Managing our Demands with our Resources

Managing our Demands with our Resources

In our busy lives, we are constantly engaging in a balancing act. How well we do this highly depends upon active assessment and personal self-control. We have many roles to play and many responsibilities, plus many interests that also vie for our attention. In other words, there are demands. Sometimes it can be overwhelming for us, which might leave us with a feeling of helplessness. But that need not be so.

Demands are just part of the picture. We need to remember that in this balancing act, we also have resources; and, they are many. That is why active assessment and self-control become a vital part of balancing. If we only feel the weight of our demands, then we may blind-side ourselves to the many resources available to us.

So we can begin by making a list of our demands and a list of our resources. This may be the last thing that we feel like doing, because it only feels like one more demand on our time. But that’s not the case. If we allow ourselves this few minutes of planning time, this assessment activity will empower us and give us more time to meet our demands successfully, instead of desperately or despairingly.

One way that writing a list of resources can be most beneficial is that we will see we are not alone, and we will find that we do not need to face our challenges alone. In other words, the Lord is our greatest resource and He will help us, and we can be guided through His Holy Spirit as we turn to Him and ask Him to be our Partner. We will also find that we have support in our spouses and family members and in our friends. As we properly engage each other towards common goals, we will find that our burdens or the weight of our demands will become significantly lighter and far easier to manage.

When we still feel out of balance, we probably are. So what can we do? What is necessary for us to do? Yes, this will also require more assessment. That’s okay. We should be happy to get to know ourselves and to value ourselves enough to make our own lives happier and more pleasant.

When we find that balance is still lacking, we need to shuffle through our demands to see what is most important. It may very well be that we find that we are carrying unnecessary demands. We need to reduce unnecessary demands either by eliminating them or setting them aside for a more appropriate time in our lives. In that way, we will not feel so weighed down, and we will have increased capacity to carry our necessary demands and fulfill them with greater success.

There is another important thing that we can do to find the balance we need. Not only can we reduce unnecessary demands; we can also increase our resources. What are the desired resources that we want in order to meet the demands that we have? Are they available? How can we enlist them? Sometimes, this is as simple as asking someone else for help or giving ourselves time for a restful reprieve. Sometimes, this may require some active learning and hard work, so that we build a new reservoir of available resources in newly gained knowledge and ability. Of course, if this is the case, then we do need to set aside other demands for later, or enlist others for help with those demands, or to allow them the privilege of carrying them for a time.

We need to remember that we all need renewal. The Lord knew that. He gave us the Sabbath day for that. What a great resource. We can set aside many of our particularly draining demands for one day in every week and refuel ourselves. Then we can meet those demands with the promise that we will always have His spirit to be with us if we always remember Him. The very faith that we actively engage in on the Sabbath day provides us with rich renewal and should be considered as a most valuable and incomparable resource. As we sing hymns together, pray and worship, teach, instruct, discuss, and learn, we are strengthened and renewed to meet the challenges of the week.

And then there is the Gift of the Atonement. As we seek the Lord’s approval, acceptance, and forgiveness through the covenants we renew in partaking of the Sacrament, we can be forgiven of our sins and blessed with his Spirit. In other words, He will help us carry our burdens and lighten our loads; our demands will not feel so heavy because He is by our side as our most valuable resource.

Balance is important. Anyone who has ridden a bicycle knows that. And balance takes a certain amount of vigilance or steadfastness. Steadiness in our life will help us to feel calmer and more in control. As we work to achieve the balance that is necessary in our lives, we will see that we are becoming more constant people with emotions that are kept in check, instead of having highs that are too high and lows that are too low. As we seek to manage both our demands and our resources, we will find that we are far better equipped to serve the Lord, to serve our fellowmen, and to feel greater peace and joy in our lives. 

This post was inspired by President and Sister Dixon as they taught in a Zone Conference in San Bernardino, California, for the Latter-day Saint Missionaries who are serving there on 22 November 2016. 

Basking in the Light

Basking in the Light

A friend of mine titled this photograph for me. It warms my soul that it is so appropriately named, “Basking in the Light”. Vereen said that when she looked at this photo, “The first thing I saw was a child touched by the Light of Christ. Beautiful.” While I completely agree, this set me to thinking.

