"Climb 'til your Dreams come True"

Often your tasks will be many,
And more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged
And the hills insurmountable, too.
But always remember,
The hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem,
And with Faith in your heart
Start upward
And climb 'til you reach your dream.
For nothing in life that is worthy
Is ever too hard to achieve
If you have the courage to try it,
And you have the faith to believe.
For faith is a force that is greater
Than knowledge or power or skill,
And many defeats turn to triumph
If you trust in God's wisdom and will.
For faith is a mover of mountains,
There's nothing that God cannot do,
So, start out today with faith in your heart,
And climb 'til your dream comes true!

-Helen Steiner Rice 

"More" --a Song

MORE

(written by Kenneth Cope)

More steady, more sure

More trusted, more pure

Some say it doesn’t matter

More trained and more aware

More aim to get me there

I climb this far

You raise the bar

You want my heart

 

 

More fierce desire

To stand against the wind

More blazing fire

When dark is closing in

More love inspired change within

So there’s more and more of me to give

 

More words to learn and know

More etched upon my soul

Some say it doesn’t matter

More tried, more true

Less me, and much more You

I stretch this tall

You sound the call

You want my all

 

More fierce desire

To stand against the wind

More blazing fire

When dark is closing in

More love inspired change within

So there’s more and more of me to give

 

 

You keep reaching out

—

You’re calling out to me for

More strengthened shoulders

To face the war with sin

More wise and bolder

To save the souls of men

A more faithful soldier to the end

You want more and more of me to give

More and more of

me to give

More love, more light, more purpose, more serve with all my might

I need more hope, more faith, more patience, each day I pray for more

More and more of me to give

More fire, more zeal, more spirit to know what’s real

More courage, more joy, more, more and more of me to give

More grateful, more true, more humble to trust and do

You call, I hear

I’ll walk the path that’s set in stone

My heart is fixed on getting home

And what on earth could ever matter more?

More and more of me to give

More

 

 

Confidence from God

Our only confidence can be in God; our only wisdom obtained from Him; and He alone must be our protector and safeguard, spiritually and temporally, or we fall
--Joseph Smith

Work = HAPPINESS!

For thou shalt eat the labor of thy hands; happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
--Psalms 128:2

"Four Things"

Four things a man must learn to do
If he would mke his record true:
To think without confusion clearly;
To love his fellowman sincerely;
To act from honest motives purely;
To trust in God and Heaven securely.

Our Scriptures... like Cellphones?

I wonder what would happen if we treated our scriptures like we treat our cell phones?

What if we carried them around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get them if we forgot them?

What if we flipped through them several times a day?

What if we used them to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated them like we couldn’t live without them?

What if we gave them to kids as gifts?

What if we used them as we traveled?

What if we used them as a standard part of our lives AND for emergencies?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phones, we really don’t have to worry about our scriptures being disconnected because Christ already paid the bill… 

--Unknown 

"Excuse this House"

Some houses try to hide the fact
That children shelter there,
Ours boasts it quite openly,
The signs are everywhere.

For smears are on the windows,
Little smudges are on the doors
I should apologize, I guess
For toys strew on the floor.

But I sat down with my child
And we played and laughed and read
And if the doorbell doesn’t shine,
His eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I’m forced to choose
The one job or the other,
I’d like to cook and clean and scrub,
But first I’ll be a mother.

--Unknown

How do we teach about Christ?

We do not draw people to Chrst by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are, and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.

--Madeline L'Engle

Christ-- The Light

Mosiah 16:9 He is the light and the life of the world; yeah a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yeah, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.

Endurance in the Gospel

Revelation 2:7, 10-11, 17, 26-28
7...To him that ^bovercometh will I give to eat of the ^ctree of life, which is in the midst of the ^dparadise of God.
10 ...be thou faithful unto ^cdeath, and I will ^dgive thee a ^ecrown of life.
11... He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second ^adeath.
17 ... To him that ^aovercometh will I give to eat of the hidden ^bmanna, and will give him a ^cwhite ^dstone, and in the stone a new ^ename written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
 26  ^aAnd he that ^bovercometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give ^cpower over the nations:

 27 And he shall rule them with a ^arod of iron; as the ^bvessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

 28 And I will give him the morning ^astar.

Revelation 3: 5, 12, 21

5 He that ^aovercometh, the same shall be clothed in ^bwhite ^craiment; and I will not ^dblot out his name out of the ^ebook of life, but I will ^fconfess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

 12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the ^aname of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is ^bnew Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

 21 To him that ^aovercometh will I grant to ^bsit with me in my ^cthrone, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

LOVE!

Leviticus 19: 18 ¶Thou shalt not ^aavenge, nor bear any ^bgrudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt ^clove thy ^dneighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

Mark 12: 30 And thou shalt ^alove the Lord thy God with all thy ^bheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy ^cstrength: this is the first commandment.

 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Power!

When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power.
--Larry H Miller

Friends

Surround yourself with associates of your choice, who are powerful in a good way, and who will be a blessing to you.

