Archive for the ‘Scriptures’ Category
Anger
Posted on: June 20, 2013
When I was younger I used to get angry easily. Things were go wrong, people didn’t act the way I wished they would, or somebody’s words would rub me the wrong way and I would lose my temper. It would fill up my head and spill out, usually as what my mother called a temper tantrum, but as I got older I would say things that hurt other people before I even realized I was angry.
But as i got older I started to realize that truth be told, I was usually angry because I couldn’t have my own way. I didn’t have the strength to deal with all the negative things that were happening to me so I let my anger fight my battles for me.
Having a relationship with God has helped me understand my early years – my anger and my inability to deal with my environment. Prayer helps me still the frustrations. Faith helps me understand that whatever is happening to me will pass if I can just wait it out. The Holy Ghost helps calm my soul, helps me breath when fear paralyzes me, helps me feel at peace when turmoil surrounds me. And the scriptures hold God’s answers to the questions that leaden my heart.
Nehemiah 9:17
A God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Psalm 145:8
The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Psalm 30:5
For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
James 1:19-20
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Be not hasty in thy Spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Proverbs 14:17
He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly.
Proverbs 15:18
A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
Proverbs 29:22
An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
Proverbs 22:24-25
Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
Psalm 37:8
Cease from anger and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Proverbs 16:32
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Colossians 3:21
Fathers, Provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Ephesians 4:26
Be ye angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Proverbs 19:11
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is His glory to pass over a transgression.
Proverbs 21:19
It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and an angry woman.
Matthew 5:22
But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement.
3 Steps to Jesus
Posted on: June 13, 2013
1) Admit that we are sinners in need of repentance.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
~Romans 3:23
2) Believe that Jesus is the Son of God who paid the price for our sins that we might be saved.
For the wages of sin is death [eternal separation from God]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
~Romans 6:23
3) Call upon God.
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
~Romans 10:9
Who said it had to be complicated?
My Scriptures
Posted on: June 6, 2013
Whatever the need of the moment… support can be found in my scriptures.
Whatever questions about God I think up… the answer is in my scriptures.
Whatever I’m feeling or hoping for… clarity can be found in my scriptures.
When I’m feeling especially alone or afraid, or if I’m wondering what God has to say to me about salvation, faith, pride, repentance, etc, my scriptures provide both wisdom and comfort. They are my road map for how I will live the rest of my life.
It amazes me how so much food for our minds, hearts and souls, how much healing power, peace of mind, and love can be found in such a small amount of space. The scriptures really are a miracle.
Becoming My Own Re-Creator
Posted on: March 15, 2013
Author John Bisagno wrote:
“Faith is at the heart of life. You go to a doctor whose name you cannot pronounce. He gives you a prescription you cannot read. You take it to a pharmacist you do not know and he gives you a medicine you do not understand. Yet you take it.”
I used to limit my appreciation of faith to the faith I have in the spiritual aspect of my life. But as my life has grown more and more spiritual, and I find myself at the brink of spirituality taking over everything I am and all I live for, I find myself noticing that the spiritual concepts that used to apply to my relationship with God really apply to everything.
Take TRUST for instance. Do I trust everyone I meet? Goodness, no. In fact, I trust very few people, something I work on diligently with my counselor. My past experiences have influenced my ability to trust and that used to worry me. How will I ever find happiness if I can never learn to trust anyone? Faith has helped me trust again. I find I don’t have to worry so much about who I should or should not trust. I have faith that if I do an appropriate amount of due diligence and apply a little common sense, God, through the Holy Spirit, will help me determine whether those I meet are intersted in helping me or hurting me. Trusting others does not need to open us up to becoming a victim.
How about PERSEVERANCE? That’s a tougher one for me because it is constantly on mind mind these days. As with all aspects of mortal existance, short of primary anatomical requirements, we only focus on persevering when trials threaten to bring us down. We only need to consider whether or not to trust someone new when we encounter someone new. Likewise, we only have to tell ourselves that we are expected to persevere to the end when we are in situations that threaten our ability to do just that. Again, if we maintain our faith that God has a plan for us and stay on the path toward our common goals, each storm will pass and we will eventually find sunshine again.
I practice faith in many more areas of my life than I ever did before joining the LDS Church. But I am still struggling with aligning my core beliefs, and the many new beliefs I have recently adopted with THE TRUTH. People try to discourage me by arguing against the doctrine I believe in. They speak ill of the Church, its members, our prophets and other leaders… And though I tell myself not to listen, snippets still slip through and I wonder whether what I am hearing has any truth to it.
