Thoughts
A God of miracles
Jesus is a God of miracles. What are miracles, why are they performed? Do we have eyes to see and ears to hear the miracles that are always around us. We explore the miracle of creation, of healing, of changing our beliefs and hearts, of redemption and salvation.
Turning weakness into strength
What is your weakness? What is your relationship with your weakness? Have you ever thought of your weakness as a gift?
Processing pain
Our reluctance to face and process our pain is often the reason for our continued suffering or unwanted reactive behavior. There are many unhealthy ways to cope, like numbing, distraction, suppression, etc., and there are healthy ways like writing, verbalizing honestly, meditation, movement, and others.
Our sense of worth and identity
When we understand our true identity, the source of our sense of worth, and our complete reliance upon God who is our light, power, truth, our all, then we will live as children of God capable of doing amazing works.
Spirit and breath
In many languages and traditions, the word for "breath" is the same word that is used for "energy," "wind," "life force," or "spirit." This is also true in the Greek and Hebrew languages, which expands our view and understanding of scriptures. The name Yahweh, or YHWH, is particularly inspiring in context of breath.
The purpose of marriage and family
The primary objective of marriage and family is not happiness — it is growth. Marriage and children are “growth machines,” to use Dr. David Schnarch’s term, but it only works if we choose it.
“A soft answer turneth away wrath…”
In order to have soft answers, we need soft hearts. The real work needs to happen internally in the realm of the heart. Choosing a soft heart is the hardest but sweetest work we will ever do on this earth.
The refining and transformative power of grace
It is the redeeming and enabling power of Grace that makes it safe to learn from our own experiences. Our mistakes, our weaknesses, our sins, our flaws, our trials…all of it is essential to our progress, and it is the Savior’s Grace that gives us the power to change and transform through these experiences.
Relearning repentance
For many years the word “repentance” carried negative connotations to me. I was grateful to be taught by insightful teachers throughout the years that helped me completely reframe and come to love, not fear, this powerful principle.
Learning and the plan
Joseph Smith put it simply and directly, “You have got to learn how to be a god yourself.” He said the process would be ongoing and would require patience, faith, continuing repentance, obedience to the commandments of the gospel, and reliance on Christ.