“We have the Dead Christ, you have the Risen Lord” - Meridian Magazine - LDS, Mormon and Latter-day Saint News and Views

Late one evening, when my companion and I had the responsibility for closing up the Pavilion for the night, and when we were cleaning up in the Joseph Smith room thinking we were alone in the building, I looked down the long hallway and saw a solitary figure, dressed in black, standing in front of the Christus. As I approached him from behind to tell him that we were closed, I noticed that his shoulders were shuddering and realized that he was crying. I gently put my hand on his shoulder and he turned toward me revealing his priest’s collar. I recognized him as one of the elderly priests that guided tours in the Catholic pavilion.

I asked if anything was wrong, and he answered with words that I have never forgotten. “No,” he said, still staring up at the Christus, “It’s just that I was thinking….we have the dead Christ, and you have the risen Lord.” In that brief moment, it was clear to me that he was speaking of more than the two statues, and I left the fairgrounds that night more grateful than I had ever been for our focus on the resurrection rather than on the cross and for the vibrancy of the restored and living Church to which I belong.

Of all the things that we can teach our children, perhaps none is more important than the resurrected reality of Christ and His once-here, then-lost, and finally-restored Church.

Meridian Magazine - “We have the Dead Christ, you have the Risen Lord”

Consecrate Thy Performance

 

“Ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul” (2 Nephi 32:9).

Grammy-Nominated Artist Shares Testimony through Music - Church News and Events

Organize Your Important Papers - eXtension

Organize Your Important Papers - eXtension

Dealing With Life

Rozanne Paxman

Ro Shares One of Her Most Important Discoveries

Today, I have decided to share with you one of the most important discoveries I have ever made during my lifetime – how to instantly change my mindset when I am struggling with a big challenge.

I have no idea where I came up with it. Perhaps, I read about it somewhere. I suppose it doesn't matter. All that matters is that I learned it, have practiced it, and have become stronger because of it. And now, I am passing it along to you.

Before I share the technique with you, I want to point out that as most elegant, truly effect solutions are, this technique is so simple that I suspect most people who read this muse will ignore it or fail to realize its significance.

Please, don't be one of the people who chooses to ignore the next two paragraphs. This really works.

When something unpleasant happens to you, instead of reacting in your usual manner, stop and reframe your mindset by pointing out to yourself that life has just presented you with an opportunity to grow in some way.

Don't be concerned if you have to do this a number of times. Sometimes, the effect is immediate, and you will never have to reframe your thoughts about that particular challenge. Sometimes, the challenge is large enough that you will need to reframe your thoughts each time you remember what has happened. That's okay. You now have the tool you need to do it. If you do this regularly, you should find that you begin to feel stronger and more able to deal with the ups and downs of your life.

Here are some examples of how I do this:

When someone hurts me (intentionally or unintentionally), I tell myself, "This is my opportunity to practice forgiveness."

When life throws obstacles in my way, I tell myself, "This is my opportunity to practice faith."

When someone is being difficult, I tell myself, "This is my opportunity to practice being kind."

When I am feeling sick with my fibromyalgia and everything becomes difficult to do, I tell myself, "This is my opportunity to practice endurance."

When circumstances require that I make choices that others may misunderstand because they don't have all of the facts, I tell myself, "This is my opportunity to practice having grit."

When I must try unfamiliar or new things in challenging environments, I tell myself, "This is my opportunity to practice being brave."

When the path forward is unlit and I don't know how things will turn out, I tell myself, "This is my opportunity to practice having hope."

When life seems determined to overwhelm me and drag me down, I tell myself, "This is my opportunity to draw closer to my God Who knows my true heart and soul and Who loves me perfectly."

Assignment: Grab a notebook and write out some of your own in preparation for needing them. Begin each one, "This is my opportunity to...." Then, when life whops you upside the head, you'll have a method of calming yourself down. Once you have calmed down, you'll be able to make better choices.

Loneliness

"The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself." – Mark Twain

Meridian Magazine - How an LDS Father Lost 100 Pounds

“People look at me now, and think I’m this super-human who can resist all these food temptations. The truth is, that this has been – and continues to be – the most powerful spiritual journey of my life. Somehow I think that most of interpret the Atonement as a way of returning from sin, but in truth, the Atonement is to lift us to become like Him! That means his suffering was not only for our sins, but to aid us in finding the strength and power, through Him, to overcome personal weaknesses and temptations that will help us to progress. It is not at all in any way disrespectful to say that prayer and the Atonement have been my most important tools to change my health.”

“Though weight lifting and losing the weight has truly elevated our lives, I can and will never deny that the true power to be do this and be lifted up has come from the Savior. I know I will need and call upon that strength to become who I am meant to be, and to share it with others as our exciting health journey, marriage and family grow.”

