"sometimes courage is the little voice that says I will try again tomorrow" - president Monson
What does it mean to be brave or to be courageous? I have been asking myself this question recently. I think there is a belief within the world that being brave requires a certain type of person or character, such as the superheroes we watch in the movies, or that we need to jump off a bridge or out of a plane in order to be classed as being brave or courageous. I agree that carrying out these acts does indeed require a large amount of courage and I would probably not be throwing myself off of a bridge with only an elastic band to save me from death, however I don't agree that those are the only instances in life when we show bravery and courage. I think that we have the opportunity to show courage and bravery in our everyday lives.
Recently someone told me that there is a difference between bravery and insanity, they were right yes there is. Being brave however and having the courage to face your fears does not make you insane it simply makes you strong, stronger than you were before and stronger than the person sitting at home too afraid to try. As members of the church we show small acts of courage every day when we choose to stand up for those things that we believe in. When we stand up and say this is what I believe and this is why I do what I do we are showing courage, we are being brave!!!!
The scriptures are full of stories ( way too many to mention!!) of prophets who were brave and courageous! If they can have the faith to be courageous then why cant we??!!!!
Many people assume being brave means not being afraid but this is so not true, "courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of it" when we face our fears, choose to be brave, witht he help of the Lord we can overcome them. I know that to be true :)
After being diagnosed with epilepsy I lost all my courage and was afraid of life!! But through faith and the help of my heavenly father I am learning to be brave again and its truly wonderful!!! Life is to be enjoyed not endured!!!
"Twenty years from now you will be more disapointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did so throw away the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour,catch the wind in your sails live, dream , discover" Mark Twain
Friday, 30 May 2014
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
I may have epilepsy but epilepsy does not have me
I appriciate the fact that this blog entry may not be to everyones taste and if it's not to yours feel free to stop reading it. Today I want to talk about my epilepsy, the gospel and other people's attitudes and what happens when you put all 3 together.
Those people who know me well will know that I am not big on sharing and although I think I have blogged about my epilepsy before, it's not something I ever really feel the need to talk about. Why? because epilepsy may be in my life but it does not own my life, Yes I am epileptic but having epilepsy does not define me.
I have only been epileptic for 3 years, so some of it is still pretty new to me. Something that has really surprised me is the attitude some people have towards epilepsy and those with it. Now I know that back in the olden days people suffering with epilepsy were thought to be posessed by evil spirits and seizures were a result of those spirits trying to get out! I put this down to a lack of knowledge and understanding in those days and I had thought that this mentality had been left behind along with performing labotomys and burning witches at the stake, it would appear however, that I am wrong. Recently someone told me that I am "of the devil" and "evil" and are being punished by God because I have epilepsy!! My reaction ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!! Now correct me if I am wrong but you wouldn' t go up to someone suffering with cancer and tell them that they have this terrible illness because they are "evil" or because they have done something wrong and are being punished by God would you?? No of course you wouldn't. I would be lying if I said that those words didn't hurt me because they did. So I did what Ive always done, I turned to the scriptures. Not because I believed there was any truth in what the crazy person was telling me but because I know that the answers I am searching for and the comfort I need can always be found in the scriptures. Heres what I found. 1NEPHI 11:27 - "I know that he loveth his children, nevertheless I do not know the meaning of all things" (ive used this scripture before i know but i love it ) - I love this scripture!!! Nephi knew that Heavenly Father loves his children, we don't have the answers to everything but we do know that God loves us. He is not a mean God. He is not going to punish us with illness. He would never do that. It is not in his nature.
