Smile and be Grateful!

Smile!

It seems like a smile can be hard at times, especially in a world like ours today. As people, I think we naturally like to focus on the negatives. But we can't forget the wonderful time we have on this earth! The best way we can put a smile on our face is to remember all that we have. Or in other words, Gratitude.

The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. A pretty clear definition according the the dictionary. So, how do we return gratitude?

Maybe slow down a little and stop and think.. What are some things that I have that others don't? What are some of the blessings in my life? It could be your health, having a family, education and home. Or going in deeper, maybe the ability to walk, see, talk or hear.
I  mean lets face it, there is always out there who has it worse than you.

Here is a few quote verses from the Hymn "Count your Blessings" from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint's Hymnbook.

"When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. …"

 

 Paul said it clearly in Ephesians 5:4, " Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks."

 

Just remember to be grateful for your many blessings and you will see there are many things to smile about!

Who is God?

God. To many God is a mystery. For thousands of years, many people have professed on worshiping a higher being or deity.

Who is this deity? Who is this higher being?

Throughout my life, I have heard many definitions and attributes of God. I'll list a few.

1. God is a spirit, everywhere to found. He can enter into anyone and anything
2. God is a mean God. He makes us suffer and allows bad things to happen.
3. God is a changing God. He is dictated by the words and actions of man.
4. God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All are one.
5. God doesn't exist. Logically and scientifically it can't make sense.

For someone seeking to know God, it is challenge! So where do we turn? Where can we find truth? Who can tell us who God truly is? What are ways we can come to know God?

Thanks to the restored gospel, all of these questions can be answered. God is our Father in Heaven and we are his children (Romans 8:16).He is the supreme creator of all things. He is a man and we are created in his own image (Genesis 1:27). He has a perfect body of flesh and bone (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). He is a God of Love (1 John 4:7-8). The trials we each go through are for our own experience and good (Doctrine and Covenants 122:5-7). The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are 3 different beings (Matt. 3:13-17) God sent his Son, Jesus Christ to atone for the sins of the world (John 3:16). God's purpose and glory is to see each of us return back to Him (Moses 1:39). He is the author of the plan of salvation. We can come to know him by prayer and reading the scriptures.The Holy Spirit will tell you all truth and bear witness of God (John 14:7,26)

I know that God lives. Without a doubt. I invite others to come to know Him as well.

Letting Go.

MY PRECIOUS!!

 I love Lord of the Rings, probably my favorite trilogy of all time. One of the most best characters (and weirdest) in the series was Smeagol/Gollum. Once an innocent hobbit, he fell upon the one evil ring. With his one friend, the two got into a fight. The end result was Smeagol murdering his fellow hobbit in cold blood.





He ran away.. tormented by the ring. Later he formed an alternate personality and his name would be Gollum. Sadly, Gollum was a huge downer. He would always remind Smeagol of his awful crime and say he can never go back to who he was. With the help of Frodo, Smeagol did conquer Gollum for a bit. But later unfortunately, he came back and finally convince Smeagol to give up and get the ring back.

Eventually Smeagol gets the ring back.. but then slips and falls into some magma.


Smeagol's story is a tragic one. His life is an example of a reoccurring theme in each of our lives. We all maybe have a Gollum inside of us. And he reminds us of our guilt, shame, and the past. He tells us that we can never be forgiven for the mistakes we have committed.

Whether this is ourselves telling all of these things, essentially it's Satan. The Father of all lies will do everything to bring us down. We are God's children, His work and glory. The adversary will do all he can to bring us down to his level of misery.

But God loves us. And he provided a way to escape Satan's hold on us. Of course His way is through His Son,  Jesus Christ. In the Book of Mormon another testament of Jesus Christ, Alma describes how he suffered for not only our sins, but our pains, afflictions, sorrow and guilt (Alma 7:11). Christ knows all that we went through and will continue to go through in our lives. The Atonement is infinite and continuous for each of us. How do we do it? First have faith in our Father in Heaven. Pray to him, ask for strength and maybe even for forgiveness. Poor your heart and confess everything to Him. Next, have faith in Jesus Christ. Have faith that his grace and mercy will heal you in time. He is the only one who knows your suffering. And most importantly repent. Only through repentance can we receive the blessings of a guilt free conscious.

It won't be easy. Letting go of the past is difficult. But I promise through repentance, having faith in Christ we can be forgiven and move forward. After that has been said and done, we then can look in the mirror and forgive ourselves. And see we are a changed person, ready to face life's challenges once again. This time, stronger.