Happy stuff yourself like a Turkey day a.k.a Thanksgiving

I really wanted to get on here and share my gratitude. I have had some pretty incredible experiences in the last few weeks. Which has given me an increased sense of gratitude. Perfect for this time of year to have increased gratitude.

These are a few of my most grateful things:
*My bed-It reminds me that I have a warm home to come home to.
*Holidays-that bring my family together.
*Friends-that cover my eyes in the mushy parts of movies.
*Food-I absolutely love it
*Perspective-it has changed my life.
*A healthy body-I find when my body is in tune my spirit is more receptive.
*Light-even the smallest amount of light can bring comfort to a very dark place.
*Trials-I have found my greatness through some of my most difficult life experiences.

What a fantastic opportunity to have a day a time of year to really reflect on my greatest gifts. I know that none of these things would have been possible without the greatest gift that I have been given. A magnificent Creator that gave me life and the power of choice. I know without my Lord and Savior none of this would be possible. For this I am the most Grateful.

Luvs,
Britt

Gratitude!

Gratitude is a tool I am constantly using in my life. When I'm frustrated or stressed or feeling sad, I start listing all the things I'm grateful for in my life. There is always something to be grateful for, even if it is something small. Once you start seeing the little things you are blessed with you start seeing other larger things you are blessed with. I've seen in my life that the more you express that gratitude for what Heavenly Father has given you, the more he will bless you with!

As the end of 2013 is swiftly closing and with Thanksgiving Day here, I have been really thinking about all I'm grateful for and all that I have been blessed with this year. It has been such an amazing year! I've experienced major successes, answers to prayers and MIRACLES!

I am so very grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! The knowledge I have gained throughout my life of my Savior and God's Plan of Happiness has been a comfort and motivation to me. I am so thankful for my Savior and His Atonement. I have learned so much this year about using the Atonement in my life!

I'm thankful for the power of prayer! For many years I've been praying to find an amazing guy to share my life with and this year that prayer was answered beyond anything I could have imagined!  I'm so thankful for the better promises my Heavenly Father has for me. They have been worth the wait!

I'm thankful for my amazing family! I can't even truly express my gratitude for them. I am truly blessed! My family is always there for me and supporting me on my goals and dreams. They've been there for me in hard times and the best of times in my life. They make me laugh when I really need to laugh. They put up with my bad moods and my crazy ideas. They remind me constantly of the love and service I get to share with others. They are amazing examples of living Christ-like lives! I am truly grateful to call them my family!

I am also grateful for the opportunity I have to teach and inspire others both in my work as a teacher and on this blog. It is my hope and prayer that you can take the time each day to count your blessings and see all the good that The Lord has blessed you with in your life.  I know that as you do this you will be even more blessed in your life and you will find happiness!

Love,

Meg :0)

Better Promises

A couple weeks ago, I was in my jeep with My-Handsome-Guy-With-the-Killer-Smile. I had Hilary Weeks' album "Say Love" on.  I'd listened to it before, but because I wasn't driving, I was able to really concentrate on the words of a song called "Better Promises." My heart filled with a deep love and gratitude towards my Heavenly Father as I listened to the words. In that moment, sitting next to my love with his hand in mine, I took a little trip down memory lane to the path that led me to my very own better promise.

From the time I was a small child, I have dreamed of being a wife and mother.  It just never worked out for me before. I would come close, but Heavenly Father kept telling me no when I really wanted Him to tell me yes.  At the time it was hard to keep having faith that things would work out for me. Feelings of loneliness and overwhelming sadness were my constant companions. 

One day I realized I had just given up.  I had taken that dream and pushed it to the back of my mind. I focused on my career and things that weren't really important.  I was trying to fill up the place in my heart that was empty. My heart was broken, and I had no idea how to fix it. I remember praying so hard to find a way to be truly happy again. That's when Heavenly Father placed me in the path that led me here to my better promise. That was the first step in my journey of discovering the greatness inside myself and living in my Soulful Brilliance!

It's been two and a half years since that first step, and I've had an amazing journey learning so much about life and being happy.  I was able to turn to my Heavenly Father in faith and love and allow Him to heal my heart. I am so grateful for the tools I have learned to help me be a happy person no matter what challenges come into my life.  I am so grateful for all those hard experiences that have helped me grow and learn and come to the path that led to My-Handsome-Guy-With-the-Killer-Smile!  Last week he asked me to marry him:0), reminding me once again that Heavenly Father really does have better promises for us! 

If I can give to you one gift today, it would be the knowlege that Heavenly Father loves you SO much!  He may not answer your prayers the way you would like him to answer them.  He may give you some difficult learning opportunities.  You may feel all alone and hurting. You may want to give up on your dreams and goals. Just remember and never forget that those experiences are a blessing in disguise.  It may take time to see them as blessings, but one day you'll be able to look back and be thankful for the lessons you learned that helped you get to your better promises!

