Last night I had a spirited discussion on twitter about trials.  The statement was made “In the present, we call them trials; in the future we will call them tender mercies of The Lord.” .  I took issue with the statement because trials are still trials even if they serve a noble purpose in the end.  To me calling them tender mercies from the Lord is like giving people permission to cause pain because in the end the Lord uses it to do good.  As my old seminary teacher used to say

‘Judas is not off the hook’. 

I actually heard someone argue once that rape victims should be grateful for their experience because it made them strong and turn to the Lord.  The person last night was not inferring this but isn’t it a necessary stretch of the argument that if trials are truly blessings from the Lord than…

I haven’t done a poetry post in a long time.  The concept of hope has been on my mind lately.  We all have our little disappointments in life, where things don’t turn out as we had wished. Experiences where people disappoint us or even God seemingly lets us down.  We have to remember that He knows the path and knows what will purify us the most.  He loves all of us more than we can understand.  Hope and trust in His mercy is what gets us through it. I liked how these poems express both the disappointment and hope that we often feel.

I wish I was more of a poet but at least I can enjoy and be uplifted by the gifts of others. I was particularly thinking about this with some challenges of late but especially with my friend who has a very little one in the NICU…

Ok.  After my little rant in the last post let me use up some more of my insomnia time with slightly more happy thoughts.  Today I want to say thank you for my bubble. People often say in a derogatory way ‘you are living life in a bubble’.  This usually implies that a person is closed minded or a simpleton in his or her views.

I disagree.  I am aware of those views which are different than mine and often ponder issues from their perspective, each time returning back to what I believe and think.  A constancy in one’s opinion does not necessarily prove thoughtlessness on the part of the thinker.  In fact, those that are easily swayed on important issues probably haven’t pondered them much in the first place.

Anyway, I digress.  I am grateful that I can surround myself with support in so many ways.  There is of…

So yesterday I got a little stomach bug so I decided to stay home today and rest.  My stomach is still feeling pretty tender but I’ve had some improvement. Since I missed church I gave myself a mini-sermon.

Jesus famously told his disciples “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.” (Matt 6:14).  On first glance it can seem like we have it harder than the Lord.  We have to forgive everyone.

President Kimball said “Since forgiveness is an absolute requirement in attaining eternal life, man naturally ponders: How can I best secure that forgiveness? One of many basic factors stands out as indispensable immediately: One must forgive to be forgiven”

One must forgive to be forgiven…Powerful words.  But it can feel so hard.

President Kimball admits it is hard “Hard to do? Of course. The Lord never promised…