"Our afflictions brothers and sisters often will not be extinguished,
they will be dwarfed and swallowed up in the joy of Christ. That’s how
we overcome, most of the time. It’s not their elimination, but the
placing of them in that larger context. " - Elder Neal A. Maxwell
A relative of my wife's posted this quote on Facebook, and felt like I need to share my thoughts on it.
When I face trials and challenges, I remember what the Lord did in Gethsemane almost two thousand years ago. He performed an atonement for not only our sins but also our trial, challenges, tribulations, and afflictions. I know that as I turn to Christ and the Atonement, an overwhelming comfort (or joy as Elder Maxwell says in the quote) rolls over me. I think of the counsel from Christ in the New Testament.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." -Matthew 11:28-30 (Click on the scripture link if you want to go the verses)
If we go to him and take his easy yoke upon us, our burdens will become light. They might not disappear, but they will most certainly be "dwarfed".
I know that as I follow that counsel, I find "rest unto" my soul.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Seven Miracles That Saved America: Why They Matter and Why We Should Have Hope
Seven Miracles That Saved America: Why They Matter and Why We Should Have Hope
-The unlikely discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
-How (and why) desperate English colonists were able to survive the starving time at Jamestown
-The Battle of New York during the Revolutionary War
-The miraculous creation of the United States Constitution
-Abraham Lincoln's desperate prayer that turned the tide of the Civil War at Gettysburg
-How a series of extraordinary events changed the Battle of Midway during World War II
-The preservation of Ronald Reagan's life from an assassin's bullet, allowing him the time he needed to help extend freedom around the world
Never, at any of these critical junctures, was a positive outcome certain or even likely. Yet America prevailed. Why?
"No man is perfect," write the authors. "And neither is any nation. Yet, despite our weakness, we are still, as Abraham Lincoln said, the best nation ever given to man. Despite our faults, this nation is still the last, best hope of earth." In short, God still cares what happens here. This reassuring message is a bright light in a world that longs for such hope.
----- You can find this summary at the website that the title of the book (at the beginning of this post) links to at goodreads.com. -----
Chris Stewart wrote this book before he published my #6 recommendation. This is also a great piece of work combining historical facts with stories from U.S. History. It shows how God's hand has been in the events of this nation in order to keep it free. I highly recommend this book and again the sort-of sequel (#6 recommendation) to this one.
When the odds were
stacked against us, and there have been many times when the great
experiment we call America could have and should have failed, did God
intervene to save us?
That question, posed by authors Chris and Ted
Stewart, is the foundation for this remarkable book. And the examples
they cite provide compelling evidence that the hand of Providence has
indeed preserved the United States of America on multiple occasions.
Skillfully weaving story vignettes with historical explanations, they
examine seven instances that illustrate God's protecting care: -The unlikely discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
-How (and why) desperate English colonists were able to survive the starving time at Jamestown
-The Battle of New York during the Revolutionary War
-The miraculous creation of the United States Constitution
-Abraham Lincoln's desperate prayer that turned the tide of the Civil War at Gettysburg
-How a series of extraordinary events changed the Battle of Midway during World War II
-The preservation of Ronald Reagan's life from an assassin's bullet, allowing him the time he needed to help extend freedom around the world
Never, at any of these critical junctures, was a positive outcome certain or even likely. Yet America prevailed. Why?
"No man is perfect," write the authors. "And neither is any nation. Yet, despite our weakness, we are still, as Abraham Lincoln said, the best nation ever given to man. Despite our faults, this nation is still the last, best hope of earth." In short, God still cares what happens here. This reassuring message is a bright light in a world that longs for such hope.
----- You can find this summary at the website that the title of the book (at the beginning of this post) links to at goodreads.com. -----
The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points That Saved the World
The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points That Saved the World
This is a great book and is a sort-of sequel of another one of Chris Stewart's books (which I will post next after this).
