Easter Week: Cleansing of the Temple

Happy Easter week, friends! I am so excited for this year's weekly texts from ComeUntoChrist.org! I will be trying to share a few thoughts for each day after my husband and I have our scripture study for the evening. Today's thoughts will be about Jesus cleansing the temple.

If you would like to read about Christ cleansing the temple, please click the picture above to be taken to a site where there is a video and Bible reference for you to utilize.

What stood out to me today as we read was the words cleanse and temple. I wanted to relate this literal cleansing that Christ performed to a symbolic cleansing that we should do daily. What I am referring to is this: Christ's cleansing the temple of robbers, thieves, and all manner of commotion is a great symbol of how we should do this daily as we repent.

When we choose to cast out things that rob us of our time, steal our joy, or cause commotion, such as sin, we are partaking in a cleansing that is only made possible through the Atonement of Christ. Because of Him, we are able to see through the trouble and evil of our world towards a brighter, more hopeful future. Repentance is part of my goal to Overcome to Become this year. My overcoming is

Won't you join me this week as I continue to learn about Easter Week? You are able to go to ComeUntoChrist.org and sign up for texts that will give you a daily challenge and purpose as you prepare to celebrate the death and resurrection of our beloved Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Just click the picture below to join us!

Thank you so much for stopping by to read my thoughts today! I hope to be back tomorrow with what I learn from reading about Christ teaching in the temple. Until next time, may you find peace in Christ!

The Power of Music

Hello again, friends. Thank you for stopping by today! This is going to be a long post, but I do hope you will read it all. It has been an interesting few weeks and few days as I've watched the world respond to an illness that we are unfamiliar with. So many people are panicking. So may are unsure of what will happen. So many people are seeking peace. 

As I read the email that told me that I would be unable to attend church with those I usually unite with weekly, I was a bit disheartened. But then I realized that this is a beautiful opportunity to show how I will keep my covenants and serve and minister to others. I have been guided by Heavenly Father and the Spirit to know who to reach out to, and it has been an amazing blessing in my life this week. I hope to post more about this later on.

Today I want to share a small portion of my Sabbath worship with you. I want to share thoughts I had while singing hymns with loved ones during smaller sacrament meetings, and what I learned from two of these hymns. Music has always been an important part of my life, and I do not know a single person who is not affected by music in some way. I love this quote from Martin Luther:

The first hymn that very much spoke to my soul today is called "In Humility, Our Savior". It's text was written by Mabel Jones Gabbott and put to music written by Rowland H. Pritchard. The music itself is gorgeous. Getting to sing this four-part hymn was honestly a musical treat. But the words were able to sink deep into my heart when we sang the second verse:

"Fill our hearts with sweet forgiving;

Teach us tolerance and love.

Let our prayers find access to Thee

In Thy holy courts above.

Then, when we have proven worthy

Of Thy sacrifice divine,

Lord, let us regain Thy presence;

Let thy glory round us shine."

I have always had a firm belief and personal testimony that God hears and answers my prayers. I have seen it over and over in my life. However, I had not considered that there is a progression in life for our prayers being fully answered. As I sang this hymn, the order of these words struck me: 

1. Sweet forgiving. We must have a forgiving heart in this life in order for us to be forgiven. Forgiveness is so important. We will be judged by how we judge others. Without forgiveness, we could not be saved.
2. Tolerance and love. After we learn how to forgive, understanding and love must replace the anger and bad feelings that were once present. Tolerance is not necessarily the acceptance of things we disagree with. Rather, it is the ability to "agree to disagree" in a way that allows love to enter a relationship. This cannot happen without forgiveness, though. And then we progress to...
3. Our prayers find access to...above. I have seen in my life that, when I have a forgiving, tolerant heart and seek to love those around me, my prayers can be more fully answered. In the darkest part of my journey out of anxiety, I was not forgiving, tolerant, or filled with love; for myself or anyone else. Once I was able to have the cloud of anxiety lifted, I have been far quicker to forgive, have tolerance, and feel love for myself, those around me, and the divine relationships between myself and my Savior and Heavenly Father. My prayers have been more fully answered by my choices, and the peace I sought during these times has become a reality as I am working towards living more like my Savior. I am not perfect, but I am at peace as I continue to forgive, tolerate, love, and pray.
4. Regain Thy presence. I now understand that heaven will be filled with imperfect people who tried their best. The people that will be able to live with God again are those who have followed the progression of this song and have made covenants they have kept. I am so grateful to know that I have the chance to be one of those imperfect people. I know that my Savior loves me, loves all of us, and that Heavenly Father wants each of His children to return home. If He and the Savior (perfected beings) can give others multiple chances, how much more important it is for me, an imperfect being.

The next hymn that taught and fed my soul today is called "Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer". Text and music are both by H. R. Palmer. The third verse seemed incredibly appropriate for what has been happening in the world lately:

"Precious Savior, dear Redeemer,

Thou wilt bind the broken heart.

