Trials Are Examples of God's Love For Us! :)

Hello Again,

So I've been thinking again, I've been thinking a lot about life and the different challenges that we as individuals are asked to face.

For those of you who know me, you know that I am kinda a forgetful person. Scratch that...I'm a VERY forgetful person. It is so very easy for me to be speaking about something and then to simply forget all that I was thinking. And ofttimes its frustrating. Scratch that...it's ALWAYS frustrating. I have never been able to figure out how or why I forget things, I just do.

But that is what life is about! Facing challenges and growing from them. I have already shared this poem but it has been on my mind a lot lately and I wanted to share it again, but focus on a different aspect.

The Monument.

God,

Before He sent His children to earth

Gave each of them

A very carefully selected package

Of problems.

These, He promised, smiling,

Are yours alone. No one

Else may have the blessings

These problems will bring you.

And only you

Have the special talents and abilities

That will be needed

To make these problems

Your servants.

Now go down to your birth

And to your forgetfulness. Know that

I love you beyond measure.

These problems that I give you

Are a symbol of that love.

The monument you make of your life

With the help of your problems

Will be a symbol of your

Love for me,

Your Father.

Blaine M. Yorgason

No matter how frustrated I get at myself for forgetting things, it is something that Heavenly Father has given me to help me to learn. I know that it is from my forgetfulness that I have learned to rely on those around me more. That is just one example of many ways that Heavenly Father is teaching me through my weaknesses and trials. But that is why we have them, to learn from them! :) No one else will receive the blessings that I will receive from learning to work through my weaknesses.

The problems that we face in this life were carefully selected by our loving Father in Heaven to be of the utmost benefit to us. I'm sure we all know how challenging it is to keep this perspective while in the heat of the moment. But I know that when we take the time to step back and ask God what He wants us to learn from the experience, He will answer.(Please remember that He doesn't always answer the way we want,) I know that our Heavenly Father loves us! I know that He watches over us, and I know that He wants nothing more than for us to be happy and to become the best people that we can be.

I invite you all to ponder the trials you are facing right now and ask your Father in Heaven what you can learn from them :)

Thanks for Readin!
Love you!
Sister Petersen

Detoxing Our Lives

My companion and I have had a recent run in with some unfortunate guests. A little under a week ago, I woke up with bug bites all up and down my right arm. Well, I didn't really notice them until a day or two later when they began to itch. We spoke to our mission housing coordinator and he gave us the instruction to bag up ALL of our clothing and bedding and wash it in hot water. Let me clarify for a moment that it is two sister missionaries in their early twenties living in this apartment. That is a lot of clothes!!! But we got started anyway. About half way through bagging up all of our clothes, we called the mission president and his wife and we had a nice little talk( more like a freak out) about what was happening and how we were feeling. My companion and I both were ready to walk away from the whole thing. Burn the clothes, send the apartment up in smoke and get us the heck out because we were ready to be done!  But obviously that wasn't something that we could do.

After reassessing the situation(i.e. type of bugs, who was bitten and where,) we had established that not as many detox measures were necessary. But we still washed all of my belongings, flipped my bed and box spring on their sides and thoroughly doused them in insecticide, as well as the carpet and floor boards near and around my bed.  By the time that we went to bed last night we were both exhausted and feeling slightly at ease, assuming that the problem had been taken care of.

Lesson number 100 from this experience, never assume. My companion awoke this morning with new bug bites of her own. More washing and cleaning took place all day today and now we are even more sure that we are officially de-bugged.

But the point of this blog post is not to complain about our problems. Thankfully, through this whole experience we were both able to see the very clear gospel parallel. Bedbugs = Sin.

No one really knows what invited the bugs to come live in my bedroom. It could have been a window or a door left open too long. It could have been a crumb or two dropped when eating in that room. It could be any number of things, but we know that it was a lack of concentration on our part. We missed something along the way, and one thing lead to another and a bug got in. That bug got comfy, and invited some friends. The same principle applies to sin. We lose focus, or get lazy, or get careless even for the shortest time. Thinking "I can eat on my bed, its not gonna hurt anything" or "I can allow this small little mistake to slip by." and before we know it our lives are filled with unwanted filthy sinful habits that take a lot of time and resources and effort to remove from our lives. Who knew that something so simple could eventually lead to something so problematic.

That is a mindset that we get sucked into all of the time. We allow ourselves to get comfortable with sin.

I know that our loving Heavenly Father blesses us with guideposts to keep us safe, healthy and most importantly, Happy!  The commandments are those guideposts to a full and happy life. God is the creator of the universe. He created the earth and all things thereon, wouldn't it make sense that He would know what rules and guidelines to put in place to protect his children from the things on the earth??!!

