The Lord is My Light

  

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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)

 

Lower Lights in Our Lives

I hope that this week has been as amazing for you all as it has been for me! I really enjoyed focusing on those who are lower lights in my life, and the characteristics that they have to make them so. I have been blessed with many people throughout my life, but for this post I would like to focus on my greatest example of a lower light.

One of my best friends, Mal, was the first person I thought of when reading Meg's post from Sunday. We have had the opportunity to start a friendship that has impacted me greatly in the last few months. When I first met Mal, I was the sailor looking for a way to the safety of the harbor. She has many characteristics that I would consider those of a lower light, but for sake of space and time I'm just going to focus on the top three that have impacted me the most.

The first characteristic is enduring. Life sometimes throws us hard times, but how we handle the hard times can be a strength to us and those around us. Mal is a good example to me of enduring well. We’ve had a rough trial over the last couple months, and it’s been hard. Mal has always taken things one step at a time, and believes that there is light at the end of the tunnel. There have been times in my life where I have not endured well and have wanted to give up. Mal’s example has helped to remind me that we are here for a purpose, and that things will always work out in the end if we are doing the things that are right.

The second is charity.  In the scriptures we learn that charity is the pure love of Christ. I like to think of it as unconditional love. Mal is a good example of giving this kind of love to those around her who are in need of it. I sometimes forget to have that kind of love for others around me, and save that kind of love for those who are important to me or that I am close to. While I’m not perfect at it, thanks to Mal I am learning to be okay with giving that kind of love to others that I may not know.

The last characteristic that I would like to talk about is that Mal is a seeker of light. Now there are two types of light here. There is natural light, like that from the sun, and knowledge. Something that I noticed early on in our friendship was that anytime a room started to get dark, Mal doesn't hesitate to turn on as many lights as she can to dissolve any and all darkness. I've noticed that people who do this, especially with natural light, tend to be happier and do better. What a great thing that can be. I think that knowledge can be a form of light also. Mal is so good about memorizing scriptures and quotes from good sources. It never ceases to amaze me, because I really wish that I could accomplish that. However, it is not a talent I was blessed with.

Hopefully this post will help to give you some ideas about what kinds of things to look for when recognizing the lower lights in your lives. You never know who is watching you, and the example that you can be. I hope that we can always strive to let our soulful brilliance shine through for all around us to see. Please be sure to share your thoughts and feelings on this weeks topics. We would love to hear from you ;)

Much love, B

Something More to Ponder

Once again I was thinking and realized

that there was more we should be pondering

than I put in the post on Sunday, 

so add this thought to your pondering and recording.

Whenever we are working on becoming

better at something, it helps to study people 

who are already doing it!

So, look at your list of people

who have been a lower light for you

and make a list of the qualities and characteristics

they have that help them to be a light. Below is the beginning of my list.

Let me know how it goes!

Hope you're having a great week!

Luvz,

Meg :0)

Let the Lower Lights Be Burning

What an awesome week last week!

I have loved hearing your stories and can't wait to hear more!

If you're just joining us Welcome!

As I've been thinking about being a light this week

and we we could be thinking about this week,

I was reminded when reading this talk

about lighthouses and how they can be related to us.

There is a beautiful hymn called "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy"

"Brightly beams our Father's mercy

From His lighthouse evermore,

But to us He gives the keeping

Of the lights along the shore.

Let the lower lights be burning;

Send a gleam across the wave.

Some poor fainting, struggling seaman

You may rescue, you may save.

"Dark the night of sin has settled;

Loud the angry billows roar.

Eager eyes are watching, longing,

For the lights along the shore.

Let the lower lights be burning;

Send a gleam across the wave.

Some poor fainting, struggling seaman

You may rescue, you may save.

"Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;

Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,

Trying now to make the harbor,

In the darkness may be lost.

Let the lower lights be burning;

Send a gleam across the wave.

Some poor fainting, struggling seaman

You may rescue, you may save."

A couple of weeks ago, we were discussing this at institute,
and I was surprised about how many people
didn't know what the lower lights of a lighthouse were.
So in case you don't know here's my version of what the lower lights are:

Lighthouses have been used for centuries to guide sailors back to shore.
The main light in a lighthouse is important to find their way home,
but more was needed to help them guide the ship
through the perilous channels of rocks and reef.
So as sailors get closer to the harbor, a second set of lights,
the lower lights, on the shore serve as a reference point.
When they line up the main light and the lower lights,
they are safely led through the channels.
The lighthouse brought the ships to where they need to be,
but without the lower lights the sailors
 wouldn't be able to reach the shore safely.

