One's View...make that two

I received this forwarded email and thought "Yes!" I was also relieved to know that the evil others have been calling good, I have maintained as evil or wrong. Always good to see others with pieces of light and truth who stand up for what is right.

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation THIS MAN SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO OUR COUNTRY! 'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics.. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

If ever I feel...

...that I am flawed, that I am undesirable, that I am undeserving, that I am not of worth, then I need to remember that

I am a Daughter of My Heavenly Father,

Who Loves Me.

If that isn't enough, then I can read President Hinckley's entire talk. I remember crying then, as I cry now.

I know it's true.

I am Heavenly Father's daughter. His little girl. That divine relationship is enough for me to not pay heed to any one who tries to make me feel and think less of myself...including myself.

Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam

A couple of days ago, I was visiting a special needs friend who asked me to record myself singing Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam. It reminded me that once at a BYU devotional, the speaker had us sing 3 other verses that we never sang in Primary when I was in it. I don't think they do now either. I had written them down in haste as the congregation sang, and I've had them sitting near my scripture study materials ever since. I promised I'd share them with her. And then I thought I should share them here, too. (You can listen to it here.)

I knew that the words have a great message, one that I need to try to incorporate more in my life. I should read them often and live them more.

1. Jesus wants me for a sunbeam

To shine for Him each day

In every way try to please Him

At home, at school at play

Chorus:

A sunbeam, a sunbeam

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam

A sunbeam, a sunbeam

I'll be a sunbeam for him.

2. Jesus wants me to be loving

And kind to all I see

Showing how pleasant and happy

His little one can be. (Chorus)

3. I will ask Jesus to help me

To keep my heart from sin

Ever reflecting His goodness

And always shine for Him. (Chorus)

4. I'll be a sunbeam for Jesus

I can if I but try.

Serving Him moment by moment

Then live with Him on high. (Chorus)

Making Good Decisions--and for the Right Reasons!

"Precious young people, make every decision you contemplate pass this test: What does it do to me? What does it do for me? And let your code of conduct emphasize not 'What will others think?' but rather 'What will I think of myself?' Be influenced by that still, small voice. Remember that one with authority placed his hands on your head at the time of your confirmation and said, 'Receive the Holy Ghost.' Open your hearts, even your very souls, to the sound of that special voice that testifies of truth. As the prophet Isaiah promised, 'Thine ears shall hear a word . . . saying, This is the way, walk ye in it' (Isaiah 30:21).

"The tenor of our times is permissiveness. A most popular feature of one of the leading newspaper Sunday supplements portrays the idols of the movie screen, the heroes of the athletic field—those whom many young people long to emulate—as flouting the laws of God and rationalizing away sinful practices, seemingly with no ill effect. Don't you believe it! There is a time of reckoning—even a balancing of the ledger. It's called Judgment Day, even the Big Exam of Life. Are we prepared? Are we pleased with our own performances?"

Thomas S. Monson, "Whom Shall I Marry?" New Era, Oct. 2004, 6

Isn't this quote just fantastic? I love it!

For Our Good

"The Lord puts challenges in your path to mold your character. For your own personal growth He will often let you struggle with a matter for a while, even when you are pleading for help. But as you follow true principles, He will finally see you through. He intends that when you have reached your extremity, you will turn to Him for comfort, peace, and assistance. He will send these through the quiet prompting of the Spirit. He will give reassurance and guidance that are essential to correct decisions in your life.

"You are learning powerful, eternal lessons. Be sure you understand them. The Lord does not abandon your urgent pleas, nor is He ever, for even a moment, unmindful of your anguish and heartache. He hears every supplication. He invariably answers according to spiritual law. Understanding that law will help you appreciate how the Lord answers your prayer. His silence and seeming absence at times are a powerful means of expanding your vision and understanding as you continue in faith to do your best."

Richard G. Scott, "Making the Right Choices" (CES fireside for young adults, Jan. 13, 2002), 2

I have seen this in my life innumerable times. And while it is quite difficult at times, at least we know that it is meant to be and very much for our growth and benefit!

Our Influence for Good

As you walk your various paths, walk with faith. Speak affirmatively and cultivate an attitude of confidence. You have the capacity to do so. Your strength will give strength to others. Do not partake of the spirit so rife in our times. Rather, look for good and build upon it. There is so much of the strong and the decent and the beautiful to build upon. You are partakers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel means 'good news.' The message of the Lord is one of hope and salvation. The voice of the Lord is a voice of glad tidings. The work of the Lord is a work of glorious accomplishment."

Gordon B. Hinckley, "Be Not Afraid, Only Believe," CES Fireside for Young Adults,

I like this quote. And, being Father's Day, I thought of it in that context. Yes--my father was a great influence for good in my life. I am so grateful to him for that. I am even more grateful to my Heavenly Father not only for all He does as my Father, but for also entrusting me to the wonderful earthly father that I have had.

To Help Inform You

ParentalRights.org provided the following message for us supporters to spread the word in hopes to inform others, as well as ask others for their show of concern and support. I hope you agree with me in the importance of this matter, especially as it flies in the face of one of the basic commandments to "Honor they father and thy mother."

A parent’s right to raise their children as they see fit is a time-honored American tradition, but today it is being threatened. The Supreme Court’s Troxel v. Granville decision in 2000 undermined a 75-year heritage of Constitutionally-protected, fundamental parental rights, which 8 of the 9 justices abandoned. At the same time, a growing body of international law fuels activist judges to legislate foreign standards from the American bench, while treaties such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child would subject parental decisions to government oversight and international review.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (MI-2) has proposed HJR-42, the Parental Rights Amendment, to stop the erosion of parental rights in American courts while simultaneously defending our laws from international invasion. Please, visit parentalrights.org to learn more about the Amendment, and to join their email network by signing the petition to protect parental rights.