Testimony Tuesday- Faith

First of all. I'm fully aware that's it's Wednesday, although, the days are starting to run together.

I was trying to decide what to write about this week but every single thing I came up with was "blah, I hate that." or "ugh. I not this week." and THEN I saw that a couple of my blogger friends are starting a blog series called "Testimony Tuesday", where on the first Tuesday of every month, they write about a given topic. All members of different faiths are invited to join this blog series, and you can find the post to link up to here. By the time I actually decided that I wanted to join, it was too late for me to write on Tuesday, so here's my Testimony Tuesday one day late. For the record. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. and you can learn more about my worldwide, 16 million member church, here.

This months topic is: Faith

I'm a big believer that music is one of my greatest teachers. There is a children's song sung in our church with the simple title of "Faith" It reads as thus:
1. Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day.
Faith is knowing the Lord will hear, my prayers each time I pray.
Faith is like a little seed: If planted, it will grow.
Faith is a swelling within my heart.
When I do right, I know.

2. Faith is knowing I lived with God before my mortal birth.
Faith is knowing I can return when my life ends on earth.
Faith is trust in God above; In Christ, who showed the way.
Faith is strengthened; I feel it grow, whenever I obey.

This goes along with Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Here we find the basic concept of faith. Faith is a knowledge of things that you cannot see but that you know to be true. Just as when the sun sets in the evening, we have know definite knowledge that the sun will rise again the next morning, but we believe that it will.

In the Book of Mormon, as well as the Bible, we compare faith to a seed. In Matthew 17:20 (KJV) Jesus says "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

Faith is an incredible source of power. It gives us the power to move mountains if we believe that we can. It gives us power and strength to endure impossible trials that we would be unable to handle if we had no belief that there was a purpose to it and that it would be for our good. There is an OLD one woman show by Steven Kapp Perry called "Polly" and in one of the songs she says:

"Could you celebrate a birthday knowing life would soon be past you? Could you spend the sweat to build a house you knew would not outlast you? Could you bear to love the children, who would die before their season? We'd miss so much of happiness and maybe that's the reason not to know! To free us from the burden of the future, and make a space for joy!"

So that's the answer isn't it? Faith in God and Faith in His Plan allows us to have a fullness of joy in our lives. That one day, we will be free from our pains and afflictions. That even now, as we go through them, we are never alone. I love the peace that my faith brings to me and I love knowing that with that faith, comes a perfect brightness of hope.

~Cheryl

An Attitude of Gratitude

November-- the month where everyone is either writing a novel, hairy for mens health, or thankful for one thing every day.

Today, I'm going to talk about the last. Gratitude.

President David O. McKay said, “Gratitude is deeper than thanks. Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts”

That really speaks to me. I'm a pro at finding things that I'm thankful for. I have a whole notebook full of things and people, big and small. Everything from the Atonement down to toilet paper. I am thankful for every single on of them. I'm thankful for every blessing given to me and when I'm going through a trial, I can play the "Glad Game" with them best of them. 

But am I showing gratitude? 

No. 

As President McKay stated, gratitude is shown in actions. Like, the lepers in the New Testament. All ten of them were healed and went forth. And I'm SURE that all of them were thankful they were healed. But the one that came back,  that Samaritan who knelt at the feet of a Jew, was the one who was showing his gratitude. 

Am I saying that we should all be kneeling at each other's feet all the time? Of course not. There are lots of ways that we can show our gratitude to others and, most especially, to The Lord. We can show gratitude through thoughtful prayer, through service to others, paying or tithing, and even through song. Have you ever heard the lyrics to "For the Beauty of the Earth" before? Here, I'll put them here so you can see them. 

1. 1. For the beauty of the earth,
   For the beauty of the skies,
   For the love which from our birth
   Over and around us lies,
2. (Chorus)
   Lord of all, to thee we raise
   This our hymn of grateful praise.
3. 2. For the beauty of each hour
   Of the day and of the night,
   Hill and vale, and tree and flow'r,
   Sun and moon, and stars of light,
4. 3. For the joy of human love,
   Brother, sister, parent, child,
   Friends on earth, and friends above,
   For all gentle thoughts and mild,
   
   
   There. If you read the words you see that this hymn is in fact, a prayer. A prayer of gratitude and praise for everything that has been created for us. The earth ad everything on it, family units, even the love shared in friendships is shared in this song. And there are many more like it. 
   
   
   -- "Because I Have Been Given Much I too Must Give." <-- we just talked about how service to others is a grateful action
   
   
   -- "God of Our Fathers"
   -- "Come Ye Thankful People Come"
   -- "Count Your Many Blessings"
   
   
   I'd like to talk a moment about this last one I've mentioned. Here are the words:
   
   
   1. 1. 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.
   2. (Chorus)
      Count your blessings;
      Name them one by one.
      Count your blessings;
      See what God hath done.
      Count your blessings;
      Name them one by one.
      Count your many blessings;
      See what God hath done.
   3. 2. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
      Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
      Count your many blessings; ev'ry doubt will fly,
      And you will be singing as the days go by.
   4. 3. When you look at others with their lands and gold,
      Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.
      Count your many blessings; money cannot buy
      Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.
   5. 4. So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
      Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
      Count your many blessings; angels will attend,
      Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.
   6. Text: Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1856-1922
      
      
      Have you ever thought about how you feel when you are showing gratitude? That good feeling you get when you are truly thankful for something, instead of just saying thanks to someone to be polite? I submit that the fastest way to find happiness is to find the things to be thankful for and express true and sincere gratitude for them. Because by recognizing our blessings, we remember that we are not alone, and our hearts are turned to the Savior. Who is the source of all joy and love. In D&C 78:18-19 it says, 
      
      
      "And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.
      And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more."
      
      
      I am going to try and be more grateful. Not thankful, grateful. I look at myself now and I see the other 9 lepers. I want to be the 1 who came back. I want to express my gratitude with my whole-heart to my Savior every single day, not just in November when there is a promise of Turkey. :) So if I don't see you again before it, Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope that we can all become closer to the One.