For Today...

Yesterday fear gripped me as I thought of all the evil and wickedness and turmoil and unrest in the world.  And what I feared most was the unpredictability of the unknown.

But today I am shifting my views to the good that is still left in the world, the beautiful nature that surrounds me, all these tender mercies that a good Father bestows.  It is all grace, even the hard times.  And we must give thanks and praise to our Heavenly Father for all times and seasons.  But sometimes giving thanks for the hard is difficult.  It takes time to learn this new language of thanks when what we want to do is worry, complain about our trials, and be pessimistic.  I continue to work on this language-learning, and until I can master it fully, I will glory in doing the easy gratitude--thanks for all that's good around me.

Because it's there.  We just have to notice it.

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Do your Duty.

A talk from Elder Joesph B. Wirthlin shed light upon yet another aspect of happiness.  Said he:

"When we accept duties willingly and faithfully, we find happiness. Those who make happiness the chief objective of life are bound to fail, for happiness is a by-product rather than an end in itself. Happiness comes from doing one’s duty and knowing that his life is in harmony with God and His commandments."

And what are our duties?  They are the assignments given to us from Heavenly Father.  Search your heart to know exactly which duties you've been entrusted with.  May I suggest that for men the God-given duties include being a husband, father, and provider.  For women, a wife, mother, and nurturer.  And for both, accepting the calls the Lord gives to serve our fellowmen.  As life meanders along, calls to serve may change.  But always there will be duties to perform and happiness to find. There is little that compares with the joy one feels after a duty is performed well.  It just feels so good to know that you have done all that is expected of you and your heart swells with gratitude to God for the opportunity to serve.

Happy Challenge:
Think of at least one duty today that you can give your whole heart, mind, and soul.  Do this one duty well and commit to always striving to do your duties with a willing and submissive heart.  Happiness will surely follow.

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Approaching Perfection.

Have you ever considered that happiness, the true kind, the kind that stays in your heart long after a joyful moment or experience has faded into the twilight, bursts forth from the wellspring of a relationship with Deity?  Consider the words of the prophet Joseph Smith:

“We consider that God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and that the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker and is caught up to dwell with Him. But we consider that this is a station to which no man ever arrived in a moment: he must have been instructed in the government and laws of that kingdom by proper degrees, until his mind is capable in some measure of comprehending the propriety, justice, equality, and consistency of the same” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith [1976], sel. Joseph Fielding Smith, 51).

"The nearer man approaches perfection"--in other words, the nearer a man approaches God, for is He not the sum of perfection?  This one little phrase, the simplest and yet by far the hardest test of mortality---to  approach perfection.  This one little key can unlock happiness?  This forging ahead and trying and failing and repenting and rising a little higher?  And with each step closer to God, "the greater [our] enjoyments."  The greater our joy.  The greater our happiness.  And if we feel somewhat unhappy today, could we move a step closer to our Maker tomorrow?  Would we, in turn, feel a bit closer to a lasting form of happiness as well?  Yes, we will.  But don't just take my word for it.  Try it out yourself.  And see.

Happy Challenge:
Identify one step you can take to approach a little closer to perfection, a little closer to God.  Just one.  And when you've taken that step, don't be satisfied.  Take another.  And another.  And another.  Measure the increase of your happiness after the span of a week.  And a month.  And even a year.  Record your transformation.  Each step, each habit conquered, is a molding of ourselves to the image of Christ.  Every step makes a difference, each small effort is eternally needed.  Don't discount the small and simple things.

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Quest for Happiness...or something more?

I have been thinking a lot about happiness, as I always do.  It truly seems to be the object and the goal of every person.  To seek joy and receive it in abundance.  But for several days I have been having a slight paradigm shift.  Perhaps there's something more to life than seeking for happiness.

The words of Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin are thought-provoking:

"Those who make happiness the chief objective of life are bound to fail, for happiness is a by-product rather than an end in itself."

A strong statement like that makes me realize that this lifetime quest should be to find the things that will bring happiness if they are done well.  What are some of these things?  I'm sure there are many.  And for the next several days, I will explore the things I have found that bring real and lasting happiness, practical things that any of us can do.  For today, here is one.

1. Maybe we should make the quest of our lifetime, the quest to receive the Spirit of the Holy Ghost.  There is a quote I love by Parley P. Pratt that sums it all up:

“The gift of the Holy Ghost … quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being” (Key to the Science of Theology, 9th ed. [1965], 101).

Did you catch that?  "It (meaning the Spirit of the Lord) is joy to the heart."  For the past week I have been attempting to make the quest of each day the quest to obtain and keep the Spirit in my heart.  As I have done so, happiness has been my lot.  How can one not be happy when the Spirit covers one wit a sense of sublime peace?  Even if daily circumstances do not seem conducive to happiness, if we will do something, anything to obtain a greater portion of the Holy Ghost, inward happiness, the kind that really counts, will flow to us like manna from heaven.  And this is why I love this thought so much.  This seeking and gaining the Spirit is a sure guarantee for happiness...true happiness that doesn't go away or dissolve or fade.

