Psalm 56

Faith is not faith until it is tested.  It is easy to express faith from our comfortable times.  It is in our darkest hours, though, that faith is meant to strengthen us, to buoy us up.

Yet there is something in us that revolts at times of trouble.  We think there should be no problems - that problems are terrible injustices that must be eradicated like cockroaches in the kitchen or mice in the cellar.  We somehow, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, believe that faith is an act we perform that results in the perfect life; free of all conflict, all problems.

Why do we persist in such simplistic childlike ways of seeing life?  Why do we crave that life of ease?  I think it is because way deep down in our souls, we remember heaven.  We know and we long for heaven.  It was our beginning and it will be our end.

This in-between act in the play is the difficult one.  We are being pushed and pulled and stretched and humbled and taught in what my dad would have called "the school of hard knocks."  Life is tough. Just look at the United States right now.  Forty-eight wildfires are raging in the mountain states. People are losing their homes.  It is predicted that 450.000 people in Texas and Louisiana have had home damage from Hurricane Harvey but Hurricane Irma is on its way now and is expected to hit Florida.  I read the other day in the Deseret News that one third of material on the internet is pornography.  Just look at any family and you see problems galore.  Life (act 2) is difficult.

What does Psalm 56 have to say?  (verse 3,4,8,9)

When I am afraid, I will trust in thee.  I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. Thou knowest my wanderings; put thou my tears into thy bottle; are they not in thy book? This I know. God is with me.

This is a very different kind of faith.  Trust seems like the key word.  And verse nine suggests testimony or prior experience that has led us to personally have experienced God in our lives.

We can create an affirmation from those verses:

You may have recognized the influence of D&C 122:7  . . . know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.  Also Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.

Elder Holland in his chapter on Psalm 56 chose verse 9 as the key "God is for us."

Just think what that means.  God is for us.  He loves us, He will always love us.  He is always watching us.  Everything He does is intended to bring us home.  He wants to bless and exalt us.

These are the most basic of Gospel principles.  I am a Child of God. . . He has sent me here . . . to live with Him someday.   For this reason HE Sent His Son.

If I truly believe that, then what is it that I know?

I know that. . .
God is my loving Heavenly Father
I am His child,.
He wants me back home
He sent His Son to help me.
He watches me every day.
He will always be with me; I am never alone.
I will return home much changed as I humbly seek to learn and grow from every experience.
My mistakes will never prevent me from returning - because of my Savior.

With that kind of personal conviction, I can exercise faith in every footstep whether those steps take me through garden paths or the pits of hell.  God is with me.

What a beautiful thought!  As Elder Holland say, "That truth had to be seared into our hearts, written in bold letters across the tissue of our brains, and never forgotten."

I know that.  I know God lives and that He loves me.  He has been with me through many ups and downs, has loved me at my worst and carried me through my own storms of life.  I love how Elder Holland says "He loves us.  He is our Heavenly Father.  He never sleeps, nor slumbers in His watch-care over us.  His work and His glory are to save us, to exalt us, to see us safely home with Him."

I know that path home and have felt His arms guiding me back to that path when I have wandered. But He left me wandering long enough that I would gain the experience I needed so I was ready to return.  I am grateful that He trusted me enough to let me have those experiences and to learn from them.  I am thankful that through the Savior those wanderings have not become road blocks.  I am grateful for Father's love for me.

Psalm 57:1

Psalm 57:1
Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee; yes, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge until these calamities be overpast.

Once again we see a phrase that is so beautiful and poetic. It just reaches past the mind into our heart. Sometimes we wish for the "wings of the dove" so we can just escape. But sometimes we just want the Lord to wrap us in his arms and hold us - let us feel safe until the storm is past. Both phrases have been used over and over because those words themselves bring comfort.

This song is by the Parish family: Shadow of Thy Wings

Your grace abounds when my faith is weak,

I'm but a child here at your feet.

I give to you my everything.

Lord, safely hide me in the shadow of thy wings.

In the Shadow of Thy Wings

I know a place I can always run to

In times of distress, confusion, fear.

When my enemies surround me

I know I'm safe, for you keep me

And hide me in the shadow of your wings.

In the shadow of your wings

I know I am safe

In the shadow of your wings

I find relief, for you hold me

You will hold me and guide me

With your righteous hand

I find rest, peace of mind

In the shadow of thy wings.