Luvz,
Meg :0)

The Truth About Me

As I've been working the past couple of month on finding out some truths about me, I've have discovered some pretty amazing things! Many of which stem from some big Truths about me.  This journey has been amazing, and I am feeling more confident, happy and present in my life!  Here are a few things that I've learned and been reminded of in this journey:  I am wanted! I am loved!  I am faithful!  I am dependable!  I am capable of doing hard things!  I am full of love!  I am powerful and inspiring! I am deserving! I am an anchor!  I am captivating! I am a perfect radiant sun shining brightly and nurishing myself and others with joy, peace, and love!  I am a light! I am a faithful daughter of God!

 

I cannot even put into words the love I have felt in the last few months from my Heavenly Father as I have embarked on this Truth About Me Challenge. Each truth I recognized brought me one step closer to recognizing more of my Soulful Brilliance and living in it!

 

I know with all my heart that He loves each of us individually!  I know that He hears our prayers! He may not answer them right away or even in the way you think they should be answered, but they will be answered. He knows the path that will help each of us become what we need to be to be able to become as He is.

 

One of my favorite quotes is from Neal A. Maxwell, "Faith in God includes faith in His timing."  Remembering this has helped me make it through many times of loneliness and waiting for good things to come into my life. I know that as we live in gratitude for what we do have Heavenly Father will bless us with the desires of our hearts.  I'm so thankful for all the tender mercies He has sent into my life, and for the chance I have to recognize them.  Remembering that the truth about me is that I am a faithful daughter of God has helped me to do more of the little things each day that will help me grow closer to Him, which in turn has helped me to find more and more blessings in my life!

 

Dearest friends, I hope that you have had a chance to discover more of the truth about yourself and to grow closer to the Savior in the process.  If you haven't had the chance to take part in this challenge, please take the opportunity to start it today!  I know that as you discover truths about yourself, you will be able to accomplish so much in your life!  You will grow closer to the Savior and be able to find strength in Him!

 

I would love to hear the truths that you have learned about yourself and how it has help you in your life.  Please share by commenting below or emailing me at meg@soulfulbrilliance.com.

 

Luvz,

Meg:0)

the truth about me...surrender

 

 

Have you ever had one of those times in your life

when you have this genius idea to do something

that is pretty involved,

and after you get going other things come

into your life that have a higher priority than

your first genius idea, so your genius idea

takes a back seat?

That's what happened to me and

the Truth About Me Challenge.

The truth about me is

that I choose to prioritize and

sometimes that means putting

some things on the back burner for a little while. :0)

But I'm back and ready to get going again!

 

About the time I wrote my last post about patriarchal blessings,

Britt and I were talking about how there were some

situations in our lives that we wanted to let go

of the worry and fear that surrounded them.

We wanted to surrender to them and just let them

unfold as Heavenly Father wanted them to

so we could learn what he wanted to teach us.

We got together one afternoon and wrote

what we were surrendering to on some balloons

and let them go outside.

I've done this surrender exercise many times,

but this time was just different.

I was just totally and completely ready

to let go of my worries and fears

in a way I'd never been before.

Watching them float away was freeing!

 

 

 Now every time I begin to worry or stress

about those situations I remind myself

that I surrendered that to my Heavenly Father.

 

I get to have faith that my Father in Heaven

will lead me on the path that is best for my life.

The path that will lead me to my best and brightest self!

The path that will teach me all I need to learn

before I return to live with Him!

 

Recently I was studying the Book of Mormon

and came across this scripture,

"For they became a righteous people;

they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion,

that they did not fight against God any more..."

(Alma 23:7)

As I applied this scripture to my own life,

I realized that there are many times and situations

where I am holding a weapon of rebellion.

Sometimes inactivity.

Sometimes not remembering

to do the little daily things that would help me.

Sometimes pride.

Heavenly Father has been standing there

waiting for me to put down those weapons

and allow Him to bless me.

I get to stop fighting his plan for me and

submit fully to His will.

As I did just that two months ago,

I have been immeasurably blessed!

I can't even begin to tell you about all

the happiness, hope and love

that have come into my life

just in that short amount of time.

I'm learning and growing in ways

that I never imagined I would!

 

I used to wonder and worry about why

I was having to wait for some of my prayers to be answered.

I've learned that

surrendering or submitting to our Heavenly Father's will

doesn't guarentee quick answers to our prayers.

Sometimes we get to wait.

Heavenly Father might have other purposes to fulfill.

Maybe we get to wait to build our faith

and to learn eternal truths that we later get to share with

others who come into our lives.

One of my favorite quotes from Neal A. Maxwell is this,

"Faith in God includes faith in His timing."

He knows us and our situations individually.

He knows what will best help us to learn and

grow into the people we need to be.

Sometimes waiting can be hard,

but we are being prepared for our future,

and eventually we will be blessed beyond

anything we have ever imagined!

 

The past few weeks I've been reminded

that I've been prepared for the things happening

in my life right now.

My Heavenly Father has blessed me

with so much and now I get to share

my knowledge and testimony with others,

so they too can find the path

Heavenly Father intended for them!

It's an awesome thing to be

able to be an instrument in God's hands!

 

I am so thankful for all the challenges

I've had in my life!

They have shaped and molded me

into the person He needs me to be.

They have also brought me to

this amazing place in my life

where I get to enjoy so many blessings

that my cup is just flooding!

 

I know that we are all cherished children

of our Heavenly Father.

He has a purpose and a plan for our lives.

