The Importance of Connection

 This morning I am thinking about the importance of connection- connecting to the people around me, and connecting to God. As I searched the church website for sources for this topic, I came across this interesting article: Assist Them throughout Their Journey.

It includes this quote: “Our life journeys are individual,” taught Elder Gerrit W. Gong, “but we can come again to God our Father and His Beloved Son through trust in God, each other, and ourselves.”

Then it shares 6 principles for supporting and encouraging others that I felt are extremely timely for me as I look to support myself and those around me. 

1. Be a safe source for discussion. Rather than trying to fix the problem, be sympathetic and willing to walk beside them on their own journey. 

2. Help them seek answers. Encourage them to make faithful perspectives on challenging questions. Listen to the promptings of the spirit to know when to remind them of helpful scriptures or to encourage them to continue praying. 

3. Be a Christlike example. Show Christlike love and live a life of goodness. Example is powerful!

4. Build on common ground. Keep the relationship strong by building on what you have in common. Enjoy the things you can do together!

5. Find ways to do good together. Ask them to serve with you, participate in uplifting activities, or strengthen your community together. 

6. Recognize that this may take time. There is not always a quick solution to spiritual concerns or questions. Give them time and space to grow. It is ok if the way they express their faith looks different to you than it did in the past!

Scriptures related to this: 

Isaiah 35:3–4 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Mosiah 18:9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life-

Doctrine and Covenants 11:21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.

I love the spirit I feel as I read these scriptures. They testify to me that connection- both to God and to His children around me is spiritually important. God knows my love and concern for others- for my children, for my friends, for my family. He wants to increase the joy of our connection with each other. He does this best as I choose to be deeply connected to Him, to the living water of my savior, Jesus Christ. 

Dreaming.....

 At times, I find myself dreaming this time of year of warm beaches and ocean waves and escape. I have always been a world traveler at heart- I got to live out this dream in college as I majored in international business and spent every summer on study abroad trips that took me around the world. 

That is a big reason for going back to get my CS degree. I believe heart and soul that it is going to enable me to travel again and I'm so excited for that adventure!

What does this have to do with studying the scriptures? 

Well, I have another dream that at times feels just as far off or more than world travel. I want to return to live with God, I want to do what I need to in this life so that for all eternity I can continue to learn and grow, to be with my Savior and my family. 

In Hebrews 11: 1 & 6 it reads:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

I work each day on a really difficult degree, trusting in faith that I'm going to have success in the end and that all my work will earn me the job I hope to obtain and the blessing of traveling more with my family. 

I want to work with that same diligence to have faith in good things to come, to have faith to study my scriptures, pray to God honestly, and write in my journal. I want to have faith to diligently seek God. 

Weak, and Still Capable of Study

This morning, narcolepsy has made my body weak. I'm thankful I still can study scriptures and write about what I learn on my phone from 2 Nephi chapter 7. 

-No matter what may happen to us, our worth is determined by God. He has sent His son that I might be saved.

-When I follow the Lord, I am willing to befriend my enemy. 

-The Lord will help me. 

Patiently Working While Waiting

 Today I am in 2 Nephi chapter 6. Jacob is recounting scriptures to his people that will bring their souls to Christ. One line that really hit me is in verse 7, "for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me".

Life at times feels like we go from one wait to another. We wait for our house to get built, for our house to sell. We wait for illness to become health. We wait for children to simmer down and be willing to talk. We wait for my second degree to be finished. 

But there is a lot of work that should be happening in all this waiting. Waiting isn't idle- it's a time for incredible growth, especially as we trust in God. 

Here are some other notes from this chapter:

• The Lord will be merciful to us in His own way. He often doesn't take away the very suffering that refines us, even though we pray that He will take it away. He instead strengthens us to bear it.
• There will come a day when all people will know God for who He is. Whether they believe in Him will be a choice, but all will know Him for who He is. 
• God is on my side, so nothing else on earth can prevent Him from delivering me!

Life Feels Too Busy.....But is That Accurate?

 This morning I am challenging the assumption that I am too busy for God. I feel like I do a really good job prioritizing working out for my health, making time to get together with friends, even dating my husband. 

So am I really too busy to take time to study God's word, or is that just a lie Satan hopes I'll believe?

Especially since this morning I spent a good 15-20 minutes reading random news feed articles....That's definitely time that would be better spent in God's company, getting to know Him. So today's list of things I need to get done, looks like this, after prioritizing God. 