The Devil doesn't like you

Alma 30:60 And thus we see the end of him who ^aperverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not ^bsupport his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to ^chell.

"Washed Clean"

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!”

--President Packer

Confidence!!

“You can’t live your life worrying that the world is staring at you. When you let people’s opinions make you self-conscious you give away your power. … The key to feeling [confident] is to always listen to your inner self—[the real you.]” ⁸ And in the kingdom of God, the real you is “more precious than rubies.”

--Elder Holland (Oct. 2005, "To the Young Women") (but it is for EVERYONE)

How to Cheer up!

Good cheer is something more than faith in the future, it is gratitude fo the past, and joy in the present.
--Unknown

"If you can't be a Pine"

 








 If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill
Be a scrub in the valley--but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

 

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,
And some highway some happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass--
But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,
There's something for all of us here.
There's big work to do and there's lesser to do,
And the task we must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail--
Be the best of whatever you are!

--Douglas Malloch.

"Carry On"

It’s easy to fight when everything’s right,
And you’re mad with thrill and the glory;
It’s easy to cheer when victory’s near,
And wallow in fields that are gory.
It’s a different song when everything’s wrong,
When you’re feeling infernally mortal;
When it’s ten against one, and hope there is none,
Buck up, little soldier, and chortle:

      Carry on! Carry on!
   There isn’t much punch in your blow.
You are glaring and staring and hitting out blind;
You are muddy and bloody, but never you mind.
      Carry on! Carry on!
   You haven’t the ghost of a show.
It’s looking like death, but while you’ve a breath,
       Carry on, my son! Carry on! 

And so in the strife of the battle of life
It’s easy to fight when you’re winning;
It’s easy to slave, and starve and be brave,
When the dawn of success is beginning.
But the man who can meet despair and defeat
With a cheer, there’s the man of God’s choosing;
The man who can fight to Heaven’s own height
Is the man who can fight when he’s losing.
   
      Carry on! Carry on!
   Thing never were looming so black.
But show that you haven’t a cowardly streak,
And though you’re unlucky you never are weak.
      Carry on! Carry on!
   Brace up for another attack.
It’s looking like hell, but – you never tell.
      Carry on, old man! Carry on!

There are some who drift out in the desert of doubt
And some who in brutishness wallow;
There are others, I know, who in piety go
Because of a Heaven to follow.
But to labor with zest, and to give of your best,
For the sweetness and joy of the giving;
To help folks along with a hand and a song;
Why, there’s the real sunshine of living.

      Carry on! Carry on!
   Fight the good fight and true;
Believe in your mission, greet life with a cheer;
There’s big work to do, and that’s why you are here.
      Carry on! Carry on!
   Let the world be the better for you;
And at last when you die, let this be your cry!
      Carry on, my soul! Carry on!

--Robert Service 

Service!

I slept and dreamt that life was joy,
I awoke and saw that life was servie,
I acted, and behold, service was joy.
--Rabindranath Tagore

"If you Think you are Beaten"

“If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you've lost,
For out in the world we find
Success being with a fellow's will;
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are:
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.” 

 --Walter D Wintle

Peace

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world
-John 16:33

"True Nobility"

Who does his task from day to day
And meets whatever comes his way,
Believing God has willed it so.
Has found real greatness here below.
Who guards his post, no matter where,
Believing God must need him there,
Although but lowly toil it be,
Has risen to nobility.
For great and low there's but one test:
`Tis that each man shall do his best.
Who works with all the strength he can
Shall never die in debt to man.

--Edgar Guest 

"The Fellowship of the Unashamed"

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, tinted visions, worldly talking,
cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, positions,
promotions, plaudits, or popularity.
I don’t have to be right, first, recognized, praised,
regarded, or rewarded.

I now live by Faith, lean on His presence,
walk with patience.
I am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.
My face is set, my gait is fast,
my goal is heaven.
My road is narrow, my way is rough,
my companions 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 with 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 all
know, and work till He stops me.  And when He returns for His Own, He will have no problem
recognizing me.  My Banner will be clear.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it
is the power of GOD unto Salvation to every one
that believeth…” Romans 1:16.

Some thoughts from Confucius

I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.

Study the past if you will define the future.

Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.

Mens' natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart.
 
What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.

The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved. 

When anger arises, think of the consequences

Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.
 
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.

It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop. 

Respect yourself and others will respect you 

He who excersizes government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.
 

Trust in God=Happiness

 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us ^acheerfully ^bdo all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the ^csalvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

--D&C 123:17

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance,

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

--William E Henley.

Answer to Invictus/"The Soul's Captain"

Art thou in truth? Then what of him

Who bought thee with his blood?

Who plunged into devouring seas

And snatched thee from the flood?

Who bore for all our fallen race

What none but him could bear. –

The God who died that man might live,

And endless glory share?

Of what avail thy vaunted strength,

Apart from his vast might?

Pray that his Light may pierce the gloom,

That thou mayest see aright.

Men are as bubbles on the wave,

As leaves upon the tree.