All we need to do is to come to him with

a broken heart and a contrite spirit,

and He will guide us in our path!

Remember that

YOU ARE IMPORTANT!

 

Luvz,

Meg:0)

 

 

The Truth About Me

The truth about me is that I am a Powerful Creator. :)

Luvs,
Britt

How Do I Find the Truth About Me? Part Two: Patriarchal Blessings

I remember when I was living in China, I would check every morning to see if I got an email from someone in my family.  I was patiently (okay not so patiently) waiting to hear from them. Any one of them!  When I'd see I finally got one, I would be filled with happiness.  They're letters would tell of home and all that was going on in my absence, and of course encouragement! The best times were actually when I got a letter or package in the mail. Being able to rip open an envelope or a package and find the treasures inside! Some days when I just didn't know if I could make it through the day, I would be lifted by my letters and emails from home and be able to push forward and continue on my amazing journey.

Has there been a time in your life when you've felt this way?

You maybe have days where the storms and winds 

are beating down on you,

and you just don't know if you can make it 

through one more day?

For me my patriarchal blessing

is a letter from home.

I can picture my Heavenly Father

sitting at a desk with a pen and paper

writing me this letter of encouragement,

caution, protection, and inspiration.

It's a letter from the one person 

who knows me better than anyone,

in a place that is my true home.

When we are searching for 

the truth about ourselves,

we can find further answers in our 

patriarchal blessings. 

I know I've share this before, 

but here it is again: :0)

Dieter F. Uchtdorf once said,

"Our Heavenly Father sees our real potential.  

He knows things about us that we do not know ourselves."

Heavenly Father knows us

BETTER THAN WE KNOW OURSELVES!

We can discover more of what He knows about us 

as we read and study our patriarchal blessings.

There are lots of different ways to study your blessing.

Find one that works for you and study it!

Discover things about yourself that 

you never knew!

Luvz,

Meg:0)

P.S.  I'm a little bit behind with my TAM postings on my personal blog (livingincrescendo.blogspot.com),

but I am committed to catching up in the next couple of days!

How do I find the truth about me? Part One: Prayer

Hey friends! How is your Truth About Me challenge going? 

Mine has been fantastic!

It's been a good daily reminder that I'm pretty amazing!

Here are the truths about me for this week:

I am strong!

I am graceful!

I am beautiful!

I am healthy!

I am an amazing aunt!

I am adventurous!

I am perfect in my own perfect growth process!

Over the next few weeks

I'd like to share some ways

 that I've found to help me 

discover the truth about myself again.

The biggest tool and one I use the most often is

PRAYER!

 Here are some important things I've learned about prayer:

1. Be still! I have found that in order for my prayers to be effective for me, I get to be still in mind and body. For me being still in body is much easier.  I find a place where I can be without distractions around me.  I find a quiet place. I turn off my phone.  I kneel. Stilling my mind has always been more difficult for me.  My mind is always going a mile a minute.  I'm always thinking about work and how to help each of the 25-30 (next year it's about 56) children in my class.  I worry about my family and my callings.  I worry about my friends and what I can do to help them.  I think about all the little things I need to get finished before the end of the day.  It's like a hurricane inside of my head. The best way I have found to quiet my mind is to begin my prayers expressing gratitude for the blessings in my life. Then when my mind and body are still I am ready to continue my prayer.
2. Pray with a sincere heart.  Make it meaningful.  In Moroni 7:9 we read that if anyone "shall pray and not with real intent of heart..it profiteth him nothing, for God recieveth none such." We should pray "with all the energy of heart" (Moroni 7:48).  If we are repetitious when we pray, we are not going to receive the answers we are searching for.  In True to the Faith we are told to "Give serious thought to your attitude and to the words you use" (p. 119). I know that as we go to our Father in Heaven in an attitude of humility and are sincere in our prayers that he will give us the answers we seek.
3. Remember He is your father. "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part" (Bible Dictionary, Prayer). He is our father and He desires for us to tell Him all about what we desire to know and why we desire to know it.  Tell Him your whys. Talk to Him as the loving parent who wants the best for you because He is and He does!
4. Listen! When you close your prayer, take time to listen.  So many times we rush off to get busy with something instead of listening.  We might miss out on an answer that would come if we just stopped to listen.
5. Be patient! Look at Enos.  He said, "...all day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens" (Enos 1:4). Enos eventually heard the voice of God answering his prayer, but it took time. Sometimes our prayers take time.  Maybe we have something more to learn first or there is something different we need in our lives. In the case of asking what the truth about ourselves is, maybe we aren't really ready to receive the answer.
6. Act! Sometimes not getting and answer means that we get to study it further. We get to study the scriptures, prophets, and other gospel resources. When we do receive answers, we get to act on those answers so we can receive further revelation. We get to act in our truth as we were created to be, so we may help ourselves and others to find the path the Savior intended for us to be on.

I know that as we ask Heavenly Father to show

us the truth about ourselves

that we will find it!

Dieter F. Uchtdorf once said, "Our Heavenly Father sees our real potential.  He knows things about us that we do not know ourselves.  He prompts us during our lifetime to fulfill the measure of our creation, to live a good life, and to return to His presence."

Remember to share what you are learning with us!

