Exemplify the Gift

day 11

"When He comes I so want to be caught living the gospel.  I want to be surprised right in the act of spreading the faith and doing something GOOD if I can.  I want the Savior to say to me, "Jeffrey," (because He knows all of our names), "I recognize you not by your title but by your life.  The way you're trying to live and the standards you're trying to defend.  I see the integrity of your heart.  I know you've tried to make things better, first and foremost by being better yourself, and then by declaring my word and defending my gospel to others in the most compassionate way you could.  I know you weren't always successful (He will certainly say) with all your own sins or with the circumstances of others but I believe you honestly tried.  I believe in your heart you truly love me."

Jeffrey R Holland

 

 

I think to myself, the Savior is watching us now, seeing how we treat people and act in hard circumstances. He knows the temptations we experience. He understands the feelings of inadequacies and failures.

 

He gets it.

He knows us.

 

So my testimony to you today, is about the power of following and exemplifying his example. He was perfect in every way and although we are all far from being perfect, we have all the abilities in the world to try to be more like Him, and be perfected through Him. I know that we can accept our inadequacies and be able to give them over to the Savior, He will take them and make them strengths.

 

Don't ever feel that you are not worthy of help or love because of your past. We all have a future that is as bright as we make it to be.

 

 

 

#sharethegift #sharegoodness

Love the Gift

day 9




I went to my cousins house last night for FHE and had a blast make Candy Trains. Because who makes gingerbread houses anymore.
(observe picture below of my "train wreck")

Pretty legit, right?

And yes, the snowmen have fallen over the railroad track, awaiting their death. Somewhat morbid, I know.

 

Anyway, on my drive home, I turned off my music and listened to the heater blow warm air on my face and hands. I allowed my thoughts and feelings to come to the front of my mind.

 

I thought about how blessed I am.

I thought about how scared I am for finals.

I thought about Matt and Greta and their adorable baby boy, who will be arriving in this world SOON!

I thought about my sister and her wonderful life and how much I miss her.

I thought about my mom. I LOVE HER.

I thought about my inadequacies and my strengths.

I thought about my friends.

I thought about the difficulties and hardships I am facing.

 

It is so easy to go from happy and wholesome thoughts, to hard and depressing thoughts. I got trapped in an array of emotions that caused me to feel as though I was less than the dust of the Earth. I started to feel that the experiences I am going through are not FAIR.

 

Why am I the one stuck with hard roommates year after year? Why do I have to be the one who is verbally attacked and talked about behind my back? What have I done that has caused this to happen to me?

 

Look at all I've done. I've been so good lately and yet, I am still suffering.

 

Then today, at work, I found this glorious quote.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the precise power that we need to overcome our natural man tendencies. We may feel that the world is against us and we are the target of people's jokes. We may feel bullied and unloved. That is not fair.

The Atonement takes away all those feelings of "fair" and "unfair". The Atonement fill us with all those happy feelings that we are missing.

 

When I read this, I was filled with LOVE because that is what I needed. I needed to feel LOVED by someone. I was seeking the love from the people around me and I wasn't getting it. I needed to go to the one and only person who understands what I am going through and can perfectly love me in the exact way I need.

 

What can we fear, when filled with such love. 

 

I know that the Lord is there  is fill us with the kind of love and happiness that we need. I know that when we go to Him, we will find the strongest and most powerful love we can ever imagine.

 

 

#sharethegift #heisthegift



 

Embrace the Gift

day 2



“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of
God, and afflicted.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”—Isaiah 53:3–5


What has the Lord done for us?

EVERYTHING

How could we repay him for all that He has done?

Take what He has given and use it!

The Atonement is not for looks or for show. It is a real thing, with so much potential energy.
Use the Atonement! Use it until you feel you have used it all, then you find that there is still so much for you to use!
The Lord has experienced ALL of our sorrows and pains. He felt our weak spirits, literally when we are about to break into thousands of pieces. His Atonement holds us together, never letting the pieces fall through the cracks. With the love that only a God can give, He gently and kindly puts us back together.

"and with his stripes we are healed."

We can be clean and whole again through our Master and Savior. The Prince of Peace, our Advocate and our Brother. As we embrace and act in accordance with the Atonement, we can find everlasting peace and an endless love that rivals all the rest.

Through the month of December, I challenge each one of you to think about ways you can #embracethegift in your own lives and help others do the same.

SHARE THE GIFT

#sharethegift

http://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HPFR112814529

Day 1

Every day until Christmas, I plan to #sharethegift in my own personal way.
I find that some of the greatest revelation I can receive, comes from sharing what I have learned and discovered with others.

