Eternal Happiness is Impossible Without Christ

I love the Book of Mormon and I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know without a doubt the church is true in my heart, but I have a confession. 

Some moments I am weak and I realize how incapable I am to do everything on my own. I instantly recognize the need for a Savior in my life and I open heartedly welcome Him in. In those moments, when I am broken and feeling as if I have no control over my life, I allow the Savior to take over. I invite Him into my heart and my life to clean up the mess and mend my heart. I'm grateful for the broken moments because of the humility that comes pouring into my life.

But then some moments I feel strong, I feel courageous, I feel happy, and in control. In these moments I have a really hard time remembering it was God that brought me to this point and I didn't get here on my own. In these moments I have to be extremely careful in my thinking or pride will start to take over and it feels as if I am strong because of what I did, not what He did.

This seems to be a constant roller coaster in my life. A roller coaster of emotions of needing Christ in my life and recognizing every good thing is because of Him while still enjoying the happy and beautiful moments in life.

I'm not quite sure when I'll get it right, when I will let Him in without any hesitation even when everything is going perfectly. I do know that Christ forgives me instantly when I recognize and repent of the pride that starts to fill my heart. Sometimes I am so happy that I don't want anything to change and I start to live in fear that if I submit my will to God, everything will fall apart once again. That is a lie of the devil. 

Moroni 7:12
 "Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God..."

These next few days as the celebration of Christmas and of Jesus Christ draws near, I want to be found yearning for Christ and recognizing the need I have for Him even if I don't feel broken or helpless. I want to trust in the gifts He gifts me more than any other gift I could give or receive. I want to be found yearning for Christ in every season of my life whether that be joy or sorrow. I know Christ's love is perfect, and I know every drop of strength I do have comes from Him. I know that because I have felt helpless before, and I will feel helpless again. 

Once we know what it feels like to be helpless, it is His gift to us that we gain a deeper understanding of the need we have for a Savior. #ASaviorIsBorn for a reason. We NEED Him. It would be absolutely impossible to gain eternal happiness without Him no matter how happy we may think we are right now. Christ is the greatest gift we will find or receive this Christmas. 

If you struggle to remember just how deep of a reliance we have on the Savior at all times like I do, change something to invite more peace into your heart. Perhaps like me, you don't recognize it's missing until you let it in.

Parables in the Snow

It sure is a winter wonderland outside lately. It is beautiful. As I was driving to work on Monday, with the freshly laid snow, I couldn't help but notice the Salt Lake Temple all dressed in white. When I think of the temple, I think of purity. When I think of white, I once again think of purity  "...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)

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The temple had never seemed to glow as much as it did right then. Purity covered in purity, what a beautiful concept. Seasons sure have their time and purpose in this beautiful world. God created the nature, the animals, the moon and stars, and even the seasons with their perfect timing just for us. I always said I was going to move far away from the snow when I got the chance. I get cold way too easily, driving in the snow is a disaster, and I've never been a huge fan of the shoveling and maintenance the snow entails.

I started pondering on winter and how it always takes place at the end/beginning of the year, never in the middle. Snow comes to clean and purify our world, and isn't that what we need to have happen in our hearts? The sacrament happens at the end/beginning of the week; the gift where we have the opportunity to change our hearts, renew our covenants, and be purified from every whit. The sacrament bread we use is usually white, which also ties in perfectly to purity. 

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The snow has a greater purpose than I ever realized, it is there to remind us of new beginnings and renewed hope. It is there to remind us of repentance and the atonement of Christ. It is there to remind us that though we have sins as scarlet, through Christ and because He was born, they can become as white as snow.

If you've ever made mistakes you thought you would never recover from, if you have ever hardened your heart to the point it felt there was no return, if you have ever felt that red stain was never, ever going away, know that that is Satan trying to stop you from progressing and becoming who Heavenly Father longs for you to be. Repentance is real. Hope is beautiful. Every single mistake you have ever made can be washed away and purified and it doesn't have to hold you back ever again. Look at the snow, look how pure and gorgeous it makes the world look, let that be a resemblance and an anchor for you to know that hope is real and repentance has all the power to wash your sins away.

God planned His seasons perfectly, are we missing the beauty and His love when we are always wishing for the things we don't have?