Luvz, 

Meg :0)

P.S. I'm still posting my truths about me

on my blog:

livingincrescendo.blogspot.com

The Truth About Me Challenge

Sometimes I laugh at how good ideas tend

to come to me while I'm at the gym.  

Today I was thinking about what I wrote

about in the last post,

and I decided to start a challenge.

The Truth About Me Challenge!

I am having quite the journey already

as I work on my new goal:

I live in my Soulful Brilliance as 

my divine self through

action,

gratitude,

holiness,

and 

LOVE!

And a big part of this journey

is in remembering the truth

I know about myself.

I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father!

He has blessed me with gifts, talents,

and divine traits that all add up to 

ME!

When I remember that Soulful Brilliance

and live as that divine being each day,

I am blessed with an amazing life

and the opportunity to love and serve others!

I am working each day at remembering

the truth about me!

Here's the Truth About Me challenge:

Every day

 (or week or couple of days...

whatever works for you)

spend some time

discovering a truth about you

and SHARE IT

with us here on the blog,

on twitter (@SoulfulBrill),

the Facebook page (Soulful Brilliance),

or on Instagram (soulfulbrill).

Use the hashtags #truthaboutme and

#soulfulbrilliance

so we can check out all of the 

amazing things we can all discover

as we work towards remembering

our SOULFUL BRILLIANCE!!!

I'm excited to hear more from you!  

Please, Please, PLEASE share what you discover!

Remember that something you share

may help someone else in their life!

I LOVE you guys!

Meg:0)

P.S.  If you want to follow my day by day

Truth About Me Challenge

read my personal blog

livingincrescendo.blogspot.com!

The Truth

Okay so I've written and rewritten this post several times.  It just hasn't come out quite like I want it to. So I'm going to skip over all the explanations of how this post came to be and just get to the juicy stuff! The Truth!

The truth is that we often get so caught up in learning so many truths of the Gospel that we don't focus on one of the greatest truths that can help us get through anything.  

The truth that we are CHILDREN OF GOD! 

In Moses  1 we read about how Heavenly Father reveals himself to Moses and shows Moses the work of his hands.  He tells Moses, "...thou art my son;...And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son..." After Moses recovers from being in the presence of God, Satan appears to tempt Moses to worship him.  Moses's first reply to Satan is "...Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee?"  Moses's first defense in this storm of temptation was stating his knowledge that he was a son of God. 

I am often tempted by Satan and his followers, and I am pretty good at refusing to do the big things that would destroy my peace.  Satan knows that he can't get most of us on the big stuff at first, so he tries to get us with the little stuff.  and when does he stick us most with his lies?  Right after we have had amazing spiritual experiences and learned great spiritual truths.

One of the seemingly small things that many of us, especially women, struggle with is our feelings of self worth. I know I often listen to the lies he repeats in my limiting beliefs. 

I'm not good enough.

I'm not knowledgeable enough.

I'm a failure.

I'm not lovable.

And so many more...

I have always known that I am a daughter of God,

but sometimes I'm not feeling the truth of those words in my heart.

Because I don't feel the truth of it in my heart,

I often fall in to my old patterns of believing 

my limiting beliefs (Satan's lies)

and not doing the things that I could be doing to help others

and to grow spiritually myself.

Satan tries to turn our hearts from truth

 "that [we] become blinded and understand not 

the things which are prepared for [us]."

He especially desires to turn us from the eternal truth

that we are God's children. 

When I don't feel this truth in my heart,

I fall into darkness, depression, and loneliness.

The best weapon to fight Satan in his attack

is to learn more about the truth of

being children of God

and to take it into our hearts.

As I've thought about this I realized

that we don't need to "be a light".

We already are light!

We are God's children and 

"That which is of God is light..."(D&C 50:24-25)

When we know the truth of who we are as 

His children,

we can chase away the darkness

as we shine in our own 

soulful brilliance.

The key is to wash away all those dark limiting beliefs

and remember what the truth is about you.

The one truth we all have in common

is that we are children of God,

but there is much more to each of us individually.

What's the truth about you?

What divine attributes do you share with our Father?

What gifts and talents do you possess?

What empowering beliefs can you find

to help you remember your soulful brilliance?

I know that as we learn more about the 

truth of ourselves and rediscover our soulful brilliance

that we will be able to stand tall in the face of our storms and 

to accomplish all that we have covenanted 

with our Heavenly Father we would do.

I am choosing over the next 90 days to 

work on remembering the truth about myself

and to live in my soulful brilliance.

I will be sharing my insights here each week.

If you'd like a more day to day accounting of my journey

feel free to hop over to my personal blog

livingincrescendo.blogspot.com.

Luvz,

Meg:0)

Finding the Light at the End of the Tunnel

Hey there friends! 

It's been a while, but I'm back for a quick post!

I've finished my first draft of my book and hope to

be able to find more time to dedicate to writing here.

I've been looking back the last few days at how far I have come.

It's kind of crazy to think about where I've come from

and how different my outlook on life has changed.

Yes I still sometimes fall back into my old patterns,

but the thing about that is that now I can

recognize that I'm doing it and

if I choose I can take out some tools

to shift myself back to my new perspective.