2 NEPHI 2:2 - " he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain" - our trials, illnesses and afflictions, however painful, are for our learning and for our good. So I have epilepsy and someone else doesn't because I need to learn something from it. It really is that simple. :)
I know my Heavenly Father loves me regardless of my epilepsy :)
Epilepsy comes with a stigma, I think it always will. It is a condition that is not very well understood, and from an outside perspective it can be scary. Epilepsy can not be seen. You can't look at someone and automatically know they have epilepsy (unless they are on the floor!) and this sometimes makes it even harder for people to understand. Epilepsy is not just seizures. It is so much more than that. It brings with it other neurological problems such as headaches, memory loss and concentration problems. It also brings with it fear. Fear of having a seizure , fear of not knowing when the next seizure will be or how bad it will be. From that fear however comes courage. Courage that everything will work out. So yes I have epilepsy, does that make me evil No it does not, does it make me brave, probably not, does it scare me sometimes yes, will it control my life , not a chance :)
I may have epilepsy but epilepsy does not have me :)
Those people who know me well will know that I am not big on sharing and although I think I have blogged about my epilepsy before, it's not something I ever really feel the need to talk about. Why? because epilepsy may be in my life but it does not own my life, Yes I am epileptic but having epilepsy does not define me.
I have only been epileptic for 3 years, so some of it is still pretty new to me. Something that has really surprised me is the attitude some people have towards epilepsy and those with it. Now I know that back in the olden days people suffering with epilepsy were thought to be posessed by evil spirits and seizures were a result of those spirits trying to get out! I put this down to a lack of knowledge and understanding in those days and I had thought that this mentality had been left behind along with performing labotomys and burning witches at the stake, it would appear however, that I am wrong. Recently someone told me that I am "of the devil" and "evil" and are being punished by God because I have epilepsy!! My reaction ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!! Now correct me if I am wrong but you wouldn' t go up to someone suffering with cancer and tell them that they have this terrible illness because they are "evil" or because they have done something wrong and are being punished by God would you?? No of course you wouldn't. I would be lying if I said that those words didn't hurt me because they did. So I did what Ive always done, I turned to the scriptures. Not because I believed there was any truth in what the crazy person was telling me but because I know that the answers I am searching for and the comfort I need can always be found in the scriptures. Heres what I found. 1NEPHI 11:27 - "I know that he loveth his children, nevertheless I do not know the meaning of all things" (ive used this scripture before i know but i love it ) - I love this scripture!!! Nephi knew that Heavenly Father loves his children, we don't have the answers to everything but we do know that God loves us. He is not a mean God. He is not going to punish us with illness. He would never do that. It is not in his nature.
2 NEPHI 2:2 - " he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain" - our trials, illnesses and afflictions, however painful, are for our learning and for our good. So I have epilepsy and someone else doesn't because I need to learn something from it. It really is that simple. :)
I know my Heavenly Father loves me regardless of my epilepsy :)
Epilepsy comes with a stigma, I think it always will. It is a condition that is not very well understood, and from an outside perspective it can be scary. Epilepsy can not be seen. You can't look at someone and automatically know they have epilepsy (unless they are on the floor!) and this sometimes makes it even harder for people to understand. Epilepsy is not just seizures. It is so much more than that. It brings with it other neurological problems such as headaches, memory loss and concentration problems. It also brings with it fear. Fear of having a seizure , fear of not knowing when the next seizure will be or how bad it will be. From that fear however comes courage. Courage that everything will work out. So yes I have epilepsy, does that make me evil No it does not, does it make me brave, probably not, does it scare me sometimes yes, will it control my life , not a chance :)
I may have epilepsy but epilepsy does not have me :)
Monday, 26 May 2014
sticks and stones may break my bones
Sticks and stones may break my bones but calling names can't hurt me ... whoever said this was oh so wrong!!!! Words can hurt, probably more than sticks and stones sometimes!!!! I am pretty sure that I would rather break my collar bone or foot again then have someone I care about deeply say something hurtful to me!!! When hurtful words are said it causes the worst and deepest kinds of wounds, the types that can't be made better with a batman plaster or stitches at the hospital, the kind that show no outward bruise or mark but that damage the heart so deeply you can often wonder if it will ever fully repair.
