It was from Elder Neal A. Maxwell: "Christ's victory over death ended the human predicament. Now there are only personal predicaments, and from these too we may be rescued by following the teachings of Him who rescued us from general extinction."
"Personal predicaments".......how many times have we struggled with ours? how many times have we reached out for help with them? how many time have we received answers for them?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ brings us the Atonement. The Atonement helps us with our struggles. The Atonement is the help we reach for. The Atonement has the answers we seek.
Elder Christofferson also stated "By the same token, we are all accountable to Him for our lives, our choices, and our actions, even our thoughts. Because He redeemed us from the Fall, our lives are in reality His."
As we accept the Atonement, we come Unto Christ.
Kathy

Personal Relationship with the Savior by James E. Faust

Today, perusing Facebook....I found a comment from this talk:

From James E. Faust: "In the many trials of life, when we feel abandoned and when sorrow, sin, disappointment, failure, and weakness make us less than we should ever be, there can come the healing salve of the unreserved love in the grace of God. It is a love that forgives and forgets, a love that lifts and blesses. It is a love that sustains a new beginning on a higher level and thereby continues “from grace to grace.” (D&C 93:13.)

I felt the power in this reach out to me. I have had a rough week and have felt less, felt inadequate, felt a failure. So this touched me.
I hope it helps you too. The link to the full talk is below.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1976/10/a-personal-relationship-with-the-savior?lang=eng

I hope you have a good week!
Kathy