1. Godly devotion- scripture study and prayer

2. Quick workout

3. CS 1440 Assignment

4. CS 2420 Assignment

Here are my notes from my devotion this morning: 

• As a parent, I have the opportunity to bless my children. 
• God wants to be merciful to us and to our posterity. They are His children.
• "For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children." I want to delight in the scriptures. I have times when I find great joy in the scriptures, but too often scripture study is an item to check off a list of other (maybe even viewed as more important) things to do. 
• Even Nephi had a hard time not yielding to the temptations of the flesh. Our bodies, our mortal condition make sin and mistakes a part of life- that is the plan. 
• Don't trust in man- trust in God!

Superbowl "Hangovers"

Every year our family hosts a Superbowl party to celebrate Kelley's birthday. It's a lot of fun for him as a big football fan and this year it landed on his birthday. 

Problem is, everyone brought their own spread of goodies, the prizes for kids were all bags of candy, and basically our bodies are now full of sugar and cheese. 

This morning, my youngest is on the floor moaning. I'm weak and tired. It feels a bit like a food "hangover". 

But I'm still going to make time to study God's word. Perhaps because I need His word on hangover days. 

Here are my notes from studying in 2 Nephi:1 this morning: 

* When we obey God, He gives us promised blessings including being prospered and dwelling safely. 

* When we willingly reject the Messiah, their are also promised plagues that naturally come upon us for living in unbelief. 

* Worldly goods can be chains that keep me from coming to God - I wrote this note in 2017 and wanted to include it here because this is such an easy trap to fall into. I feel this morning that the poor food choices made last night are keeping me chained up this morning. 

* It is really cool how God can use the scriptures to inspire me to act. As I read Lehi's dying words, I felt compelled to let my siblings and adult niece and nephew know what is going on with my mom. This is the power of inviting God into my life. 

Friday Morning Mini Holiday

 I am lucky enough to have my husband off work every-other Friday. It makes it so I have help getting up and getting the girls ready for school. It feels like a mini-holiday. It would be pretty easy to skip over scripture study as part of this break-from-routine, but I'm finding myself drawn  to sit at my desk and spend some time learning about God. 

Today, I'm studying from Come Follow Me. 

This week, Lehi has gathered his family together as he is on his death bed. We are about to go into the splitting of Nephi and his brothers, but I am grateful for this chance to study the words of a father and grandfather who had sought to do God's will and who gathered those he loved to teach them. 

Lehi begs his children to awake from the sleep of hell. What is it that I need to do to stay awake and stay vigilant, to ensure that I am not coasting along? That is a big part of this scripture study blog- staying accountable and writing down what I am learning. Trying to figure out what works for me to learn about God, to develop a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him. I recognize that real prayers are a big part of this. 

I want to allow more time in the mornings for prayer. It's like I'm so pushed to get in scripture study and to get words on the screen, that I forget to take time to commune with God, and instead rush through my prayers. 

You can buy this image here. 

A Gift I Have Already Been Given

 I finished reading chapter 4 in Women of the Word today. It is a great chapter and the portion that I read dealt with understanding who wrote each book of scripture, who its original audience was, what style it is written in, etc. It dealt with the power that comes from scholarly understanding of the bible in helping us dig deeper into the bible's meaning. 

It was a great chapter, that reminded me of a gift I have been given. 

It recommended seeking out multiple sources and understanding the theological stance of your sources. This is good advice. However, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints, I have the blessing of having modern-day revelation from a living prophets and prophetic writings of the bible from modern-day prophets to help guide me in ways beyond those mentioned by the author. 

So the rest of my time today I spent studying the gift that I have in past and present prophets. 

Hard Mornings

 Today was a hard morning. I want to see purpose in the trials of life, in the difficult and hard times. 

But it's a challenge....sometimes (especially in the winter) it can feel like life only consists of hard mornings and hard days. 

When I feel this way, I often turn to a meaningful hymn and today I turned to "Count your Blessings". The song references the following scriptures in Doc and Cov chapter 78:

17 Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are ^alittle children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;

18 And ye cannot ^abear all things now; nevertheless, be of good ^bcheer, for I will ^clead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the ^driches of ^eeternity are yours.

19 And he who receiveth all things with ^athankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an ^bhundred fold, yea, more.