Spirituality is such a subjective concept after all. I mean, there is ONE TRUTH — God’s truth that Jesus came to earth to teach us. I understand that. But how we each understand it, and just as importantly, how we apply it, is quite personal. My struggle is not with the truth as it is written, or even how it is interpreted because I have so many resources to help me figure all that out. My struggle is with how I apply all that I learn to my own life — past, present and future. I am not a typical Mormon by any means. I worry that the life that brought me to where I am today, the life that made me what I am, will not be deemed acceptable by those who have not walked in my shoes.
So yet again, I turn to my faith. God led me here. He supported me on broken legs as I traveled one slow agonizing step at a time to where I am today. He would not have gone to all that trouble if He did not think I belonged here. So even though some people may consider me damaged, I chose to believe that I have proven myself in battle against Satan. And though he continues to attack me at each and every weak spot on my body and in my mind, I will continue to fight in God’s army, and He will continue to support me when my legs are too weak to hold me up.
Theologian F. B. Mayer taught us that when we chose not to believe, our circumstances come between us and God. When we have faith, however, God places Himself between us and our circumstances.
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Each of us can change! We can live out of our imaginations instead of our memories. We can tie ourselves to our limitless potentials instead of our limiting pasts.
We can each become our own re-creator!
Faith and the Soul
Posted on: March 15, 2013
Last week I introduced you to Dr. Raj and his mantra for healing a damaged soul. This week I’d like to share with you my affirmations, or maybe just thoughts, on the subject.
There are a lot of things in life that are difficult to understand. It is my faith that allows my soul to travel beyond what my eyes can see. My faith helps me trust in advance the things that will only make sense in the next leg of my journey back to my eternal home. It’s my faith that motivates me to seek to broaden my perspective — to see life from a heavenly vantage point –to know that as I grow closer to God things will increasingly make more sense.
Not that Dr. Raj’s mantra isn’t enlightening, and I did add it to my morning and evening ritual of affirming my newly adopted values. But for me, it has been my faith that has helped to heal my soul. As my faith has grown stronger, I have gained added meaning and wider perspective. It has helped me keep my stress level down and my sense of well-being up.
S. G. Holland (Former Prime Minister of New Zealand) wrote:
Faith draws the poison from every grief, takes the sting from every loss, and quenches the fire of every pain; and only faith can do it.
Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present. Faith has given me strength and made me more resilient. The motto, “With faith, nothing is impossible” really does ring true. Mother Theresa was quoted as saying that faith keeps the person who keeps the faith (or something to that effect). Though that quote may not be exact, it expresses my belief that my faith acts as a sheltering blanket. It may not keep all of the cold, wind, rain, hail, snow, etc, away, but it helps to shield me from the worst effects of the storms I find myself battered by.
Romans 12:2
“Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking.”
Asset #1 –
Family Support
- Doctrine and Covenants 19:34
34 Impart a portion of thy property, yea, even part of thy lands, and all save the support of thy family. - Doctrine and Covenants 75:24
24 Behold, I say unto you, that it is the duty of the church to assist in supporting the families of those, and also to support the families of those who are called and must needs be sent unto the world to proclaim the gospel unto the world. - Doctrine and Covenants 75:26
26 And let all such as can obtain places for their families, and support of the church for them, not fail to go into the world, whether to the east or to the west, or to the north, or to the south. - Doctrine and Covenants 42:71
71 And the elders or high priests who are appointed to assist the bishop as counselors in all things, are to have their families supported out of the property which is consecrated to the bishop, for the good of the poor, and for other purposes, as before mentioned.
Asset # 2 –
Positive Family Communication (Teach your Children)
- Moses 6:58
58 Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying: - Doctrine and Covenants 93:42
42 You have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments; and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your affliction. - Deuteronomy 11:19
19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. - Mosiah 2:34
34 I say unto you, that there are not any among you, except it be your little children that have not been taught concerning these things, but what knoweth that ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are; and also have been taught concerning the records which contain the prophecies which have been spoken by the holy prophets, even down to the time our father, Lehi, left Jerusalem; - Doctrine and Covenants 43:15
15 Again I say, hearken ye elders of my church, whom I have appointed: Ye are not sent forth to be taught, but to teach the children of men the things which I have put into your hands by the power of my Spirit; - Moses 6:57
57 Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time. - Alma 13:1
1 And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people.
Mormons and Religion
Posted on: October 19, 2012
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the official name of the religion commonly called the Mormon Church. We believe first and foremost that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and the Son of God.
