I love that Jesus Christ loved us so much that He, the God of this world, the great I Am, Jehovah, of the Old Testament was willing to take upon Himself flesh; dwell among us; teaching and setting an example for us; suffering at our hands and dying for us, so that He could descend below all things; suffering all things; yielding to wicked men, and laying down His life. As a God, he could have stopped it at any time, but He didn’t so that he could bring about our individual salvation. 

I love that He broke the bands of death and was resurrected for me. I rejoice to know that I will rise from the grave, with my body and spirit reunited, so that I may enter into the presence of God to be judged for my works.

I love that Jesus Christ is the creator of this world and worlds without number. I know He created all things in heaven and earth, spiritually and temporally, and thus all His creations obey His command. I love that His creations are for my pleasure and that His spirit is in all things and as I pause to enjoy His creations, I feel His love for me. 

I love that my Heavenly Father loved me so much that He was willing to sacrifice His only begotten son as a ransom for my sins, so that His mercy could be extended to me instead of the justice I so rightly deserve!

I love that my perfect, sinless and unselfish brother, Jesus Christ, was willing to take upon himself all my sins, so that I might not suffer an endless torment and be eternally lost and banished from our Father’s presence.  

I love that my Savior didn’t just rescue me from my sins, but He willingly bore all my infirmities, sicknesses and sorrows, so that whatever is wrong and unfair about my life will be made right through His Atonement. I love that he knows how to succor me when tempted or hurt by this fallen world because he knows me and my weaknesses personally.

I love that Jesus Christ is my Advocate with the Father, that He pleads before the Father my cause—for my sins, my weaknesses, saying, “Spare her she has believed on my name,” if I am willing to follow His conditions of repentance.

I love that His Atonement was an infinite and perfect Atonement for me as an individual—but only If I too, like the Savior, am willing to be meek, and come with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and accept this selfless sacrifice that was given for me, and follow Him faithfully till the end of my days. 

I stand all amazed of the sacrifices my Savior Jesus Christ has made for me. How could I not accept these gifts—given in love and at such a great price? I will, I will!  Never, oh never will I forsake my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ for the love they have given me!

“Herein is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His son!” This is the true spirit of Christmas! 

I invite each of us to remember this Christmas season that, “Wisemen still adore Him and seek Him!”

What do you love about Jesus Christ?

#ComeUntoChrist.

Russell Nelson taught,  

The more you learn about the Savior, the easier it will be to trust in His mercy, His infinite love, and His strengthening, healing, and redeeming power. Your growing faith in Him will move mountains—not the mountains of rock that beautify the earth but the mountains of misery in your lives. Your flourishing faith will help you turn challenges into unparalleled growth and opportunity.”

Our guest, Jacob Cochran, will help us understand our need for a Savior so that it will be easier to trust Him and grow the faith we desperately need to move the mountains of difficulty in our lives. 

Dieter Uchtdorf explained that, 

“Being grateful in times of distress does not mean we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges.”

“True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony. It comes from acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trusting that one day we will.”

Our guest today, Lori Marett, will share her experience of losing her husband to a terminal illness and how gratitude helped her feel God’s love and peace in the midst of her afflictions.  

Stay with us I believe you will be inspired

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2014/04/grateful-in-any-circumstances?lang=eng

I thought, isn’t it interesting how we each of us see the world through different lenses. For most, a dandelion is a dreaded weed that exists only to annoy. Yet to this little girl a dandelion was a joyous gift from God given to bring spontaneous delight in the moment and hope for the future. 

What lens do we choose to look through? Is it possible to take the negative circumstances in our own lives and in the world around us and then, as this little girl did, look for the good, and even find gifts from God in the midst of our difficulties? It is said that a pessimist sees the difficulty in the opportunity while an optimist sees the opportunity in the difficulty.

When my youngest son was in elementary school he had a teacher he did not like. My son loved structure and knowing exactly what to expect. This instructor was very random and spontaneous. He even threw a pair of tennis shoes into the air and let them dangle from the classroom ceiling for the remainder of the school year.

My son came home livid. Some of his friends had been transferred into another class where there was more structure and he begged for me to do likewise. I explained that I didn’t believe in rescuing my children. Life was going to be hard at times and he needed the opportunity to practice getting along with all kinds of people, and succeeding in all kinds of circumstances. More importantly there was good to be found in every situation if he looked for it. 