Similar songs everything with the words "If I had the Wings of a Dove"

Imagery like this is compelling. In just a few words we find our longing for God's peace eloquently described. We instantly relate.

The Savior said "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Not as the world giveth - what peace does the world offer? That is quite the question in 2017. We are players on a stage that is constantly being changed and or manipulated by forces we cannot control. Politics and economics drive the world around us and our lives and fortunes are affected by people we may not even know exists. The forces of nature rise up against us. There is no wall we can erect to keep them at bay. 

Peace comes after a war but then war comes after the peace. The song "Where Have all the Flowers Gone" reminds us of that cycle. And it is not so very long in passing. War follows war and the periods of peace get shorter and shorter.

Afghanistan, 2001 - present
Operation Enduring  Freedom or the War on Terror began back in 1998. Al-Qaeda and now ISIS, the war continues.

Ongoing wars continue worldwide:

Burundi

Central African republic

Chad and the Sudan

Chechnya vs Russia

Columbia

Ivory coast

Darfur

Ethiopia Somalia

El Salvador's civil unrest

Iraq

Syria

Lebanon and Saudi Arabia now have civil unrest and internal conflict

North Korea threatens atomic war

Libya struggles

The US government issues travel warnings to help us so that we don't ignorantly walk into bad situations. The 2017 list includes the following nations: Togo, Niger, Venezuela, Sudan, Syria, Mexico, Somalia, Philippines, Burundi, Iraq, Pakistan, Israel, Afghanistan, Libya, Congo Congo, Mauritania, Cameroon, Cuba, Turkey, Iran, Jordan, Mali, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Yemen, Nigeria, Lebanon, Honduras, Eritrea, Haiti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, North Korea, Egypt, Ukraine, Columbia, Chad, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, El Salvador.

No wonder I find myself having disturbing dreams all too often. The world is a scary place. We have to be oh, so careful.

In June of 2017 there was a Trafficking in Persons report from the US department of State. It includes:

Sex trafficking

Child sex trafficking

Forced labor

Bonded labor

Debt bondage

Domestic servitude

Forced child labor

Unlawful use of child soldiers

We always thought this was a third world country problem but June 2017 found 1,000 arrests around the United States for trafficking. Sadly our own area here in Michigan has turned out to be the second worst trafficking place in the nation. In last October 84 minors were rescued and 120 traffickers arrested. The average age of the minor was 15.

The whole operation was part of an international scheme involving Canada, the UK, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines, unbelievable that this could happen in the United States. Unbelievable that a market exists that encourages child sex trafficking, What has happened to our moral base?

Yes, I for one, am seeking a place of refuge - a place to daily restore my spirit and find peace. I long to be under the "Shadow of His Wings"; to find that peace that passes all understanding. As much as I would like to "fly away" - there is no place left to go, the world has gone mad. God alone is my refuge.

Hymn #102 Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Jesus, lover of my soul

Let me to thy bosom fly

While the nearer waters roll,

While the tempest still is nigh.

Hide me oh, My Savior, hide

Til the storm of life is past.

Safe into the haven guide

O receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none

Hangs my helpless soul on thee.

Leave, oh leave, me not alone

Still support and comfort me.

All my trust on thee is stayed.

All my help from thee I bring.

Cover my defenseless head

With the shadow of thy wing.

Psalm 59:1-2, 5, 13

Psalm 59:1-2, 5

Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors.

Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be.

Okay, you'll have to forgive me this morning as I regress and contradict myself. Today I wish the Lord could and would destroy the wicked of the world. I am so sickened by the news each day. Why is there so much evil in the world? I should like to see them punished for their deeds. Immediately!

Examples:

Sexual harassment

I hope women continue to open up and share their stories and that a whole slew of perpetrators lose their jobs and can't get another one ever!!  I was going to say until they successfully go through a treatment program but I forgot - today I seek no mercy - only punishment. I am sick of it all!

How about human trafficking? Those people deserve no mercy!! That is EVIL INCARNATE!

I place in the same list leaders who play with nuclear weapons. What are they thinking? The shame of nuclear armament comes back to the United States. The horror of it is unimaginable! How could man create such a weapon? No mercy - no mercy. It's time to end such behavior. Lord, why can't you just stop this?