#ASaviorIsBorn - Day 12 - The Light of Christ

3 Ne. 18:16 "...Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you." 

We live in such a dark and dreary world, darkness constantly surrounds us, we don't have to look far to find it. But have you ever seen a light, no matter how bright it is, shining from a dark room? It's not hard to miss, is it? A light is easy to follow amongst the darkest of all nights. So why then does it sometimes appear so hard to follow Christ, for isn't He the greatest light of all? 

Often times we think the room got darker, making the light harder to find. Darkness doesn't keep us from finding the light. Obstacles in front of us, keeping our eyes from seeing what is really standing in our way of light.

What is blindfolding your eyes today; keeping you from following the example of the brightest light of all? What distractions are in your way?

Pray about it, Heavenly Father will answer you!

No matter how dark the night becomes, Christ's like shines bright enough for all to see, as long as you are looking!

Make that be one of the gifts you give Christ this Christmas season, a true evaluation of everything that is covering your eyes from seeing the light of Christ. Once you know what's standing in your way, repent about it, then take action so your eyes may be open to the greatest source of light we as Spiritual children will ever know. 

#ASaviorIsBorn - Day 11 - A Few Simple Thoughts on Charity

I'm in the mood for short and sweet because this day has been long and trying. But I just want to testify on the power of praying for others. It's okay to ask for prayers when you're in need of them. It's okay to pray for others, just because. It's beautiful when we can take a moment to think of who may need some words of love and encouragement in their life. Taking the time to think of others, and just a little less of ourselves allows the Spirit to flood over you and for your heart to become a little more selfless, inviting the greatest Christ-like attribute into your heart that there is - Charity, the pure love of Christ.

Today I studied Alma 33. If you're wondering who Christ is, or how to get to know Him on a better level, this chapter is perfect for that! For God is merciful, and as it says in verse 11, all of that mercy is because of Christ. Then it asks the question in verse 14, "I would ask if ye have read the scriptures? If ye have, how can ye disbelieve on the Son of God?" What a powerful question! If we haven't read the scriptures, either for a day or ever...how can we really know Christ and choose to believe in Him if we have nothing left to go off of? 

I know the days I struggle the most are the days I'm not putting any bit of effort into scripture study, and I'm not thinking of who to pray for and how to make someone's life easier. I have the choice to dwell on my problems and make myself miserable, or allow Christ to enter my heart and help me sort them out, while I go serve someone else in the meantime. God is good! Christ is perfect! They both love us, and together that love is infinite!

#ASaviorIsBorn - Day 10 - 5 Books That Bring Me Closer to Christ

I've been thinking a lot about Christ, and how I don't know Him as much I would like to. Every time I forget how dependent I am on Christ, I find it's because I know of Him and believe in Him, but I don't KNOW Him, like really truly know Him as much as I need to. The times I know my Savior the most are when I study about Him and apply that principle that day. Without learning of Christ daily and thinking about Him constantly as I covenant while partaking of the sacrament, I end up lost and broken that day. So back to my favorite books to learn of the Savior. 

I thought I would share them with you incase you would like to join me on my journey, or if there is anyone on your Christmas list you would like to purchase these books for. 

5 Books that bring me closer to my Savior

(Click on the books to purchase)

1. Continuous Atonement - Brad Wilcox

 

The Continuous Atonement is a book I love and hold close to my heart because of the peace it brings. It's a book about how Christ gives us so many opportunities to start again. 

Continuous progress is made possible only through the atonement of Jesus Christ and I love the way it is explained in this book.

"Christ doesn't just make up the difference, He makes all the difference."

 - Brad Wilcox

2. The Peacegiver - James L. Ferrell
How Christ Offers to Heal Our Hearts and Homes

This is a book that my bishop told me to read after he realized how much my heart was in need of mending through the Spirit. This is a book that is an incredible parable of how Christ is the answer to healing, hope, cleansing, and the redeeming power of Christ. Perhaps this book has some answers your longing for as well.

" The Nephites came most readily to Christ when things were hardest and their burdens were greatest."
- James L. Ferrell

3. 21 Days closer to Christ - Emily Freeman

Oh my goodness, where to begin on this book. Every single time I am struggling or seeking answers, I open this page the personal stories Emily shares in this book dig deep into my soul and mend my Spirit. The way Emily teaches of Christ have really helped me to come to know my Savior more, and recognize my deep and everlasting love for Him.

Also, all the artwork is by Simon Dewey, you're bound to fall in love!