Children

I believe that we all see little children as special. We notice their sparkle and the goodness that they add to this world. We sense the wonder of creation and continuation. It is marvelous to behold.

We need to hold onto these sentiments as we are introduced to one another and interact with one another. Why? Well, it is because we are all still little children. We are children of God.

Light of Christ

Every human being born into this world is endowed with the Light of Christ. Every single one. He said, “I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:2). 

God Loves Us All

Jesus loves all of us with a love that is endless and complete. God makes His sun to shine on all of us and his rain to fall on all of us, because it is His good will to bless us and help us to find joy. (See Matthew 5:45)

Look for the Good

How quickly do we look for the darkness in one another, when we should be noticing the light? How often do we condemn the imperfections in ourselves, when it would serve us better to be thankful for our gifts and develop them?

Bask in the Light

I am pleased with the composition of this photograph. The child is truly basking in the light. What a great example for all of us. There is light everywhere around us, and there is light within us. Let us find pleasure and joy in our work, in our days, in our families, in our friends and associations; and let us bask in the Light.

Furthur Reading:

John 1

Doctrine and Covenants 93

Living the Gospel Joyful

Jesus Makes Up the Difference

Jesus Makes Up the Difference in My Life

Drink It Up

Where do you draw the line? 

We all have so much in common in this life. We share similarities in family life, work, recreation, culture, happiness, sorrow, and so much more. Of course, we all have our own mindset, our own spirituality, our own gifts and talents, and our own way of interpreting the world around us. But we all share this wonderful human experience together.

Our understanding and our attitudes can make a profound difference in our perceptions and our ability to experience joy. We all know the proverbial cliché of whether the glass is half-empty or half-full. Either way, the level marker on the glass remains the same. So what makes up the difference for you?

I know who makes up the difference for me. It is my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. My glass would forever run dry if it weren’t for His living water. I’d like to share a couple of scriptures that come to mind.

Alma teaches us how we can begin to develop faith in Jesus Christ. The entire chapter of Alma 32 is great, but this verse carries the import of my message. Alma 32:7:

But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.


I know that it is my faith in Jesus Christ that has made me feel whole, even when I am broken. Even when I feel like less than a half a glass because of personal losses or shortcomings, He can make me feel whole.

Our attitudes often reflect our hope and our faith. When we do not feel conflicted, it is much easier for us to maintain a positive outlook, holding on to those important things that help us to feel happy and desire to share happiness. I guess our attitudes could be compared to a water catalyst or enhancer, expanding our little bit into something greater.

When I feel diminished, when I feel like my cup is running dry, that is the time that I know I need to turn to the Lord to be replenished. Isn’t it interesting even that the symbols of His sacrament are bread and water. Not only do they represent His body and blood which He gave for us in His atonement and death; they represent Jesus as the Bread of Life and our Living Water.

John 6:35:

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 4:14

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.


Our spirits, like our bodies, need constant nourishment; and, we cannot give up eating and drinking. So our cup needs to be replenished. Whether we feel that our glass is half-empty or half-full, we need to drink in order for it to be replenished.

2 Nephi 31:20:

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.


I’m thankful for a Savior in my life. He is my personal Savior; and, He is yours as well. I know that because of our Heavenly Father’s love, Jesus was sent to make up the difference for all of us. He can turn darkness into light, night into day, death into life, sadness in to joy, and despair into hope. When you think about that glass of water, remember to drink it up, because it is His good pleasure to give us more.

Extending His Embrace

1 January 2016

Extending His Embrace

Before I got dressed this morning, I lotioned my hands and my feet with coconut oil. As I did so, I thought about my mother. I had lotioned her feet and cut her toe nails for her in the days before she passed away.

I learned a lot of lessons in helping to care for my mother. Most importantly, how important each human soul is, and what a privilege it is for us to serve anyone (and everyone). Here I was taking care of the woman who gave me life and taught me how to live. I’ve taken care of my own children as well. As the hospice nurse Erica so beautifully put it, “It is a privilege and an honor.”  As King Benjamin said, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17). The Savior said it best, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). 

