A Chapter From My Book in Progress. . .

Love Will Pretty Much Overcome All

I have pretty much come to believe that love is what makes all things bearable. The love of our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, is essentially why we are here. They love us and want us to have all that they have. There is a plan in place that gives us every opportunity to make it back to be with them and all our loved ones for eternity.

I have had a lot of little experiences in my life that has embedded this thought into my life--that love can overcome pretty much anything. Whenever we find ourselves not liking the situation that we’re in, we should stop focusing on the bad for a minute and think about how much we love our family, our friends, the Savior, etc. It will help to get the right perspective on the situation and then allow us to move forward with a renewed strength. 

I remember once while on my mission in Japan, my companion and I were riding the bus back home after a long, unsuccessful day of knocking on doors. I looked around at all these Japanese people living in their own little world not caring about what I could share with them. Not wanting to listen and learn of the one thing that would bring them eternal joy; and I felt a little bit angry about it. Then a Children’s hymn came to my mind. As I sang it in my mind, my heart softened. "I am a child of God, and He has sent me here." Then I changed the words a little bit. "She is a child of God, and He has sent her here. . ." The anger left, my heart was suddenly filled with an overwhelming love for these beautiful people and I knew that God loved them. That He would take care of their needs. The spirit bore witness to my heart that not only does He love them but that He loves me, too. And that He will also take care of my needs. My desire to share the Gospel was renewed and I felt energized to do the Savior’s work.

Many years later I had another lesson in how love will help us overcome. I had a daughter going through her teenage years. Need I really say more?! She was in High School and struggling trying to figure out who she wanted to be. My husband and I were struggling trying to figure out how to make her be who we wanted her to be! One day she called me in the middle of the day--when she should've been in school. She had walked out of class angry and wasn't going back. Could I come get her. I dropped everything and went to get her. It was close to lunchtime so I asked her if she wanted to go to lunch. I had said a prayer on the way to get her. I asked for help because I didn't know what to say or do. The Spirit whispered to me, as it had done countless times before regarding how to deal with my children, "Just love her." We went to lunch and visited. We talked about what had happened at school. I just listened. After a bit she commented how grateful she was that I didn't get mad at her and didn't try to deliver a discourse on obedience. I leaned over the table, touched her hand and said to her that I knew she knew right from wrong. Her dad and I had taught her about choice and accountability. I knew that my time to teach her right from wrong was over. I told her the only thing I needed her to know right now is that I love her and that there is nothing she can ever do to change that. She can break my heart with the choices she makes but I will always love her. It is my belief that right then and there our relationship was forever changed. She could trust me to always love her and she knew it. 

President Hinckley once said that the only time that there is no hope for our wayward children is when the parents lose hope. I would never lose hope. I knew that she had been taught and that sooner or later she would be just fine.

My Heavenly Father's unconditional love for me was what helped me to know that I could love her unconditionally also. I didn't have to tolerate her rebelliousness but I could continue to love her. There is a distinct difference. He does not tolerate my rebelliousness, for no unclean thing can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. But I know that He loves me and is always ready to help me, strengthen me, guide me and insure that I succeed.

            It is never easy to show forth an increase of love when what we really think needs to be given is a swift round of discipline. But we also must remember that the root word of discipline means to teach. And when we can teach with love, the message can be carried straight to the heart of the receiver. And resting there it can sink in deep and do its work. When we teach with the Spirit, the result is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” (See Galatians 5:22).

            The basis of the whole Plan of Salvation is love. Because Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us, they provided a plan to help us do something we cannot do for ourselves. Jesus Christ made a great sacrifice for us. He paid for our sins. He overcame death. He gave this great gift with love. He set the perfect example of how to love everyone. He also commanded that we love one another (see John 15:17). He continually demonstrated His love by giving His sinless life as “a ransom for all,” making it possible for us to overcome our sins and return to Heaven. It is impossible to learn of Him, to study His parables, to be His disciple, without also knowing love.

            Love came to earth and overcame death and sin. Love can emanate from us and overcome any other obstacle that may be placed before us!

Changes in Life. . .

It has been so long since I last got onto this blog that I actually had to Google myself to find the blog! There is just something very wrong about that! Did you know that I am not the only "Patti's Ponderings" blog there is?! That kind of surprised me!

I thought about this blog this morning for no particular reason. But thinking about it gave me a desire to write something. I don't have a lot of followers, but that's ok. I guess I don't do a lot to "get" followers.

So what should I write that could make it worth the time that you, my humble, few "followers", are spending reading this!

I recently have undergone a pretty intense change in my life. I've been VERY slow to acknowledge it because I have been viewing it as a negative change. But today. . .just this very morning. . .I was enlightened. Maybe because I've been reading my scriptures more. Maybe because I've been praying more. Maybe because God just decided it was time to give me freedom from my own wrong-thinking. I don't know why, but I am coming to be able to accept these changes.

So what the "intense change" that I'm referring to? Well, you may already know (you just didn't know how hard it has been for me to accept). Last summer, I stopped doing my own photography business full-time and went to work for The Picture People. The Picture People is a portrait studio found in malls across the United States. I worked for them several years ago before I worked for Mikel-Gamber, Karen Rubin and myself. Last Spring/Summer, my phone stopped ringing for sessions and I got scared. I got hired back on with The Picture People as a Sr. Assistant Manager and just last month was promoted to be the Studio Manager. With that promotion came a raise. It is a good thing.

I know there are some in my circle of friends who would criticize me "as a photographer" for working for a chain company. Some would say that I've stooped to a new low. I want to say that they are wrong. It is different, yes, than what I did on my own, but I am still developing myself and I am still involved with something that I am very passionate about. This morning as I thought about it, I thought of something that I know about myself. And that is that I have been blessed with many talents. As I thought of that, I realized that it is important to utilize and develop those many talents. As a manager, I now have the opportunity to develop my talent of working with and developing others. To help them grow and be better. Yes, I have stepped away from the photography piece. Just like years ago, I stepped away from the violin piece. While I still play the violin, I don't teach. I will always be a violinist. But not on the same level that I once was. I will always be a photographer. But not on the same level that I once was. This is a good change and one that I am happy about. I truly feel that Heavenly Father has led me here and is so very kind to allow me the opportunity to develop yet another talent that He has given me.

Working for myself, I spent every waking minute building my business and managing my business. I didn't learn to balance my time very well. Perhaps I didn't stick with it long enough to get to where I could have a better balance. I am grateful for the time that I did have. I learned so much and had so much fun. Now, however, I can spend more time being a Mom, and friend, a wife, and so many other things that I also want to do. I have started to make more crafts that I've been wanting to do. I have started to write a book that I've wanted to write for years. I am able to sit and watch a television program with my husband and children and just relax.

Change is always bitter-sweet. This has been no different. But change in our life is inevitable. The sooner we accept it, the easier we make it on ourselves!

Neal A. Maxwell once said something about having faith in God means that we also have faith in His timing.

I believe that when we live our lives in such a fashion as to be able to receive His divine guidance then we can have faith and assurance that He is going to help us have experiences that will strengthen us, develop us and prepare us to return to Him.

I am so grateful for the changes that have occurred in my life. I am so grateful that He has helped me to understand and accept these changes.

Here's a few pictures I took this morning (just to prove to myself that I still take pictures)!