I have a strong testimony that God is our Father and He loves us more than we can ever comprehend. I know that He blesses His children. I am so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I know that it has truly been a blessing in my life. I invite all who read this to ponder what the bedbugs are in your life and to take care of them now! :)

Thanks so much for readin!
Love, Sister Petersen

For I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ

Hello!

This week I have been thinking a lot about following Jesus Christ and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. My missionary companion pulled out this poem and I immediately fell in love with it.

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed.

The dye has been cast! 

I have stepped over the line. 

The decision has been made; 

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

I won’t look back, let up, slow down, or be still.

 My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. 

I’m finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tainted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits or popularity. 

I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, and my goal is Heaven.

My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear!

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed. 

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, or let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up, for the cause of Christ. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till I know, and work till He stops me. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ," (Romans 1:16)

In Philippians 4:13 Paul states, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.', and also in the Doctrine & Covenants 24:7 it says, 'For thou shalt devote all thy service in Zion, and in this thou shalt have strength.' It seems like such a blessed cycle. We have to do our best to represent the Savior and to do what we know to be true, but all the while He is still blessing us with the strength that we need to be His witnesses. 

Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, The Young Women General President, swapped a scripture that I really loved. Many of us have heard the scripture, 'Of whom much is given, much is required.' Sister Oscarson swapped it and said, 'Of whom much is required, much is given.' The blessings that come from being a disciple of Christ are innumerable! May we always remember to serve the Savior with every fiber of our beings and He blesses us with the extra strength to continue! 

Thanks for readin! 

Love, Sister Petersen

Gratitude Is A Way of Life

Hello, Its me again. And I've been thinking, (I know, I know, people warn me about thinking all the time but I still do it.) I've been thinking a lot about life, specifically our lives and how we can live them. People are always looking for the cure to unhappiness or looking for the ultimate "How to live a good life" book. Well, I think that those things don't exist. There is no cure. There is no magical book. There is no secret to life. But there is a secret to being happy in our circumstances. Gratitude.

In his April 2014 Conference address, President Dieter F. Utchdorf stated,
"We can choose to be grateful, no matter what. This type of gratitude transcends whatever is happening around us. It surpasses disappointment, discouragement, and despair. It blooms just as beautifully in the icy landscape of winter as it does in the pleasant warmth of summer. When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ’s Atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven’s embrace."

That sounds like a pretty comforting promise to me. "In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven's embrace." I love that! Our Father in Heaven loves us and is always raining His blessings upon us, but it is when we allow our gratitude to open our eyes that we are more aware of those blessings. When I think of the times that I am the happiest in my life, its been when I recognize the countless ways that God has blessed me. One of my favorite things to think about is the fact that our blessings literally multiply when we count them. 

I am so very grateful for my Heavenly Father and the love that He has for me. I know that He sent His son to the earth to atone for the sins of the world, I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I am so very grateful to my Father in Heaven for the family that He has blessed me with, and I am even more grateful that my parents made the decision to be married for time and all eternity in the temple!

Love, Sister Petersen

P.S. I am also super grateful to those out there that take the time to read what I have to say. :)  

"Washed Clean!"

I recently came across this poem that I really fell in love with, and I wanted to share.

In ancient times the cry “Unclean!”

Would warn of lepers near.

“Unclean! Unclean!” the words rang out;

Then all drew back in fear,

Lest by the touch of lepers’ hands

They, too, would lepers be.

There was no cure in ancient times,

Just hopeless agony.

No soap, no balm, no medicine

Could stay disease or pain.

There was no salve, no cleansing bath,

To make them well again.

But there was One, the record shows,

Whose touch could make them pure;

Could ease their awful suffering,

Their rotting flesh restore.

His coming long had been foretold.

Signs would precede His birth.

A Son of God to woman born,

With power to cleanse the earth.

The day He made ten lepers whole,

The day He made them clean,

Well symbolized His ministry

And what His life would mean

However great that miracle,

This was not why He came.

He came to rescue every soul

From death, from sin, from shame.

For greater miracles, He said,

His servants yet would do,

To rescue every living soul,

Not just heal up the few.

Though we’re redeemed from mortal death,

We still can’t enter in

Unless we’re clean, cleansed every whit,

From every mortal sin.

What must be done to make us clean

We cannot do alone.

The law, to be a law, requires

A pure one must atone.

He taught that justice will be stayed

Till mercy’s claim be heard

If we repent and are baptized

And live by every word. …

If we could only understand
All we have heard and seen,
We’d know there is no greater gift
Than those two words—“Washed clean!”