To get to know Ben and Diana and their plan better, check out these links:

Ben’s Free Weight Lifting e-book: CLICK HERE
Diana’s Personal Trainer Program: CLICK HERE
In Defense of Food Book by Michael Pollan

BEN AND DIANA'S Inspiring Website


Meridian Magazine - How an LDS Father Lost 100 Pounds

Faith: Word of the Year for 2012

Rozanne Paxman

Have You Chosen a Word of the Year?

Choosing a word of the year has become fairly popular among bloggers and scrapbookers. Last year, I decided to try it out and see what happened. The word I choose for 2011 was SAVOR. My intentions when choosing SAVOR was that I begin to live life more fully and bravely. I wanted to take more pleasure in my life and enjoy it.

That is what I intended, and in the end, that is what happened. But, as it turned out, in order for me to savor my life, I had to make some very difficult decisions and take actions that scared me to death. I had to do some house-cleaning both within and without. I had to examine myself and face what I found.

It was a tough year. Very, very tough. It was a wonderful year. Very, very wonderful. It was a year that I'll never forget.

Now - one year later - I can safely say that 2011 was a gigantic growth year for me. It was the year I became brave. It was the year I learned to fully believe in myself. It was the year I learned to forgive myself and others. It was the year I dropped things that had bothered me for decades. It was the year I learned not to be bothered by things I can't control.

By year's end, I had re-found my zest for living. I regained my appreciation for my family, my friends, and my work. I remembered why I love my life and what I do. I began to relish my days and now I look forward to getting up each morning. My ability to come up with new ideas returned. I learned to relax and enjoy myself.

Do I still have problems? Sure. Do I still have health issues to battle with? Sure. Do I still have challenges of all sorts? Sure. Do I occasionally have self-doubts? Sure. Do I make mistakes? Nearly every day. But overall, I'm okay. I'm really, truly okay. I feel like a different person than I was one year ago, and that's a very good thing. It's good to grow.

So, as you can see, I found the Word of the Year experience quite fascinating. After carefully considering what it might mean to me to take on another word, I've decided to try it again. Because I now feel that choosing a word is a serious matter, I took months to decide what this year's word would be. I was having such a hard time picking one this time around that I nearly abandoned my search. But then one morning, I read a couple of talks about faith and gleaned a couple of ideas that I knew I wanted to remember.

1. Faith is an action word.
2. Faith looks towards the future and leaves the past in the past.

I love those thoughts. I think it will be quite useful for me to drum them into my head, heart, and soul. Therefore, my word of 2012 is FAITH.

Last year, I made a couple of very simple paper reminders of my word SAVOR. I stuck one on a dresser drawer and one on my bathroom mirror, which I looked at twice a day. As I think back on it, I realize that my choice to place it on the mirror was a good one because I did think about my word fairly often as I prepared for my day and for bed each evening.

This year, I decided to spend a little more time on my word declaration, and so I created a printable piece of artwork that I have hung on my office wall in an 8x10-inch picture frame. I'm also going to print out a little one and stick it to my mirror.

(The lighting in this photo is a little off. It is actually as gold as the original and looks very nice against my blue wall.)

larger view

If you'll read it carefully, you'll see that faith is either the first or the last word of each sentence.

Here is a portion of one of the talks that helped me select faith as my word of 2012.

"Because of the conflicts and challenges we face in today's world, I wish to suggest a single choice - a choice of peace and protection and a choice that is appropriate for all. That choice is faith. Be aware that faith is not a free gift given without thought, desire, or effort. It does not come as the dew falls from heaven. The Savior said, "Come unto me" (Matthew 11:28) and "Knock, and it shall be [given] you" (Matthew 7:7). These are action verbs - come, knock. They are choices. So I say, choose faith. Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism." Richard C Edgley

I challenge you to choose a word for 2012. Once you have, place the word where you can see it. Don't worry about having to "do" anything about the word. Chances are that life will bring opportunities for your word to take on a life of its own. At the end of the year, take a little time to reflect on the word and see if it made an impact. You might be very surprised at the results. If you would like, you could make a digital scrapbooking layout or a piece of printable artwork with your word on it, as I have. If you'd care to, you could share your layout or artwork with us in the Scrap Girls Gallery. I'd love to see what you come up with!

Have a great day.

Until tomorrow,
Ro

Lessons in learning to trust in the Lord | Deseret News

"We went west willingly because we had to" — Brigham Young


Lessons in learning to trust in the Lord | Deseret News

Gratitude is the Foundation For Other Virtues

Gratitude is the foundation for other virtues

Elder James E. Faust, former counselor in the First Presidency has said, “A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love and well-being” (President James E. Faust, “Gratitude As A Saving Principle,” Ensign, Dec. 1996).

While Russ and Bekki rebuild their home, gratitude is shaping their character. They continue to look to the Savior, who brings “...beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3)

Easy Veggie Stir-Fry | Our Best Bites

Easy Veggie Stir-Fry | Our Best Bites