While our backgrounds and experiences are diverse, Mormons are united by a commitment to Jesus Christ. Visit mormon.org to learn more about the Mormon faith and meet members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sharing their stories and telling what their faith means to them.
Gather Knowledge
Posted on: October 12, 2012
How many of the things we own come with a lifetime warranty? Maybe a nice set of knives, a kitchen table, or a toolset if we are lucky. Now, which of our possessions has an eternal warranty? Joseph Smith taught that “whatever principle of intelligence we attain in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection,” meaning the things we learn now will stay with us, and benefit us, even after our mortal lives end (Doctrine and Covenants 130:18). God expects all of us to gather as much knowledge as we are able—at school, at work and on our own. Doing so will help us through the challenges of this life, bring us closer to Him and prepare us for the life to come.
Sister Mary Rose McGeady, D.C. MENANDS Daughter of Charity Rose McGeady passed away on Thursday, September 13, 2012 surrounded by her loving Sisters, family, Covenant House executives and St. Louise House staff.
Sister Mary Rose McGeady, daughter of Catherine and Joseph McGeady, was born in Hazelton, Pa. She spent her youthful years there and in Washington, D.C. with her brother and sister. She met the Daughters of Charity as a high school student in the Immaculate Conception Academy, Washington, D.C. and entered the community in 1946.
Sister [Mary Rose] loved children. Her many years as a Daughter of Charity were spent in the service of children as a child-care worker, supervisor, and administrator. Her first experience was in the Home for Destitute Catholic Children in Boston. Astor Home for Children in Rhinebeck was a pilot project for emotionally troubled children. While there, Sister earned a master’s degree in psychology from Fordham University. Sister continued to work for children in Nazareth Center, Boston and Kennedy Child Study Center in New York City.
Sister [Mary Rose] was a founding member of the Daughters of Charity activities in St. John’s Parish, Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. There she worked for Catholic Charities and financially supported the other Sisters in the parish.
Sister Mary Rose served on the provincial council of the Northeast Province of the Daughters of Charity from 1973 to 1980. Then she assumed the duties of the provincial superior for six years. After that, she returned to Catholic Charities in Brooklyn.
After interviews, she was invited to be the executive director of Covenant House in New York City. Here her many talents benefited children. Her life experience with troubled youngsters and her speaking and storytelling ability were used for the "throwaway children of New York City" and then other national and international sites. Her talents reaped rewards at fund raising affairs throughout the country. After she spoke, who could resist giving?
Through Sister Mary Rose’s several paperbacks about individual children and young adults at Covenant House and why and how these children became lost, Sister educated thousands to the reality of what happened to these children and again attracted little and big donors.
She [retired] to St. Louise House in 2003 where her mind was as active as ever but her body experienced the diminishments of aging. She helped to establish St. Paul’s, a shelter for women and children, and served on the board. Her honorary degrees and other awards are too numerous to include.
Sister [Mary Rose] is survived by her sister, Catherine Pendleton, and her husband, Frank Pendleton, of San Jose, Calif.; her sister-in-law, Ruth McGeady, and her eight nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, September 17, 2012 in the De Paul House Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow in St Agnes Cemetery, Menands. A wake service remembering Sister will be held at 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 16, 2012. Calling hours will begin from 4 p.m. when the body returns and is blessed in the DePaul House Chapel, 96 Menand Road, Albany, NY 12204.
Donations may be made to the Daughters of Charity , 4330 Olive St., St. Louis, MO. or Covenant House, Sr. Mary Rose Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 731, Times Square Station, NY 10108.
Online condolences may be offered at danielkeenanfuneralhome.com
Note from BB: I did not have the privilege of knowing Sister Mary Rose personally but I felt I did. My neighbor and friend has been a close personal friend of hers most of his life. He spoke of her constantly, of the work she did, and more importantly the difference she made in the lives of so many people, young and old. I would listen to his side of phone conversations he had with her, the last being a call to wish her a happy 84th birthday (he borrowed my phone). She will undoubtedly be missed by many, especially the children she saved, my neighbor included. Rest in Peace dear Lady of God.
Hillsong’s New Album
Posted on: September 3, 2012
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