Trust.

Trust.
It's an interesting word.
With it, do you give away, or do you keep?
When you have trust in someone, you give and you gain. You let go of a piece of yourself, and hand it to someone else. But in doing so, you receive a confidence.
Where does that confidence come from? It comes in the form of another human mind. There is strength in numbers.
 
 In trusting someone you put your hope in that person. You feel you know they will work for your good.
Why?
Because of Love.

Love is often not logical. It is beautifully packaged with sorrow and sacrifice. What is the reward of love? Trust. How can we know who to trust? Through love.
Trust signifies humility. You are willing to accept that another has more to offer.
Trust is a valuable gift. Don't give it too freely. It is a section of your heart.


Who should we trust? We should trust God. Trusting God is faith. Faith comes with action.
Thoughts and actions are inseparable. You must believe, but to show belief, you must act accordingly.
 
In order to really trust God, you must use the atonement. In doing that, you must give apart of yourself away. You must give away weakness. But sometimes those are the hardest to give, because of habit. We have weaved the weakness into our daily lives. It molds into us, and it can hurt to take it out. But, we must trust. We must trust that God will fill that empty hole with something more beautiful and brighter than we can imagine.
 
If we are not willing to change, then we are not willing to become. If we are not willing to become, we turn into a victim of our own minds. Those weaknesses get bigger and blacker and begin to swallow us up. Don't let this happen. Use, have faith in, and trust the atonement daily.


If you feel you are already drowning, do not fear. Fear is the opposite of faith. There is no pit too big for God. He can always pull you out. His arms are reaching down. He loves you.
Are you willing to Trust?

The Greatest Power

There's a power greater than any force in the universe. It is strong enough to dispel darkness, dismantle doubt, and destroy despair.

This power can free souls from the tightest traps. It can mend broken hearts. It can lift a man out of the depths of despair.

It is like a fourth dimension. It goes deeper than what are mortal eyes can see. It is a universal communication.
The usage of this communication is accomplished through service. The outcome of this service is like a chain of light penetrating all those in contact with it. Those that give, and those that receive. It is a gift.

Ever single human spirit has this power within them. Although, it seems that more and more, this power is being stored away into deep corners of the heart to be left alone and slowly disintegrate.

Sometimes hate or fear, or lack of use drive it away. Don't let it be replaced! This gift is too valuable to lose.

There was one man who had never let it fade. It was always brightest to its full capacity. Some people were drawn to that light, and some were repulsed by it.  Because of it, he suffered. He suffered more than any being in the history of forever. But because of that, you, and I, and everyone, can be saved. The suffering didn't put out his light; it made it eternal.

This power, this force, this strength, this dimension, this gift, this light, can heal.

Some say the world runs by chaos, some say it's governed by chance. Some say evil drives out any hope of overall perfection. But I think this power is stronger. If we have and use and spread it, we can change lives, change ourselves, and change the world.

What is it?
It is Love.

Leadership and Self Deception!

Inspirement:

Darkness and doubt surround you as you look for a way to escape. A door opens, but pride and selfishness bar the entrance. On your quest to find the light, will you chose to brake that bar?
What does it take to break it?
Lets start out on this truth seeking adventure together and find out!

FINDING THROUGH LOSING

Matthew 16:25

• New Testament

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

I like how it says "FIND".  Because as you look at the needs of others, you find your true life, and in so doing save it.
I love the paradox of finding our lives through serving others. I think that's what coming out of the box is all about. You can't uprightly serve others when you're in the box.  I say 'uprightly' because, inside the box, your motives are selfish, so if you do something for someone with selfish motives, it isn't truly serving them. It's all about the intentions of your heart.

OH NO?
As I was reading, to be honest, I got a little worried. I saw all the examples and motives of being inside the box, and I noticed so many in myself. "But that means I'm in the box all the time!" I speculated to myself. It was, at first, a little discouraging. But as I read further, I regained hope. I realized the simplicity to the process of getting out of the box, and the liberating joy it brought.

It wasn't as complicated as I cut it out to be. All it takes is focus. You must stop seeing others from your limited view of selfishness, and start seeing them as people with feelings. That view expands so many more opportunities, and allows so much more joy.

MOUNTAINS AND MUCK
I like to imagine it like this.  When you are selfish, or view some one as 'in your way', it is like taking a jump off a mountain into an unclear, clogged, obscure pond of muddy water.

Being out of the box is like standing on the mountain. Your view and possibilities are endless and beautiful. Then suddenly you see somebody as an object and start treating them like one, and you find yourself in the mucky pond. You may feel a thrill at first as you soar down, but that is a fake pleasure that doesn't last and when you lie in the filthy water, reality slaps you in the face.

But we don't have to take that insensible plunge. And if we do, we can always get back on that mountain.

GETTING IN OTHER PEOPLES SHOES.
It's interesting how we need to step into others shoes, and in so doing, find our own.

So how do we step into others' shoes and try to see people as they really are? What should or shouldn't we do to see people perfectly?
To see people as they really are, we must not make our actions contrary to that vision.
Changing others doesn't work, and trying to fix others' problems won't fix your own.

To really see people as real people with divine potential and worth- and act on that- we must look at ourselves, and try to fix our own faults. There's another paradox!
In pondering our own weaknesses, we stop blaming others, and that helps us see them as real people because we aren't treating them like objects.