I love drawing a parallel between this and our own lives.
Many times we are the sailors, on a long journey,
journeying to come to Christ, who is the light of the lighthouse.
We can see the light far off in the distance.
As we get closer Satan tries to block our path
 with things that could keep us from getting to the Savior.
Our Heavenly Father in his infinite wisdom
places people along the shore to help guide us
along the safe path to Him.
When I think of all the people sent into my life as lower lights,
I'm just in awe of how I've been led in my path.
These people don't necessarily do big things,
but they teach me something through their example.

When we are living righteously,
we shine with the light of Christ
and can be the lower lights for other people
who cross our path.

This week I'd again like to invite you to do a few things.

Pray. Study. Ponder. Record. Act. Share.

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 335, "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy",

Doctrine and Covenants 18:10-16, 1 John 2:10,

and any other scriptures, conference talks, etc.

that you feel will assist you.

Ponder

  Who has been a lower light in your life?

How can you be a lower light in other people's lives?

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.

Maybe it is writing and sending a thank you note

to someone who is a lower light for you.

Maybe it is working on doing something

to help you be a lower light to someone else.

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) 

Prayer

"Prayer is the provider of spiritual strength. It is the passport to peace.  Prayer is the means by which we approach our Father in Heaven, who loves us. Speak to Him in Prayer, and then listen for the answer.

Miracles are wrought through prayer." ~Thomas S. Monson

What a week it has been! I've learned even more about myself. I hope you have too. If you haven't started studying yet there's always time!

This week I asked you to think about why is holding you back from coming fully to Christ. What was filling your nets, and what do you get to shift in your life to help you leave it behind and follow after Christ?

One thing I mentioned being in my nets was knowing how amazing I am and being afraid of not living up to the responsibilities that go with that. As I've been pondering this some more throughout the week I've come to see that there is more than jut that in my nets. Another thing that is holding me back is pride. I want to accomplish a lot of things, but so often in my life I desire to do things by myself. Whether it is because I'm afraid others will let me down or because I want to show off to others how amazing I am, it all boils down to having lots of pride. When I choose to do things by myself and don't even ask my Heavenly Father for His help, I can still succeed many times, but I worry more and stress out more. This last seven months or so I've been learning to ask for help from others and especially my Heavenly Father. My job has been very stressful as I have had a student who has needed some...special attention to help him learn. I started out the year trying to prove that I could do it myself, and I ended up crying in the principal's office because I was stressed out and not getting anywhere with him. I got some assistance and now things run more smoothly and I'm working on getting this special friend the help that he needs. This little story has helped me draw a parallel to my life and asking my Father in Heaven for help. How many times in my life have I set out to do something that I 'knew' I could do by myself, only to end up on my knees crying to my Father for His help because I had tried moving a mountain with only a spoon to help me? I've definitely learned through this experience that he can take my spoon and turn it into a huge bulldozer that can more efficiently help move the mountain. He doesn't just move the mountain for me because I won't learn and grow that way, but He does give me a better tool, so I can have the strength I need to get through the learning experience.

Where does letting go of our pride and getting help from our Father in Heaven start? With prayer! Prayer is an amazing thing. It is a way to communicate with our Heavenly Father. We speak and thank Him for our blessings, ask Him to help and bless others, and ask for help and strength in our trials. If we will take the time to be still and listen after our prayers He will teach us things we need to know. It doesn't always come at once and many times not in the way we expected, but it will come! I've most definitely learned the power of prayer! I'm sure later on my journey I'll learn even more about it! Please enjoy the video at the bottom of this post. I know that prayer is a powerful thing, and I know that as President Monson says miracles are wrought by prayer!

Luvz,
Meg:0)

What have you learned this week? I'd love to hear from you! Comment below or e-mail me at meg@soulfulbrilliance.com. Look forward to next week's challenge about people who have been lights on our lives!

A Missing Piece: Act!

Hey friends!

How is the journey going?

Yesterday as I was writing the last post

I knew I was forgetting something.

For those of you who have been

in my space recently you know that this is nothing new:0)

Today while I was doing some studying and pondering,

I realized what I had forgotten!

I asked you to do a few things:

pray, study, ponder, record and share.

