Give and take....

Today...

I'm thankful for:

- early mornings...when everything is quiet and the world is rising, there is a joy and antipation and peace that can only be felt at the dawn of day.

- the Anthony Henday...thank you for properly moving traffic despite rush hour.

- for beautiful smiles...you brighten up my day ;)

- for scottish oatmeal...really make a great breakfast with organic bluberries and little syrup.

- for friends who outlast time itself. You make the world of a difference in my life...

- warm hearts...your heart fills mine when nothing else will.

- for guidance of the Spirit... blesses my every thought, heart beat and word.

- for those not so good with words...you share more than words can say!

:)
..all for u.


Ok...so lots has happened but well since this isn't a blog devoted to the gossip that is my life, I'm just going to share some wonderful and fascinating things the Lord and others have bless ed to share with me and the lessons I've learned.

Now if I already shared some of these, that's ok...I feel they might need some repeating.

1. It's your intention and the spirit something is done in that truly affects your communication.

Someone shared with me something so important and simple that it's easy to forget.

As Dr John Lund Says : you can't fulfill the Lord's plan using the adversary's ways.

They were sharing about the difficulty to know when to be firm and soft and where that balance lies and then told me after much prayer how it really has everything to do with intention.

It's like it says in Moroni (it's a short book; you can find it)

Giving alms with improper intention...for pride for instance, only does one thing: help you feed your pride.

Our intentions, hearts and spirits and even beliefs of someone is always felt or conveyed however we choose to treat others.

Children most of all are especially sensitive to our feelings and thoughts and intents.

This could turn into a long exposition so I'm going to keep it short:

A. Are you truly unselfishly and lovingly doing and saying what you are saying? If not, and you don't feel it, neither will the person you are giving it to? Search your intentions: Are you trying to control, manipualte, coerce, force, bribe, make another see you a certain way?

B. to you parents out there: Remember if you know you are doing your best and doing your best to love the Lord and serve Him and do your best with your children, you intentions and feelings will be felt years down the road when they grow up.

There is also another side to all of this: you are not the cause of your childrens every bad mood or anxiety. Just a thought.

C. If you ever get confused, remember how the Lord loves you and how much He loves you and with every imprefection or mistake, He can heal , take up the slack and help you do better every day.

D. This just came to my mind...I wonder if our thoughts and intentions for ourself are ever noticed...Neat idea huh? What's my intention for doing this for/ to myself?

E. Something I do which has and will continue to bless my life is when I don't feel 100% filled with the Spirit or I feel slightly distanced from the presence of the Lord, I pour my heart out to the Lord... in my heart or out loud. I just expose how I'm feeling and 100% of the time I not only can figure it out but I can also feel the Lord heal and support me and if need be I give something to my Saviour to help me heal or repent of. The Lord is perfect at helping you see what's wrong and why. Counsel with Him...He knows what to do or just what to say to heal you(not just make you feel better).


2. Give not take.

This was and still boggles my mind.

One day I was talking with a friend and they were telling me about how they had some pretty crumby jobs in the past but they were always able to find something to enjoy about the job and if you looked hard enough, you could always find something...

Then this hit me:

People who gripe and complain about life are in a sense selfish.

(and by people I mean me...and I'm repenting everyday for it)

To a complainer, life is about how life is supposed to be this way, this job is supposed to be this way, they are supposed to be this way...

Versus an optimistic shiny happy person is different.

Instead of forcing how things are supposed to be, they look at life and see what life is giving them. What the job is giving them, this person, nature, everything! They notice all that is given to them and take in the good and focus on just that. I'm not advocating not setting goals or the like but I feel that being unsatisfied with life isn't always the best and most inspiring way to live, even as a means to change your life. It's like complaining to get the "happiness" or "success". Does that seem right to you?

Seeing what can be improved is important in our lives but if that's all you see, then life is harsh...even if you change things around you, this can develop into and power complex of havinng to or needing to control everything around you...I'm just speculating at this point but that's what I sense.

It's my personal opinion that real change happens after we've had a real change of heart (Atonement) and in so doing we go from a selfish heart (believe me, we all have it to some degree) to an unselfish one and then we see the world differently...

Suddenly, life it's about taking , but giving AND receiving .

And receiving opens up hope and notcing God's hand in everything and that you are blessed, of infinite worth and the Lord and universe want to bless you. This has blessed me with inspriration to now give back to life and also trust that God wants me to be blessed and succeed and I therefore feel inspired to set goals and create a vision of service and joy that are who I am meant to be and live as.


OK...so this might not as goos as my other posts but I'm happy I cna share some of my ideas and thoughts with you. To all of you reading this: you mean the word to me and I hope something I share here inspires you and blesses your life to some degree or measure.

I hope you have a joyful and thank-filled day!


Next up: You might be gossiping and not know it and service: it's everywhere did you know?