PARADOX SANDWICH!
So I guess it's kind of a cool paradox sandwich.
When we lose ourselves in the service of others, we find out what true living is. And when we choose to take ourselves out of the box by focusing on improving our own weaknesses instead of blaming others for theirs, we see other people as intelligent beings and then, we can treat them as such, and find and become our true selves again in so doing!

It's a wonderful process of losing and finding, improving our OWN weakness, to see others' strengths.

As we correlate our actions lovingly according to our perception of others' divinity, we can lose ourselves in the work and find God's kingdom in our hearts, and build it here on earth.

Fear

Fear. What is it? What is it about it that turns great men to cowards, strong men to weak, and power to destruction? 

Or does it? 

Maybe it’s fear that turn men courageous. Maybe its fear that turn weakness to strength. Maybe it’s fear that allows us the power to fulfill our destiny.

Fear is a striking emotion, but how we handle it depends on us.

When fear arises, choice arises with it. Choice to overcome, or choice to let it overcome you. 

Letting it linger will feed and build it up. Fear will use time to devour you little by little. Don’t let it remain. 

But what can conquer such a force? What can overrule such an enveloping terror?

Love. Love is stronger than fear. Love can allow us to trust.

It’s love that saved our souls. 

If we want to dissipate a fear, we must love. Love God, love your goal, love the things that lift you up. Find faith.

The greater the fear, the greater the love must be.

One day, or maybe this very moment, you may find yourself in the pit of fear. Don’t loiter. The world needs you. Find the light.

You must love enough to leap.

Choice

CHOICE
Synonyms:
Adjudication, finding, decide, agency

Antonyms:
Disagreement, beginning, indecision, refusal

			Inability
		Force ,		Weakness
	Constraining,		Refraining,		Remaining
Captivity ,		Sadness,		Liberty,		Gladness
	Releases,		Allows light,		Blesses
		Growth,		Expansion
			Choice

A Cupcake Recipe to Life

BUTTER:
Butter creates the tenderness and moisture.
Showing compassion and loving kindness can lead to tender hearts.

SUGAR:
Sugar, of course is needed for sweetness.
When we notice the goodness in life, and have an attitude of gratitude, life is sweet!

EGGS:
Eggs preform a variety of tasks, but basically they hold it all together.
When we put Christ at the center of our focus, our lives will be held together and our actions will be right.

VANILLA:
Vanilla adds flavor to the recipe and helps so that it doesn't taste bland.
We can add flavor to our lives by living the gospel with joy. The commandments are exciting things! They allow freedom and help you to not have to live a dull, bland, sad life.

BAKING SODA:
Baking soda or powder ensured that they will rise.
When we make worthy goals for ourselves, we can aspire to rise higher and achieve greatness!

FLOUR:
Flour provides substance and structure. Without it, we could have a sticky mess!
We need to structure ourselves and discipline our actions so we don't make a sticky mess of choices.

SALT:
A pinch of salt will balance the other ingredients and complete the overall flavor.
It's the little things in life such as reading your scriptures, saying your prayers, and the small daily necessities that really count and add balance to your life.

A Theme of Change

Change

Time is turning.
Leaves are changing.
Souls are yearning.
Thoughts are ranging.

Things transforming
All around me.
Newness forming
A grand beauty.

The outside world
Seems to reflect
Feelings unfurled
And intelect.

Colors are bright
Red, orange, gold.
Early twilight
Year's getting old.

The crisp fall breeze
Freshens my my mind.
The change, with ease
Makes thoughts aligned.

The year is turning
And so am I
As I'm learning
Impressions fly.

Change in seasons
Change of heart
Change in reason

Change is art

There are so many changes happening in the world and in our individual lives and in my heart.
Change can be hard, but it is vital.

Change is needed
For the world to thrive
It is the groundwork
Of our lives.

It's needed for
Our growth and good
Through it, feelings are
Understood.

Change is freedom
When we embrace
The changes we
All must face.

It's the cycles
Of season and time
With it the threads of truth
Do unwind.


What does division have to do with change?
As people, sometimes we are diveded against ourselves, or against God. Through humility, we can CHANGE and mend that division.
The principle of Dyad illistrates the 2 coming together to accomplish the goal of becoming 1.

Through humility our individual purpose can become one with God's.

Some keys to humility:
Prayer
Repentance
Keeping the comandments
Honoring Covanants

Acting on God's will shows humility.

Consecrated Change:

I'm feeling seperated
And kind of isolated.
Inwardly desolated,
I see a need for change.

My thought's are agrivated.
Myself I've reprobated.
I've long evaluated
How I ought to change.

As I have formulated,
I become motivated.
I am now dedicated
To bring about the change.

Ambitions generated,
But as I've long awaited
I'm newley educated
In cause that I can't change.

Alone, enfuriated,
The things I've estimated
Have not yet indicated
Good results for change.

I then prayed and meditated
I become envigorated.
My fear is evaporated.
I know how I can change.

Jesus Christ, for us created
An atonement and He's waited.
He's also Inculcated
The path to perfect Change.

The light is coruscated.
I am so fascinated!
My acts are corralated
With newfound humble change.

My mind is illuminated.
It's no longer complicated.
My joy is elevated.
I have become changed.