I have unfortunatly been on both sides of a word war, I have been the victim but I have also been the person saying hurtful words before too :( So why do we do it? My theory is that we sometimes become so wrapped up in our own inner hurt and anguish that we fail to see the hurt we are going to cause someone else simply by opening our mouths. Sometimes we feel let down or hurt by others and we want them to know how we feel , we want them to feel a little bit of how they have made us feel. Is this right? No it is not. As members of the church we are counseled againsed doing this. Hurting someone elses feelings does not make your own feel any better, calling someone else fat does not make you any thinner and calling someone else a poor friend does not make you a better one.
Often we fail to see the implications of our actions and indeed our words. We can become self absored and can fail to see the bigger picture. Thinking only of ourselves is damaging to the soul!!
The problem with words, just like a bag of feathers released into the air, once they are out there you can't get them back.
Maybe its time we all think a little more before we speak, I know that is something I will be doing :) Remember the greatest way to be a great friend is to show it because actions speak louder than words :)
smile jesus loves you :) :)
I have unfortunatly been on both sides of a word war, I have been the victim but I have also been the person saying hurtful words before too :( So why do we do it? My theory is that we sometimes become so wrapped up in our own inner hurt and anguish that we fail to see the hurt we are going to cause someone else simply by opening our mouths. Sometimes we feel let down or hurt by others and we want them to know how we feel , we want them to feel a little bit of how they have made us feel. Is this right? No it is not. As members of the church we are counseled againsed doing this. Hurting someone elses feelings does not make your own feel any better, calling someone else fat does not make you any thinner and calling someone else a poor friend does not make you a better one.
Often we fail to see the implications of our actions and indeed our words. We can become self absored and can fail to see the bigger picture. Thinking only of ourselves is damaging to the soul!!
The problem with words, just like a bag of feathers released into the air, once they are out there you can't get them back.
Maybe its time we all think a little more before we speak, I know that is something I will be doing :) Remember the greatest way to be a great friend is to show it because actions speak louder than words :)
smile jesus loves you :) :)
Monday, 19 May 2014
the teacher is always quiet during the test
This week I have experienced those difficult moments in life where you have more questions than answers and the answers don't seem to be coming no matter how hard you try to find them!!! I'm sure many people have experienced this in their lives. Its difficult!!! Its hard to get down on your knees and pour your heart out to your Heavenly Father only to feel like your words are going unheard, and truthfully that is sometimes how it feels!!
I know however that that isnt true!! I know that my Heavenly Father hears my prayers and that he does and he will answer them in his own time and in his own way. Something valuable I have come to learn over the past week is this as much as I wish I did (and trust me I do) I do not know everything, I don't know everything because I am not supposed to!!! Just like Nephi said in 1Nephi 11:27 "I know that he loveth his children, nevertheless I do not know the meaning of all things" Nephi knew that his Heavenly Father loved him but he did not know the answers to everything. Why you ask?? because he wasn't supposed to!!!! Just like a test can not be fair if we are given the answer sheet along with the test paper our faith can not be tested and tried if we are shown the outcome before the trial.
I know that God loves his children and that he loves me. I know that without doubt. I don't know why bad things happen in this world or why I or many others have to face the trials we are given but I can take comfot in the knowledge that whatever I am going through I am never alone. Heavenly Father loves us and will never leave us. He does not put us through trials for his own good, he already knows the outcome and the answers, he puts us through trials for our own learning and growth. If we trust in the lord and in his love and keep his commandments we will emerge stronger from our trials , stronger people with increased faith, having learnt all that heavenly father has wanted us to learn.
