Seeking Holiness

Happy Sunday, friends! I have been doing a lot of self reflection as of late. Parent teacher conference time always brings that out in me. I try to determine if I am finding ways to make sure student strengths are being utilized to help them overcome weaknesses or areas of concern. I also try to examine if I am doing the same for myself. The only way to do this is by relying on the Lord to lead me to change.

As I've been pondering this, I have been reading the account of Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah. They certainly changed. Sometimes I wonder if I really am capable of that type of immense character change. Other times, I look back and can't believe how much I've changed in general! I firmly believe that all these changes need to be leading me back to God. Enter the Lord, yet again, and this conference talk!

If the changes I am making are not leading me towards holiness, which is a word I need to think about more, then they are not changes that are being approved by the Lord. This can get tricky, I think. Especially when other people want to judge our actions and have all sorts of opinions about what we do or think or feel. (If you don't believe me, just go to a blog on any topic that has a larger following than this one and read the comments. YIKES!)

If I can lay down at night, feel that I have done my best, and have peace given to me by the Lord from His Spirit, then I think I am on the right track. I have had times in my life when I have not received guidance from the Spirit because of my actions, and it is not pretty. I am SO thankful to have Heavenly Father's guidance on a daily basis, helping me to do my best in all facets of my life.

Thanks for sticking with the post this week. I know it was very stream-of-conscious. I encourage you to do some self-reflecting on a regular basis. I truly believe that this is a fundamental part of the repentance process and one of the ways Heavenly Father can guide us. Let me know how your time spent doing so goes, should you feel the need! Until next week, sending peaceful wishes for a Spirit-filled week!

Become

Happy Sabbath, friends! This week's post is about what God wants us to become. Specifically, it's about what I know He wants me to become. The newest Mormon Message hit me powerfully today as I watched it. In it, the man speaking shares about losing both parents at a young age and the need he had and has to rely on the Lord for strength to overcome and persevere. I love hearing these stories of how the Lord strengthens His children!

My own journey to become what God would have me be has most definitely not been what I had planned. My husband and I planned to have six children, and I would be a stay-at-home mom to fulfill the role of motherhood in the way I felt God needed me to. Instead of having children, however, we have been blessed to not have them.

That statement probably sounds strange to some of you, and may even be offensive. It isn't meant to be. It is a statement of contentment knowing that the Lord has greater plans for me than what I thought should be. It is not meant to undermine or demean those who are blessed to have children and raise them. It is my acceptance of the Lord's will, and my desire to continue on the path HE has for me instead of my own.

I could share with you all about our journey through infertility, but that is not what my focus is this week. Instead, I wanted to share with you all what I have been able to BECOME because He knows better than I do what I need.  Here is the list of what He has helped me become:

1. A wife and eternal companion in a relationship that values open communication, trust, and support of each other.
2. The mother of a fur-baby pup that has given me joy that I never understood, but now can't live without.
3. A teacher of children from all walks of life who need to feel the influence of the Spirit in some way, and I strive to do that daily.
4. A colleague that values the opinion and wisdom of others, who understands that we are better together than alone.
5. A daughter of God who trusts that His ways will always lead me where I need to go, tell me what I can do in any given situation, and allows me to repent daily.

I'm sure that I could go on, but that's all that I have for now. I created another printable to help me remember that God is continually helping me to BECOME what He would have me be. I made it in a variety of colors, hoping that each of you can find one you love!

Thank you for stopping by again today! I hope that you have been uplifted and can see all that God is helping YOU to become. You are wonderful, amazing, beautiful, talented, and, above all, His child. Wishing you peace this week, and always!

Move Forward Together

Moment of truth here. I used to place value on my worth based on callings that I received. This is not only a dangerous practice, but one that leads ultimately to unhappiness and an unwillingness to do what the Lord would have us do. I have found that each calling is just as important as the next, although I still feel that anyone who teaches young children (especially in nursery) have the most vital callings.

As I have come in contact with other people, I can see the difference in those who understand that their worth is NEVER tied to a calling and those who cannot divide the two. Those who don't tie their worth to their calling are much more kind, loving, and willing to serve outside of their callings and just generally do good. I'm not saying that those who keep the two connected never do good, I am saying it seems more difficult for them to look outside their realm and realize that their responsibility is to all mankind, not just those they are called to serve in this moment.

Today I came across THIS ARTICLE which really spoke to me. The main focus was that callings are not about stepping up or down. They are about moving forward. Here is the print I made for the article:

My goal this week is to help others move forward, whether they are baptized members of the Church or not. I hope you join me!

Seek Truth Earnestly

I have decided to start being more proactive about what I view and do on the Sabbath day. It's been a very long time since I posted here at My Uni-Verse, and I feel that posting here weekly about something uplifting I viewed on the Sabbath will help me keep on track. Since we all know how I have been in the past, I am hoping this simple change will be do-able and not overwhelming.

That said, this week's post is about seeking truth. Today I viewed this Mormon Message:

I was very touched by this parable. I am a second grade teacher and often have situations arise where I do not have the full picture. I may be quick to judge a student based on past behavior instead of getting all the facts. I am aware of this fault and am working on it.

I was grateful to know that Heavenly Father is aware of this and would guide me today to something that would encourage me to be better! He is so kind and long-suffering towards me. I have created a print to share with you all that I am planning to print and display in my classroom as a reminder.

I hope you each take time to seek truth earnestly each day so that we can all become perfected and live with God again. Sending love and hugs to each and all!