-Elder Boyd K Packer

I am so very grateful for the knowledge that I have of my Savior and the amazing sacrifice that He has made for me. I am so thankful that I have the blessed opportunity to be forgiven for the mistakes that I have made.

Learn More about Forgiveness at mormon.org/jesus-christ

Love, Sister Petersen

The Touch of the Master's Hand

I'm sure some of you have probably already heard it and are probably quite familiar with this poem but I love it so much and I really wanted to share it! :)

Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer

Thought it scarcely worth his while 

To waste much time on the old violin, 

But held it up with a smile: 

“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried, 

“Who’ll start the bidding for me?” 

“A dollar, a dollar”; then, “Two!” “Only two? 

Two dollars, and who’ll make it three? 

Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice; 

Going for three—” But no, 

From the room, far back, a gray-haired man 

Came forward and picked up the bow; 

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin, 

And tightening the loose strings, 

He played a melody pure and sweet 

As a caroling angel sings. 

The music ceased, and the auctioneer, 

With a voice that was quiet and low, 

Said, “What am I bid for the old violin?” 

And he held it up with the bow. 

“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two? 

Two thousand! And who’ll make it three? 

Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice, 

And going, and gone!” said he. 

The people cheered, but some of them cried, 

“We do not quite understand 

What changed its worth.” Swift came the reply: 

“The touch of a master’s hand.” 

And many a man with life out of tune, 

And battered and scarred with sin, 

Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, 

Much like the old violin. 

A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine, 

A game—and he travels on. 

He’s “going” once, and “going” twice, 

He’s “going” and almost “gone.” 

But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd 

Never can quite understand 

The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought 

By the touch of the Master’s hand. 

We are so blessed for the opportunity that we have to take advantage of our Savior's Atonement. He has suffered the pains of the world so that we can be cleansed from all sorrow. We may be 'battered and scarred with sin' and feel as though we are hardly worth a dime but with the aid of our Savior we have the opportunity to change ourselves into the priceless instrument in His hands that He would have us be. What changes our worth?

The Touch of the Master's Hand.

Love, Sister Petersen

What Will Your Monument Be?

Today while at a member's home for dinner, we got to talking about good books that we have read. The book Charlie's Monument, by Blaine M. Yorgason was mentioned and that took the conversation a little further. I love this book but I love the poem included in the book even more!

The Monument

God,
Before He sent His children to earth
Gave each of them
A very carefully selected package
Of problems.

These, He promised, smiling,
Are yours alone. No one
Else may have the blessings
These problems will bring you.

And only you
Have the special talents and abilities
That will be needed
To make these problems
Your servants.

Now go down to your birth
And to your forgetfulness. Know that
I love you beyond measure.
These problems that I give you
Are a symbol of that love.

The monument you make of your life
With the help of your problems
Will be a symbol of your
Love for me,
Your Father.

Blaine M. Yorgason

I love that so much! My loving Heavenly Father 'carefully selected' the problems that I would have in my life and knew that only I could do it! I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that my Father in Heaven loves me! He loves me so much that He took the extra care to assure that the problems and trials that I face in this life are specially fitted for me and for my growth!

The same goes for all you. God carefully selected the trials that you face in life because He knows that no one will handle it better than you! What we make of our lives is how we show our love and gratitude to our Father in Heaven. For us to take these problems God gave us and to truly overcome them and to 'make these problems [our] servants' makes our Father in Heaven so happy. And I can't imagine a better motivator, than to make someone I love proud of me!

As I sit here typing this, I am reminded of one of my favorite LDS musical numbers. Its called The Test, written by Janice Kapp Perry. Its about a man asking his blind friend why Jesus Christ doesn't heal him. And I just love the blind man's response;

Didn't He say, He sent us to be tested?
Didn't He say the way would not be sure?
But, didn't He say, we can live with Him,
Well and whole, if we but faithfully endure?
After the trials, we will be blessed.
But this life, is The Test.

Our Father in Heaven has given us these beautiful blessings in the form of tests, and trials, and problems. It's really hard to feel this way in the heat of a trial, but I truly feel honored that my Heavenly Father trusts me with my problems because they are hard! I struggle with them and I want to give up, but when I don't, I can truly feel the loving and protecting arms of my Savior Jesus Christ enfold me and I know that I can carry on because my Father in Heaven knows that I can!

I am truly grateful that I have the opportunity and the responsibility to share this glorious gospel with the people of Oregon. I hope you all have a wonderful day and please take a little extra time in your prayers and thank God for your problems! :)

Love-Sister Petersen