In closing, ponder on the words of Elder Keith K. Hilbig today.  They are beautiful:

"In the Pearl of Great Price, Moses recorded that Adam, having been baptized and having received the Holy Ghost, 'became quickened in the inner man.'

"When we invite the Holy Ghost to fill our minds with light and knowledge, He 'quickens' us, that is to say, enlightens and enlivens the inner man or woman. As a result we notice a measurable difference in our soul. We feel strengthened, filled with peace and joy. We possess spiritual energy and enthusiasm, both of which enhance our natural abilities. We can accomplish more than we otherwise could do on our own. We yearn to become a holier person."

Happy Challenge:
Today, and every day, seek the Spirit of the Holy Ghost.  When you are feeling down, stop and do something that invites the Holy Ghost into your heart--sing a hymn, read a scripture, serve a child, smile, pray.  Then stand back and watch your happiness meter grow.

Mountaintop Pondering

Last week we had two family vacations, I was sick with a cold, and we had a wonderful week.  While on our campout up in the moutaintops, I took time to really ponder my life and simplify.

We hiked 3 miles up to a lake and 3 miles back down.  And during the hike I breathed in the surrounding nature and communed with my Heavenly Father.  Together, we simplified and realigned priorities, and created a schedule for the upcoming school year.  And then, several times during the hike, a light drizzle would fall from the sunny heavens, and it seemed to me to be a confirmation to the ideas I was receiving.

Now today I begin again to live a new routine.  Until last week, I dreaded the thought of changing up my schedule every so often.  It seemed that just when I'd construct one, life would change and I would have to start all over.  I wondered when, if ever, I would find the perfect routine.  But during my simplification process last week, the Spirit whispered a truth that has changed my paradigm:

"It's okay that I have to realign priorities and develop new routines/rhythms.  I did this in school each year, each semester, trimester, and quarter.  Life is constantly changing.  I have faith that the Lord will help me create an excellent way each time I have to adjust."

You see, it doesn't mean that the routine was wrong, when it comes time to change.  Life will always flow and change as the times and seasons do.  There is no one perfect routine.  One must be constructed again and again, and if done with the help of the Spirit, every routine can be perfect.  Now I know that I have found the perfect routine...at least for now.  And someday, life will cause me to tweak certain parts of the schedule, and maybe overhaul completely, but for now, it's perfect.


Happy Challenge:

Evaluate your routine or rhythm.  Ask the Lord if your life is going in the direction He wills.  Adjust priorities, if necessary, and create or tweak your routine until it fits the plan the Lord has for your life in this season.

Simplify by Serving.

Today is the last day in this Simplification Series.  I may revisit the subject as time goes on and I glean more experience, but for today, may I share one more way we might simplify.

That of service.

At first, this doesn't seem like simplifying at all.  It appears like more things to add to our overflowing plate.  But I'm not suggesting we become "Super-Mom" or "Super-Dad" or even "Super-Server."

I am suggesting that we offer our services to the Lord in prayer each morning and ask Him to bless us with inspiration to know how to bless the life of just one person....

A few years ago I had the impression that if I committed to blessing just one person's life each day, by the end of my 80 or something years I would help the Lord in blessing thousands of life.  I recorded in my journal that I wanted to seek to bless the life of one person every day.

As the years have passed, there have been times where I've been more focused and committed than other times.  There have been times when I have felt the joy of daily service to those in my circle of friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, and times when I have felt to focus my blessing on those in my immediate family.  But always, ever present in the back of my mind, is that little voice that whispers of that day when I received that personal "call."

Today I have the desire to recommit and serve...just one person...just one small and simple thing...every day.



Happy Challenge:


Read these beautiful words and see if your heart doesn't swell with the desire to reach out and bless someone's life...

“God bless all who endeavor to be their brother’s keeper, who give to ameliorate suffering, who strive with all that is good within them to make a better world. Have you noticed that such individuals have a brighter smile? Their footsteps are more certain. They have an aura about them of contentment and satisfaction … for one cannot participate in helping others without experiencing a rich blessing himself.”  ~Thomas S. Monson, “Our Brothers’ Keepers,” Ensign, June 1998, 39

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Simplify by Listening.

Just for today, make the choice to listen a little more closely to the voice of the Spirit.  Just a few minutes ago I was talking with my husband on his lunch break and spilling to him the worries and troubles from my heart.  In his wise and wonderful way, he asked me to do 2 things for him.

#1. Follow the Spirit.  He asked me to do what I am prompted to do for the Spirit will lead me to do things that will comfort and uplift my soul.

#2. Be comforted.  He promised me that because of prayers and faith the Lord would seek to comfort me today.  But I must let the comfort in.  I must choose to feel the comfort He will inevitably provide for me.

And then he asked me to have faith.  So I promised I would do these things, he told me he loved me, and we said goodbye.

Now it has been 25 minutes since I hung up the phone and I am already witnessing miracles from acting on the two simple suggestions from my sweetheart.  I know that I will only witness more as the day goes on.

Thank you, Sweetie, for your words and wisdom.  And thank Thee, Father, for the miracles.

Would you care to take the challenge as well?  I can only attest that miracles will follow--even if they are small and simple.  They will come.  They have for me...