Wars and rumours of wars

The Bible speaks of wars and rumours of wars in Matthew 24, that will precede the second coming... and oh are we seeing these things come to pass. It was just six months ago that we saw the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan, leaving them to fight their political unrest alone. 

Now we have seen Russia invade Ukraine and the situation continues to escalate. I know, exactly how blessed we are to be in a country where these things do not affect us personally, but the possibility of World War III looming on the horizon is very real and something that is causing horrendous amounts of anxiety for so many people. It is scary that this could in time, affect the entire world. Not just those countries, not just Europe, but eventually, all of us.

In these times, there seems that there is little and really nothing we can do. Thinking of it non stop only creates more anxiety for those prone to it. Reading the news articles and watching the reports has the same affect. I felt so hopeless and lost, as to anything I could do, when it seemed like even praying for relief and peace for these people was not enough. When my anxiety was at its worst, I saw this post on Instagram and it changed my thinking. It is the truth. Praying is the most we can do. The Lord hears us and understands us and knows of our pleas for ourselves and others. It is the best of all the things we can do to help, whether the world sees it that way or not.

So when I attended the temple on Saturday, I focused my thoughts to those suffering due to the issues in Ukraine at this time. I know the temple is the closest place to heaven on earth, so the best place to pray and be close to Heavenly Father. I always feel like the veil between heaven and earth is thinnest there and our prayers must be heard so much more clearly. 

Rosemary M Wixom once said that, "In the temple all feelings of inadequacy and imperfection begin to fade." I feel certain that the more I attend, the more my feelings of anxiety will too. The Lord knows our needs and will direct us when we try our utmost to be closer to Him. ❤ 

relief society pjs party

last night we had our additional meeting for october: a "pjs party" 

• prayers • journals • scriptures • 

the things you'd do before bed...

the purpose of our evening was to increase a love and desire in our sisters to participate in regular prayer, journalling and scripture study. we had each of our presenters speak on the evening for around 10 minutes (with the exception of blogging, which was 2 minutes following the journal speaker)

sisters arrived dressed in their pjs and were seated in the relief society room then given a journal each to take notes on the evening and then keep using at home. we watched a short clip found on youtube before each speaker introducing the topic, as they spoke on prayer, journals (one sister covered scripture journals, bullet journals and general conference journalling, with another (me!) speaking briefly on keeping an online journal- a blog) and scriptures. 

the speakers were given these pointers to cover during their time:

prayer

-how to to have a good relationship with your father in heaven

-how to feel a greater desire to pray regularly

-perhaps a specific example of how/when you have received an answer to prayer

-how prayer can help us grow stronger as families

journals

-how to feel motivated to make journal entries

-what to write about

-how you feel when you look back on past entries and see how you/your family have changed spiritually (and just in general!)

-how you feel your journals will be to your family and future generations

scriptures

-how to more effectively study the scriptures

-how to feel a greater desire to do so

-how to retain the information you read

-how to grow closer to your heavenly father as you do so

decorations were simple, lots of cushions, quilts and lamps about the place... with desserts to share afterwards, accompanied by fruit infused water and crock pot hot chocolate. 

crock pot hot chocolate

ingredients:

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 x cans sweetened condensed milk (i always buy the woolworths or coles brand, they are exactly the same)

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

marshmallows to serve

directions:

1. in crock pot combine, milk, water and vanilla

2. add dry cocoa and salt, stir until smooth

3. cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours

4. top each serving with marshmallows

water with frozen strawberries and mint leaves

+ water with frozen lemon slices

we were especially thrilled because it's almost summer here and it was cold and raining! perfect for getting around in your pyjamas.

  

as usual there was plenty of food... mormons gonna morm!

our three lovely speakers who did an incredible job (yes we had a bishopric member as a special guest speaker).

we have the best relief society... i feel so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing women ♥

the power of prayer

he is the greatest of all. he is the creator and governor of the universe. and yet he will listen to your prayer!

i learned that my heavenly father knew me personally when i was seventeen years old. i always knew i had a father in heaven who loved me and never doubted the truth of the gospel, but it was this day that i truly knew that he cared for me and would help me if i would only ask.

a few weeks after my seventeenth birthday, i left for a year overseas in brazil on student exchange. i struggled. i was homesick, i was angry, i was confused and i was hurting badly. my first few weeks were spent crying often, wishing for home and trying hard to accept that i needed to move ahead with my life.

and then school in a foreign country began. i spoke barely 10 words of portugese, understood nothing and needed to somehow make it from my home to the school on a bus. i had been instructed which buses passed the school and how to ask if i was concerned that i would take the wrong one. so whilst waited at the bus stop i carefully asked the driver, "passa cefet?" to which he nodded, so i got on the bus. 

it turned out the bus did not "passa cefet" and as the minutes passed and we hadn't passed the school, i became worried and began to panic. i couldn't ask anyone for help, i had no idea where i was... and no way to get back home. i didn't even know my host family's address or phone number by heart yet. 

so i prayed. i sat on that hot bus surrounded by people i did not know and begged my heavenly father to help me find my way. to somehow send someone that could help me. and he did. no sooner had i ended my prayer, tears pouring down my face, a gentleman on the bus, a member of the military police who i had not seen board, touched my arm and asked me a question, which of course i could not understand. i kept repeating the name of my school to which he nodded, clearly understanding where i needed to go. 

this wonderful man tapped the driver on the shoulder, had him stop the bus and motioned for me to follow him. we walked half a dozen blocks in the opposite direction, where he flagged down another bus and spoke quickly to the driver, gesturing at me and then pointed to the seat directly behind the driver. i pulled out my purse which was waved away. i boarded the bus and ten or so minutes later, the driver opened the doors, turned to me and pointed at my school.

i knew that day the power of a sincere prayer. i knew that my heavenly father had heard me and sent help, sent me someone that could guide me safely to my destination. to this day i have never forgotten that man. to him this may have been just another day, but to me it meant everything. 

