What Matters Most

I fell in love with this video. I was checking my facebook one last time before going to bed on 9/11/11. I had spent the day feeling a mixture of feelings ranging from sad to agitated to peaceful. I was all over the place emotionally that day. And a relative posted this video. As I watched it, my frustrations melted away and I was reminded that it's okay to laugh, smile, and be grateful to be alive. It's important to remember what matters most.

Peace

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." - John 14:27

The Reality of Faith

I stumbled across Elder Richard G. Scott's talk, "The Sustaining Powers of Faith in Times in Uncertainty and Testing." And if ever there was a time that we were in times of uncertainty, now was it. I find that when I take these principles into action, my faith is increased and I am filled with joy. When I don't, confusion surrounds me.

"...never doubt the reality of faith. You will gather the fruits of faith as you follow the principles God has established for its use.

Some of those principles are:

• Trust in God and in His willingness to provide help when needed, no matter how challenging the circumstance.

• Obey His commandments and live to demonstrate that He can trust you.

• Be sensitive to the quiet prompting of the Spirit.

• Act courageously on that prompting.

• Be patient and understanding when God lets you struggle to grow and answers come a piece at a time over an extended period."

Reminder of Faith

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” - Hebrews 11:1

"Only when our faith is aligned with the will of our Heavenly Father will we be empowered to receive the blessings we seek." - Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin October 2002 Conference

“Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.” - Ether 12:6

9/11

September 11, 2001 - I was at home in Provo, Utah and my older sister (and roommate) received a call stating that a plane flew into a building in NYC. She and I couldn't get it on tv so we rushed up to BYU campus. I had to work so I ran from building to building, watching the televisions in various buildings with what seemed like all of campus. I arrived at work and stood with dozens of students crammed into a lobby of the business building of campus and watched in horror what occurred. My younger sister was working in the same building and ran to my work with horror on her face as she said the pentagon was hit - we had an uncle that worked in the pentagon. We ran back to the lobby and watched and prayed and waited. Later, BYU held a prayer meeting and the building was packed. We cried and prayed. I felt like my heart broke that day. My uncle lived but so many didn't.

What I choose to think of today are the brave men and women who fought back on the flight in Pennsylvania. I think of the firefighters, police, paramedics, civilians, preachers, and so on that ran in to save those who were trapped.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." - John 14:27

Love Is

What a great video! Love is good. Binding. Eternal.