The school year for me is winding up in the next few weeks.
I am not going to lie and tell you it has been
the most amazing year I've ever had.
I have spent a lot of time in the last 10 months
complaining and complaining a lot.
I forgot what I knew to be truth,
and instead went back to my old patterns
of eating, talking, and thinking.
Isn't that how it goes?
We're going on through life and doing well.
We've grown as much as we can.
Heavenly Father wants us to keep progressing
and knows that in order to do that
we need a new learning opportunity.

Learning opportunities come in all shapes and sizes.
For me it came in the shape
of an eight year old boy with a big heart
and no ability to control his behavior.
I don't know if he's really learned much this year,
but he has been an instrument in teaching me a lot.

One of the biggest things that I learned
was that I can't do it all by myself.
I need help from others who
have more knowledge than I do.
I get to ask for help.
Even more importantly I need my Savior's help!
And He's there just waiting for us to ask for assistance!
I truly came to see my own nothingness,
and realize on a deeper level that
there was only one way to overcome my weakness--
Grace.
I had done all I could do under my own power.
All I had left to do was take my weak humble self to the Savior
and have faith in the enabling power of the Atonement
to make up the difference.
To "make weak things become strong" (Ether 12:27).

I can't say the situation really got better with this student,
but I was strengthened to be able to handle the situation better.
I truly learned that
"I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me." (Phil. 4:13)
The Savior has enough grace and mercy and love
to make up for our weaknesses and shortcomings.
He is just waiting for us to admit to our
great need for his help.

Another small, but very important thing
I've been reminded of
is how important it is to be
grateful for all the small things.
In 1 Nephi 1:20 we read,
"...but behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."
I know I've written about tender mercies before.
This past year I have looked more closely for them in my life.
Every night I sit down and write in my journal.
I ask myself a couple of questions (from here).
Did God send a message that was just for me?
Did I see His hand in my life?
These questions have led me to
see the small and often missed
blessings that I receive daily.
The tender mercies that are
as little notes sent daily
of God's love for me,
reminding me that He is there
and that I am a choice daughter
with a divine nature.

As I've been writing my book these last three months,
I've been reminded of some pretty amazing
experiences I've had in my life.
The other day I was thinking about darkness
and was reminded of a place I visited in China.
I wish I could remember where exactly it was,
but I didn't write it down.
Wherever it was,
my friends and I went on a tour of
a cave that went deep into a mountain.
We walked down into this cave
and saw many beautiful rocks and crystals
that you often find in caves.
We stepped into one of the larger caverns that was lit by many lights.
To show how dark caves can be,
the tour guide turned off the lights in the cavern.
We were completely surrounded by darkness.
I can't even give you a good description of it.
It was suffocating.  I literally couldn't breathe.
And then the tour guide turned on a small flashlight.
It was amazing how that small light
could light up that large space
helping us to see the beauty
that surrounded us in that room.

I think this is a great reminder of our lives.

We live in troubling times with wars, rumors of wars,

natural disasters and many other evils surrounding us.
Many times it feels as if we are
standing in a dark tunnel with not even an ounce of light.
We get so focused on things we have no control over.
The darkness surrounding us is our fears.
It is overwhelming and can be suffocating.
Many of us become depressed
and/or shut down and do nothing.
The thing we need to remember is that we
"...have not come this far save it were
by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in Him,
relying wholly upon the merits of Him
who is mighty to save" (2 Nephi 31:19).

There is a Man standing in the cave with us.
Holding a flashlight.
He's just waiting for us to humble ourselves and
ask in faith for Him to shine light on our path.
Then He will deliver us from the darkness.

"...behold, he did deliver them because they did humble themselves before him; and because they cried mightily unto him he did deliver them out of bondage; and thus doth the Lord work with his power in ALL cases among the children of me, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him" (Mosiah 29:20).


I know that as we humble ourselves
and place our lives in His hands,
we will be led by His light during
the dark times of our lives
and we will find happiness, peace
and Love as we have faith.

Luvz,
Meg :0)

A Piece of the Divine

Recently I was teaching a temple preparation class and a girl visiting for the day asked what I do when I am doing everything right in my life, but I still feel unworthy of holding a temple recommend.  We preceded to have a great conversation about worthiness and the value of a person as an individual.  The conversation moved on to the lesson, but I still felt like there was something more that I could have said.  It was like there was something just out of reach in my mind that I could share.  Of course more came to me as I got home. I often wish my brain worked faster on the fly, but as I started getting more inspiration flowing through my brain, I knew that it was inspiration just for me.  I'd like to share it with you today, and maybe somehow that sister who was visiting will read this and be reminded of her true value and worth.

I grew up being taught that I was a daughter of God, and in my mind I always have known it, but understanding it with my heart has come more over time. As a child I just knew that Heavenly Father loved me and would answer my prayers.  As I grew I built a wall with my limiting beliefs that kept me from living in my Soulful Brilliance, and it grew more difficult to always feel that love. Luckily, with each new trial or mistake I am reminded of His love for me and that I truly am a daughter of a divine Father in Heaven. 

