The Lord calls out... “Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want you!!! All of you!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to kill it! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.” - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
As I “Give up [my]self... [I]will find [my] real self. Lose [my] life... [I] will save it. Submit to death, death of [my]ambitions and favorite wishes every day and death of [my]whole body and in the end submit with ever fiber of [my]being... [I]will find eternal life. [As I] Keep back nothing. Nothing that [I]have not given away will be really [mine]. Nothing in [me]that has not died will ever be raised from the dead... [As I] look for Christ and [I]will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.” ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
I've been thinking for quite some time now about the principle of sacrifice in order to show our love, faith, and obedience to God. Abraham was asked to lay down the life of his son that he loved, his son that he had dreamed of, hoped for, and waited 100 years to come into his life. What would we be willing to lay down at our Father's feet saying, "You can take this. As much as I love this and as much as this hurts, I am willing to lay this down because I love you more, Lord."
Abraham being willing to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, was a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son. - Genesis 22:1-14.
I wonder if Abraham found hope in God's request when he drew upon his previous revelation that he would have children as numerous as the stars in the sky? Is that why he said to his son "God will provide the lamb"?
I woke up this morning with this song "Touch The Sky" playing in my head and thought about Abraham and his journey. Every step up that mountain was a manifestation of his faith. Isaac meant the world to him. This was his life! Yet, he was willing to let him go and say, "Lord, you can have him. Take him and I will still praise and honor You."
What do you love more than anything and if God asked you to, would you be willing to lay it down for Him?
Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen, one of the most profound truths embedded within the movie score of a 1980's teenage-time-travel saga. Who knew? This song is definitely a hit in my book but I doubt Brother Lewis and his news crew intended to make any Bible references when they wrote it. So, I'll help them out with that. ;)
Amazingly enough, what most of the world describes as the "power of love" is just a drop in the ocean. It hardly scratches the surface, especially when we are talking about God's love. President Uctdorf said, "Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you."
Such love is hard for me to fathom because the "purest, most all-consuming" kind I have experienced in my life is already breathtaking and overwhelming. I am certain that I would not be able to stand in Christ's presence were I to see Him today. I do not doubt that being near Him, I would lose all physical strength within me and I would fall at His feet, His beautiful feet. Perhaps that is why the people in Lehi's dream "fell down" when they partook of the fruit of the Tree of Life.
Associated directly with this love is "joy" as the angel describes to Nephi, "Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! .. it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things... Yea, and the most joyous to the soul." - 1 Nephi 11:22-23
When I think of joy, I think of the sun and the warmth of its rays on my face. You know that feeling when you are out in the fresh open air, when the light of the morning breaks over the horizon... You cannot help but close your eyes and soak in every stream of warmth and radiance. There flows in you a sensation of new energy and that energy fills every part of your being. It puts a spring in your step, an excitement for life, and you begin to feel that light of the sun bursting through you. It's incredible!
We do not keep these glimpses of Heaven to ourselves. They are meant to be shared. When we come to understand "the power of God's love" so deep that it changes our heart, our very nature, there does not need to be any command to share it because it will happen so naturally. We cannot restrain ourselves from doing this because it is in "the sharing" that the joy becomes magnified and infinitely limitless. In return we feel a greater measure of His love and thus it propels us to grow "brighter and brighter until the perfect day."
Yes, "What the world needs now, is love, sweet love... it's the only thing that there's much too little of." But Jackie DeShannon, I don't think there's "much too little" of it, I just think most people don't know where to find it. And how do we help them find it? We feast on the sweet Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here pure love infuses joy, and pure joy creates light... enabling us to SHINE! This is how we help others discover it... Shine so everyone can see what they so desperately need, shine so they can find the Tree for themselves and partake. There is plenty to go around.
In the entire world there is nothing that is greater. Yet one of the biggest lies ever told is that "you can buy anything in this world with money." I refute that lie with this truth: Love "don't take money, it don't take fame, don't need no credit card to ride this train." And Mr. Lewis...It's not that it "might just save your life", it IS LIFE and it's the ONLY way to save ours. It has saved mine.
"Love.. ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk.
When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf "The Love of God"
Stepping off the subway onto the platform, we perceived that we were close. Even though our travels left us with little to no sleep we intuitively knew that this had to be the very first part of our eight-day trip.
"Take the stairs on your right," were the instructions I recalled as I relayed them to the sisters at my side. I kept my eyes toward the Manhattan sky as we neared the top steps that led to 66th street. I wanted him to be the very first thing I saw... Sure enough, there he was, the Angel Moroni! What a beautiful sight!
Tears welled up in my eyes, I wished that I could stop the bustling crowds on the street, somehow halt them in their helter-skelter, take each person by the shoulders, and emphatically declare, "Do you know what this place is? Do you know what it has to offer your life? This is home! This is what I treasure and where I feel treasured, it sustains me, it gives me hope and purpose! It means the world to me, oh how I love the Temple!"
The next couple of hours were spent in reverence within the walls of our "home away from home" as we performed sacred ordinances there, prayed there, and read pages from the scriptures there. The Spirit of the Lord was strong confirming our purpose for coming to New York and witnessing that His hand is in all of this.
