Fill It With Love

It's difficult, becoming better. 

With all my flaws, sometimes it seems almost impossible. 

But with the shining example of a Loving Savior, I was able to learn a little about Love this week.

The following little story started my week off: 

"Upon returning home from his day's work, this father greeted his boy with a pat on the head and said, 'Son, I want you to know I love you.' The son responded with, 'Oh Dad, I don't want you to love me, I want you to play football with me.' Here was a boy conveying a much-needed message."

Everyone feels loved in a different way, or in other words we all have a Love Language. (If you don't know what yours is here's the link http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/)

I may feel loved when others express words of affirmation, or hug me without a question, where as my best friend might feel loved when he spends time with people that love him. We're all so very different, and it's important to Love people in a way that they need. 

Christ said, "What manner of men ought ye to be? ...even as I am."

When I think of Love, I think of Christ. The service he gave, and the lives he touched. He knew just how to Love everyone.

I think of the Continuous Atonement, the purest act of true Love ever given. Christ gave the greatest gift, himself.

I've found that it feels wonderful to serve. To truly, selflessly love is what makes life worth it. 

This week I did more random acts of kindness than I can ever remember doing. I'm so glad I did. I was able to really feel the Love of the Savior for the people around me. 

(President Hinckley retold this story that his father told him)

Finally I want to touch on a subject that has been on my mind, and that was brought to my attention about two years ago by my wonderful former Bishop. 

I was taught by a man that said it much more eloquently that I ever can, but despite my tied tongue, I hope to portray one of the most important principles I ever learned, and this is it:

Fill Your Void With Love.

Fill it with family, and friends, and smiles.

Jesus said, "that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled"




We all have those places in our hearts that seem to be empty at times. Some strive to fill this empty space with expensive jewels, fancy cars, or big screen TV's.

Some fill their void with alcohol, drugs, or pornography..

But Christ said that if we repent,and are baptized, he'll fill that void for us. 

 

If you want to truly find happiness in this life. Fill that void with Love. At first, it will not be easy. But, I promise the first time you see a smile on someone's face, because of a random act of kindness that you partook in, you will feel it happen.

The happiness of childhood will return. Your heart will smile. 

I Love You, A Bushel And A Peck

Yesterday I cried in my closet with my best friend. She reminded me what true love really is. She reminded me that sometimes the most wonderful thing that we can do, is to truly, sincerely, honestly love someone.

Doctrine & Covenants 4: 5-7

5. And faith, hope, charity, and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.

6. Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.

7. Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen. 

( My Kimberly drew this...it's me)




I've been on a Love kick lately. Reading about Love, talking about Love, and watching movies about Love. (I watched The Vow and Moulin Rouge in the same week, it was almost too much for me!) You probably know where I'm going with this, and you're right! The next couple of weeks I'm going to work on Loving.

I decided to start with reading about a man that Loved the people of the world and also dearly loved his wonderful wife. As I was reading the book "Standing For Something" by Gordon B. Hinckley I came upon this little gem of a quote...

"...love is more than a paper heart. Love is the very essence of life. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet it is not found only at the end of the rainbow. Love is at the beginning also, and from it springs the beauty that arches across the sky on a stormy day. Love is the security for which children weep, the yearning of youth, the adhesive that binds marriage,and the lubricant that prevents devastating friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope shining through death. How rich are those who enjoy it in their associations with family, friends, and neighbors! Love, like faith, is a gift of God. It is also the most enduring and most powerful virtue."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

(Double Rainbow)

Today I went to a fireside at which one of the area seventy spoke. When he asked the congregation what they wanted out of this life, I simply thought, "I want to be more Christlike, and to be a mother that teaches her children to be Christlike."

That's what I want. The speaker also sparked my interest by reminding me that I want to be a great parent, because I am loved by an omnipotent, forever patient, perfectly loving, Father in Heaven.

Who wouldn't want to be like that?

Philippians 4:8-9

8. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

9. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you"

Finally. Listen to this song. I think he really loves his wife, and you can tell because even though times are hard, he's still standing next to her, holding her up when she can't do it by herself, that's just what Christ would do.

Fishin' For Happiness

Benjamin De Hoyas of the Seventy said that, "Perseverance in making correct decisions is what leads us to happiness."  Interesting that he didn't say, "making correct decisions is what leads to happiness." 

It's all about perseverance. 

I've learned the lesson that perseverance leads to happiness because I Have Gone Fishing. 

Anyone who has ever fished a day in their life knows that fishing is a roller coaster of emotions. There's a lot of waiting around, and seldom do you actually reel in anything worth keeping. But when you do actually persevere through the boring spells, you just might catch a big one. 

And so it is with life. 

I have found that there is always something to be happy about. There's nothing wrong with having bad days, actually, bad days are what make the good days seem so good.
But when it comes down to it, our attitudes determine how happy we are, not the situations that we are in. 


So, here's to having a happy attitude, because in the end A Happy Attitude Makes For A Happy Life.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/10/true-happiness-a-conscious-decision?lang=eng&format=conference

You Can Be Happy of Yourself

You Can Be Happy of Yourself

In honor of trying to work on being happy these next couple of weeks I wrote a poem about some of the things that were making me happy. I was on a flight home to California when I wrote this down.

(The topic of Happiness was inspired by Cassie Pelton, a wonderful example of Happiness in my life)

Happiness is bright purple pansies

And a smokey, orange colored moon

Happiness is a flight from Salt Lake

Back to my Home-Sweet-Home

Happiness is a pink, giggly baby

And our Hike to that cold Waterfall

Happiness is going to bed late

And knowing that you'll still call

Happiness is warm, sweet embraces

From my wonderful, kind Best Friends

Happiness is knowing you love me

When the long day finally ends

Happiness is Eskimo Kisses

And a fountain of "untreated water"

(That one's for you Ricardo)

Happiness is talking to Papa

And knowing he still loves his daughter

Happiness is a light from Heaven

Shining down on a tear stricken face

Happiness is sharing an ice cream

And letting you have the last taste

(This cute little ice cream is for you Kimberly Bennett)

The Game Plan

The Game Plan

Alma 34:32 For behold, this ^alife is the time for men to ^bprepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of ^cthis life is the day for men to perform their ^dlabors.

As I was reading the Book of Mormon the other day I came upon the scripture Alma 34:32. I've read it hundreds of times, and like many Latter Day Saints I've memorized it. 

But this time. It was different. 

As I read the words, "...this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God," I got this feeling that I needed to do more.

 I've decided to prepare, and to share it with whoever wants to follow along. If anything, I hope that I can become more Christlike in my day to day life, because really, I'm preparing to meet my Heavenly Father.





I'm going to try and work on a Christlike attribute every two-three weeks, and then report back on how my week was. I know it's going to be hard, but Becoming Better is supposed to be hard.