Perfect In Him

In the Topical Guide in the Bible I looked up perfection and it says to see also whole.  Last summer I had an experience in sacrament meeting that consumed my thoughts, feelings, and whole being.  It was one of those days where I was feeling overwhelmed with life.  I wasn't feeling perfect in anything, not even close.  I wasn't really even feeling like I was progressing.  So there I was, sitting in another sacrament meeting.

I was feeling really down.  The story of the little boy at the dike came into my mind.  I thought about that.  I felt like the little boy that was trying the stop the dam from breaking and I had run out of fingers.  In my mind, I cried out, "I can't stop the water".  At that moment, I opened my eyes and the bread tray was in front of me.  These words flooded my mind, "You're right, you can't stop the water, but I can."  It was right there in front of me for the taking.  As I partook of the sacrament that day the bread and water seemed to go throughout my whole body-- filling any cracks--filling me up--literally making me whole.  I felt truly perfected in Him.  This was a pivotal experience for me and set in motion a spiritual rebirth in me that has brought about many miracles in my life.

In sacrament meeting today, the Beckstead's spoke about Easter.  I loved it.  We are perfected in and through Jesus because of Easter.  Brother Beckstead reminded us that we are able to be perfect at any moment, any time if the Savior is our partner.  We do not need to be perfect to access the atonement.  We are worthy right now-- because we are unworthy.  Satan would have us prolong going to the Savior and accessing The Atonement-- tricking us into thinking that we should be strong enough to do it alone.  Jesus said, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick [do]."  Matt. 9:12.

I watched the church video, "Faith in God" this past week.  I could not watch without feeling overwhelming gratitude and love for the Savior.  My admiration grows each day for the Lord-- I am the lost lamb.  He loves me.  I will follow Him always and forever.  I am perfect in Him.  Happy, Happy Easter!

Bad Habits

We all have them.  What is the best way to get rid of a bad habit?  I found a great answer in my scripture study.  In 2 Nephi 30:5,6 it says, "And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto a knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers.  And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a delightsome people."  I love this! 

"Knowledge of fathers"= knowing the scriptures, where we came from, why we are here and where we are going.

"Knowlege of Jesus Christ"= we can learn of Jesus Christ by reading His words, knowing the doctrine and then acting upon that knowledge and become what He would have us be by trusting Him and doing what he has asked.

Once we desire these things (knowledge of fathers and Christ) and we are truly seeking Him each day, each moment, we will begin to loose the desire for (bad habits).  Our "scales of darkness shall begin to fall" the more we come to know, love and live like the Savior.  I know this process works, for I have put it to the test.  I have a long way to go, but I know the formula.  It is a formula for success.  The goal is to become (and I love that word-- see recent conference talk "What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be") a pure and delightsome people.  Why?  Because becoming what God intended is the only way to lasting happiness.  The Book of Mormon tells us that "delightsome people" come to a knowledge of God and the redemption of Christ. (WofM 1:8)  Knowledge must lead to action that proves our descipleship.  In the D&C we are told that "delightsome people" "flourish in the wilderness and blossom as the rose".  This means that regardless of our circumstances, we have the ability to succeed in the things of the Lord.  No matter how "wild and savage we may be or seem"(bad habits we have accumulated), we can convert to the gospel-- living it as best we can--and become perfected in and through Him.  This is one of life's purposes: to chip away at our rough spots, shed the scales of darkness, become polished-- refined.  It doesn't matter how long it takes us to get there, just that we desire it and are moving in the right direction. 

Traveling together makes the journey better.  The Lord planned it that way.  I love encouragement in my journey.  I'm cheering and praying for ya'll too.  Have a great day-- whatever comes your way!

Love Your Choice

 Love and Marriage

Choose Your Love...

 

and love your choice.

Adam and I are coming up on our 17th Anniversary.  We have been married about half of my life. We have shared many wonderful moments and many not so wonderful moments.  Many times I look back at my life and think, "Wow, life hasn't really turned out like I had imagined it."  then I think, "Wow, I am so glad that life didn't turn out the way I had imagined it!"  The Lord knows what he is doing.  I'm so grateful for my husband and that Heavenly Father led me to him.  I love him more today than ever and I know that our love will continue to grow.  It's like a flower garden.  It takes time, effort, work, planning, and the results are overwhelmingly beautiful. 



Adam and I really enjoyed General Conference last week.  One of our favorite quotes was from the priesthood session.  "Choose your love and love your choice."  I love my choice.  How could I not when I am privileged to spend my days and night with a man that adores me, forgives me, listens to me, shares things with me, honors me.  The best is yet to be.  In 17 short years we have added seven wonderful people to our home.  In the years to come many more wonderful people will join our family circle:

 in-laws, grandchildren ...  I look forward to these years of rejoicing and it all started in 1994.



Honeymoon



Not Just a Kiss

Happily Everafter

What Would You Tell Yourself?