Mass shootings? I blame not just those who kill but those who make the weapons, those who sell them, those who write laws allowing it. I blame those who argue"constitutional rights". They all own a part of every death. Let them answer for their rolls. Let it end.

And what about corruption in government? And what about government leaders who have the power to positively impact the lives of ordinary people yet succumb to the pressures of special interest? Maybe they should wear a Scarlet Letter or have to tell the story of their shame to each new person they meet. Just let there be consequences. Why do the innocent suffer instead?

I am mad at a system of economics that is corrupted by greed. The Lord has said "there is enough and to spare" but we live at a time where something like 5% of the people control 90% of the wealth. When wealth is divorced from responsibility to others it is just wrong.

Legislators have the power to change that. Corporations have the power to create jobs. They have the responsibility to pay wages that are respectable.

No one should be nice be denied health care. That is also wrong. Everyone needs a roof over their head. What has happened to create a world so calloused to the needs of others?

Why is Puerto Rico not getting instant help to get their power restored? Why do we turn our backs on those in need? How can there be 65 million displaced persons?

I could go on and on. It does not end. There needs to be consequences to those who are at fault. Today I wish God could just visit the Earth with a cleansing of the wicked. May their deeds be brought to light - in the news, posted on billboards. Tell the truth about them. Let their stories come to light and may we all react with shock and disgust. May we demand a better world where truth and kindness reign and no mercy - no excuses - to those who commit these awful deeds.

Psalm 61:1-2

Psalm 61: 1-2

Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

To all there comes a realization that we are limited, powerless over many things. To the addict it is the addiction he cannot control. To parents of a wayward child, it is that prodigal. For many it is the forces of nature that rise up against them. They must flee or die.

I know that feeling. "My heart is overwhelmed", writes the psalmist. Don't we all feel that way at times? Overwhelmed by too many things to do. Overwhelmed by the cost of living. Overwhelmed by grief. Overwhelmed by trying to care for aging parents and teenagers at the same time. There is not enough of time, of money, of resources, of energy, of support.

And so the psalmist pleas, "lead me to the rock that is higher than I".

Step 1 of addiction recovery says "admitted that we ourselves are powerless, nothing without God." "I, of myself, and powerless - nothing without God."

Those words are echoed in the Book of Mormon. In Mosiah 4: 5-6, King Benjamin is speaking to "My friends and my brethren, my kindred and my people" asking if they have been "awakened to a sense of your nothingness, and you are worthless and fallen state." 

Have they realized how powerless they are? He then points them to"the goodness of God and his matchless power and his wisdom, and his patience" that they might "put his trust in the Lord."

We read Ammon repeat that theme in Alma 25:12. "Yea, I know that I am nothing as to my own strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself but I will boast of my God."

How do we balance this theme with the knowledge of our divine nature, of our own gifts and talents, of the spiritual gifts that have been given to each of us? The Lord expects us to contribute to the world and use these gifts to make a difference. We should step forward and offer those gifts with confidence in ourselves.

As my husband and I have served in a church welfare initiative, we've had to take a look at the economic classes that coexist in American culture. As we studied "Bridges Out of Poverty", and compared the culture of poverty to the culture of the middle class we came to understand that the difference lay in "skills, knowledge and resources." The poor have few of these.

The question I had to ask myself was "Why did I have access to so many resources?" The answer was humbling. I had the skills, knowledge and resources to become self-reliant and provide for myself because of all the adults in my life who taught those to me. I had parents who taught me to work and be responsible. I had an extended family who has showed me I could succeed by modeling success and praising my successes. I had teachers in school who had high expectations for me and prepared me for college. I had connections through friends and family to my first employment opportunities. I am not a self-made person.

Out of the efforts of all those people a young woman of sharp intellect and a tender heart grew. I had the potential. I needed the skills, knowledge and resources to take that potential and create a useful life out of it.

My own unique character blossomed and I could then offer my gifts in my own way to the world. I am unique - one of a kind, but nurtured along the way by such loving mentors.

I have pride in my accomplishments and joy in using and sharing my talents. But what would I be had I not have those loving mentors and family? I kid myself not. I don't know what I would be.

There is a quote in the book "He Did Deliver Me from Bondage" that says, "We must come to realize that no matter how rich or educated or talented we become in ways that impress other people, we are still totally upheld by the power of God and God alone."