Let not sorrow overwhelm us;

Dry the bitter tears that start.

Curb the winds and calm the billows;

Bid the angry tempest cease.

Precious Savior, dear Redeemer,

Grant us everlasting peace."

This hymn has put into words the prayer of my heart for the many who are currently suffering from sickness, uncertainty, despair, and fear. A few years ago, this situation would have sent me reeling with anxiety and I would be a mess right now. Because of the kindness of friends, family, and especially my Father in Heaven and Savior, I am at peace right now. I have a strong testimony that peace can be found in the Atonement of our Savior. I know that He lives. I know that He is the Way, the Truth, the Light, and our Advocate with the Father. When we follow Him, we will have peace, clarity, healing, and hope. 

Thank you again for stopping by today. I hope that my words have helped you feel of the love our Father and Savior have for you! I invite you to look forward with faith and search the hymns you love for truth and comfort during times of difficulty. Wishing you a blessed day, always!

Overcome to Become: Be The Person Your Dog Thinks You Are

Hello, friends! I've been taking stock this week on how I'm doing with my yearly theme. I think I made a lot of mistakes this past week, but since I have identified them (or they've been pointed out to me), I realize that I can fix them and change. And my dog has been helping me do just that.

You might be wondering just HOW my dog is helping me with my goal, so let me explain! There's a popular saying that goes around in social media about dogs, or pets in general. Here it is...

Source

This got me thinking about just what kind of a person my dog currently thinks I am. My sweet fur baby has been sick for the last few months. She's had multiple trips to the vet for blood work and shots, been on medication, and is just now showing improvement. She still cannot jump up onto things like she is used to doing, which makes our whole family sad. There's nothing better than having your fur baby hop into your lap to cuddle with you after a rough day.

I'm digressing. Let me get back to the quote. So, we have been giving our dog a lot of love and attention lately. We do usually, we have just increased it because of how she's been feeling. My dog trusts me. She knows I love her because of my actions. She knows I have expectations of her because she gets into trouble when she gets into garbage. ;) And then I show her more love after her stern reprimand. She's happy, we are happy. It's a beautiful thing.

3 Ingredient Dog Treats

1 c. peanut butter
1 1/2 c. oats
1 ripe banana

Combine all well. Roll 1/4" thick and cut into desired shape.
Cook at 350*F for 10-15 minutes. Treats should be golden brown.
Store in airtight container for up to 5 days, in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks,
or freeze for up to 3 months.

As I thought about this, I related it to the many other roles beside dog mama I play in my life--daughter of Heavenly Parents, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, teacher, employee, friend, minister, Young Women secretary, Sunday School teacher...I could go on. So, what have been the rewards and pit-falls?

I have tried to use the things my dog has taught me more fully in my 2nd grade classroom this week. Result? It was the BEST week we have had this entire school year. We were all happy, expectations were met with little to no reminders, and I feel that all students learned a lot. It was beautiful! Here is what one student wrote this week for his writing assessment...

So my next goal is to apply this to other areas of my life. I will keep you updated! What are the goals you are working towards this year? I would love to hear about them in the comments below! OR, you can always email me at onastampageATgmailDOTcom! 

Thanks for stopping by today, friends! I hope you have a wonderful week and that you feel peace and love. You are a wonderful part of this world and are needed--never forget that! Until next time, HUGS to all!

Essential Oils

***Before I start, I want you all to know that I do sell doTERRA essential oils and use them on a daily basis. While I would love to be the one you purchase essential oils from, if you feel they will not work for you (I used to feel that way) or already have a consultant/use another brand, please know that this post is NOT an ad. It's more about how oils and others who use oils have helped me on my journey, along with ideas on how to use oils to help when experiencing anxiety.***

Happy New Year, friends! I hope your year is off to a wonderful start! I always feel the need to have a break after my holiday break because I am SO busy. I am an introvert by nature, so I need my alone time to relax and regroup. One way I do that is by using essential oils!

Before I went to therapy and decided to take medication, I used oils all the time to help me manage my anxiety. It wasn't a perfect fix, but they did help. Some of my favorites are lavender, doTERRA Balance Grounding Blend, and ylang ylang. I still use them on a daily basis!

I decided that I wanted to share some of these oils with friends this year. My sister came to visit for Christmas, and we ended up at the Dollar Tree looking for things we could make for the women at church we minister to. We found these darling glass jars and epsom salts, and we knew just what to do!

We added some stickers to the front of the jars and put a thin layer of Mod Podge over them to help them stay in place and to make them semi-water proof. We then hot glued a paper flower for decoration. We mixed essential oils into the epsom salts we purchased, then carefully spooned them into each jar. Below is the recipe we used for the salts!

Have you ever tried using essential oils to boost/regulate/or calm your mood? I would love to hear your ideas on how you do this in the comments below! Until next time, take care of and be gentle with yourself! HUGS!