"Jesus Christ can refresh you spiritually, strengthen you in the face of adversity, and help you find more joy in the common tasks of your life."
- Emily Freeman

 4. The Infinite Atonement - Tad R. Callister

This book was written by Tad R. Callister, who has served as a Sunday School president in the general presidency. He has done an incredible amount of research, and this book shares incredible insights on the atonement, all sourced with scriptures. This book teaches me something new every time I open it, I highly recommend it! 

"One does not speak lightly of the Atonement or casually express appreciation. It is the most sacred and sublime event in eternity. It deserves our most intense thoughts, our most profound feelings, and our noblest deeds."
- Tad R. Callister

5. Becoming His - Emily Freeman

The collections and Christlike attributes found in this book are sure to speak to your heart and inspire you to become His. So many incredible quotes, personal stories that help you relate to Christ, scriptures, and stories of Christ in words that tell of a story (which I love because understanding the scripture language is hard for me at times). This book is organized in 12 parts to become a better disciple of Christ. Perfect to spend a month of the year on each one. 

"When we become altogether committed to knowing and loving the Lord, we begin to understand how altogether committed He is to knowing and loving us."
- Emily Freeman

#ASaviorIsBorn - Day 9 - No Better Tutor than Christ

My heart has been so humbled today as anxiety entered my heart from an unexpected and unwelcomed visit. I instantly turned to the Lord and told Him I couldn't do this without Him. Heavenly Father understood, He smiled, and He said "I'm so glad we both agree". Christ came to my rescue, not by taking the anxiety away, but by allowing my heart to turn to God with trust that it would be okay, I didn't know how and I didn't want to face it, but I just knew with Christ fighting my battles for me, it would all be okay.

I hate anxiety, I despise it because I feel paralyzed in thought and action. Panic has to be one of the worst emotions we can feel in this world. But without the anxiety bouts that sometimes hit my life at the most unexpected times, I wouldn't come to know the Lord in the most intimate and personal ways I have had the privilege of experiencing. 

There is no better tutor I could ask for in this life than my Savior, the one I must place every bit of trust I have in. Trials are often a way I can welcome a personal visitation from the Savior. As I look to Him, He always leads the way, brings peace to my soul, and leaves a handprint on my heart of the lessons He needed me to know. Without the trials I have gone through in my life, I can't imagine how prideful and selfish I would be. It is only through storms and bitterness that life has to offer, that I submit my entire will to Heavenly Father and utter the words "Thy will be done." 

Trials, no matter how heart-rending they may be are the turning points that are my greatest blessings. It is in the middle of these moments that I develop the deepest companionship I could ever wish or desire to obtain with Christ. I love Him with all my heart and I want to show that. To strengthen my love for Him more, I must come to know Him on a deeper level than I have ever known Him before. And it begins through study, prayer, and ponder!

That is my challenge for you today: 
Reflect on these two questions. 
1. Do you love Christ with your whole heart, might, mind, and strength?
2. Do you know Christ well enough to truly know you love Him?


If you hesitate to say a strong affirming YES with no hesitation like I did today, spend time in the scriptures and understand His stories, let them live in heart and allow them to change you from your very core.

#ASaviorIsBorn - Day 8 - The Atonement is More Than Just a Switch We Flip

I'm going to keep today's post simple, because Christ loves to teach in simplicity. 

I don't understand the atonement fully, I don't understand how it's done. The more I study about it, the more I realize how much I don't know. But I know the atonement is real and has an incredible impact on my life daily, even when I don't recognize it.

For me personally, I sometimes get caught up in thinking the atonement is a switch I just need to flip on and then all will be well. You know those deep, dark moments of despair and anguish when you ARE doing what's right and you're praying + reading your scriptures in that moment, in those moments I think I am flipping the switch to access the atonement so all my pain should go away immediately. I have learned it doesn't work like that. In those moments I am drawing on the powers of Heaven to access the atonement and on God's timing I receive hope, happiness, and strength when He knows I need it most. I don't know my limits, but He does. The atonement makes my weaknesses in sin, doubt, education, and insecurity to become strengthened and with the atonement of Christ I feel whole and complete. I couldn't ever do it without the atonement of Jesus Christ!

I'm so grateful for the atonement, the greatest gift I will ever know! Christ lives and loves us. If I had one wish, it would be for everyone to understand the need and powers of the atonement in their personal life. To know that even though the pain doesn't always go away immediately, Christ is the greatest healer and in His perfect time, we are made whole. 