I know that for myself. I had so much opportunity in life and have been richly blessed. But my personal life - my inner life has been a struggle. The road I have traveled has been up and down, one step forward, two steps back. Life is brought much loss - a baby, a husband, my parents. I have known uncontrolled anger and grief and have been powerless to rise above them. My own path to healing came only when I finally admitted I could not do it alone.

My path at last led me to "the rock that is higher than I." My greatest joy in life is my testimony that God lives and cares for me. I am not alone. My weakness is compensated by His greatness. Together we can accomplish good things.

Higher Ground

Barbra Streisand

Walk me over this horizon 

Let the sun's light warm my face 

Once again the times are changin' 

Once again I lost my way .

Well the words of ancient poets 

Fall like dust upon my shoes 

Greed has robbed me of my vision 

Turned my heart from higher truths.

So take my hand and lift me higher 

Be my love and my desire 

Hold me safe and honor bound 

Take my heart to higher ground.

I have walked too long in darkness 

I have walked too long alone 

Blindly clutching fists of diamonds 

That I found were only stones. 

I would trade the world of ages 

For a warmer hand to hold 

The path of light is narrow 

But it leads to streets of gold.

So take my hand and lift me higher 

Be my love and my desire 

Hold me safe and honor bound 

Take my heart to higher ground.

Psalm 62:8

Psalm 62:8

Trust in him at all times; eat people, pour out your heart before him, God is a refuge for us.

One of the greatest gifts a friend can give us is a listening ear, a safe place to pour out our hearts, without judgment, without trying to fix our problems.

God gives us that refuge each time we go to him in prayer. Prayer becomes our place of refuge when we do exactly what the psalmist says, "pour out your heart".

Sometimes we go through the motions of prayer and that is okay. I don't discount even those prayers. Every prayer of acknowledges our belief in God and our need for Him. We just don't want to miss the very wonderful opportunity that prayer offers. We can come to Father in prayer and freely talk to Him about everything in our lives. There is nothing taboo. If it is affecting us, then we can share it with Him.

We are always safe in His presence. We are loved and welcomed to no matter what. He wants us to lay our burdens at His feet.

LOVED   --  SAFE  --   SHELTERED  --   PROTECTED

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord

Is laid for your faith in his excellent word.

What more can he say then to you he has said

Who unto the Savior, who entered the Savior,

Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled.

In every condition - in sickness, in health,

In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,

At home or abroad, on land or the sea

As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,

As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

Psalm 65:5-7

Psalm 65:5-7

By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea. Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power; which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of the waves, and the tumult of the people.

Mark chapter 4 relates the story of Jesus asleep in a boat on the Sea of Galilee when a storm arose. The disciples are frightened at the storm and frustrated at the Master. They awaken him saying, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?"

He arose and rebuked the storm with the words, "Peace, be still". Then he rebuked his disciples, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?"

That faith was not about calming the sea! They had just accused Him of not caring.

Don't we all do that at times? We pray and get no answer. "He doesn't care."

Tragedy comes. "He doesn't care."

A job search takes months. "He doesn't care."

Those are so many storms of our lives. They are frightening. Not every storm has a peaceful ending. Puerto Rico is such an example.

The psalmist says something significant. He acknowledges that God has power over the elements just as Jesus calm the storm. But the significant statement is at the end when he says that he also calms ". . . the tumult of the people".

We all have experienced tumult in our lives. The dictionary describes it as"a confused and excited state of mind or of the emotions".  That's the fear - the lack of faith. 

My own tumultuous moments felt like my whole insides were in commotion. I was a hamster running on a wheel and could not stop. My stomach was in knots. I either could not sleep or my sleep was restless, interrupted by disturbing dreams. I could not function in my daily activities. Like the disciples in the boat I asked "Don't you care?"

But unlike the disciples I did not see the storm abated. I had to trust that the stories of God's power in scripture where there - not because he would calm every storm in my life - but so that I would know He is the Almighty, Ruler of heaven and earth who has the power to say to me, "Peace, be still".

I see the calming of my own inner tumult to be the greater miracle. The inner tumult is combined with all the personal experiences that taught me not to trust and not to believe that God cared for me. That tumult represented many things that I needed to learn.  I did not have a lack of faith so much as a misunderstanding of faith and what it could do and not do. I had to learn what God could do for me and what I needed to do for myself. When peace came so much had changed. I knew He loved me. I knew I was worthy of His love. I knew there was nothing I could do that would make Him not love me. I trusted Him. I knew Him.