Today I have been thinking a lot about the scripture in Ether, chapter 12, verse 27.

It reads: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

I can literally imagine, in my mind, giving the Lord my weaknesses, physically putting them in a bag and giving them to Him. Then saying, "I don't want these anymore. I don't want to feel weak and powerless against the adversary. Please take them away."
Then I see Him take the bag, hug me, look me in the eyes and say, "You have me, you are NEVER weak. I will make you strong."

That is a GIFT, to be able to have Him on our side, strengthening us continually.
He is on our side. He is our Defender and Advocate, someone who fights for us.

I know the Savior is there to lift us and help us at ALL times. He cares and His love is pure power. I know that if we can come unto Him with a humble heart, He will make us strong and whole again.

Favorite Scriptures of the Savior

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” Philippians 4:13


“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” —Ether 12:27


“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”—Isaiah 53:3–5

“I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” —D&C 84:88

As we prepare for this time of year, may we all be a little more like our Savior and follow the example that he has so clearly and simply set for us. 

Been a while... Welcome back!

It's been a while my friends, but I am back and ready for a new adventure of life and happiness.

I have been through A LOT this summer.
There have been things that have tested the limits of my ability to forgive and forget.
I have learned that everyone deserves to be loved and cared for, no matter what they have done or what they believe. Everyone deserves to be forgiven and loved.
And that is my goal for the year. To show people that no matter their circumstance, no matter how far they feel they have fallen off the edge, they are still here, still deserving of every ounce of love and compassion that is out there.



Everyone has been through things that have changed their perspective, life, and hearts.I have been through the hardest test of life and still struggle with it DAILY. It never leaves me. But I chose to push through it and let the warm sun radiate my spirit because I can't let the gray clouds of doubt and fear seep in.
If they do, I am afraid that I will go back to who I was.
So, I will be happy. I will chose joy and smiles over sorrows and pity.
I will help others be happy and want to choose joy over their sorrows. I don't want anyone to feel the pain and sorrow that comes from mistakes and a PAST.

Thanks to a special friend of mine, this is what my answer has been to many of my questions.

Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen. (Alma 26:37)

In Sister Byers words, "it doesn't matter where we are physically, spiritually, or emotionally- no place is too far to not feel his love."

In Jeffrey R Holland's words, "the thought I heard many years ago that surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it."

I want to be more like the Savior and be merciful and show compassion because everyone deserves that. Because that is what I deserve.

I love my God. I love my faith. I love the mercy that comes from a Savior who knows EXACTLY what I am going through, each and every day.

Heal

Bishop Merrill J. Bateman gave a talk entitled "The Power to Heal from Within"

The talk refers to an experience involving death and how it is a distinct and important part of our mortal life. He shares a story of a family friend who passed away in a car accident and how the family was able to cope with the loss of their son because of the Savior.

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: … And with his stripes we are healed”

Now, my circumstance is not as severe as death. But it is still important. Because my wounds can be healed because of the Savior, no matter how small they may seem to be.


A while ago, I hurt someone I loved. Almost immediately, I began feel all the hurt that I caused this person. I prayed for the Savior to heal the wounds that I inflicted on them. The pain so much that I couldn't bear it on my own. I gave it all over to the Savior.

These past few days, I have had more interaction with this person. This person showed me love that I didn't think I deserved. And I still don't believe I deserve it.

I'm healing too.

I don't know if I can fully appreciate all the love this person has given me until I have forgiven myself and heal with the help of my Savior.

"Whatever the source of pain, Jesus understands and can heal the spirit..."

"The Savior, as a member of the Godhead, knows each of us personally. Isaiah and the prophet Abinadi said that when Christ would “make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed”. Abinadi explains that “his seed” are the righteous, those who follow the prophets. In the garden and on the cross, Jesus saw each of us and not only bore our sins, but also experienced our deepest feelings so that he would know how to comfort and strengthen us."

"The Savior’s atonement in the garden and on the cross is intimate as well as infinite. Infinite in that it spans the eternities. Intimate in that the Savior felt each person’s pains, sufferings, and sicknesses. Consequently, he knows how to carry our sorrows and relieve our burdens that we might be healed from within, made whole persons, and receive everlasting joy in his kingdom. May our faith in the Father and the Son help each of us to become whole."

Forgiveness

I swear it wasn't my fault. But yet all the fingers point at me.
I feel like every mistake, every wrongdoing is falling back into my life yelling, no, screaming at me to remember.
Remember when you weren't so perfect.
Remember when you made so many mistakes you couldn't even feel happiness.
Remember when you pretended and faked.
Remember when you lied and cheated.
You're not so great, Emily.
You're really not.