Remember when you feel like you're prayers are not being answered the teacher is always quiet during the test :)
SMILE JESUS LOVES YOU :)
I know however that that isnt true!! I know that my Heavenly Father hears my prayers and that he does and he will answer them in his own time and in his own way. Something valuable I have come to learn over the past week is this as much as I wish I did (and trust me I do) I do not know everything, I don't know everything because I am not supposed to!!! Just like Nephi said in 1Nephi 11:27 "I know that he loveth his children, nevertheless I do not know the meaning of all things" Nephi knew that his Heavenly Father loved him but he did not know the answers to everything. Why you ask?? because he wasn't supposed to!!!! Just like a test can not be fair if we are given the answer sheet along with the test paper our faith can not be tested and tried if we are shown the outcome before the trial.
I know that God loves his children and that he loves me. I know that without doubt. I don't know why bad things happen in this world or why I or many others have to face the trials we are given but I can take comfot in the knowledge that whatever I am going through I am never alone. Heavenly Father loves us and will never leave us. He does not put us through trials for his own good, he already knows the outcome and the answers, he puts us through trials for our own learning and growth. If we trust in the lord and in his love and keep his commandments we will emerge stronger from our trials , stronger people with increased faith, having learnt all that heavenly father has wanted us to learn.
Remember when you feel like you're prayers are not being answered the teacher is always quiet during the test :)
SMILE JESUS LOVES YOU :)
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
going to church on a sunday doesn't make you a christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car!!!
When I sit at church on a Sunday my mind is filled with thoughts of the saviour and my loving heavenly father. I enjoy listening and learning from the talks and I also enjoy the company of my fellow Brothers and sisters. I have always imagined that all those sitting there enjoying the service and lessons alongside me were all experiencing the same feelings as me. It has come to my attention however, that this is not always the case.Some people attend church mearly as a social outing to finish off their week. Others use Sunday services as a time to make themselves feel better by pulling other people down!!!
Now I openly admit I am not perfect and am nowhere near the perfect mormon girl or saint!! I am not writing this blog to point fingers or assign blame I am mearly expressing something which I have learnt over the past few weeks and something which has been on my mind.
We are told that when we attend church meetings we should go with our empty cup and allow it to be filled up. We know that some people go to church with their hands over the cup, not wanting to hear the words being spoken. Well those people who go to church and spend sacrament meeting looking for faults in those around them have clearly left their cups at home because they won't be getting anything out of the talks. They have also cleary missed one of the fundemental christlike attributes we are called to have as members of the church, charity and love!!
Ok so yes that girl sat over there her dress is a little short when shes sat down and ok that boy in the front row he's not wearing a white shirt this morning but you know what if I wasn't a mormon and was the betting kind I would bet my entire handbag collection that their cups are being filled by the words and love of christ while your cup is still at home on the kitchen counter!!!
Going to church on a Sunday doesn't make you a Christian or a good Mormon anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car!! Being there isn't enough, reading the words isn't enough you have to be living them and living them means stopping judging and paying attention!!!! Next Sunday be sure to take your cup!!!
Smile jesus loves you :)
Now I openly admit I am not perfect and am nowhere near the perfect mormon girl or saint!! I am not writing this blog to point fingers or assign blame I am mearly expressing something which I have learnt over the past few weeks and something which has been on my mind.
We are told that when we attend church meetings we should go with our empty cup and allow it to be filled up. We know that some people go to church with their hands over the cup, not wanting to hear the words being spoken. Well those people who go to church and spend sacrament meeting looking for faults in those around them have clearly left their cups at home because they won't be getting anything out of the talks. They have also cleary missed one of the fundemental christlike attributes we are called to have as members of the church, charity and love!!
Ok so yes that girl sat over there her dress is a little short when shes sat down and ok that boy in the front row he's not wearing a white shirt this morning but you know what if I wasn't a mormon and was the betting kind I would bet my entire handbag collection that their cups are being filled by the words and love of christ while your cup is still at home on the kitchen counter!!!
Going to church on a Sunday doesn't make you a Christian or a good Mormon anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car!! Being there isn't enough, reading the words isn't enough you have to be living them and living them means stopping judging and paying attention!!!! Next Sunday be sure to take your cup!!!
Smile jesus loves you :)
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