frazzled & frumpy

I am a rock, sharp and uneven. I know my goal- smooth, polished, shiny- and I am so far from it.   But, the process to get there is not an easy one.  The past two weeks at church, I've heard and taught lessons on trials. We spoke of the early saints and the persecutions they endured. Specifically, Zion's Camp. They were a group of men (in Ohio) organized to help the saints in Missouri. After embarking on their thousand mile trek, they were tried by aching, bleeding feet, lack of food and water, oh, and cholera.  Weeks later, the discovered that their original goal would not be reached and they went back home. The journey, it turns out, was a test of their faith. I asked the kids in my Primary class (ten years old) why we have tests. I got several answers, but my favorite was, "To find out what we know and what we need to know." I believe we are given tests as a gift. Not one that we would put on a list at Christmas or our birthday, but a gift all the same...

"He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure indescribable love.  We are important to God not because of our resume but because we are His children.  He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful or broken.  God's love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf I know that I am lucky. I was raised in a home where my  parents were married. (Still are. 49 years in May.)  I grew up with two loving parents who cared for me.  They worked hard and we were poor.  But, our home was filled to overflowing with love. Because of this, it's easy for me to believe in a loving Heavenly Father.  While I believe that He is all-knowing and all-powerful, I also believe He is caring.  That He wants me to be happy.  This belief brings me great comfort and hope.  I recently read a post about prayer .  The author was ask...