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

God Answers Prayer...So Give Him A Call!

While I was reading one of the Conference Editions of the Ensign (cause you know there are hundreds of them in any missionary apartment), I came across a poem that I really liked and a prophet of God quoted it so it must be pretty great right? Right, so here it is.

I know not by what methods rare,

But this I know, God answers prayer.

I know that He has given His Word,

Which tells me prayer is always heard, 

And will be answered soon or late.

And so I pray and calmly wait. 

I know not if the blessing sought

Will come in just the way I thought;

But leave my prayers with Him alone,

Whose will is wiser than my own,

Assured that He will grant my quest,

Or send some answer far more blest.

     President Thomas S. Monson quoted this poem in one of his addresses at the October 2013 General Conference. I read that and I just thought that that was such a beautiful way of saying such simple truths. We don't know how God answers us. It doesn't really matter either. What does matter is that He is our Loving Father and He does answer when we call on Him. We may not like the answer we get either. But I know that He knows us better than we could ever know ourselves and He knows what we need, and when we need it. 

I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have of my loving  Heavenly Father who is always watching over me. I love the phrase, 'We are the offspring of Deity.' because it's totally true! We are daughters and sons of an infinite, all-knowing, all-powerful, God! Even better, He is waiting, WAITING to shower us with help and blessings and answers to all of our questions we just have to ask! So oh ye few that actually read this blog, I challenge you to right now, get on your knees and ask your Father in Heaven a question, the right way as outlined in Moroni 10:3-5, and I promise that you will receive an answer! 

Have a Wonderful Day! :)

Love-Sister Petersen

Let's all be 'Great People'!

I just recently watched the new Mormon Message about bullying and loved it so much that I wanted to focus on it for this post! :)

"Brothers and sisters, there is enough heartache and sorrow in this life without our adding to it through our own stubbornness, bitterness, and resentment."  -Pres. Dieter F. Utchdorf

When studying this topic, I came across a quote that I absolutely love! It goes like this;

"Average people talk about people. Good people talk about things. But it's the great people, who talk about ideas, and how to help others!"

I love that!!! Imagine what kind of place the world would be if we were all the 'great people' that the quote defines! Let us all strive our hardest to be great people! Let us all strive to not only talk about ideas, but about how to help and to build others! 

Bullying can take all kinds of forms, and sometimes we may not even know that what we say or do has hurt someone! Let us all be 'great people' and there won't be anything to worry about!

Love, Sister Petersen

I Can Handle It All!

I was pondering the meaning of life a couple days ago (psshh I crack myself up :) and was reminded of a comparison I had made when I saw a TV commercial a couple years ago.

The commercial is of a mother sitting at a table with various people sitting around the table with her. A very Boardroom type feel. Some of the people at the table included one of her children, the principal of her child's school, her boss at work, and her child's after school baby sitter. Each person was there to tell her about different things that they would do that would inevitably make her day a little harder. The woman's child told her that he decided to throw a fit over getting dressed, so she would be late for work. The principal of the school said that he would be calling her to tell her that her child was in a fight. The woman's boss was going to tell her to stay late because she wasn't on time. The babysitter is going to call and tell her at the last minute that she can't come that day. After sitting quietly a moment the woman looks up and says to the party, "Well, I can do it. So long as I have my [insert Brand Name] orange juice, I can handle it all!" 

Look at that statement and lets swap some things out.

"So long as I have [my Savior, Jesus Christ there with me], I can handle it all!" What a true statement. 

We may not have the luxury of people sitting around the board room to tell us how they plan on influencing our lives that day but we can have the help of the Savior in all aspects of life. No matter how long or hard the trials may last so long as we remember that one statement, everything (believe it or not) is going to be okay! :) 

I can do it!

 So long as I have my Savior,

Jesus Christ,

 here with me,

 I can handle it all!"

Love, Sister Petersen