Chris Stewart writes about great events (some I didn't even know about) that have happened throughout world history. He combines historical facts with stories from those events. It is a great read, and I recommend it to everyone. It was a moving piece of work.
A summary is as follows...
To what do we owe the great privilege of freedom?
• To a handful of Greek soldiers and their naval commanders in a life-or-death confrontation with the Persians in 480 bc?
• To a small band of Frankish soldiers who stood against the conquering armies of Islam more than 1,300 years ago?
• To the people of Great Britain who refused to surrender to the overwhelming power of Hitler's Third Reich?
Today, fewer than 12 of the 193 countries in the world have a democratic government that has survived for more than fifty years. So, what extraordinary events in history have made it possible for us to enjoy self-rule and personal liberty? And what role has the hand of God played in securing that freedom?
In this remarkable new book, bestselling authors Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart highlight seven miracles that changed the course of the world. Skillfully weaving story vignettes with historical explanations, they affirm that history would have been dramatically altered if any one of these events had turned out differently.
----- You can find this summary at the website that the title of the book (at the beginning of this post) links to at goodreads.com. -----
This is a great book and is a sort-of sequel of another one of Chris Stewart's books (which I will post next after this).
Chris Stewart writes about great events (some I didn't even know about) that have happened throughout world history. He combines historical facts with stories from those events. It is a great read, and I recommend it to everyone. It was a moving piece of work.
A summary is as follows...
To what do we owe the great privilege of freedom?
• To a handful of Greek soldiers and their naval commanders in a life-or-death confrontation with the Persians in 480 bc?
• To a small band of Frankish soldiers who stood against the conquering armies of Islam more than 1,300 years ago?
• To the people of Great Britain who refused to surrender to the overwhelming power of Hitler's Third Reich?
Today, fewer than 12 of the 193 countries in the world have a democratic government that has survived for more than fifty years. So, what extraordinary events in history have made it possible for us to enjoy self-rule and personal liberty? And what role has the hand of God played in securing that freedom?
In this remarkable new book, bestselling authors Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart highlight seven miracles that changed the course of the world. Skillfully weaving story vignettes with historical explanations, they affirm that history would have been dramatically altered if any one of these events had turned out differently.
----- You can find this summary at the website that the title of the book (at the beginning of this post) links to at goodreads.com. -----
One of My All-Time Favorite Pins from Pinterest! #10 [Peanut Butter Cheesecake]
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/147563325265180214/
Doesn't that look deliciously fattening?! :-D
I know I would eat in a heartbeat even though I probably shouldn't. My favorite desserts are those made up of chocolate and peanut butter. Put in the cheesecake, and it's perfect :)
Monday, March 3, 2014
Changes to Blog
Some of the recent changes I've made to my blog...
I apologize if there are times that I don't post. I try to post something at least every once in a while.
Also, if you want to follow me by email or be a Google + follower. There are two windows to the right where you can do this.
One last thing...I've added a fun little poll on the right side underneath the Google + follower and follow me by email windows. If you want to, please take it. Your answers are anonymous.
- As you probably noticed, I added tabs at the top of the blog. I have tried to organize my posts under those tabs, so that you can easily find any post you want. I hope y'all enjoy that.
- Just in case y'all didn't notice before, I have goodreads.com windows on the right hand side. I have one of what I'm currently reading, one of books I've read in 2014, and one of books I've read in 2013. If you want to see further back than that or want to go to my goodreads page, click these links: My Goodreads.com profile page.
- Last but not least, I've added a little bit to my profile which is the first thing on the right hand side of my blog. Click "View my complete profile" to see what I added.
I apologize if there are times that I don't post. I try to post something at least every once in a while.
Also, if you want to follow me by email or be a Google + follower. There are two windows to the right where you can do this.
One last thing...I've added a fun little poll on the right side underneath the Google + follower and follow me by email windows. If you want to, please take it. Your answers are anonymous.
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