The following day we had the opportunity to return for Sunday services. They happened to be having Stake Conference and Elder Holstrum and Elder Smith of the 70 were the main speakers. They were both inspired in their words and again we felt confirming witnesses in our purpose.
Elder Smith spoke of feeling inadequate when he was called to the 70 and testified of the Lord's ability to qualify those whom He calls.
Elder Halstrom spoke of reverence and defined it as a deep and abiding respect and love for God, a respect and love so deep and so profound that it changes us, influences everything we do and every choice we make, everywhere we go. He quoted the following from Elder D. Todd Christofferson:
"The importance of having a sense of the sacred is simply this—if one does not appreciate holy things, he will lose them. Absent a feeling of reverence, he will grow increasingly casual in attitude and lax in conduct. He will drift from the moorings that his covenants with God could provide. His feeling of accountability to God will diminish and then be forgotten. Thereafter, he will care only about his own comfort and satisfying his uncontrolled appetites. Finally, he will come to despise sacred things, even God, and then he will despise himself. On the other hand, with a sense of the sacred, one grows in understanding and truth. The Holy Spirit becomes his frequent and then constant companion. More and more he will stand in holy places and be entrusted with holy things. Just the opposite of cynicism and despair, his end is eternal life." - D. Todd Christofferson (BYU Speeches 2004 A Sense of the Sacred)
As he quoted these words, I couldn't help but think of the things I held as sacred in my life; the Temple, marriage, family, motherhood, inspiring friends, scripture study, personal prayer, and the freedoms fought for me to have all these things.
I admit, these first two days here have been overwhelmingly busy, consuming every minute of the day, we get less than 5 hours of sleep each night. But the Spirit we have felt among each other and in the preparations we have made have also been overwhelming and consuming. What a feast it has been and what a perfect way to start out our mission!
In the Bible Dictionary under "God" it states that God can only be known by revelation. What is revelation? Simply stated, it is communication with our Father in Heaven through the Holy Ghost.
How we are able to converse with God fascinates me, this concept that we can communicate in a spiritual way with One who we do not physically see or hear is magnificent! He even knows our hearts without us saying a single word. We can feel His influence beyond the boundaries of space and time, enlightening our minds and speaking peace to our souls. This "spiritual language" makes sense to me though because as His sons and daughters, it truly is our first language, the language of angels. (see 2 Nephi 32:3)
So, here's my question...
If we can draw closer to and come to know our Father in Heaven through the means of this "higher communication", through the power of the Holy Ghost, is it possible we can come to know our brothers and sisters here on earth the same way? I believe that it is not only possible but Divinely expected for us to do so.
This brings new meaning to the scripture that God "created all things... spiritually" before he created them naturally. (Moses 3:5)
Just some thoughts I've been having...
-Alicia
"As you appropriately seek for and apply unto the spirit of revelation, I promise you will “walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5; 2 Nephi 12:5). Sometimes the spirit of revelation will operate immediately and intensely, other times subtly and gradually, and often so delicately you may not even consciously recognize it. But regardless of the pattern whereby this blessing is received, the light it provides will illuminate and enlarge your soul, enlighten your understanding (see Alma 5:7; 32:28), and direct and protect you and your family." - Elder David A. Bednar
You know that feeling you get when you walk into a loved-one's home where family is gathered for dinner, that feeling when you are greeted with warm embraces, well-known faces, and the aroma of freshly baked rolls? Well, it was that kind of feeling I had experienced... and it's funny because the place I entered into at that moment was one I had never set foot in before. I didn't even know the tenants and had just barely met the landlord who was giving me and my husband "the tour." The apartment was cluttered with boxes and junk everywhere, nothing was cooking and I'm quite certain the actual smell of the place was not a flavorful aroma. Yet as sure as anything, when I walked through that door, I had a very clear and distinct experience.
After our tour of the place, my husband and I walked back to our little red Nissan. He pulled out a paper and scribbled down some notes as I sat in silence and tried to make sense of what just happened.
Then turning to my husband, I asked in a perplexed tone, "Did you feel that!??"
"Feel what?" He asked
"That was really strange." I said staring back at the apartment building.
"What was really strange?" He prodded.
"When we walked through that apartment, I felt like I was entering a family member's home. The atmosphere, everything about the place... I could practically smell freshly baked rolls too. And yet, there was none of that. Joseph, it was so crazy! I felt it so strong. It was a feeling like 'coming home!'"
A few weeks passed and it turned out that small apartment did end up being our home. It's probably a good thing I had such a strong feeling when we toured our little place because I was not impressed with the fact that there were no washer or dryer hookups and there wasn't much of a yard for the kids to play in either. (Besides, we had another option of a place we liked a little better just about three blocks south if only we could make the follow-up contact with that landlord.) But here we are and we have lived in this place almost four times as long as we have lived anywhere else.
Now in retrospect, I can't help but think of the numerous occasions I came to Provo before my husband ever even started school here.
Come to think of it, this is actually where I lived for the very first month of my life. There was no room for me at the Newborn Intensive Care Unit in SLC so they flew me here. My mom would drive two hours round-trip every day to UV Hospital in order to nurse me for those first several weeks. This was my first home.