I forgot one of the most important

pieces of this process!

ACT!

 So I would invite you to add this to your journey!

Act!

As you are studying and learning,

sit down and decide on something you

will be able to do this week that will

assist you in leaving your nets

and following after Christ.

  

Here are some examples:

(Remember to be specific and be sure to tell someone 

about what you're working on so they can assist in keeping you accountable.)

1. I am studying my scriptures each day at 7:00 a.m. for ten minutes.

2. I am attending an endowment session at the temple Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m.

3.  I am waking each morning and before doing anything else, I am writing down ten things I am grateful for in my life.

4. I am waking each morning and going straight to my knees to pray sincerely to my Heavenly Father to thank Him for my blessings and ask for assistance in living my life in a way that will help me grow closer to Him. (This one is mine:0)

If you need someone to be accountable to, feel free to e-mail me at meg@soulfulbrilliance.com!

Luvz,

Meg :0)

P.S. In all my thinking last night before I fell asleep, I had a lot of thoughts about some posts for this week, so look for more to come in the next few days:0)

"Come Unto Me"

Welcome to the Be a Light! Journey!

This journey is for anyone and everyone

who is desiring to discover and develop their greatness 

by grow closer to our Savior.

We live in a world where we hear a lot

 about all the horrible events caused by both nature and mankind.

Everyone is searching for happiness and peace,

but most have no idea how to find a lasting happiness and peace.

Throughout my life I have discovered that there is only 

one way to having lasting happiness and peace in my life...

My Savior and Redeemer.

Which is why this year I decided to begin a journey 

to grow closer to Him in my life.

So as we travel this road,

please be aware that I'm learning along the way too!

We all learn things differently,

and we all have a different perspective on things.

I would really like to challenge you to share your

thoughts, feelings, and anything else you discover

on your journey.

We can all learn more from each other!

So here we go! 

Be sure to have your scriptures

and a journal out and ready to go!

In Matthew 11:28-30, Christ gives us an invitation,

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Before we can become a light on a hill, 

we must first COME UNTO CHRIST.

He is the ultimate light in our world!

Take a moment and think about how 

he has been a light in your life.

Have you truly come unto Him?

In my life I have learned that we get

to recognize and acknowledge what is 

holding us back, before we can move forward

and be greater than we were.

So this week I would like to invite you to do just that.

Recently I was reading a book by Emily Freeman called

21 Days Closer to Christ.

In it she reminds the reader of a time Christ invites

some fisherman (Simon Peter and his brother Andrew)

to come follow Him.

"Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.  And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of man.  And STRAIGHTWAY they forsook their nets, and followed him."

In their nets was their livelihood, 

but they forsook their nets as soon as Christ

invited them to follow Him.

When they chose to follow Him,

He showed them blessings and miracles

that come to all who follow.

What is in our nets?

What is keeping us from following the Savior

and enjoying the many blessings He desires to send into our lives?

Is it demands at work?

All the little things we need to accomplish during the day?

Distractions like TV shows or social media?

Fear?

 This is something that is different for everyone.

For me a lot of what has been holding me back

is knowing all the responsibilities that it entails

and being afraid of not being equal to the task,

but I have recently been reminded that

God will provide a way for us to accomplish

what he asks of us if we just have the faith to ACT, 

and as we act, we will be given the strength 

and means to accomplish the task.

We will also be led on a path

to return to our Heavenly Father (1 Ne 17:3, 13).

As we choose to leave our nets and follow after Christ,

we will realize that he is the only way we can

be truly happy and at peace.

Coming unto him is also the only way 

we can reach our full potential and 

truly live in our Soulful Brilliance

as a light on a hill, leading others to Christ.

We leave our nets and discover something of much

greater worth in our lives!

We don't live in a time when Christ will 

walk up to us and invite us to follow Him,

but he will quietly invite us as we are doing the

little daily things everyday that help us to be closer to the Spirit.

Reading our scriptures.

Attending our church meetings.

Attending the temple.

Praying with sincerity.

This week I'd like to invite you to do a few things.

Pray. Study. Ponder. Record. Share.

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 Mark 1:16-18 and John 1:38-39

and any other scriptures, conference talks, etc.

that you feel will assist you in this journey.

Ponder

What fills your nets?

What is holding you back from growing closer to Christ?

What can you shift in your life? (Click here to read a past post about this.)