Thou, captain of thy soul, forsooth

Who gave that place to thee?

Free will is thine -- free agency

To wield for right or wrong;

But thou must answer unto him

To whom all souls belong.

Bend to the dust that head "unbowed,"

Small part of Life's great whole!

And see in him, and him alone,

The Captain of thy soul

--Elder Orson F Whitney

Leadership

"A good leader is not the person who does things right, but the person who finds the right things to do" -- Anthony T Dadovano

"The Lord needs builders, not just cartakers" --Charles W Dahlquist 

"Leading is teaching." David Bednar

"The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers" --Ralph Nader

"Leaders don't force people to follow--they invite them on a journey" Charles S Lauer

"My Symphony"

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion, to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, to do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony.

--William Henry Channing

House-Building

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace.

--C S Lewis 

 

"Good Timber"

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.

--Douglas Malloch

How to be purified...

Therefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with His love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of His Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.
--Moroni 7:38

What is a Successful Leader?

This, the, is the description-- yes, the definition-- of the successful leader. Neither wealth, nor fame, nor any other instrument of power can ever be more reliable in assuring his security and peace of mind than the knowledge of having inspired gratitude in another.
--Pres. Thomas S Monson

Faith, Hope, and Charity

There are three lessons I would write-
Three words, as with a burning pen,
In tracings of eternal light,
Upon the heart of men.

Have hope! though clouds environ round,
And gladness hides her face in scorn,
Put thou the shadow from thy brow,
No night but hath its morn.

Have faith! where're thy bark is driven-
The calm's disport, the tempest's mirth-
Know this: God rules the hosts of heaven,
The inhabitants of earth.

Have love! not love alone for one,
But man as man thy brother call,
And scatter like the circling sun,
Thy charities on all.

Thus grave these lessons on thy soul,
Hope, faith, and love; and thou shalt find
Strength when life's surges rudest roll,
Light when thou else wert blind.

--Friedrich von Schiller 

Doormats or Peacmakers?

A "no" uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a "yes" uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.
--Gandhi

Happiness--Depends on your Attitude

"I've learned that paradise is not a place, but rather an attitude"
--Ben Behunin (Remembering Isaac, pg 123)

"He taught me that day that happiness was the result of deciding to be happy, and told me I was old enough to make that decision for myself"
--ibid (pg 110)

Work

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish the small tasks as if they were great and noble.
--Helen Keller

"Winds of Fate"

One ship drives east and another drives west

With the selfsame winds that blow.

'Tis the set of the sails,

And Not the gales,

That tell us the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate;

As we voyage along through life,

'Tis the set of a soul

That decides its goal,

And not the calm or the strife.

--Ella Wheeler Wilcox

"Slow Dance"

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round, or listened to rain slapping the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight, or gazed at the sun fading into the night?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly, when you ask "How are you?", do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed, with the next hundred chores running through your head?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.

Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow, and in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a friendship die, 'cause you never had time to call and say hi?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day, it's like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life isn't a race, so take it slower, hear the music before your song is over.

--David L Weathford

Doing is what Counts

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

--Theodore Roosevelt

Believe in Yourself and Belief

one life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice who you are, and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.
--Joan of Arc

Babies don't keep

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow,
For babies grow up, I've learned, to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cbowebs. Dust, go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.
--Unknown

BE YOURSELF!!

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

--Marianne Williamson
(also quoted by Nelson Mandela, and in "Akela and the Bee")

It matters to God

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful. You will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

--as quoted by Mother Theresa

Trust in Him

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not on thine own understanding. in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust God

Our only confidence can be in God; our only wisdom obtained from Him; and He alone must be our protector and safeguard, spiritually and temporally, or we fall.
--Joseph Smith

May I have Thy Spirit?

O Lord, pour out thy spirit upon thy servant, that (s)he may do this work with holiness of heart.
Mosiah 18:12

A Tool for God

I once owned a pen that I loved to use during my career as an airline captain. By simply turning the shaft, I could choose one of four colors. The pen did not complain when I wanted to use red ink instead of blue. It did not say to me, “I would rather not write after 10:00 p.m., in heavy fog, or at high altitudes.” The pen did not say, “Use me only for important documents, not for the daily mundane tasks.” With greatest reliability it performed every task I needed, no matter how important or insignificant. It was always ready to serve.

In a similar way we are tools in the hands of God. When our heart is in the right place, we do not complain that our assigned task is unworthy of our abilities. We gladly serve wherever we are asked. When we do this, the Lord can use us in ways beyond our understanding to accomplish His work.

--Pres. Deiter F Uchtdorf

Help Each Other

Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings.
D&C 108:7

Happy Home :)

Do your part ot build a happy home. Be cheerful, helpful, and considerate of others. Many problems in the home are created because family members speak and act selfishly or unkindly. Concern yourself with the needs of other family members. Seek to be a peacemaker rather than to tease, fight, and quarrel. Remember that the family is the most sacred unit of the Church (sidenote: in the world)
-- For the Strength of Youth