Hymn #105 Master the Tempest is Raging

Master, with anguish of spirit

I bow in my grief today.

The depths of my sad heart are troubled.

Oh, waken and save, I pray.

Torrents of sin and of anguish

Sweep o,'er my sinking soul.

And I perish, I perish, dear Master

Oh, hasten and take control.

Peace. Be still.

Peace. Be still.

Be still and know that I am God.

Psalm 71:1

Psalm 71:1

In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion.

One of the many blessings of living the Gospel is that it maps out for us a course of life. We are not wandering through a maze of confusion, trying to figure everything out for ourselves.

My map guides me through the darkest of days, through the swamps of dishonesty and deceit, through the quicksands of doubt and depression that would pull me down. I have a light that I follow and He has simply said,  "Come follow Me".

The foundation of my life is found in the scriptures. The words of prophets but mostly the words of the Savior himself have formed the path and the road signs of my life.

Psalm 85:10

Psalm 85:10

My husband and I drove eastward to the Detroit Temple last evening. It was the most beautiful drive ever. The sky was covered with a light frosting of clouds. The moon was low in the east sky - about a three quarter moon. The horizon was pink all the way around, not just in the west where you'd expect. As always the colors were constantly changing.  As we headed eastward we were noticing the clouds moving. It seemed like they were gathering around the moon. The whole scene was accentuated by the silhouette of bare trees, some stark and bold, others it seemed were made of lace.

At one point we made a right turn that took us around a lake heading south. The private Catholic School along that trail was decked out for the holidays. We were focused on their magnificent light display on the east side of the road. It was only when we made another right turn heading west for only a few feet before our next turn that we discovered the setting sun. The west horizon was a magnificent red glow. No clouds anywhere. Just this deep glow all along as far as you could see. 

And if that wasn't enough we were seeing this magnificent sunset over a large lake with the sunset reflecting on the still waters. The beauty of that entire drive over to the temple was beyond words. It was one of those experiences that just seems to fill your heart with joy.

As I read Psalm 85:10 I felt the same way. Sometimes words paint pictures that you can see it in your mind's eye. Sometimes they paint emotions. This verse just filled my heart with joy.

Mercy and truth are met together; 

righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Enter picture from journal here

Psalm 86:5

Psalm 86:5

For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

I am not sure why mortals are so inclined to want God to be the avenger. It is as we live by Tolstoy's book title "Crime and Punishment". We have a hard time believing that sin is its own punishment.  

But the psalmist here is stating a truth that is the core of the Gospel of Jesus Christ:   God is good. He is loving and compassionate. He is ready to forgive and will extend mercy to all who ask.

In the book ,"The God Who Weeps" by Terryl and Fiona Givens on page 86 we read: 

"In His infinite love and compassion, God wills the reintegration of every individual into the Heavenly family."

Why is it essential that we understand this about God? Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives and our thoughts."

As the Savior taught, "Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also."

The Givens say in their book, "We are molding ourselves into the god or gods we thereby worship. . . All talk of heaven that talks of earning instead of becoming is misguided. Such ideas misconstrue the nature of God, His grace, and the salvation He offers."

As we come to realize the goodness of God, that love will become the model for our own lives.  We will become more loving, merciful, and compassionate.  

*************************************

Christmas is here again. This season represents the ultimate love of the Father. This is the season that reminds us of His mercy, His plenteous mercy! He sent His Son.

How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness?

He sent His Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness.

How could the Father show the world the pathway they should go?

He sent His Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know.

How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death?

He sent His Son to die for us and rise with living breath.

What does the father ask of us?

What do the scriptures say?

Have faith, have hope, live like His Son.

Help others on their way.

What does He ask?

Live like His Son.

Psalm 90

This psalm is called a prayer of Moses, the man of God. I have no idea how they would know that but the psalmist here is looking back over the years of his life. He is an older man. He has seen much sorrow. 

For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told.