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.

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.

 I am so grateful for this chance to grow closer

to my Savior.  I know that He lives!

I have felt His hand at work in my life.

I know that as we study Gospel 

and learn more of Him,

we will find strength to accomplish so much in our lives!

I am excited to work on this during my week as well!

Please feel free to share with me your thoughts or feelings

on our journey and what could make it better.

I'm learning as we go along as well!

 Luvz,

Meg :0)

P.S. Check back on Saturday for a follow up on our invitation this week!

There may be more posts throughout the week if I discover something I would like to share!

Be a Light!

There I was...

working out at the gym,

minding my own business,

exercising like a holy person.

(What does a holy person look like at the gym?

Well, I don't really know the answer for other people,

but for me it was dressed modestly,

listening to good music,

and telling myself how amazing and wonderful I am

and how I love myself.

Yes it sounds funny to a lot of people,

but loving yourself is important in living the amazing life you desire!)

All of the sudden, I see a familiar face!

It was my aunt!

I stopped what I was doing and had a good conversation with her.

We made plans to meet each day to workout together

because having someone to workout with 

always makes it more fun!

We also talked about how we were both working on 

being closer to our Heavenly Father this year.

My aunt left and I returned to my workout

contemplating the things we had talked about.

The past few months I've really been thinking about

this blog and how I have been struggling to

do all I planned with it.

It just seemed to be missing something that 

I just couldn't quite put my finger on...

Then it hit me!

I need to combine SB with my goal to grow 

closer to my Heavenly Father this year.

I was having this amazing flow of ideas.

Enter Satan.

(I have most definitely decided he knows me well.

He knows just what to do to get me second guessing myself.)

He got me thinking about how much more work it would be for me to put together

and how this is probably just a high from not having to worry about my job for the next few weeks.

I spent a while questioning if it was Heavenly Father telling me something

 or my sudden relief at some time off.

  How many times does that happen in your life?

You get some inspiration and before you know it you're questioning yourself about it.

Sadly it happens to me quite often.

I've learned to really pray to my Heavenly Father at these times.

He's pretty amazing and even if it takes some serious time,

He always answers our prayers.

This time was no different. 

As I am leaving the gym and getting in my jeep to drive home,

I'm praying about if this was indeed something I should do.

And He most definitely answered my prayer.

So I would like to invite you to come on a journey with me.

 A journey that, if you commit to it, will take you to heights you've never seen. 

In going with Soulful Brilliance,

I've decided to call this journey

Be a Light!

Many of you that I have talked to keep asking me, "Meg, how do you figure out my purpose so I can live in my Soulful Brilliance?"

The truth is that there is no one answer.

What works for me may not work for the next person.

We are each on our own journey to discovering ourselves.

I've learned through the years that it comes a little at a time.

I think Heavenly Father knows that if he gave it all to us at one time we may get overwhelmed and not be able to accomplish all He desires. :0)

He has given us gifts, talents and special experiences so we can be a light for others to shape their lives in the way He intended.  

I love this scripture:     

 

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid...Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

~3 Nephi 12:14-16

As we grow closer to our Heavenly Father and work on shaping our own lives to accomplish all He wants us to do,

We become like a city on a hill,

A bright light shining and inviting others to come and see all the amazing and wonderful things that are in store for them if they but come unto Christ.

 

Here's all you get to do to join us:

1. Commit! You may want to find someone to commit with you.  This can assist in keeping you accountable for sticking with it and completing invitations each week!

2. Read the weekly message and invitation, which will be posted by 7 p.m. Sunday nights.

3. Complete the  invitation and record your insights, thoughts, feelings etc. in a journal.

4. ***Share your experiences with others!***  You never know how much your story could assist someone else in their path! You can share by commenting on the blog post, or find a friend or family member to share your journey with.

5. Check back on the blog Saturday morning for a follow-up post by a SB team member.

I'm excited to take this journey with you.

I truly hope and pray that you will find this rewarding.

*Our first message will be posted this Sunday by 7 p.m.*

Hope to hear from you! 

If you have any questions or comments about anything feel free to comment below or email me at meg@soulfulbrilliance.com.

Luvz!

Meg:0)  

*Just a side note:0) This is process for me.  I'm going with the flow on this and making it up as I go along.  I will be learning right along with you and may periodically shift things as we go along. Please feel free to share any ideas you have so I can make this journey helpful for others.