One of the things that I had to grasp in coming to understand the true nature of God is not only His mercy and kindness, but His immediate availability to even a sinner like me (someone covered with the scars and battle worn from mortality–my sins and those committed against me.) I see that I […]
What Is Required
This morning, while gleaning through my journal entries from April 2000, I found the following precious truth. I find that as I face this new challenge in my life (my sweetheart, Phil, losing strength by the month to ALS), I am needing to reread and glean strength for myself from my past journal entries. This […]
A Serious Study of the Book of Mormon, Pt 6
Coming to Know the Goodness of God 1 Nephi 1:1 — “ . . . having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God . . .” As I sat still and allowed Nephi’s words to find their way to the depths of my heart, I began to realize that in […]
Awakening to a Serious Study of the Book of Mormon (pt 2)
Finding the Headlines, Applying Them to My Own Story One day, as I was correlating the teachings of the Book of Mormon with the principles in the Twelve Step program of recovery, checking the steps against the most correct book ever written, with the hope growing in my heart that there could someday be an […]
Feelings You Can’t Choose Your Way Out Of
So many people tell us that we can just choose or will-power our way out of negative feelings. That may be true for some, but I have to admit that I have experienced feelings that persisted no matter how hard I tried to not “choose” them, or that returned the instant I stopped whatever I […]
Trusting the Testimony of Christ
Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men; For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say. (D&C 100:5-6) As I was […]
Telling Myself the Truth
For me, there’s no better way to promote a clear, sane mind than writing prayerful, scripture-guided morning pages. Nothing. Whether you type them or hand-write them. I find that most mornings, handwriting my morning pages works well for me. It feels good to scrawl across the page in whatever mood my whole soul (body and […]
The Perfect Day
Years ago, I read a poem that described a woman’s day filled with constant responsibilities, a day in which she worked from dawn to dark and only then did she allow herself to rest and rejoice in coming to the end of a “perfect day.” I truly thought to work continuously, stopping for as little […]
Writing Prayerfully
Writing as I receive inspiration, insights, impressions (revelation) slows me down so that I take the time to let the eyes of my understanding work. In other words, so that pictures, vision of what the thought (words) means, can come into my mind. When I pray or ponder without writing I fly by the words […]
Commanded vs Counseled
This morning, as I was writing in my journal I was reminded of the “mystery” of how it is that the Lord would inspire His Prophet to testify to us: “The constant and recurring question in our minds, touching every thought and action of our lives, should be, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to […]