#ASaviorIsBorn - Day 7 - Christ Loves Me in Ways I Don't Love Myself

I just love that Christmas time is a time to reflect upon Christ and all the gifts that have

 come to this world in result of his birth. One of the greatest gifts Christ brought down with him was the gift of hope, peace, and an endless love that encompasses us daily when we allow it to. 

This morning when I woke up, I started pondering how to get to know myself perfectly. How to understand what I want to do for the rest of my life, what are the weaknesses I have that I should be focusing on first, and even as simple as what is the greatest talent God has blessed me with. While some are lucky to have the answers to these questions, I always thought I knew growing up, and then life started to pull me in another direction and I just wasn't sure anymore. I see it as a gift, it's a gift to have to explore who I really am because there is only one person who can fully help me learn and understand, and that is my Savior Jesus Christ.

Not only is it an opportunity to draw near unto Christ in this phase of soul searching I am in, but it is the only option I have if I really want to know myself perfectly. No amount of soul searching I could do on my own will ever give me all the answers I need. It was Christ that walked my path before I ever did. It was Christ that helped me to understand who I was when I lived in Heaven, and it is Christ that will help me to understand who I am now.

Sometimes I have moments of weakness where I can't seem to find any beauty within myself. I forget my worth, I forget my talents, I forget my strengths, I forget that Christ said I was worth dying for. It is only when I open my heart to Christ and allow him to take the needle and thread to mend my wounded heart that I start to see that beauty once again. Christ loves me for who I am and who I am not. He loves me in spite of my weaknesses, mistakes, sins, shortcomings, and sorrows. He loved me even when he knew every single mistake I would make coming to earth, and he still believed I was worth dying for. He believes that about you too, the love he has for you is immeasurable! Nothing on this earth is more fulfilling and joyful than the love our Savior has to offer. 

Lindsey Stirling released her #ASaviorIsBorn campaign music video today and her words hit this message right on the nail.

I know on the days I don't feel beautiful inside and out, Christ sees the beauty that I don't see. Christ loves me in ways I don't love myself. Christ delivers hope when it feels as if hope will never come again. He has the power to heal the broken, mend the sick, counsel the lame, and serve those that feel hopeless and worthless. Christ is my best friend and confident.

His love is real. 

His love is perfect. 

His love is honest. 

His love is unchangeable. 

His love is for YOU no matter what you

 have or have not done. 

Christ will never stop loving you.

Find a way to draw near unto Christ by the small and simple things such as prayer, reading scriptures for just five minutes a day, watching bible videos, listening to hymns, and serving someone outside of yourself. As you let Christ into your heart, I testify you will feel changed from the inside out. Your heart will grow, your happiness will expand, and your self esteem will be made stronger than you ever thought possible. 

I know this because Christ has on many occasions helped me see the beauty I couldn't see in myself. 

#ASaviorIsBorn - Day 6 - Peace from the Savior

The LDS church launched an incredible campaign titled #ASaviorIsBorn a week ago. They put together a beautiful video to remind us of the beauty and power of Christmas. If you haven't seen it, I strongly encourage you to watch it. And if you have seen it, I think watching it every few days is a great way to keep the spirit of Christmas living in our hearts this season.

Today the Spirit overwhelmed me as I was watching the bread being broken during the sacramental hymn. The past little while I have felt broken, broken in ways I can't even describe. But life is like that sometimes, sometimes the only one who will ever know and understand the trials in your soul is Jesus Christ and Him alone. And we can trust that He watching the storm with us. 

As I was singing the hymn, the spirit just filled my soul of the love the Savior has for us all. I stared pondering on the purpose of the breaking bread. Why take something that was whole and break it into pieces? And the Spirit taught me a powerful message. We partake of broken bread to be made whole. The broken bread resembles Christ, and He did die from a broken heart. The trials Christ took upon himself for the love of all mankind astound me, and we too have to be broken and suffer much as we follow in the example of Christ. 

God uses broken things to create wholeness and peace. And just as we partake of broken bread to heal our spirits and draw us closer to God, God also causes our hearts to be broken as we go through life. It is only through trials and broken hearts that we too can become whole even as God is. I want to trust in that more and embrace the broken. It is the tears that can be the most powerful tool to lead us to Christ, and Christ is the light of the world!