To me, the significant part of Psalm 90 is the reckoning of time. He begins with a description of God's time.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

There is something very comforting in that thought. Life on Earth is so precarious. You try your best to create stability in your life. And yet we see in the lives of refugees how quickly it can all be taken away. There is something so very frightening about having seen the hurricanes and fires this year destroy homes and lives. Nothing on earth is permanent. 

But God is. There is One who is and was and will always be there. Be there to love and comfort and strengthen us. One who cares about each of us for we are His.

The psalmist then uses some touching phrases to describe our mortal time.

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past and as a watch in the night.

The days of our years are threescore and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow. For it is too soon cut off and we fly away.

So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

I am threescore and ten plus six. I have become my mother. Where did the years go?

I am still that little girl I see in the photos. But I am also that young mom with her little flock of Ackroyd's. I am a grandmother. It is all so unreal. It is as a dream in the night. Why did it fly by so quickly?

It's funny how when you have a baby, the magic of watching this child grow consumes you. We record the first smile, the first word, the first step. We glory in the constant development. And there comes today all too soon when you want to yell, "Stop! I'm not ready to have you grown."

And while we watch the children grow, we don't even notice the changes in ourselves until one day we look in the mirror and see an old person. Where did she come from? How did this happen? The years have flown by all too quickly. 

We long for days gone by. It all begins to feel so precious in ways we could not see when we were young.

We watch ourselves saying to those younger, "Enjoy your time of life. It goes by so quickly." We regret that we ever wished time to hurry by.

Why were we in such a hurry? How could we have known it would all be gone so very soon? Why didn't we just love every moment?

Psalm 92:1

Psalm 92:1

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High.

I had a friend named Mary when we lived in Tennessee. She was this very wonderful and lovable person who you were happy to have as a friend. Her great sorrow in life was that her daughter was an opium addict. One day while we were talking she asked if I would like to read her journal from this period of her life. I was amazed that she trusted me enough to share something so personal. I was even more amazed at the content of her journal. It was a gratitude journal. She chose to cope with her sorrow by reminding herself of her blessings - to look for something good each day.

I believe her ability to do that is what made her such a treasured friend, someone you just wanted to be around.

In our living room, there is a picture on the wall of a rabbit by Albrecht Durer, a watercolor painted in 1502 and famous because it is so lifelike. Although just a print of his famous original, this picture is a treasured gift from Mary who encouraged me to not only look for the blessings in life but to fill my life with beauty.

In my favorite cancer book the author says:

"Even with cancer, even in the middle of a difficult treatment cycle, even in your darkest and most fearful hours, be thankful for all you do have. For life, for love, for family, for friends, for the awesome beauty of nature, for the presence of God, for all these things and more, be thankful.

Be grateful. If you wish to cultivate a deeper attitude of gratitude I suggest you begin to see yourself as a guest who is only visiting here on earth. All that you have is not really yours; it is a gracious gift from your host.

Exude gratitude. It transforms the very experience of illness and life."

(Cancer: 50 Essential Things to Do by Greg Anderson)

Happy people are grateful people.

For the beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of the skies

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies

Lord of all to thee we raise

This our song of grateful praise!

EXUDE GRATITUDE

Psalm 98 - A Musical Psalm

If I were an artist I would paint a picture of this song. Hmmmm - maybe I could make a Psalm 98 quilt. It would have:

• People singing
• Joy bursting forth in their songs
• Harps being played
• Trumpets
• Cornets
• Waves of the sea dancing
• Floods of water clapping their hands
• Hills filled with joy

How could you ever visually represent that?  But I can see it in my mind.

It would be a day on the California coast near Santa Rosa. It would be one of those days when the air is quiet and warm yet the breakers are crashing on the shore. There are just enough clouds in the sky that you see rays of the sun stretching forth in all directions. A harpist is sitting alone on the beach - a woman with long blond hair, a white flowing dress - the harp is golden with a hint of sunlight reflecting. On the cliff above her are two men dressed in formal black. We are seeing them from the side, their trumpets raised pointing toward the sea.

A choir of men and women are on the shore off to the far left. Their music rises from them and begins to dance and swirl first around the woman, then up and around the trumpets and then meander's out among the waves. The waves form hands and clap to the beat as the music intensifies before it rises and fades in the rays of the sun.

The words are simple: 

Hallelujah. 

Joy is ours. 

Thanks be to God!  