I recall a time about 11 years ago, I was walking down the crowded street of Zhengzhou, Henan, China.  It was night time and all around me were crowds of people shopping at a market.  The streets were wall-to-wall (or perhaps sidewalk-to-sidewalk:0) with people.  It was noisy with music and merchants selling their wares.  I was just enthralled with how many people were just on this one street.  I thought about how much Heavenly Father loved all of these people.  Then an amazing feeling of love and peace washed over me.  I knew that not only does He love all of the billions of people that have lived, are living, or will live on the Earth, but He loves me personally, and He knows me intimately. He rejoices when I have success, and He sorrows when I'm struggling. He is my Father.  He created me and loves me as only He can love.  It was an amazing moment that I have never completely forgotten. 

After that experience, I still struggled to fully remember that love and knowing with my heart and my mind that I am a beloved daughter of Heavenly Father.  I doubted myself, my choices, and my true worth.

How many of us feel that every day?  When you get up in the morning and look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see all the things you hate about your body and yourself?  Or do you see the amazing BRILLIANT woman who was created by a loving Heavenly Father? Today we live in a world that judges a person by what they look like on the outside. Many of us compare ourselves to what the world considers "perfect." We go about our lives always comparing ourselves to others and always feeling like we've come up short. What if we stopped comparing ourselves to others, and started seeing ourselves as we truly are? 

Who are we? We are daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us! 

Before we came here to our mortal life, we were create as spirit daughters of a Heavenly Father and Mother.  We were create in their image.  We were created unique from any other spirit. We were created with a Soulful Brilliance! As we lived in our premortal life, we "developed [our] identity and increased [our] spiritual capabilities" (True to the Faith, 116).  We were also blessed with the amazing gift of agency.  We were able to use that gift to make important decisions like following our Heavenly Father's plan to come down to earth and receive a body. 

In Abraham 3:22-23 it says, "Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intellegences that were organized before the world was; and among these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born." That was us, the noble and great ones! God foreordained each of us for a special mission here on earth. He has "called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Tim. 1:9). As we make righteous choices, follow the Lord's will, and remember our Soulful Brilliance, He will reveal to us that mission, one piece at a time.  

Remembering that we are daughters of God, is the one of the most important things to help us on our way.  Because He as a divine being created us, we also have a piece of the divine in us, a divine DNA.  We are capable of so much if we just allow ourselves to be the amazing women we were created to be.  

What stops us from accomplishing the important tasks that we covenanted with our Father we would do?  

Hold your hands in front of you and picture yourself holding a ball of light.  Picture what color it is and how it feels in your hand.  This ball is you.  It's your Soulful Brilliance. It is a ball of power, a ball of love, a ball of all the wisdom you have gained both in your premortal life and your life here on earth.  We came here to earth as babies with this Soulful Brilliance, this radiant light.  It is who we truly are inside. It is always there, a part of us. We've always been worth more than rubies.  We are priceless. 

As we start growing and progressing through life, we go through trials and other learning experiences and we create beliefs about ourselves, others and the world around us.  Sometimes these beliefs are empowering, but many times they become limiting.  These limiting beliefs are like a layer of darkness that covers our brilliance, our greatness. Each limiting belief creates a new layer, obscuring the light of our true selves.  We begin to doubt our worth and our talents.  We begin comparing ourselves to others and seeing imperfection. We don't see our true potential in life.

It is only through the Savior's Atonement that we can begin to break through those layers of fear and doubt and again see our soulful brilliance and find the life that our Heavenly Father intends for us to have. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf once said, "Our Heavenly Father sees our real potential.  He knows things about us that we do not know ourselves.  He prompts us during our lifetime to fulfill the measure of our creation, to live a good life, and to return to His presence." I truly believe that our loving Heavenly Father sends us personal revelation to guide us to live our best lives.  We just have to be in a place in our lives where we can listen to the whisperings of the Spirit.

This week I would like to invite you to really think about your Soulful Brilliance. Pray for His help to see it!  You are one of the 'noble and great ones' that was there in the Council in Heaven. Put your hands over your heart and close your eyes.  Feel your heart beating.  You are a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves you as only He can love. He created you to succeed gloriously! 

Study

What do the scriptures say about being children of God?

What do they say about our divine nature?

What have we been told in General Conferences?

Ponder

If Heavenly Father were sitting next to you and you asked Him what the truth is about you, 

what would He tell you?

If you have your Patriarchal Blessing, it would be a great thing to look at.

It is like a letter from Heavenly Father reminding us

of our Soulful Brilliance and many other important things.

Record

Remember to record your thoughts in your journal,

and listen for further revelation.

I know with my whole heart that each of us is priceless!  Our value never changes. We have been sent here to earth with an amazing brilliance.  I know that if we live being that radiant person we were created to be, Heavenly Father will bless us to find the next steps in our journey. I feel like I kind of got off track from where I started, so returning to the topic of feeling worthy when we're doing all we need to be doing to live a righteous life, I'd like to leave you with one of my favorite quotes about the importance of temple work and being worth by Elder Boyd K. Packer:

 "When you come to the temple and receive your endowment, and kneel at the altar and be sealed, you can live an ordinary life and be an ordinary soul--struggling against temptation, failing and repenting, and failing again and repenting, but always determined to keep your covenants... Then the day will come when you will receive the benediction: 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord' (Matthew 25:21)."