Lotioning my feet as my mother had done for me, and as I had done for her, and as the Savior had done for His apostles felt so right (See John Chapter 13).  My hands look more and more like her hands with each passing year. In doing so on the first day of this New Year, my thoughts were both reflective and directive.

The Savior gave us two great commandments in Mark 12:30-31:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God 

with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, 

    and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: 

this is the first commandment. 

   

And the second is like, namely this, 

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

There is none other commandment greater than these.

To love the Lord our God with everything that we have, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This really got me thinking.

Can I love my neighbor the way the Lord would have me do if I do not adequately love myself? I can’t. Can I serve my neighbor with love if I have no reservoir of love in me, or without the development of love for my own person? No. Should I not care for my own soul as I would care for another, say my mother or my own children? Yes, of course, the Lord would want that, and even expects that I care for myself. So I need to learn how to humbly love myself, so that I have more to give in the Lord’s service to others.

Can I truly love myself where I am, knowing my own shortcomings and discrepancies? I know that I can. It is in feeling the Lord’s love for us that we are able to do so. When we understand the nature of God’s love for us, we can then begin to develop that kind of love for ourselves and for our fellowmen, both our friends and our enemies.

So we need to understand God’s nature and why He loves us so much. He is our Father. We are truly His children, and He desires our happiness. When we come to feel and know of His love, we need to develop a forgiving heart, not only for others, but for ourselves. When we feel surrounded, comforted, and embraced in His love, we need to hold on to that, and embrace right back. As we do, we will feel His sustaining power in developing those attributes that are necessary for us to love Him, to love ourselves, and to love each other.

Further reading:

After I was dressed I rode the exercise bike and read from the Ensign. Elder Holland’s words on understanding the nature of the Godhead are pertinent to the thoughts and feelings of this morning, and to my progress in the days ahead. By knowing the nature of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and by feeling of their love, we will be better able to share their good news and to love and serve one another. Please read his address here: Knowing the Godhead. 

The Gift of Faith

What is the greatest gift that I can give 

to myself and to my children?

The greatest gift that I can give is my faith in Jesus Christ. Why is this such a great gift?

Jesus Christ gave us life, and when we believe in Him, He gives us life even more abundantly. It is through Him that we all have life, the ability to think, and move, and do. And it is because of Him that we have the right to choose to believe or to not believe in His gracious gift and His never-ending love.

He is The Light of the World, and His light is manifest in all of His creations. Through Him we have life and without Him we do not. Even when we deny Him, He causes His sun to shine and his rain to fall on both the righteous and the unrighteous, the believers and the non-believers, because He is good and He loves us all.

To reap the blessings of His goodness while refusing to recognize His gifts shows lack of knowledge and absence of faith. To lay claim on the goodness within ourselves while denying Him shows an attitude of arrogance with misdirected praise.

The world teaches that people can be good in and of themselves whether they believe in God or not. But this reasoning is faulty. While people may believe that they are good on their own, they cannot even exist on their own. We all need God. The goodness that is inside us is from God even if we don't recognize it or Him.

Why is my faith in Jesus Christ important to me and why do I think that it is important to you? Jesus Christ wants our success. He loves us. He created this beautiful world in which we live, and He allows us experiences that build our character and bring us joy. More than that! He has our backs. He has paid the ultimate price, so that each time we fall, He is personally there to catch us and lift us back up. My faith in Jesus Christ is important, because I know He loves me and that He has redeemed me and that He will continue to redeem me; and He has and will do the same for you. His love knows no limits, even when ours is shaky at best. His power, His mercy, His love, and His glory are everlasting.

The hope that I have for happiness in my life stems from the faith I have in Jesus Christ and His promises. The hope that I have in my family and our happiness now and in our relationships in eternity are founded in His glorious gospel and the covenants and ordinances that He has provided to me for my safety and eternal progression.

We may think that we don’t need God and that we don’t need God’s Son. But do we need the air that we breathe? Because if we do, then we need Him. King Benjamin’s words are words of pleading, because He too knew that the greatest gift that He could give His people was His faith in Jesus Christ:

“Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

“And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them” (Mosiah 4:9-10).