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the Earth; 

make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

Psalm 100 - The Thanksgiving Psalm

This Psalm is a beautiful description of the qualities 

we can develop that will bless and enrich our lives.

Psalm 101 - The Covenant Psalm

I particularly like how this song is written in the first-person and the psalmist is making statements about he will live his life. Isn't that what covenants are? We make a decision to base our life on certain principles and then we make a promise to do so.

Often these promises are made to God but if we are sincere in wanting to live those principles, then the promise is to ourselves as well.

When we fail to live up to the standards we have adopted, it is us who suffers. God will sorrow for us because He knows our pain but He is not angry and disgusted. He is hoping we will get this figured out and become consistent in our actions because it will bring joy and peace to our lives. We are the ones who get angry - angry at ourselves for falling short of our own expectations.

Let's look at this psalm and find some of those lovely I statements.

• I will sing of mercy and justice.
• I will behave myself wisely.
• I will walk with a perfect heart.
• I will set no wicked thing before my eyes.
• I will not know a wicked person.

The second part of the psalm diverts from the lovely tones of verses 1 through 4. What the writer does is so easy to do. He stops thinking about what he can do (think Covey's "circle of influence") and starts trying to alter the world around him. He goes so far as to say he will destroy the wicked out of the land.

It would be nice to live in a community where all are good but we really don't get to kill others to create our perfect world. So I choose to ignore verses 5 through 8 and put those into the historical context and secretly wish - or maybe not so secretly - that our scriptures didn't include such statements:)

Looking now at the five statements I highlighted, I will reflect on my own life and what I do to live these principles.

I WILL SING OF MERCY AND JUDGMENT

Mercy is defined as "compassion or forgiveness towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm."  We usually think of mercy as something very beautiful.

The word judgment in a religious context can evoke a negative feeling or even fear because of the way we talk about the Lord judging us or the "last judgment".

Judgement actually is the ability to make thoughtful decisions or to come too sensible conclusions. It also means a decision of a court or a judge but is it not assumed that decision will be made thoughtfully?

Perhaps we need only add an adjective here to clarify.  We are talking about using "good judgment".  To say a person uses good judgment is a high compliment.

Good judgments seem as lacking in politics as is mercy. 

When politicians choose to focus their campaign on tearing down their opponent instead of showing us what they plan to do to make America strong, is that not a lack of mercy?

When politicians tackle difficult issues like immigration and refugees with words that depict bias or stereotypes and then make laws that allow for no case-by-case consideration, is that not a lack of mercy?

When a politician is supported by his party because they need his vote even though he has committed crimes, is that not a lack of judgment?

When a president calls anyone who opposes his policies rude names, is that not a lack of judgment?

Examples abound. So how about me? How am I doing? It's always much easier to point out the faults of others.

I like the phrase "Give them the benefit of the doubt".  Another saying by Dr. Wayne Dyer is "When given the choice between being right and being kind - choose kind".

Quoting from The Huffington Post writer Scott Stabile, "We all struggle with the insecurities of our ego, with the insecurity of being wrong. And a threatened ego will almost always lash out. When we make an effort to prove somebody wrong by establishing ourselves as right, we're being unkind in the process whether we intend to be or not. Only the ego cares about the distinction between right and wrong. The heart simply loves and accepts whomever is on the other side of the conversation. Let's operate from our hearts, with kindness."

That last part about simply loving and accepting those on the other side of the conversation has challenged my thinking.

We were in a meeting the other night to make some tough decisions about which organization our stake will be supported with a request for humanitarian funds. This discussion led to a decision not to support one request while a go-ahead was given for another.

As we shared the reasons for this decision there were differing opinions, opinions with some emotion behind them. I realized that it was easy to feel opposition to the people - not to just the ideas.  I had to admit that I was not loving those on the other side of the conversation.  My ego was battling my heart.

This article also suggested that we use openness, detachment, humility, forgiveness, along with kindness.

Wow, what great tools for when you are tryng to solve problems.  Be open and honest. We have to know and understand each other. Detach - we must deal with the issues - not the person who presents them. Let go of ownership. Put it on the table and let go. Be humble - it's not about right and wrong. Your ideas will not always be the best for a given situation. Your way of seeing things is not  the only way of seeing things. Listen to others. Paraphrase what they have to say. Show them you understand.

