I was just recently invited to speak at a Saturday RS Meeting on Emotional Wellness, what a great topic and I had a great experience giving it. I was asked to also talk a little about the Addiction Recovery Program. I love the opportunity to talk about this great program. It really is a program that will change lives.
So I thought I would use my talk as a topic for my blog,
I spend each Thursday night with amazing people who are looking to make changes in their life by overcoming their addictions. If gives me the opportunity to search my own self and and see where I can improve,or share what I have learned from my life experiences. One of my favorite steps in the 12 step program is Step 6 A change of heart, President Ezra T. Benson said" The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people. and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment.Christ changes men, who then change their environment.The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature..... "May we be convinced that Jesus is the Christ, choose to follow Him, captained by Him consumed in Him and born again."
I love this quote, it teaches us how to change our weakness from the inside out by giving us tools that will help to shape and change our behavior. To be clay in the potters hand... Mailable, pliable, to be shaped or molded by the Savior himself. This can only happen when we allow his will to take over ours. We will face many trials in our life, some so hard it might cause us to look to heaven and cry out to our Father where art thou.
. Step 2 is Hope, David A. Bednar counsels us to look or watch for the tender mercies of the Lord. He said "We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord's tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live."
When I we focus on this principle I am able to notice those tender mercies even through the most difficult trials.
I was asked once," is it supposed to be this hard ", I quickly answered Yes, it is. But it will be worth every tear, every growing pain, and as you watch for those tender mercies each day you will see how the Lord is blessing you. The simple things are usually the answer, Prayer real prayer where you speak to the Heavenly Father openly, honestly, and take time to listen to him. Our prayers are answered in so many ways, by someone who loves you, they just might say that right thing at that right moment. A passage of scripture, a conference talk, a feeling or impression.
To have hope that you truly matter to him and that we are precious in his sight, that we are sons and daughters of God. Just knowing that gives us such power over the adversary who would have us dismiss this idea as soon as we find ourselves in the middle of difficult times.
In Todd D Christofferson's talk in October 2011 http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-divine-gift-of-repentance?lang=eng :
I would love to share a small par of this great talk to illustrate my point of the tender mercies of the Lord.
“In April of 1847, Brigham Young led the first company of pioneers out of Winter Quarters. At that same time, 1,600 miles [2,575 km] to the west the pathetic survivors of the Donner Party straggled down the slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains into the Sacramento Valley.
“They had spent the ferocious winter trapped in the snowdrifts below the summit. That any survived the days and weeks and months of starvation and indescribable suffering is almost beyond belief.
"Among them was fifteen-year-old John Breen. On the night of April 24 he walked into Johnson’s Ranch. Years later John wrote:
“‘It was long after dark when we got to Johnson’s Ranch, so the first time I saw it was early in the morning. The weather was fine, the ground was covered with green grass, the birds were singing from the tops of the trees, and the journey was over. I could scarcely believe that I was alive.
“‘The scene that I saw that morning seems to be photographed on my mind. Most of the incidents are gone from memory, but I can always see the camp near Johnson’s Ranch.."
In his talk he was using this story to illustrate repentance and the mercy of forgiveness, but I thought it was such a great story to also point out;that even though so many of us will go through trials that may seem so difficult to bare, in the morning we will remember them no more, just the tender mercies of the Lord leading us through it and helping us to overcome it. We know no joy unless we have experienced sorrow.
Another great step is 3, Trust in the Lord. Elder Neal a Maxwell said " The submission of one's will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on Gods altar. It is hard doctrine, but it is true." To trust so completely, to follow his commandments. Each commandment is for a wise purpose to help us in this mortal life. It was not meant to be a burden but a freedom from the adversary. For example, The Lord asks us to treat our bodies as Temples, if we are spiritually, physically and mentally in good condition; we are providing a great vessel for him to use for his purposes.
Another great step is 3, Trust in the Lord. Elder Neal a Maxwell said " The submission of one's will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on Gods altar. It is hard doctrine, but it is true." To trust so completely, to follow his commandments. Each commandment is for a wise purpose to help us in this mortal life. It was not meant to be a burden but a freedom from the adversary. For example, The Lord asks us to treat our bodies as Temples, if we are spiritually, physically and mentally in good condition; we are providing a great vessel for him to use for his purposes.
So as I ponder how am I personally doing in my life to keep spiritually,mentally and physically fit?
The beauty of this life is that there is always room for improvement. I have always thought of myself as spiritually and mentally active, but physically I dropped off that train years ago. So when some health struggles started to appear, I gave some serious thought on how I could change my lifestyle. Watching Justin work so hard to loose weight the patience and diligence he showed was inspiring. So with much prayer to the Father asking for support I set my goal, the first day of summer I would start my life in a new direction. I am here to say that five months later, with the help from above and support of family I have seen much success and look forward to much more. I can now run on my treadmill, do push ups, and all kinds of core exercises. I start off on my treadmill about 4:oo in the morning, and I listen to conference talks while I walk, run. then some good music finishes out my routine. I have learned so much about the sustaining power of the spirit. I have bad feet, hips and back, so that was always my excuse why I could not exercises. As I exercised my faith and gave no room for excuses.I knew that Heavenly Father would support me. At times I feel like I am being picked up while I run, it is amazing. I pray for my feet to sustain my goals, by exercising my faith I know the Lord supports my efforts. I have learned what I can do!! I still have big goals to reach, and am exited to enjoy the journey, however long it may be.
The Father knows how long our life span will be, the quality is up to us. So submitting our will to him puts us in a place of complete trust. We acknowledge that we will follow him and trust that he asks us to do those things that will bring us peace and help us pass through difficult times. I am so grateful for the opportunity to keep learning about myself as I experience life's challenges. I have had to look deep down and see what I am really made of. I appreciate the opportunity to serve in the Addiction Recovery Program, I love the people I serve.
The beauty of this life is that there is always room for improvement. I have always thought of myself as spiritually and mentally active, but physically I dropped off that train years ago. So when some health struggles started to appear, I gave some serious thought on how I could change my lifestyle. Watching Justin work so hard to loose weight the patience and diligence he showed was inspiring. So with much prayer to the Father asking for support I set my goal, the first day of summer I would start my life in a new direction. I am here to say that five months later, with the help from above and support of family I have seen much success and look forward to much more. I can now run on my treadmill, do push ups, and all kinds of core exercises. I start off on my treadmill about 4:oo in the morning, and I listen to conference talks while I walk, run. then some good music finishes out my routine. I have learned so much about the sustaining power of the spirit. I have bad feet, hips and back, so that was always my excuse why I could not exercises. As I exercised my faith and gave no room for excuses.I knew that Heavenly Father would support me. At times I feel like I am being picked up while I run, it is amazing. I pray for my feet to sustain my goals, by exercising my faith I know the Lord supports my efforts. I have learned what I can do!! I still have big goals to reach, and am exited to enjoy the journey, however long it may be.
The Father knows how long our life span will be, the quality is up to us. So submitting our will to him puts us in a place of complete trust. We acknowledge that we will follow him and trust that he asks us to do those things that will bring us peace and help us pass through difficult times. I am so grateful for the opportunity to keep learning about myself as I experience life's challenges. I have had to look deep down and see what I am really made of. I appreciate the opportunity to serve in the Addiction Recovery Program, I love the people I serve.
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