If I could go back and visit myself at age four, I would give myself a big hug and tell little Holly to remember the reason I was sent to earth.  I am not here to prove my worth, although the world teaches differently.  I am not here to be "endlessly entertained", although there are plenty of things that are entertaining that compete for my time.  I am not here to necessarily have a life of ease.  The trials and heartaches we experience build character and teach us about who we are and who we can become.  I am here to remember who I am, and use my agency to show and prove what I truly desire.  I desire to be all my Father wants me to be--for I am His daughter.  Although I can not go back to the 1970's, I can be gentle and loving with myself now and remind myself of these truths daily.  I can take the opportunity to share these principles with my own sweet little daughters as well as my sons--and help them connect with their true identity.  Ideas like these need to be reviewed -- thus we are commanded to feast on the words of Christ daily so that they will sink deep into the heart and soul-- so deep that they will affect our actions and change us into who we are meant to be.       

Blue Skies as Far as the Eye See

Many people in my family stayed up late last night watching movies because of spring break.  I actually got to sleep at a descent hour.  I woke up this morning to the most beautiful sunshine.  It was suppose to be raining today so it was such a nice surprise.  The thought came to me that those that choose to wallow around in the darkness, miss the joy of the morning sunlight.  Who knows if this weather will last all day.  Nature is symbolic of life.  I thought it was interesting that it is also that way with us.  If we choose to stay in darkness, we will not have the ability or desire to enjoy light.  We will miss out.  My soul is full of hope and gratitude this morning.  I actually went to bed quite sad last night so I experienced quite a change this morning.  I am going to get out and seize the day-- and soak up the light.  (Ps. 27:1)

Spring Break

Spring Break= Spring Cleaning this year.  We have some day outings and fun activities planned for the kiddos too.  I went to the temple with the youth in our ward last week.  The temple had recently been closed for spring cleaning too. 

The temple president was explaining to us that every inch of the temple was cleaned--toothbrush scrubbed and polished.  That is the Lord's standard for His holy house.  As magnificent as the temple is, it can't compare with us--children of God.  What is the Lord's standard for us?  To be cleansed and free from dust, debris, dirt and ugliness of any kind.  With the Lord's help, we can be shiny, clean and bright-- full of light and love.  The president made the comment that the temple dirty (before spring cleaning) is cleaner than most of our homes when they are clean.  I love the temple.  It reminds me and teaches me how to think about and care for me.  It's up to me to keep me clean.  In order to live by the spirit, my temple-- my body, spirit and mind-- must be clean enough for the Holy Spirit to enter in and give guidance.  Pres. Hunter said that the temple is the symbol of our religion.  I think that it is a symbol for me personally too--my sign that inspires me to make everything beautiful with the Lord's help.  It reminds me that there is more than just today-- there is eternity.  I will prepare today for the things of tomorrow.  I will live in the eternities and I practice and visualize that in temples. 

It is always cool how my thoughts coincide with scriptures I read for the day and scriptures I read go with things I do during the day.  Today in my reading, I studied repentance-- D&C 15.

Light- D&C 14:9-11

I love light.  A couple of months ago I realized that I have the choice to be in the light or not.  Each moment, each choice, I demonstrate my desire for light or dark.  I must position myself in the light.  I then thought about how the earth and sun move.  The sun's light is always available--it's always there, but if you are not in a position to feel it (daytime...) you can't use it.  We then start to use artificial warmth and light to serve our needs.  Light guides us-- helps us see things clearly.  "Jesus Christ, the Son (Sun) of the living God [is] a light that cannot be hid in darkness."  Day or night, he is available (true light--not aritificial).  We just have to put ourselves in the position to feel His light.  We position ourselves in His light when we do what he's asked, when we learn of His gospel and trust it, and use that knowledge and light to guide our way.  The more we use the light to make decisions, the brighter the light becomes.  To live in His light is the best feeling on earth.  I crave it, I long for it, I love it, I remember it from before I came here. 

"Living God"-- What a blessing!  God is available to me today-- anytime, anywhere.  No appointment necessary, no fees, no fine print.  The creator of the universe cares about my day--he cares about the details in my life.  He lives to deliver me, to rescue me, to love me.  There is so much in our world to worship that isn't even alive-- false ideas, unrealistic expectations, TV, drugs, food, image, cars, houses.  None of these things deserve our energy, time, devotion, worship.  I honor and worship the true and "living" God.  This thought helps me stay in balance and see clearly temptations that would not benefit me.  Throughout this day I will hold that thought in my mind-- I Worship Only The True and Living God.  This is a commandment.  In D&C 2019 we are reminded of that-- "...gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he should be the only being whom they should worship."

As we put ourselves in a position to feel His light and we worship only Him, we are then in a position to help Him with His work-- to share His word with others.  By sharing what we have learned, it helps us to remain faithful.  We will also receive more spiritual and temporal blessings in this life and a "great" reward in the next.  It doesn't get any better than that!

Unleashing the Dormant Spirit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snAjZ8mfoYw

This is absolutely fabulous!

Marmie

Every time my husband looks at my blog he asks me who in the heck Marmie is.  That is my pen name.  Marmie is the mom's nickname in "Little Women".  I can relate with the mom of a bunch of pretty, clever little women.  I suppose my pen name should be Maria as in "Sound of Music"-- my ultimate all time favorite movie.  Funny how the Von Trapp family was made up of five girls and two boys-- just like my crew.

