Random Sampler

So my life has been very eventful recently... but not totally in a good way! And, I am just tired of talking about it, so I'll spare any reader from it. But, I will say, that sadly, I have learned, yet again, the hard way, that bullies exist even when they're 60 years old! Some things never change and it's so sad :(

So, I have been very blessed to have come across some random things I would like to share as they've caused me to pause and think...

The first is this quote:

"Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!

The children of Israel waited 40 years in the wilderness before they could enter the promised land. Jacob waited 7 long years for Rachel. The Jews waited 70 years in Babylon before they could return to rebuild the temple. The Nephites waited for a sign of Christ’s birth, even knowing that if the sign did not come, they would perish. Joseph Smith’s trials in Liberty Jail caused even the prophet of God to wonder, “How long?”

In each case, Heavenly Father had a purpose in requiring that His children wait.

Every one of us is called to wait in our own way."
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Continue in Patience", April 2010 General Conference

I love this quote mostly because of the definition it gives to the word "patience" and because I had never correlated those stories in the Bible/Book of Mormon with what I need to be patient for. Sometimes I wish I could just see the end from the beginning. Then I'd have patience, right??! But, probably not. I just need to remember to have continuous faith and hope that the time will come!

Next random, but thought-provoking, quote:

“One day my daughter got a sliver in her finger. It really hurt and I had to take it out. But taking it out hurt too. I held my daughter on my lap. I talked softly to her and tried to be gentle. But she kicked, screamed, and fought all the way. I tried to tell her that if she relaxed and stopped fighting, it wouldn’t hurt as much. I tried to tell her if she just trusted me, the pain would be gone before she knew it. But she was too scared to trust. When I got the sliver out, she was so mad she just cried and beat on my arms. It hurt that she didn’t trust me. It hurt more that she had made her pain worse than it had to be."

I got this quote from a book I had to read recently by Melody Beady. Sometimes I feel like this is my relationship with the Lord. When things are hard, I know I "kick, scream, and fight" because I am too scared to trust that the Lord's plan will work (as it ALWAYS HAS!) and I know these actions are making it worse for me and more painful in the long-run. Overtime, and through learning the hard way, I have learned to trust a little bit more, but I still have a long way to go! And, I wonder how much my lack of trust and faith has hurt the Lord... He must wonder and shake his head at how stubborn some of his children are and say "If they only knew how to let go and trust how much easier life could be for them!"

But... oh - it's still so hard at times! I like control and want to feel like I am in control!!!

Next random thing:

Got this in an email and it brought back memories of middle/high school when I first became a Michael McClean fan. I REALLY like this song and it's even more powerful when put together with slides. This video is from a presentation made at a recent fireside for my church here in my area...

Hold On, Hope On, Be Healed (Micheal McClean)