Christ experienced the ultimate broken heart, and that is why He has the ultimate power to offer us peace and mending as we too will experience broken hearts in this life. I can't imagine a life without Christ, that would be a life without peace, and healing, and wholeness. 

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Have you had a chance to read the Ensign from this month yet? The words that touched my heart the most were from Elder D. Todd Christofferson in his message Be at Peace.

"Take time to relax, be at peace, and see this little child in your mind. Do not be too concerned or overwhelmed with what is coming in His life or in yours. Instead, take a peaceful moment to contemplate perhaps the most serene moment in the history of the world—when all of heaven rejoiced with the message “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14)."

Peace is what my soul is craving most this season. Through the hustle and bustle of life, I easily find myself stressing about matters beyond my control. I often bring unnecessary anxiety into my soul, which is almost equivalent to my heart putting a sign up saying "Come back later" as the Savior knocks trying to offer peace right then and there.

Are you letting the Savior in your heart this season? Are you finding ways to let go of your worries for just a moment so the Savior may deliver His message and peace He has just for you? Let Him in. He is always there and His peace is for YOU!

#ASaviorIsBorn - Day 5 - The meaning of Christmas

                                           

Christmas honestly is my favorite holiday. 

It's always been the day of the year where I can completely rely on the 

Spirit to fill my heart. 

It's the day where there seems to be the most peace in the home.

It's the day where selfless love fills the air.

So yes, Christmas means more to me than any story words could ever tell.

Christmas is love and Christ is the definition of love.

Here's what Gordon B. Hinckley has said about Christmas:

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"Christmas means giving. The Father gave his Son, and the Son gave his life. Without giving there is no true Christmas, and without sacrifice there is no true worship. There is more to Christmas than neckties, earrings, toys, and all the tinseled stuff of which we make so much.

Christmas means eternity. As certainly as Christ came into the world, lived among men, laid down his life, and became the first fruits of the resurrection, so, through that atonement, all become partakers of immortality. Death will come, but death has been robbed of its sting, and the grave of its victory. “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

Christmas means giving—and “the gift without the giver is bare.” Giving of self; giving of substance; giving of heart and mind and strength in assisting those in need and in spreading the cause of His eternal truth—these are of the very essence of the true spirit of Christmas.

Christmas means the Christ child, the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger while angels sang and wise men traveled far to bring gifts. It is a beautiful and timeless story, and I hope each of us will read it again this season.

Christmas means compassion and love and, most of all,forgiveness. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29.) How poor indeed would be our lives without the influence of his teachings and his matchless example. The lessons of the turning of the other cheek, going the second mile, the return of the prodigal, and scores of other incomparable teachings have filtered down the ages to become the catalyst to bring kindness and mercy out of much of man’s inhumanity to man.

I rejoice at Christmas time that as a people, we Latter-day Saints know of his existence and reality, and receive certain direction from him."

(Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Dec. 1983)

I stumbled across this song "I believe in Santa Claus" by Courtney Cotter King and instantly fell in love. It's a beautiful song between the ties of Santa Claus and Christ. 

Watch it, you won't regret it!

My gift today was pondering on ways I can really soak up the season before it flashes right before my eyes. 

#ASaviorIsBorn - Day 4 - Emulate the Savior to be as One

The Fourth Day of Christmas

I was studying the atonement today and I came across this great talk.

"At the heart of the English word atonement is the word one. If all mankind understood this, there would never be anyone with whom we would not be concerned, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or social or economic standing. We would strive to emulate the Savior and would never be unkind, indifferent, disrespectful, or insensitive to others."

How powerful are those words? 

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The worth of souls is so great and powerful in the sight of God and Christ. If we truly understood the atonement, believed in the atonement, and then strived to take upon the meaning of the atonement in our every day lives I believe our thoughts, our actions, and our intentions would change a lot. It's something I've been thinking about a lot today. On a daily basis, do you lift others up because we want to help our society become as one? Or do you find yourself constantly criticizing and searching for imperfections just so you can put them down?

Sometimes I find myself on a one track Ashley focused train, and I have to actively get off and remember that there is so much more to this world than just me. I want to help and serve others in every way I possibly can.

Challenge:
Really think and reflect on where your thoughts are usually. If they need some improvement, just jot down a few ideas or goals to change your approach, making Christ and His love the focal point.