Trials of Life- Quotes

I sometimes feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I occasionally get the all consuming feeling that my trials are more then I can handle.
Yesterday Noah and I were sitting on the edge of our bed talking about everything that we had going on at that time and Noah let out a huge sigh and said, "I feel like we are getting beat up by life's trials right now." I agreed, it has felt that way lately. I have felt the pressure of life's obstacle pushing down on my shoulders from so many different directions. I feel like as soon as I have a firm grip on one trial another one is rearing its ugly head.

 All of us have to endure trials on a very regular basis. I am grateful for the relationship that I have with my Father in Heaven because those feelings of being trapped or weighed down with a trial don't seem to last very long for me. Usually no more then a day here and there do I feel overwhelmed by it all and its in those moments that I kneel in prayer and ask Heavenly Father to help me endure the trial, happily. I ask him to take away the feelings of failure and the weight of the pressure that I have hanging out on my shoulders. I ask him to help me more clearly see his daily tender mercies and to help me see that my trials are for my own good. I often joke with Noah that we really need to learn what we are supposed to learn from each trial because I don't want to go through that trial again, but the reality is each and every trial is a learning experience and a chance for growth. Someone once asked me which of my lifes trials would I have taken away from me if I could go back and chose. The answer is pretty easy, none of them (and Ive had some doozies) , I would chose to keep them all, because it is through them that I have come to be who I am today. Taking away any of my trials would be taking away from myself that little piece of beauty that I earned through enduring well my trial. I used to ask for God to take my trials away, but as I have grown I have realized that I need him to take away the pain, the fear and the debilitating feelings that trials cans bring and I need him to walk hand in hand with me through the trial.

 I read a blog a few months back that said "God does give us more then we can handle but he doesn't give us anything we can't handle WITH HIS HELP." I love the beauty in that. People often say that God doesnt give us more then we can handle, but thats simply not true, he gives us plenty of things we can't handle. If he gave us trials we could handle then there would be no growing or turning to him for help and guidance and peace. He gives us more then we can handle on a very regular basis, but he will NEVER give us something we can't handle with out also giving us his help. His hand is stretched out to help us always and lift us and relieve us from our pain. We are not capable of handling our trials on our own but we are always capable of handling them with his help.

I find myself turning to him with tears in my eyes often, pleading with him for help. I pour out my sorrows and fears unto him so that he can pour blessings back in. I don't always get the answer that I want to the the questions I ask or to the pleadings of my heart but I always get peace followed by some type of answer. Recently I got an answer to a prayer that was really not the answer I wanted. In fact it was probably one of the farthest things from the answer that I wanted, however with that answer came an overwhelming amount of peace, Peace that I desperately needed. As the days have progressed I have prayed to ask Heavenly Father to help me continue to find peace in his answer and to continue to find happiness in that answer. Its baby steps to get to that full time feeling of peace for me this time, when I think about all that his answer entales and how its so far from some of the things we are striving for in our family I get a little sad, but then I simply ask to feel that peace again and the saddness leaves. I am finding small blessings that are coming out of the woodwork on a very steady basis, showing me that the Lords path is indeed, as always, the right path. I just love those tender mercies.

Whenever I hear a quote that has anything to do with enduring trials I write it down so that I can come back to read it often.
My all time favorite scripture was a revelation given to Joseph Smith, The Prophet, while he was in Liberty Jail. The conditions in Liberty Jail were horrible, the members of the Latter Day Saint faith were suffering from persecutions. Joseph Smith pleads with his Father to help them.

D&C121

 1 O God, ^awhere art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy ^bhiding place?

 2 ^aHow long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?

 3 Yea, O Lord, ^ahow long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful ^boppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with ^ccompassion toward them?

And then the Lord answers in one of the most beautiful passages of scripture.

 7 My son, ^apeace be unto thy soul; thine ^badversity and thine afflictions shall be but a ^csmall moment;

 8 And then, if thou ^aendure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy ^bfoes.

 9 Thy ^afriends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

 10 Thou art not yet as Job; thy ^afriends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job.

I try to remember that my time here on this earth is such a small span in time compared to the eternities. I pray daily and ask the Lord to help me ENDURE MY TRIALS WELL. I am reminded of Job who lost EVERYTHING, friends, wealth, family, job, home and everything else he possessed and he still praised the Lord and continued to commune with him in love.