So today, I am going to choose to count just some of the ways the Lord has blessed me. 

1. I get to be married eternally to Kelley Ballard

2. I know about God and can turn to Him and to His word in trials

3. My family has a warm and safe home to live in during the winter months and throughout the year

4. Even though my children can be frustrating, I get to be a mom to three amazing girls who teach me new things every day. 

5. I'm not alone in this journey, I have parents, extended family, friends, neighbors, etc. 

6. I get time today to keep trying, to make life more than what it is. 

Take the Next Right Step

 In 1 Nephi, chapter 17, Nephi's family has been traveling in the wilderness for 8 years. It hasn't been easy. They have had a lot of afflictions in this time, but they also acknowledge the hand of God in helping them bear their afflictions. I relate to this experience, I know God has helped me and my family, even as we have gone through major struggles. 

Then they come to a beautiful land by the sea. If I was Nephi, I would be rejoicing in finally making it to the "promised land". I mean, what more could they ask for- this place seems to have everything! After many days of enjoying all that Bountiful had to offer- the Lord calls Nephi up to the mountain and their commands him to construct a ship to carry his family across the waters. 

Nephi doesn't take time to complain that he'd rather not. He doesn't even get into the specifics of the enormous task the Lord has given him. He focuses on the next right step- where should I go to get ore to construct tools?

It's an awesome reminder to me that when I fully trust in God, I can ask Him to show me what the next right step is, and just keep doing the next step further down the road He is calling me down. Right now, I'm working on 2 CS courses to complete my Spring 2024 semester. I'm called to be a mom and a wife- to find joy in serving my family. I'm a primary teacher to 6-7 year olds. As I take the next right step, I like Nephi will be able to overcome overwhelming obstacles, and achieve unheard of feats with the Lord. 

I just need to take the next step, one step at a time. 

Feeling Stressed and Seeking Help

 I am so stressed this morning my stomach feels like it is being tied in knots and cramps. Between work and school assignments, family responsibilities and a desire to grow closer to the Lord, I feel pulled in a lot of different directions. 

So this morning I searched Stress on my church website, and found a section in their emotional resilience class called, Managing Stress and Anxiety. I am grateful for modern-day revelation that provides tools for me to learn to cope with the pressures of life by relying on the Lord. 

The first tool was this managing time wisely checklist: 

So I started out my scripture study, prioritizing my day. 

Ways to manage stress: 

1. Talk to God, He is rooting me on and wants to be present in my life, talk to Him when I'm feeling stressed and talk about the stress I'm feeling, how I'm handling it etc. I really like the recommendation to imagine God sitting close to me when I talk to Him. 

2. Ponder, reflect on things I'm grateful for and on times when God has helped me through stressful times in the past. Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. 

3. Look at your expectations. Sometimes life doesn't turn out according to plan. Remember Doc & Cov 122:7, 9, "All these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good...Therefore, hold on thy way." 

4. Take a short break to meditate, stretch, and relax physically. When mind and body are calm, I think clearer. 

5. Be aware of when you're stressed. Check in with yourself. 

6. Focus on Gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal. Take time when stressed to appreciate what is good in life right now!

7. Be active. I know this is so important for me! I am happier and less stressed when I am physically active and able to use a workout to work through my stress response. 

8. Limit technology use. I am grateful for my social media fast- imagine how much harder this week would be without it. I want to take this a step forward and limit my consumption of opinion and advice articles as well. 

9. Be kind to yourself. I love the idea of using the same kind, comforting words you would use with a loved one! 

10. Help someone else. It sounds so counterintuitive that this would help stress- since it feels like adding another item to my list, but I am going to start out small and give this a try today. 

11. Try a relaxing activity. I want to make time for things that bring me joy!

12. Stay connected to friends and family. Our bodies need connection to let go of stress.

13. Take it one step at a time. 

14. Practice mindfulness. 

In the end, I loved this quote by President Hinkley, mostly because I remember as a stressed high school and college student turning to this amazing prophets words for the help I needed in stressful times. 

“It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Excerpts from Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, Oct. 2000, 73).

Trying to Channel Nephi 's Courage

As a young child I remember the epic picture of Nephi and his family on a boat in the front of my scriptures. 

He was definitely a scripture hero to me then and today, as I'm weak and struggling, I want to channel that courage that chooses faith over fear and doubt.