I then gave my son an expectation that he find something good about this teacher every day and share it with me when he got home from school. It didn’t take long before my son loved this instructor. In fact he had a greater influence on my sons young life than any other teacher. This teacher was enthusiastic and creative. That, in turn, inspired enthusiasm and creativity in my son. He grew to love school—especially reading and creative writing.

This experience was a blessing to my son and helped him rise to greater heights. One can only imagine what might have been lost if we had chosen to look through the lens of criticism instead of looking for the good, believing that it could be found. 

There is so much bad  and controversy in the world and there always will be. However, there is also so much good to be found if we look for it in others and in the circumstances around us. 

I invite each of us to look for the good no matter how difficult it might be, and turn a weedy annoyance into seeds of hope dancing in the air. 

The Savior’s approach is the opposite, He says “come unto me all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” If we come unto Christ and allow Him to, He takes our marriages by the hand  and guides us through the downpour. When burdens are beyond are ability to shoulder, He carries us. 

Today’s guests, Kim and John Sorich, will both share their journey through Kim’s breast cancer and how they created a deeper and more meaningful marriage because of it. 

Stay with us I believe you will be inspired

#breastcancer, #breastcancerawareness, #findingjoyandpeace, #comeuntochrist

Here are some inspiring talks if going thru cancer or a difficult trial. They were referenced to in the podcast.

Anthony D. Perkins

Brent H. Nielson

I could not stop laughing at this. His comment brought a smile to my face that lasted all day! After a while, I began to reflect upon it and ask why I thought his remark was so funny. I live in a world where growing old is dreaded. Most would not be laughing about this. They would go get some botox, a lift, nip or tuck in aghast at the idea of looking old.

I was laughing because I don’t look at the process of aging as a curse. I see it as a blessing. My little friend’s words brought a smile to my face because it reminded me of all the joy I have experienced with children through the years. My life has been a wonderful journey and every wrinkle has a story. Not all my wrinkles represent the joys I have experienced. Some represent the sorrows. But I wouldn’t trade them for anything. The sorrow has been part of the joy.

I think the secret of growing old is understanding there is purpose in it. We never experienced old age in our pre-mortal state, and we will never experience old age in our post-mortal state. Aging is something we only experience once in all of eternity, and it is here in this mortal world. Why is that? There must be a reason God wants His children to experience the process of growing old. What does he want us to learn, and become because of it? 

I may not know all the answers to these questions, but for now I can be at peace and trust that growing old is part of God’s plan and choose to be humble and allow Him to teach me through this season of life.

If I could go back and be young again would I? Never! There are treasures I have found that only come with age. Here are just a few.

Coming to know ourselves

One of the great treasures that comes with age is knowing ourselves better, being at peace with ourselves and not worrying about what others think. We can be okay with our weaknesses, our inadequacies and imperfections because we know the Savior’s grace can transform us and make up the difference with what we cannot do, if we are willing to allow Him to do so. Thus, we are not afraid to change. When we are young we are all a little insecure. Negative feedback can rock our world. However, as we get on in years, we don’t take things so personally. We appreciate all kinds of feedback because it helps us make course corrections so we can be prepared to meet God. 

Through the process of aging, we can also develop charity for ourselves. As we do so, we then are free to love others more deeply. With age, our spirits soar, even as our bodies decline. 

“The door to wisdom is knowing yourself.” Anonymous

Experience, Wisdom, and Eternal Perspective

How can we put a price tag on experience? The older we get, the more experiences we have had, bringing knowledge, understanding, wisdom and an eternal perspective. These things help us make better decisions and to not worry so much. 

With whatever is happening around us we have basically been there, done that or know someone else who has. We are familiar with the journey and feel the peace that eventually it will be okay. With strengthened faith over time, we know adversity is not a tragedy. We come to know that everything that is wrong in our lives or the lives of our loved ones will ultimately be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

“Wisdom is the daughter of experience.” Anonymous

Posterity 

The greatest treasure of aging is the joy and peace that come from posterity! I thought being a parent was great, and then grandchildren came along. It is awesome! Joy in posterity is a gift that keeps giving and growing. Not all have the opportunity to marry. Others are unable to bear children. To any who remain faithful, no blessing will be denied. Posterity is one of the great prizes of mortality, the jewels of old age and the treasure of eternity.

“The ultimate treasures on earth and in heaven are our children and our posterity.” Dallin Oaks

I invite each of us to not fear the process of aging, but to embrace it. As we do so, we will allow our spirits to soar. We shall not pass this way but once, so let us discover what God wants us to learn and become through the aging process. With His help, we all can age gracefully.

#ComeUntoChrist #findingjoyandpeace #Christianity