I wanted to share with ya'll some of my favorite quotes that I have come to cherish through out the last few years. Some of these quotes have come to me at different times in my life, while I was experiencing different trials and they have helped lift me to a higher, more peaceful and Christ centered plain.

"Every calamity that can come upon mortal beings will be suffered to come upon the few, to prepare them to enjoy the presence of the Lord.... Every trial and experience you have passed through is necessary for your salvation." -Brigham Young

"Don't be upset at something that is happening at 9 in the morning, when the grace of God is trying to reward you at 6 in the evening." - Elder Jeffery R. Holland

"God loves us just the way we are, but he loves us enough to not leave us like this. He is not done with us yet. He knows we can be better and he wants that for us." -Brad Wilcox

Jeremiah 31:16-17
"Thus saith the Lord: Refrain they voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord.... and there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord."

"Why did the Lord put Abraham through the experience of being asked to sacrifice his own son? Obviously God knew that Abraham would be willing to do anything God commanded, and if that was so, why did the Lord put him through such a test? Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham." -Hugh B. Brown

When we withhold nothing from the Lord he will withhold nothing from us.

"The Saviors gift of grace to us is not necessarily limited in time to 'after' all we can do. We may receive his grave before, during and after the time when we expend our own efforts." - Bruce C. Hafen

"Grace shall be like a day. As dark as night may become we can always count on the sun coming up. As dark as our trials, sins and mistakes may appear, we can always have confidence in the Grace of Jesus. We don't earn a sunrise. It always just comes. It's constant."-Brad Wilcox

"It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. Teach our members that if they have a good miserable day once in awhile, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out. There is great purpose in our struggle in life."-Boyd K. Packer

"For the last days are not for the faint of heart or the spiritually out of shape. There will be days when we feel defeated, exhausted and plain old beat-up by life's whiplash. People we love will disappoint us and we will disappoint them. We'll almost certainly struggle with some kind of physical appetite, and perhaps several. Some days it will feel as though the veil between heaven and earth is made of reinforced concrete. And we may even face a crisis of faith. In fact, we can count on experiencing trials that will test our faith because how do we know if we really have a testimony, if we'll really obey, if we really want to be honest and chaste and virtuous, and if we really believe in Jesus Christ, if those things aren't put to the test."- Sheri Dew

(The quote by Sheri Dew came to me during a time when I was experiencing a great trial. I had just gotten diagnosed with Graves Disease and the world seemed very bleak. I laid in bed for days wallowing in my own self pity. I had a friend come lay in bed with me and try to make me feel better but nothing seemed to help. After a few days I asked my husband for a Priesthood blessing, {go here to find out more about those} I needed to feel peace and comfort and needed to find the faith and strength to get back on my feet and start enduring well my trial. My blessing was beautiful and brought me great strength. I was told that my trial would not last forever and that through my experiences I would be able to help other people. I was told that my trial was not mine alone but that it would be for other people's good as well. I was told to share my story and help others find their strength through my strength and faith in the Lord. At the end of the blessing, with tears rolling down my face I felt the great power of my Savior and I realized that I could not tell him no. I could not ask for my trial to be taken from me because it was not just a trial for me, it was a trial to bless others. How could I say no to that? How could I tell the Lord that I didn't want the blessings that would come through this trial? I moved on from that blessing with comfort and strength and that very same night I ran across the quote by Sheri Dew. I was not exempt from trials because I had faith in the Lord. I was not the only one experiencing trials that shook ones self to their very core. I want to let my Lord shape me and mold me into who he needs me to be. He sees my great potential and I often times need to pass through trials to understand my strength and to strengthen my testimony.)

"The Lord allows us to be tried and tested, sometimes to our maximum capacity. We have seen the lives of loved ones, and maybe our own, figuratively burned to the ground and have wondered why a loving and caring Heavenly Father would allow such things to happen. But he doesn't leave us in the ashes; he stands with open arms, eagerly inviting us to come to him. He is building our lives into magnificent temples where his spirit can dwell eternally.”-Linda Reeves

"There will be times when you will walk a path strewn with thorns and marked by struggle. There may be times when you feel detached—even isolated—from the Giver of every good gift. You worry that you walk alone. Fear replaces faith. When you find yourself in such circumstances, I plead with you to remember prayer."- Thomas S. Monson

Prayer can change the darkest of nights into the most brightest and glorious of days. There is great Power and Strength in falling to our knees in fervent, soul searching prayer. The Lord has promised us access to all of his great Love and all of his great Power, we need only ask. Knock and it shall be opened to you, seek and yea shall find. I hope that when we are all going through such all consuming trials that we turn to the Lord and pour our hearts out unto him. When we pour out our sufferings, our sorrows, our unbelief and our pain unto the Lord in sacred prayer he is able to pour back into us peace, comfort, strength and ultimate endurance. Turn to the Lord in times of sorrow and in times of peace, he is always there, no matter how long it has been since you last spoke with him. He is anxiously awaiting our call to him.