Our good works are nothing without the goodness that He has poured into us through His creation and His sustaining power. Our haughty and our sincere efforts pale in comparison to the work of His atoning sacrifice for us, which gives us the power to be able to be good.

“I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

"I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

“And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

“And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

“And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

“And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you” (Mosiah 2:20-26).

I love Jesus, and the best gift that I can give myself and others is my faith in Him. King Benjamin was not emphasizing the unimportance of men, but the importance of Jesus Christ in our daily lives. Even though He makes His sun to rise and His rain to fall to bless us, we cannot count on Him giving us the gift of peace in this life and eternal life with Him and with our families in the next life if we do not love Him and keep His commandments. And that takes faith. Holding on to my faith and living my belief in Jesus Christ is the most important thing I can do and the very best gift that I have to give.

I am thankful for the many gifts God has given me: life, agency, family, friends, peace, faith, resurrection, and the prospect of eternal happiness and joy. I love my family; I love my friends; I love my Heavenly Father; and I love His Son, my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.It is because of Him that I am able to enjoy everything else. 

When we are sad and feel alone, we just need to listen for our Father's voice. He loves us, and it will be all right.

Your Holy Scriptures are Important

                                                                                                                               

Holy Writ is Meant to Be Read

I was told by someone a few months back that it doesn't matter how many times I have read the Book of Mormon; all that matters is if I keep the commission of Jesus to do well unto others: things that are found in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 25.

I want you all to know that it is through reading scriptures that are found in Holy Writ that I have come to understand how I can live a more Godly life and how I can serve as Jesus would have me do. Do I fall short? Yes. But I can attest that I do make better decisions because I do value what is written in the Book of Mormon, and in the Old and the New Testaments, in the Doctrine and Covenants, and in the Pearl of Great Price. And these books remind me of who I am and who my Heavenly Father is and what my relationship is to Him. They give me hope, joy, comfort, direction, and peace.

In a day when having secular sophistry is more valued than having faithful humility, I would encourage everyone who believes in Holy Writ to not abandon your sacred books. They will bring you confidence to face the challenges of today's world, and they will serve to lead you in righteous paths and bring you peace. Also, they will fortify you against the attacks of those who deem your religious choices as folly. We cannot be dressed in the armor of God to stand against the wiles of the devil without reading our scriptures (See Ephesians 6).

I also believe in modern-day prophets. President Monson is the current prophet in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I value what he says, because I believe that he speaks to us directly for the Lord, just like the prophet Moses did anciently. It seems that most prophets are not accepted during their own times and among their own people. But I feel the Spirit when he speaks to the church, and so I value what he has to say and accept it as the Lord's words and His will. Having a lighthouse in the midst of a constant tempest is a valuable thing. We can stay rooted and directed and keep moving in the right direction.

This blogpost is not so much an invitation for you to believe as I believe, even though I would welcome questions or be happy to talk to you about that; it is more of a plea for you to hold onto the things that you know in your heart are right and correct--the things that you value as sacred; the things that you've proven to be of value. Don't allow yourself to be sidetracked from what you know to be true; plus, embrace truth wherever you find it, and shun those things that you know are contrary to truth.

So if you have Holy Writ or scripture that you esteem as sacred, hold to it and read it. Don't let anyone dissuade you from the Word of God and tell you that it is not important to read His words. You cannot know His words without reading them, and you cannot remember them and incorporate them into your soul and your being without reading them many times. Listen to the Spirit within you. When you are prompted by Light and Truth, do not ignore it, but follow the impulses you have to do good.

Never has there been a day when it is more important to be literate and to choose uplifting things to read. Your soul needs the spiritual nourishment and enrichment found in the scriptures in order for it to thrive or even survive these morally challenging times. I believe that if we could all recommit ourselves to prayer, scripture study, and mediation, we could bring about a mighty change in this world, beginning with ourselves and circling outward to embrace so many others. If your Holy Books are on a shelf or in a box, will you locate them and make them a part of your daily life? Miracles will happen if we all do that. Let's do it.