Scripture Study

Ok, so it's been almost a year since I have posted.  I have been on quite a journey-- it's been a great year of growth.  I have learned to rely more on the Lord, His word, His servants, and the Spirit.  One thing that I have learned how to do is to be more consistent with my personal scripture study and to really make the scriptures a part of me by "capturing" or journaling my thoughts as I read.  This has been such a huge blessing in my life.

The leaders of the church have encouraged members to blog, and so I thought that I could blog some of my scripture journaling thoughts along with a few of my experiences.  I am in D&C 14:8--

BELIEVING  is trusting in God enough to let Him take over your life.  Today in sacrament meeting we sang hymn 29, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief".  In the 6th verse there is a part that says, "He asked if I for him would die.  The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill, But my free spirit cried, I will!"  That thought touched my heart.  I read it over again.  I asked myself in that quick moment, "Do I believe Him enough to let bad habits, destructive thought processes, unkind feelings, pride, even discouragement in me die?"  Sure I could say that I would give my life for the cause, but will I give up my weaknesses--let them die so that I might live in and through Him?  What if the Savior personally stood before me and asked me to give up something-- maybe it's my time--maybe it's an unhealthy habit or relationship.  Maybe He asks me to let angry or offended feelings in me die.  Would my "free spirit" cry "I will!"-- notice the exclamation point.  That means with enthusiasm.  I like that it also says the "flesh was weak"--it's ok to not be perfect--that's expected, and it's ok to be scared but knowing who to turn to and trust in and believe in is key.

Back to the scripture in D&C--By believing and asking the Lord, we will receive the Holy Ghost that will enable us to change, repent, learn, testify, speak and stand as a witness for Him.  What a great opportunity we then have to serve and help in the Lord's work.  This verse says that once we have the Holy Ghost with us we will be able to stand as a witness of the things of which we shall hear and see.  In Sunday School the lesson was about "hearing and seeing."  Those that believe will be able to see with clarity and hear clearly and those that don't believe will doubt and be confused.  This is how the Holy Ghost works.              

Thanks Francesca

Then I read these two quotes by Marjorie Pay Hinckley:


"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.

I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."



"Think about your particular assignment at this time in your life. It may be to get an education, it may be to rear children, it may be to be a grandparent, it may be to care for an relieve the suffering of someone you love, it may be to do a job in the most excellent way possible, it may be to support someone who has a difficult assignment of their own. Our assignments are varied and they change from time to time. Don't take them lightly. Give them your full heart and energy. Do them with enthusiasm. Do whatever you have to do this week with your whole heart and soul. To do less than this will leave you with an empty feeling."

April

April is here and at family scripture last night we all decided on our monthly themes. Word of the month is RESPECT. Hero of the month is, of course, Jesus. Song of the month is "I Feel My Saviors Love". Scripture of the month is John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Cleaning project is the classroom. Math fact of the month is 6x9=54. Have a happy April everyone and goodluck with your goals:)

The Invisible Woman

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU0aNAHXP0

Joy

I love being a mom! My kids are so cute. I learn something new everyday. What a cool experience this has been. Challenging? Definitely! Considering all of the ups and downs-- I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm reminded of a favorite quote from the movie Oklahoma, "...you got to get use to having all kinds of things happ'in to ya. You got to look at all the good on one side and all the bad on the other and say well, alright then to both of 'em. Lots of things happen to a woman . . . There's one way--you gotta be hearty!"

Peace

"When we keep the temple covenants we have made and when we live righteously in order to maintain the blessings promised by those ordinances, then come what may, we have no reason to worry or to feel despondent." Richard G. Scott

Messes

I just walked into the kitchen and found about a dozen raw eggs cracked all over the counter and floor and into a bowl half full of chocolate syrup. Yum. My four year old just looks up at me and wonders why my mouth is frozen open --no words able to escape my lips and eyes popped wide. Finally I was able to say "I'm flabbergasted." I shouldn't really be surprised. I find little creations every day. Someday I may miss all of this chaos-- maybe:)

Chocolate

I have been off chocolate since February 17th, 2010. My friend Liz is Catholic and has given up coffee and chocolate for Lent. I told her that I would do it with her even though I'm not Catholic. I don't drink coffee so that was easy but chocolate has been challenging. I do like to have good chocolate now and then so I look forward to next Sunday. Lent ends in seven days. I learned that I can live without it though. It's good to exercise self control and prove to yourself that your spirit is the master of your body.

Cooking

Feeding a family of nine takes a great portion of my time. I just read a thought today about this. "Cooking is fun when you have food in the house, a clean kitchen, cookware that you love, and dishes that make you smile." Maybe this is why I don't like cooking???? I need to work on this.

I am an official blogger!

I hope to use this blogspot as a place to journal my thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences... and to share them with all who are interested. Feel free to add comments and share ideas as well as advice. Sign up as a follower so I know that you've been here. Thanks