PS. I wrote this a few days ago and just got around to posting it.

Something to think about.....

I feel like our country has gone so far from what our forefathers worked so hard to create. 

I recently read the book 1776 and was overcome with so much emotion while reading it. 

I'll admit I cried. Not only for all the lives that were lost but because I wondered what our forefathers would say if they could see what we have done with the constitution they fought so hard to create. 

I love living in America. I thank my Father in Heaven each day for sending me to this earth and for placing me in a family that was in the United States. 

The freedoms that we have are innumerable. The rights that we have are so very wonderful, especially the right that we have to worship how, where and what we may.

Our forefathers founded this country on the basis of freedom. The freedom to have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They did not found this country so that the weak could feed off the strong. They founded this country so that we all had the right the PURSUE whatever we wanted. This country wasn't founded on a guarantee that we all would be blissfully happy, only that we had the right to pursue said happiness.

When did privileges become rights? When did we get so far from what we as a country once believed? 

This country is a great place to live. This country has such a firm foundation, created by god fearing men. 

I couldn't agree more with this quote by Abraham Lincoln.

I feel like we as a nation could learn a lot from this. 

We need to stop robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak. We can't create laws that will help some people but create hundreds of problems for the rest of the people. Things need to change. 

Our country needs to find the passion and the courage and the deep rooted strength that our ancestors had so many years ago. 

As the primary song goes "The wise man built his house upon the rock, and when the rains came down and the floods came up the house on the rock stood still." Our forefathers were wise men and built our nation (our house) upon a good strong foundation. And now when the rains are coming down and the floods are coming up, I hope and pray that our house will weather the storm and that one day this nation will remember what principles it was built upon. In the mean time our firm foundation is slowly, piece by piece, crumbling. 


What happened to one nation under god? In God we trust? 

I fear that if we don't remember all our forefathers taught that our privileges AND our rights will be taken away.

inspiring words

I just love this quote and wanted to share!

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother... Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children... What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else." Elder M. Russell Ballard

To the Mothers! Beautiful

To the Women of the Church
General Relief Society Meeting
To the Women of the Church
President Gordon B. Hinckley

Thank you for being the kind of people you are and doing the things you do. May the blessings of heaven rest upon you.

Gordon B. Hinckley, "To the Women of the Church," Ensign, Nov. 2003, 113

Someone has said: "Be kind to the women. They constitute half the population and are mothers to the other half."

My dear sisters, you marvelous women who have chosen the better part, I stand in great admiration for all that you do. I see your hands in everything.

Many of you are mothers, and that is enough to occupy one's full time.

You are companions—the very best friends your husbands have or ever will have.

You are housekeepers. That doesn't sound like much, does it? But what a job it is to keep a house clean and tidy.

You are shoppers. Until I got older I never dreamed of what a demanding responsibility it is to keep food in the pantry, to keep clothing neat and presentable, to buy all that is needed to keep a home running.

You are nurses. With every illness that comes along, you are the first to be told about it and the first to respond with help. In cases of serious sickness, you are at the bedside day and night, comforting, encouraging, ministering, praying.

You are the family chauffeur. You are driving your children about on paper routes, taking them to athletic events, driving them on ward outings, hauling here, there, and everywhere as they pursue their busy lives.

And so I might go on. My children are now all grown. Some are in their 60s. But when they call and I answer the phone, they say, "How are you?" And before I can answer, they ask, "Is Mother there?"

She has been their strength all of their lives. Since they were babies they have looked to her, and she has always responded with affection, guidance, teaching, blessing their lives in every way.

Now we have granddaughters who are mothers. They visit us, and I marvel at their patience, at their capacity to calm their children, to stop them from crying, and it seems to me to do a thousand other things.

They drive cars, they run computers, they attend the activities of their children, they cook and sew, they teach classes, and they speak in church.