Provo was a place my husband visited often his whole life. Ever since he was a little boy, his family has had the tradition of coming down to Provo for two things; Memorial Day and the Freedom Festival. We married in the fall of 1999 so the very next year was my first time joining him in those two family traditions. Since 2000 I have been coming to these events here every single year.
Every Memorial Day we'd visit the cemetery, get pictures taken with his family and have a lovely little picnic at one of Provo's parks. For the Freedom Festival, we always came to watch the big parade and camped out several times in front of the Library on University Avenue. My personal favorite was running over to the baseball field to see the hot air balloons launch at sunrise.
Year after year we came to Provo. Little did I know then that I would move here. Little did I know how I would completely fall in love with this place or that here my dreams would come true. But I know now, without any doubt that the Lord has been guiding me all along. It's exciting to think about because He continues to guide me. It's true... I don't know what my future holds but I know Who holds my future. I trust Him.
I look ahead prospectively at BYU and am so happy to say now that I will be staying for a very long time. This is where I'm meant to be. This is truly home to me.
My friend, Carolina, stood on a beautiful rock on the shores of Hawaii as she gazed out to the sea. "Who am I?" she asked herself, "What is my part in this life as a woman?" She noticed the gorgeous rock beneath her feet. It was solid and firm, she felt safe there. She listened to the waves cascade over the shore. There was something beautiful, something Divine about this relationship between the ocean and the rocks. What was it? A feeling of pure light washed over her and she could see now. The thought came to her as clear as day, "Carolina, the ocean is a symbol of woman and the rock a symbol of man."
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I listened to my friend share this experience with us yesterday evening with a group of several other women and some leaders from United Families International. She then shared the first few minutes of this video with us and said it was after that revelation that came to her that she happened upon this clip. It was a confirmation of what she had already felt in her heart.
I love what Dr. Peter Kreeft says;
"We're sitting on one of the most masculine things in the world, a rock. And we're looking at one of the most feminine things in the world, the sea. And they're deeply satisfying together. We can't quite analyze why we find that satisfaction, that peace, and that sense of rightness. The Iroquoi have a word for it: the word is "Orenda". It means the spiritual power that the Great Spirit put into physical things to attract us. They said it's especially in the sea, and the stars, and trees. We can't live in the stars, we can't live in the sea, we don't live in trees. Why do we love them? Why do we want to be in the presence of them? It's the orenda there! It fits our spirit. It's like we're iron filings and that's the magnet... and we're home."
I've been so impressed by this concept that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
Water = Feminine Archetype & Rock = Masculine Achetype.
It is amazing how this is before our eyes in everything that is beautiful in our sphere. We cannot exist without one or the other. And when men and women work together in a harmonious way, "it is glorious and beautiful!" Just think of all the creations that are magnified in their brilliance and awe when this "masculine and feminine" attain symbiosis: beautiful sculptures in caves and caverns above and beneath the ocean, geodes, crystals, land formations, geysers, waterfalls, white flowing streams and the rocks that give them shape and form.... the list goes on forever. Plants, animals, people, and all living things are formed out of earth and water.
I opened my scriptures to Moses where the creation of the earth is described. There is one other element I discovered that makes this glorious relationship possible. It surrounds both water and land, we cannot see it but without it there would be no life. It is the "firmament" or atmosphere. God calls it "heaven." Moses 2:6-10 This makes perfect sense because a celestial relationship must have the element of Heaven, of God, interwoven into and surrounding everything in its structure to make it eternal and perpetually in creation.
All of this is a witness to me of how amazing God is. Literally, from the very beginning, our Father in Heaven has been trying to teach us something about our roles as men and women and how powerful we can become and what we can create when we work with full unity of heart, soul, and mind. We are not meant to be alone just as an earth with only ocean or a planet made of only rock could never reach it's full potential of sustaining and giving life.
I read this just the day before I heard Carolina tell her story. But since then, it too has taken on new meaning to me:
“President Lorenzo Snow, the fifth President of the Church, said this to the Relief Society Sisters of the Church: 'You
have ever been found at the side of the Priesthood, ready to strengthen their
hands and to do your part in helping to advance the interests of the kingdom of
God; and as you have shared in these labors, so you will most certainly share
in the triumph of the work and in the exaltation and glory which the Lord will
give to His faithful children.' As women participate in Relief Society, they
serve as valiant disciples of Jesus Christ in the work of salvation. Like the
women in the ancient Church, they work alongside men who hold the priesthood to
increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and
seek out and help those in need” (Daughters in My Kingdom, page 7)."
In the two greatest most influential and Divine organizations, the family and the Church, we can see that men and women are meant to work together, along side each other, each one bringing out the best in the other. It's awesome to think that the evidence of this has been around from the very beginning.
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I will never look at water, rock, or the atmosphere the same. Now I can see so much more on earth that which was and always has been in heaven.
Now, I will gaze at the beauties of creation that surround me in a new light. Now I will always see "man" and "woman" and my heart will rejoice in the Divine relationship we share! "It is glorious and beautiful!!"
