"To Love another person is to see the face of God"

"To love another person is to see the face of God". This is one  of the closing lines in one of my all time favorite musicals "Les Miserables", I heard this closing line dozens of times this summer as I was in the show, I played a very memorable "Woman number 3". It was not until the last week and I realized that the show was almost over that I really started to let some of the messages sink in, this line, this closing line that had been saved for the end of such an epic show caused me to wonder. What were they thinking? Victor Hugo, Claude Michel Schonberg, Herbert Kretzmer, why did they save this for the closing moments. In a story about redemption, the balance between justice and mercy, fighting for what you believe in, survival, hope, despair, why was this simple line so moving? Of all the emotions that we can feel as human beings the closest we ever come to feeling celestial emotion is love. When we love without thought for ourselves, when we love with our whole hearts and without any expectation of gain, we are the closest that we can be on this earth to the celestial beings that our Father in Heaven would have us be. So, why would we "see" God when we love others? We have been told that we need to receive his image in our countenances', but when we look at others in love that is when we see his image in them. We can see the worth of the soul, we become more willing to sacrifice for that person, more willing to build them up and help them see what we see in them. We see God in them. We are allowed this brief opportunity to see what eternity is like. Wrapped in a compelling story and amazing showtunes is an eternal truth that our Heavenly Father loves us, that we are all allowed the chance to better ourselves with hope of redemption because of our Savior. No matter how we view ourselves when those who love us look at us they see the face of God, that is powerful, that should change our perception of ourselves. My take home message from this epic summer of musical bliss was to learn to look for my Father in Heaven in others, He is there, I just need to love others to see Him.

-Kristin

"Free Yourself From Unrealistic Expectations of Perfection"

Today I saw, "Free Yourself From Unrealistic Expectations of Perfection" on the LDS.org website and I immediately clicked the link. What followed was a beautiful talk reminding me about the all encompassing power of the Savior's Atonement. Below is a short excerpt:

"The Savior’s freely given atoning love helps us become more forgiving and less judgmental of others and of ourselves. This love heals our relationships and gives us opportunities to love, understand, and serve as our Savior would.

His atoning love changes our concept of perfection. We can put our trust in Him, diligently keep His commandments, and continue in the faith (seeMosiah 4:6)—even as we also feel greater humility, gratitude, and dependence on His merits, mercy, and grace (see 2 Nephi 2:8)."

Most times, my concept of perfection is completely skewed. An immaculate home, beautifully dressed children, a roast on the dinner table at exactly 5:30 when my husband arrives home, and of course my homemade apple pie for dessert (which I made 2 of to give one away, of course). While I'm typing this I realize how completely ridiculous this is, but apparently deep down, that is what I expect of myself- even if I don't neccesarily want that (I hate apple pie!)

But when I truly focus on the Savior, on what He wants for me, and on what He expects of me, I realize that perfectionism (at least my idea/the worlds perspective) is a tool of Satan. He wants us to get overwhelmed, unmotivated, depressed, & anxious over our weaknesses, to the point that we want to give up. That is not how the Savior works.

His infinite love surpasses anything we can comprehend, and as our Advocate with the Father, is fighting for our success. He loves us. He will always love us. And all He wants for us is to wake up each day, with a renewed hope that we will be better than yesterday.  

Come

I had the privilege of attending a Youth Conference as an adult leader this last weekend. The theme of the conference was “Come Unto Christ,” which is the 2014 Youth theme. 

Our conference was held in Nauvoo, Illinois, the historic site of departure for the Mormon Pioneers. This group of people were facing intense persecution by those around them, and were eventually forced out in order to find religious freedom. Having grown up in Illinois, I’ve been to Nauvoo nearly every year that I can remember. I have found this “City of Beautiful” to be a place of solace, pondering, incredible personal growth, and deep admiration. The pioneers had such a desire to follow God that they, quite literally, “came” unto Christ. They left most of their belongings, their jobs, their friends and family, in order to find a place that they could worship their God in peace.

When I think of the phrase “come unto Christ,” I immediately picture the statue, the "Christus.” 

Christ is standing there with His arms wide open, beckoning us to Him. When I think of this statue and the Mormon pioneers, a lot of symbolism comes to my mind. When the pioneers of old were asked to leave their homes, they did so with a strong & unshakeable hope of something even better to come. They would endure hardships, disease, and even death in order to get to their sacred destination, but their hope and faith in Christ sustained them.