I see their husbands, and I feel like saying to them: "Wake up. Carry your share of the load. Do you really appreciate your wife? Do you know how much she does? Do you ever compliment her? Do you ever say thanks to her?"

Well, you dear women, I say thanks to you. Thank you for being the kind of people you are and doing the things you do. May the blessings of heaven rest upon you. May your prayers be answered and your hopes and dreams become realities.

You serve so well in the Church. You think it is so demanding. It is. But with every responsibility fulfilled, there comes a great reward.

Many of you think you are failures. You feel you cannot do well, that with all of your effort it is not sufficient.

We all feel that way. I feel that way as I speak to you tonight. I long for, I pray for the power and the capacity to lift you, to inspire you, to thank you, to praise you, and to bring a measure of gladness into your hearts.

We all worry about our performance. We all wish we could do better. But unfortunately we do not realize, we do not often see the results that come of what we do.

I remember going to a stake conference in the East many years ago. On the plane coming home, I felt that I had been a total failure. I felt I had not touched anyone for good. I was miserable with a sense of inadequacy.

Then, some years later, I was at another conference in California. At the conclusion of the meeting a man came up to me and said, "You were at a conference a few years ago in such-and-such a place."

"Yes," I said, "I was there, and I remember the occasion."

The man said: "You touched my heart. I came to that meeting out of curiosity. I really had no interest. I was on the verge of leaving the Church. But when it was announced that one of the Twelve Apostles would be there, I decided to go.

"You said something that started me to think. It touched me and stayed with me and stirred me. I decided to alter my course. I turned my life around. I am now living here in California. I have a good job, for which I am grateful. I hope I am a good husband and father. And I am now serving as a counselor in the bishopric of my ward. I am happier than I have ever been at any time in my life."

I thanked him, and when I left him I said to myself, shaking my head: "You never know. You never know whether you do any good. You never know how much good you do."

Now, my dear sisters, that is the way with you. You are doing the best you can, and that best results in good to yourself and to others. Do not nag yourself with a sense of failure. Get on your knees and ask for the blessings of the Lord; then stand on your feet and do what you are asked to do. Then leave the matter in the hands of the Lord. You will discover that you have accomplished something beyond price.

Now, we have a very diverse group to whom I am speaking. This includes young women who are still in school or who are working. You are single. You are hoping to catch that perfect man. I have yet to see one who is perfect. Aim high, but do not aim so high that you totally miss the target. What really matters is that he will love you, that he will respect you, that he will honor you, that he will be absolutely true to you, that he will give you freedom of expression and let you fly in the development of your own talents. He is not going to be perfect, but if he is kind and thoughtful, if he knows how to work and earn a living, if he is honest and full of faith, the chances are that you will not go wrong, that you will be immensely happy.

Some of you, unfortunately, will never marry in this life. That turns out to be the case sometimes. If that happens, do not spend your life grieving over it. The world still needs your talents. It needs your contribution. The Church needs your faith. It needs your strong, helping hand. Life is never a failure until we call it such. There are so many who need your helping hands, your loving smile, your tender thoughtfulness. I see so many capable, attractive, wonderful women whom romance has passed by. I do not understand it, but I know that in the plan of the Almighty, the eternal plan which we call God's plan of happiness, there will be opportunity and reward for all who seek them.

To you young women with small children, yours is a tremendous challenge. So often there is not enough money. You must scrimp and save. You must be wise and careful in your expenditures. You must be strong and bold and brave and march forward with gladness in your eye and love in your heart. How blessed you are, my dear young mothers. You have children who will be yours forever. I hope that you have been sealed in the house of the Lord and that your family will be an everlasting family in the kingdom of our Father.

May you be given strength to carry your heavy load, to meet every obligation, to walk side by side with a good and faithful and caring man, and together with him rear and nurture and bring up your children in righteousness and truth. Nothing else you will ever own, no worldly thing you will ever acquire will be worth so much as the love of your children. God bless you, my dear, dear young mothers.

Then we have you older women who are neither young nor old. You are in the most wonderful season of your lives. Your children are in their teens. Possibly one or two are married. Some are on missions, and you are sacrificing to keep them in the field. You are hoping and praying for their success and happiness. To you dear women I offer some special counsel.