I can't wait to share more with you later about all the thoughts running through my head!  Heavenly Father loves us and truly wants us to succeed in life! 

Luvz,

Meg:0)

Please remember to share your thoughts either here on the blog or on our Facebook page! Thanks! :0)

A Great Work

Ever had one of times in your life when you are overwhelmed with all you have to accomplish?

And then in to your life comes more to do or worry about?

Well, it's been that way for me the last few weeks.

After lots of prayer, fasting, and studying things out,

I have decided to finally write the book I've been

dreaming about for about the last year and a half.

I'm very excited about it!

I've been doing a lot of studying the Gospel to assist me in this.

It's been amazing to find all the little gems in the scriptures

that talk about all the different tools I've learned from other sources

over the last two years!

 

The last two weeks have just taught me how this

is definitely something Heavenly Father wants me to do.

I knew it already after praying, etc. about it,

but the past couple of weeks

Satan has really been trying to distract me with other things.

I've been questioning my abilities and experiences.

I've unearthed some new limiting beliefs

and struggled with some old limiting beliefs.

 

I have found the strength and power to get things done through it all!

I get to remember that I am a pwerful and inspiring person!

I am a rock!  I stand tall and firm in my testimony of my Savior!

I am meant for great things, and

I have the great opportunity to build my testimony and my knowledge

as I work on assisting others!

President Uchtdorf has said,

 

"When God works through us

no one and nothing

can stand against us."

 

I am hear to tell you how true that is!

We can accomplish anything that our Heavenly Father asks of us!

We do it through our Savior, Jesus Christ!

 

Heavenly Father has a great work for

each of us to accomplish!

We just have to be willing and available to do it.

If we can show Him that we are willing and available,

He will do everything He can to help us accomplish it!

He loves us so much and

wants for us to succeed in life!

We just need to remember that

we are His children!

We have Divine DNA

and are capable of so much if we

reach out and embrace our

SOULFUL BRILLIANCE!

 

Remember to shine bright and be light!

And remember to not let your fears direct your life!

Follow Him and He will show you your path!

 

Luvz,

Meg

The Light of the World

Hello friends!

How has your week been?

Have you learned some amazing things?

Have you been reminded of anything important?

If so, please remember to share here on the blog!

We love to hear your thoughts and comments.

Maybe what you share can 

be an answer to someone's prayers!

This week has been amazing!

I have loved being reminded of the many

roles my Savior plays in my life

and the many ways he is an example

of how I should be living my life.

I found many different names that He is called by:

Bread of life, chief cornerstone, creator, Advocate with the Father,

Wonderful, Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace, Good Shepherd, Judge, King,

Lamb of God, Light of the World, Lord, Mediator,

Messenger of the Covenant, Messiah, Only Begotten of the Father,

Redeemer, Rock of my Salvation, Son of Man, Emmanuel, King of the Jews,

Jesus Christ, Master Gardner, Son of God, Author and Finisher,

Great Jehovah, Teacher, Master, Firstborn of the Father,

Risen Lord, The Living Christ, King of Kings, Lord of Lords,

King Immanuel.

And that is only a few of the many!

Some characteristics I found were:

Faith, Hope, Charity, Love, Example, perfect, open heart,

powerful, inspiring, happy, submissive, humble,

good works/service, holy, redeems, sanctifies,

forgiveness, gratitude, faith, strong, stalwart, leader,

patient, light, confident, honest, chaste, just, 

influential, healer, mourns with those who mourn,

glory, divine nature, mercy, goodness, joy, virtue,

knowledge, diligence, obedience, gentle, 

long suffering, temperate, asking for needs,

eye single to the glory of God, brotherly kindness,

godliness, receives, meekness, true benevolent, pure, teacher.

Again this is just a drop in the bucket!

 How grateful I am to have a knowledge

of the goodness and mercy of my Savior.

I am so amazed at the way He loves me.

There are so many times when I have, through my own actions,

stopped moving forward spiritually.

I chose to lay around feeling depressed.

I have learned that through my Redeemer

I can be saved from my self-made prison.

I love the words of Nephi in 2 Nephi 33:6,

"I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus,

for he hath redeemed my soul from hell."

I love how Nephi calls the Savior 

"MY Jesus."

What a testament to the eternal truth 

that our Savior desires a personal relationship with each of us!

He wants us to turn to him!

His arms are always stretched out

waiting for us to come into their loving reach.

Waiting for us to choose to follow Him,

for us to choose to live in His goodness and light!

Nephi also speaks in 2 Nephi 4 of how

when he desires to be happy and rejoice,

his heart groans because of his sins,

BUT he continues to trust in the Lord

and the Lord is his support through his trials.

How I can truly connect with what Nephi is saying!

There are times when I feel happy and I want to rejoice,

but I sometimes allow myself to remember all my sins,

the things I have done and especially the things 

I should have done, but didn't do. 

It makes my heart ache to remember.

BUT when I start to feel this way, I remind myself

of the AWESOME power of the Atonement.

I remember that as I put my trust in my Savior and Redeemer

he leads me through my challenges.

"He hath filled me with his love,

even unto the consuming of my flesh." 