****************************************

we have been given the power of prayer in our lives specifically to help us find our way and during a wonderful lesson on sunday this memory sprung to my mind as clear as if it were yesterday. there were some wonderful quotes from the lesson (a combination of chapter 6: how mighty a thing is prayer and 7: the whisperings of the spirit from this years relief society/priesthood manual) from president hinckley, especially this one:

- be prayerful my friends, and listen

what a wonderful reminder to not only pray, but to listen! how often do we pray and not wait for an answer? if we had a conversation with someone, would we say what we had to say and just walk away? or do we wait for them to respond? next time we pray and tell heavenly father what is on our minds, may we make the effort to wait and listen to what he has to tell us.

and: 

- in the middle of the night, ideas have come into my head which, i think, have been prophetic in their nature

-listen for the whisperings of the spirit in the middle of the night

-i don't know why revelation comes sometimes in the night, but it does

sometimes we need to leave our cares with the lord when we retire to our beds. always be listening, for the answers will come. they may take time and it may be in the middle of the night, but they will come.  how grateful i am for a way to communicate with our heavenly father and to know that he will help me in my time of need ♥

be still, my soul

be still, my soul; the lord is on thy side;

with patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.

leave to the lord to order and provide;

in every change he faithful will remain.

be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly friend

thru thorny ways, leads to a joyful end.

be still, my soul; thy god doth undertake

to guide the future as he has the past

thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

all now mysterious shall be bright at last.

be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know

his voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on

when we shall be forever with the lord,

when disappointment, grief and fear are gone,

sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,

all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

there is so much on my mind right now. so much stress and so much to think about and consider. add to that an email from a close family friend this morning adding some bad news to the table, asking me to pray for someone dear to them. i was only too happy to do so... and took my troubles to the lord. when i arose from my knees, the only thing that entered my mind, was the lyrics to this hymn - be still my soul. i listened to it over and over today and although my heart still aches a little and i'm not completely calm, i know that the lord has heard my prayers and my soul is still. ♥

strength beyond their own

i'll lend you for a little time

a child of mine, god said

for you to love her while she lives

and mourn for when she's dead

it may be six or seven years,

or twenty two or three

but will you, 'til i call her back,

take care of her for me?

she'll bring her charms to gladden you,

and shall her stay be brief

you'll have her lovely memories

as solace for your grief

i cannot promise she will stay

as all from earth return

but there are lessons taught down there

i want this child too learn

i've looked the wide world over

in my search for teachers true

and from the throngs that crowd lifes lane

i have selected you

now will you give her all your love

and not think the labour vain

nor hate me when i come to call

to take her back again

i fancied that i heard them say

'dear lord thy will be done'

for all the joy thy child shall bring

the risk of grief we'll run

we'll shelter her with tenderness

we'll love her while we may

and for the happiness we've known

forever grateful stay

but should the angels call for her

much sooner than we've planned

we'll brave the bitter grief that comes

and try to understand

i got one of those calls tonight that no one wants. i've been a funeral director for 10 years now, but nothing prepares you for the moment that a friend calls upon you for help because someone has passed away. even less when that someone is their child, who is still a baby. 

my sweet friends from church lost their 9 week old baby girl this week to sids (sudden infant death syndrome), she went down for her nap and never woke. she slipped from this life to the next, back to the arms of her heavenly father. it breaks my heart to know of the pain they are feeling, but as i sat with them and helped them, answered their questions and helped them through the funeral process, i felt peace. they spoke so bravely and with a sure knowledge that their family is eternal. that their sweet girl will be back in their arms one day. i know they have truly "cast their burdens upon the lord" and feel peace in their hearts, along with the anguish. they have truly been blessed through prayer, with strength beyond their own.

how grateful i am for the sealing power of the temple. to know that my family is also eternal... and to know that i will be with them after this life and throughout the eternities. 

"sweet is the peace the gospel brings"

pray for the philippines

as i am sure you're all well aware, there has been terrible tragedy in the philippines as the typhoon hit and caused widespread damage. it's easy to sit in my nice comfortable home in australia and feel bad for people there without really realizing what is going on, but once i read this article online the extent of the damage and the issues it has caused really hit home.

when i finished reading (and yes, i know you all know how emotional i get, so when i finished crying my eyes out) i knew it was something i needed to share with all of you. i emailed it to my parents, so far away along with a plea for them to be careful and be safe and then started telling everyone i know about it.

i am so, so incredibly grateful for the power of the gospel - and the promptings of the holy ghost in my life - and the lives of others. the same promptings that lead these missionaries to safety and can lead each of us to safety in our lives each day. i feel so blessed to know that i can and will be lead to safety if i obey the still, small voice when he speaks to me.

(and on a side note - our beautiful friends from our ward whose son is currently serving in the olongapo philippines mission - have already heard that he is in area completely unaffected - and he is safe! thank heavens!!)

please pray for those in the philippines, pray for the people, for those who have loved and lost, but most of all for them to find strength and comfort in their time of need.