Forgive - we all step on each other somewhere along the way. We say things, we do things,  and we will be misunderstood at other times.  "When the desire to forgive takes precedence, the need to be right dissipates, opening the door for a more conscience and healthy connection."

I'm glad I found this article this morning. Mercy and judgment are qualities I would like to develop.

It's easier to be like the pharisees to whom the Savior spoke, "Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithes of meat and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

I very much like how the Savior added faith to the mix here. If we use good judgment and extend mercy we must also exercise faith - faith that the other person will be worthy and accepting of our trust, faith that the Lord will bless our efforts since we are living those principles He taught. 

Once again we realize that joy comes from living the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and knowing that the Lord will support and strengthen us and those efforts as we seek His help.

I WILL BEHAVE MYSELF WISELY

Wisdom is intelligence that draws upon experience and acts with prudence or forethought. "Think before you act" is another way of saying this.

Unfortunately human beings are very complicated and often respond first with their feelings and don't always understand the source of those feelings.

Experience is a wonderful teacher. It is also a painful teacher. The road to wisdom lies through a myriad of choices and consequences both good and bad. Hopefully those experiences mold us and change us for the better.

It is a lifelong journey to always behave wisely. The more open we are to learning, when we can drop our defenses, we can learn much more quickly.

That simple statement "Think before you act" is a good starting place. Another starter is counting to ten (or a hundred) when you are feeling angry. The question "How is that working for you?" is another simple reminder to help you learn from experience.

I have been a slow learner, a late bloomer. My heart has always been in the right place but I have been naive with negligible "street smarts". I feel like at age 76 I am finally fitting the pieces of my life experience together. Maybe I have gained some wisdom along the way.

I WILL WALK WITH A PERFECT HEART

I love this phrase! It doesn't say anything about not making mistakes. It isn't about doing - it's about being.

I have a favorite story from my early years of mothering. I had a incident with one of my daughters and asked her to take time out in her bedroom and think about what she had done. As she walked down the hall toward her room she stopped and looking back at me said, "But I want to be good!"  How to melt a mother's heart!

Oh, how many times in my life have I cried similar pleas to my Father in Heaven! Isn't that what the Apostle Paul was saying in Romans 7:19, "For the good that I would - I do not. But the evil which I would not, that I do."

Is there any question that Paul had a good heart? Or let's look at Nephi - a true Book of Mormon hero, a man who loves the Lord. We would all probably say he had a perfect heart. What does he say of himself?  (2nd Nephi4: 26-27)

"Oh then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men has visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and sorrow... And why should I yield to sin?"

Perhaps one of the most hopeful of all scriptures comes from 1st Samuel 16:7.

"For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh upon the heart."

The Lord knows my heart just as I knew the heart of a little girl sent to her bedroom. She was so sweet and good as a child could be. But she had made a mistake and needed to think about it.

I often find myself in prayer having a similar conversation with the Lord. "You know I love you, Lord, and I want to do what is right but I have once again ___________. Put in any number of my human failings in the blanks there. It's good to have these conversations with Him. He does know my heart. I want to be good. And as often as I repent, He remembers my sins no more. His loving kindness and forgiveness gives me hope that one day in the eternities, my heart and my actions will be one.

I WILL SET NO WICKED THING BEFORE MY EYES

We are constantly making choices of how we will spend our time. Life is a constant series of choices. One choice we all make is about the things that surround us and the recreation we do.

My bottom line is simple. I choose to fill my life with beauty and there is so much beauty around us. Every picture hanging on our walls has some special meaning. Our yard reflects our love of God's world. The music we listen to inspires and uplifts us. We are always striving to create a respite from the world, a place of happiness where we both create and enjoy the goodness of life.

I WILL NOT KNOW A WICKED PERSON

In order to create our own Heavenly spaces, we have to associate with heavenly people. It has been my experience in life to discover that most people are really good.

I have an incredible family, good neighbors, and church friends who I love and trust. I have been blessed to live in safe places where war and crime have not touched our lives. That in itself is a marvelous blessing.

My fellow teachers in Farmington were the cream of the crop. The incredible experience my husband and I shared through the Personal Storehouse Project has connected us to the community in ways that have been humbling. We have realized that whatever good we may be doing with our lives is dwarfed by so many great people who are completely dedicated to making the world a better place. 

When we look for the good in others we find it. Our lives are rich in good friends.