(2 Ne 4:21)

He has answered my prayers and 

led me to the path that would be best for me.

I know that my Redeemer lives!

Knowing that gives me hope in my life.

He is the way and the LIGHT!

I know it is only through Him that we can

live happy, peaceful lives.

Let us continue on our journey

following His example and 

learning to live with the 

Christ-like attributes we have discovered

and all the ones we may discover!

 To finish off today, please click on:

 "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" 

to listen to my favorite hymn.

Luvz,

Meg:0)

The Lord is My Light

  

source

 

 

Hello friends! 

Thanks for being patient as I have

been working on recharging my batteries!

Last week when I realized I would

be busy with a class and wouldn't be able

to type a follow up post,

Beth was kind enough to get on and

post about her lower lights.

She's pretty awesome herself!

She's been one of my lower lights

for many years.

She has always been the

peacemaker in our house,

and I have learned a lot from her!

 

This week I want to talk about

the ultimate source of light in my life,

My Savior and Redeemer.

One of my favorite hymns is

"The Lord is my Light."

 

"The Lord is my light; Then why should I fear?

By day and by night his presence is near.

He is my salvation from sorrow and sin;

This blessed assurance the Spirit doth bring.

 

"The Lord is my light; tho clouds may arise,

Faith, stronger than sight, looks up thru the skies

Where Jesus forever in glory doth reign.

Then how can I ever in darkness remain?

 

"The Lord is my light; the Lord is my strength.

I know in his might I'll conquer at length.

My weakness in mercy he covers with pow'r,

And, walking by faith, I am blest ev'ry hour.

 

"The Lord is my light, my all and in all.

There is in his sight no darkness at all.

He is my Redeemer, my Savior, and King.

With Saints and with angels his praises I'll sing.

 

"The Lord is my light' He is my joy and my song.

By day and by night He leads, he leads me along"

(LDS Hymnbook, 89).

 

So many countless times in my life

I have felt like I was standing in the dark,

only to get the gentle reminder

that as long as I have faith in my Redeemer

He is my light in the darkness.

I love how throughout the book of Isaiah

one phrase is repeated many times,

"His arms are stretched out still."

No matter what happens in the world around us

or what happens to us or because of us,

He is just waiting for us to come to Him.

His arms are stretched out still!

 

He knows me personally!

He knows my heartaches.

He knows my trials.

He knows my joys!

He knows my path!

He is always there!

He is my light!

Here are some scriptures

that talk about Him being the light:

• Lord is my light and my salvation, Ps. 27:1
• walk in the light of the Lord, Isa. 2:5 (2 Ne. 12:5).
• Lord shall be … an everlasting light, Isa. 60:19
• A light to lighten the Gentiles, Luke 2:32
• the life was the light of men, John 1:4
• true Light, which lighteth every man, John 1:9
• I am the light of the world, John 8:12 (John 9:5; Mosiah 16:9; Alma 38:9; 3 Ne. 9:18; 3 Ne. 11:11; 3 Ne. 18:16; D&C 10:70).
• Christ shall give thee light, Eph. 5:14
• Lamb is the light, Rev. 21:23
• I will be a light unto them forever, 2 Ne. 10:14
• I am the law, and the light, 3 Ne. 15:9
• I am the light which ye shall hold up, 3 Ne. 18:24
• I am the light, and the life, and the truth, Ether 4:12
• I am the light which shineth in darkness, D&C 6:21
• truth is light, and whatsoever is light, D&C 84:45
• The light and the Redeemer of the world, D&C 93:9

3 Nephi 18:16 says,

"...Behold I am the light;

I have set an example for you."

That is what I really want to focus on this week.

Our Savior is the ultimate light for us!

If we truly desire to grow closer to Him,

to become a light for others,

we should study the ultimate light!

So here's what I'm asking you to do this week:

 

Pray

As you are on this journey prayer is an important part.

Offer a sincere prayer and ask for the Spirit to teach you

what you need to know to grow closer to Christ.

Have a prayer in your heart as you are studying, pondering, recording

and especially as you go through your days this week.

Study

Read and study Hymn 89, "The Lord is My Light".
This week I would invite you to search your scriptures
and look for different names for Jesus Christ
and any characteristics you find
that are part of Him being a light.

Ponder

  How has the Savior been a light in your life?
When you have been in a dark place,
how has He helped you by being a light?
How has He sent other people to share His light with you?

What other thoughts, feelings, or insights

have come to you as you have been studying and pondering?

Record

Write your thoughts, feelings, and insights

in your journal. Read through what you have

written and then ponder again

if there is anything more the Lord

would like you to learn.

Act

Make a goal of something to work on this week.

This week I'm going to work on
noticing better the times the Lord's light
helps me overcome a challenge
or gives me guidance in my path.

Be sure to share your goal with someone

so you will be held accountable to do it.

Share

Find someone to share with.

Like always we invite your comments on the blog.

Remember however you choose to share,

you are blessing the lives of others.

You never know if your story will

be an instrument in bringing another

to their Savior.

Like always, we invite you to comment on the blog

so we can learn from each other!

Also feel free to e-mail me at meg@soulfulbrilliance.com.

Luvz,

Meg :0)