Count your blessings; name them one by one. You don't need a great big mansion of a house with an all-consuming mortgage that goes on forever. You do need a comfortable and pleasant home where love abides. Someone has said that there is no more beautiful picture than that of a good woman cooking a meal for those she loves. Weigh carefully that which you do. You do not need some of the extravagances that working outside the home might bring. Weigh carefully the importance of your being in the home when your children come from school.

Mothers, take good care of your daughters. Be close to them. Listen to them. Talk with them. Lead them from doing foolish things. Guide them into doing the right thing. See that they dress in a comely and modest fashion. Safeguard them from the terrible evils that are all about them.

Nurture your sons with love and counsel. Teach them the importance of personal cleanliness, of neatness in their dress. Sloppy ways lead to sloppy lives. Instill in them a sense of discipline. Keep them worthy of service to the Church as missionaries. Give them things to do so that they may learn to work. Teach them to be frugal. Labor and frugality lead to prosperity. Teach them that nothing really good happens after 11 o'clock at night. And do not spoil them. If they go on missions, they may be compelled to live in circumstances that you would not wish for them. Do not worry about them. Give them encouragement.

Stir within your children the desire for education. This is the latchkey to success in life. And at the same time, teach them that as President David O. McKay was wont to remind us, "No other success can compensate for failure in the home." 1

Now I speak to you single mothers whose burdens are so heavy because you have been abandoned or have been widowed. Yours is a terrible load. Bear it well. Seek the blessings of the Lord. Be grateful for any assistance that may come out of the quorums of the priesthood to help you in your home or with other matters. Pray silently in your closet, and let the tears flow if they must come. But put a smile on your face whenever you are before your children or others.

Now to you dear grandmothers, you older widows, and older lonely women. How beautiful you are. I look upon my dear wife, soon to be 92 years of age. Her hair is white; her frame is stooped.

I take one of her hands in mine and look at it. Once it was so beautiful, the flesh firm and clear. Now it is wrinkled and a little bony and not very strong. But it speaks of love and constancy and faith, of hard work through the years. Her memory is not what it once was. She can remember things that happened half a century ago but may not remember what happened half an hour ago. I am like that, too.

But I am so grateful for her. For 66 years we have walked together, hand in hand, with love and encouragement, with appreciation and respect. It cannot be very long before one of us will step through the veil. I hope the other will follow soon. I just would not know how to get along without her, even on the other side, and I would hope that she would not know how to get along without me.

My dear friends of the Relief Society, whatever your circumstances, wherever you may live, may the windows of heaven be opened and blessings come down upon you. May you live with love one for another. May you reach down to lift up those whose burdens are heavy. May you bring light and beauty to the world and particularly into your homes and into the lives of your children.

You know as I do that God our Eternal Father lives. He loves you. You know as I do that Jesus is the Christ, His immortal Son, our Redeemer. You know that the gospel is true and that heaven is near if we will cultivate it in our lives.

You are the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is no other organization to equal it. Walk with pride. Hold your heads up. Work with diligence. Do whatever the Church asks you to do. Pray with faith. You may never know how much good you accomplish. Someone's life will be blessed by your effort. May you know the comforting, rewarding embrace of the Holy Spirit, I pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I love and miss this man so much. 

I am grateful to be a member of such a great Women's organization.

The Invisible mother

I got this in an email and really liked it~~~ Im sure most of us at one time or another have felt a bit like this. :O) Enjoy! sorry its all in one fluid thing, It was like that already and I dont really feel like nor have the time to break it down. Its a good read though!

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, theway one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone andask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously, not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor,or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me atall. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more:Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm aclock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a program guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please." I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and theeyes that studied history and the mind that graduated with honors - butnow they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.She's going; she's going; she is gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of afriend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going onand on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together sowell. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I wasfeeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifullywrapped package, andsaid, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly surewhy she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you arebuilding when no one sees." In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I woulddiscover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, afterwhich I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record oftheir names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they wouldnever see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.The passionof their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saweverything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit thecathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tinybird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why areyou spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will becovered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees." I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte.I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around youdoes. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, nocupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. Youare building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it willbecome." At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not adisease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is theantidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. Asone of the people who show up at a job that they will never seefinished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals couldever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing tosacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friendhe's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My Mom gets up at 4in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes aturkey forthree hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would meanI'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want tocome home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, toadd, "You're gonna love it there." As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we'redoing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world willmarvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has beenadded to theworld by the sacrifices of invisible women.