At times, when I am striving to “come unto Christ” and become more like Him, follow His commandments, and do what He would have me do, I too have many hardships–trials that seem unbearable at times. And yet, because of my Hope in my Savior, I continue to take the steps (tiny as they may be) towards Him.

As apart of the conference, we also had a theme song which we sang every day. It quickly became one of my all-time favorite songs. The following are lyrics that particularly touched me:

So let Him in, and He will take away your pain.

When you feel His love You'll never be the same.

Come unto Christ. Come unto Him,

And by His grace Be made holy again.

He's calling your name. He's waiting for you

With arms open wide. Come unto Christ.

{Link to the music video HERE.} 

I have felt of His love many times in my life. Even at times when I did not feel deserving of His love–or any love at all. But it was His healing, the healing of my soul, that gave me the strength to overcome. I recently heard that the prayer for strength is one that is always answered & I know this to be true.

He really can heal all wounds. He is calling your name, pleading for you. To come. Come unto Him. He knows that it is His rest we so desperately need, and so He is waiting for us­—to Come unto Him.

--Aubrey 

You Know Enough

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=911029441001

As human beings we are imperfect.  It’s easy to recognize all the things we do wrong in our lives, and that causes us to feel we are inadequate.  Heavenly Father sent us here to be successful, in every aspect of our lives.  He wants us to be happy, He wants to see us accomplish our goals.  Whether it be something we want to accomplish at work, in our homes, in a church calling, or any other goal we might have, Heavenly Father is there to help us, and He has given us the knowledge we need to succeed.

-Alyssa

Loving Others As Christ Does

Hi! I'm Kate and I'm really excited about this blog. I often get overwhelmed by all the terrible things going on in the world, so I'm really excited about adding some good.

So here is my good for the month...

I feel that women, in general, are quick to judge others. Maybe part of this quality is there to help us protect our children for potentially dangerous circumstances. But mostly, this habit needs to stop. Personally, I need to purge myself of this. Lately, I've been trying to understand rather than judge. As I try to see things from a different point of view, I find myself loving those who are different from me. 

I just assume that most people are simply doing the best they can. Most people are doing a much better job than I would under the same circumstances. 

Our Savior knows everything about everyone and He loves unconditionally. Why do we, who know very little about those around us, feel inclined to judge? I hope we, myself included, can learn to see others the way the Savior does.

Overcoming Trials

Hi there!  I'm Anna, one of Cherstin's sisters-in-law.  I am delighted to have been invited to post on this wonderful new blog she has created, and I hope it will become a source of inspiration and light to many women!

I had the opportunity yesterday to enjoy some time at the beach nearby our home with some family members; my sister's family, who were visiting for the week from Arizona, and my brother's family, who live nearby.  As our little kiddoes were happily turning themselves into sand monsters, and our bigger kiddoes were enthralled with finding artifacts in the sand using the metal detector their uncle had brought, us girls enjoyed a rare chance to just sit and visit.  In the course of our conversation, the topic turned to Elizabeth Smart.  My sister-in-law shared with us a bit about the book she had been reading by her, entitled, "My Story".  After having just been discussing this amazing woman, I was pleasantly surprised to also see a quote by her in a handout that was given at church today!

One thing that happened after her 9 month ordeal with her kidnappers particularly impressed me.  Her mother took her aside and counselled her to not let this man who had done so much evil to her take another second of her life away.  Elizabeth took this to heart and has gone on to live a wonderful and productive life.  She is a great advocate and spokesperson for those who have been abused or hurt, and has been able to show many, many people that despite the worst the world will throw at them, they have the power to rise up and let the healing light and hope of Christ's atonement into their lives and hearts.

I love the scripture in Romans 8:28;  "All things work together for good, to them that love God."

Even when we have difficult trials in our lives, or we may not understand why something is happening to us, if we do our best to show God our love for him, our burdens can be turned in to blessings, for us, or others around us.  We don't always see the master picture, but the Master does, and we can take great comfort in knowing that he is always there for us.

Elizabeth Smart said: "It is not what happens to us, but how we react that determines the rest of our life."

I am grateful for her example and many other women in my life, who, regardless of their circumstances, stay close to the Lord and bless the lives of all whom they come in contact with. I hope that all of us can remember the famous quote; "10% of life is what happens to us.  90% is how we react!"

Anna is a periodical contributor for 'Strength in Charity'