I blame myself. Even if others are pointing their fingers, I am the one that is blaming.

I then am brought to my knees.
I am so low. So humbled.
I stain my sheets with tears and finish a box of tissues.
I don't know if forgiveness is even as option.
But then I get the most amazing feeling that says to me ever so softly,

"My dear one, forgiveness is ALWAYS an option. Never forget that I have suffered for your mistakes and that you can be made whole again through me. Remember ME. Not your wrongdoings."

  President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "To forgive is a divine attribute. It is to pardon or excuse someone from blame for an offense or misdeed. Sin is a heavy burden. It brings the tenseness of guilt and the anguish of knowing that we have acted against the will of our Father in Heaven. It brings lingering remorse as we realize that because of our actions, we may have hurt others and prevented ourselves from receiving blessings our Father has been ready to give us."

There is hope in the Savior, Jesus Christ. Whenever you feel as though all is lost, remember HIM.

His sacrifice made all the difference. I know that because of His sacrifice, I can be made clean and pure in the eyes of my Heavenly Father once more.

And right now, that's all that matters to me.

click here to know more about the blessing of forgiveness,

Day 25

Today I had the incredible opportunity to go to the Carl Bloch art exhibit in the Museum of Art here at BYU.

I read on his biography that he believed his strongest work was his religious artwork.  I would have to agree with all my heart.

It was a sort of self reflecting as I looked upon my Savior who was portrayed in many different ways. I pondered on how my Savior has influenced my life and all I can feel is gratitude for all He has done for me.

I'm HOME

Well folks,
this is me! Emily Jex back from the beautiful city of Nauvoo!

It's amazing how different I can be in just 3 1/2 months.

I know so much more!

What else can I say except this:
I know that God lives. He loves us and is so mindful of us. His hand is in our lives and it's there for a reason. I know we cannot succeed in this life without Him and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend, our Brother, and our Advocate did the most unselfish thing. As one of my friends quoted "He lowered himself to the lowest point of human existence so we could be exalted to the highest state of immortality." He knows us so well because He knows EXACTLY what we have gone through.

I won't say it has been easy being back. I miss Nauvoo and all the busy-ness of the days. But one missionary shared that in order to understand Nauvoo and the saints who lived there, you need to leave it. Leave it all behind. I have just an idea of what the Saints left when they crossed the Mississippi. But they didn't do it alone.  I have gained a testimony of angels and their strong power. Elder Jeffery R. Holland said, "...in times of special need, He sent angels, divine messengers, to bless His children, reassure them that heaven was always very close and that His help was always very near..." I know that angels are here right now, bearing us up in our day to day trials and afflictions. Not one trial goes overlooked or unknown to our Heavenly Father.

I know that not only were the pioneers protected by angels but they were led by a living prophet, Joseph Smith. He, being only 14 years old, prayed for an answer and received something much greater. The Father and His Son visited Joseph. Two Heavenly beings talked with a young boy and led him in the ways of righteousness.  Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. He restored the true and everlasting gospel and because of him I have the privilege of being a part of this true church. He sacrificed so much for this gospel. I will always remember what he suffered so we could have the fullness of the gospel in our lives today. Because of him, we have the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ. It's pages only reaffirm the truth of the gospel. By reading its pages we can feel closer to our Savior and feel His love for us.

I had the experience of a lifetime. I wouldn't have had it any other way. The city beautiful is a part of my heart and soul. "Press on, Press on, ye saints of God" ("Though Deeping Trials") I know that this church is true. I wear it on my sleeve and live it conspicuously. I love my Heavenly Father and I love my Savior. I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that this church is the true and everlasting gospel brought forth in these latter days to help us return and live with our Father in Heaven again.
I invite those who do not know for themselves to read the Book of Mormon and ponder the challenge that Moroni leaves us the Moroni 10:3-5. Pray. Ask God if these things are true.
I bear my witness to you,
in the sacred name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.

How did He do it?

This morning, while at work, my mind was still trying to wake up.... ya know 4am is kinda early.  I was letting my mind wander and go back.
I went back to this past weekend and what happened.

I know what I have to do.  But that doesn't make it any less difficult. To love someone who has wronged you is not easy.

But then I thought about the Savior.

He went through more than I can even imagine. And yet, He still loved everyone.

How did He do it?

Everyday I am trying to be more like my Savior.  Trying to love, serve, understand, care, forgive, be humble, etc.......

He is the perfect example.  I don't need to know how He did it.  I just need to have faith that if I trust in Him, I can be perfect just like Him.