Ripples

Most of us will never have our name lit up in lights.  We will not be recognized for our scientific breakthrough.  Our contribution to mankind won’t be printed in every history book.  We probably won’t even make it into the local newspaper – except upon our demise!

So –

Why do you matter?

What difference do you make?

It can seem that no matter how hard we try, we aren’t good enough, we can’t get everything done, we aren’t making a difference in the world and even sometimes, that Satan is winning the battle.

In truth, you have far more power than you realize.  Not only does every person make a difference – we are responsible for that difference.  This doesn’t usually happen in one amazing event. We make a difference each day by who we are and what we do.

What Elder Ballard says below of sisters is true for all of us.

“Every sister who stands for truth and righteousness diminishes the influence of evil. Every sister who strengthens and protects her family is doing the work of God. Every sister who lives as a woman of God becomes a beacon for others to follow and plants seeds of righteous influence that will be harvested for decades to come. Every sister who makes and keeps sacred covenants becomes an instrument in the hands of God.”    Elder M. Russell Ballard, Women of Righteousness, Ensign April 2002.

If you think back on your life to the people who’ve made you feel good – or bad – you’ll probably agree with me.  Were those people famous?  Did they raise millions of dollars?  Or donate a lifetime of  hours in service?  Generally, no.  The people that touch our lives – that change our world – are everyday people.  They are you and me.

Each of us make ripples in the lives of those around us, who then make ripples in others lives and so on.

It is impossible to live in this world and  not change it.

So, you WILL change the world.  You ARE changing the world.  The only choice you have is what kind of difference you will have.

Make it a good one!

 

Doctrine and Covenants 64:33-34 “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.  And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.  Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.”

~ Tiffany Birrell

The Power of Words

When I was a junior in high school, I attended West High in Salt Lake City for just one year. Because I was new to SLC and to West High School I didn’t know anyone (not anyone!) and it was a difficult experience for me.

One thing that I looked forward to and enjoyed each day was my English class with Mrs. Mills. Each week she would write a new quotation on the blackboard. I read and re-read each one every day during class. The words sunk deep into my heart and I still remember some of them today nearly 50 years later!

“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time for that’s the stuff that life is made of.” –Ben Franklin

“What you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you say.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” –Aristotle

I loved these quotations! I don’t recall Mrs. Mills ever saying anything about them. They were just there for us to discover and privately ponder.

God’s words are even more powerful. In the October 2011 General Conference, Richard G. Scott referred to scriptures as “packets of light.” “They are the key to opening the channel of communication with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.”

He went on to say: “There is great power in memorizing scripture. It is like forging a new friendship or discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort and be a source of motivation for needed change. As you ponder scriptures it can be the key to unlock revelation and the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost.”

I totally have a testimony of the power of words, especially the words of the scriptures. When our children were young we memorized a scripture each month. We repeated the scripture each day as we knelt at the dinner table for family prayer. Eventually, even the youngest kids were able to repeat them from memory, and now, nearly 30-40 years later, we can still say most of them!

“Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness.” D&C 58:27

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” Matthew 5:16

“Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9

“And if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.” D&C 14:7

As Elder Scott said, these words are part of us now and can be recalled when the power of those words is needed. They are friends that never fail you!

When the kids were little it always made me smile when someone would quote one of “our” scriptures in Sacrament Meeting. The kids would perk up (even when I thought they weren’t paying attention) and say: “Hey, that’s one of “our” scriptures.” Explaining the scripture made for a good Family Home Evening.

Our kids are adults now and I wanted to try this process again a while ago. So each person in the family took a turn choosing a scripture for all of us to memorize. (Even the grandkids can do this.) They sent it to everyone via e-mail. In addition, they wrote a page or so letting us know why that scripture was special to them. It was wonderful to hear their insights and testimony of God’s words in their lives.

Try it! Because, you know….

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Chaucer

Or as the scriptures say:

“And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had a more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.” Alma 31:5

~Pat Barton

Go to The Coach

I have always loved sports. Still do. In the sports world we learn about life! The ups, the downs, the planning, the execution, the preparation, the event, the victory—or the defeat. We try to do our best, but many times that isn’t enough. What do we do then? Give up?—or go to the coach? Every sport, especially team sports like football, has a coach. He is the person who can give you outside advice because he knows you and where you have come from and what you are and what you can be. The coach is invaluable. So, who is your “life” coach?

I grew up listening to outstanding LDS speaker Emmett Smith, a coach, tell about life lessons learned through sports. Here is one of his own stories—before he became a coach.

Brother Smith said, “I played football in high school. We were playing Amphitheater High School. The score was 7 to 6. We had the 6. Amphitheater had the 7. There were twenty-seven seconds left in the football game. We had the ball and 6 inches to go for a touchdown. Six inches! And we had four plays to score. Four plays!

You can FALL six inches in four plays, can’t you?—and score a touchdown! Not always. We tried our “goal line” plays. If you play football you know you have plays you try when you are down on the goal line. Well, we were on the goal line. We tried “12.” That’s where the “1” back went through the “2” position (football talk). Bam! We’re still six inches from the goal line. It’s now second down. So we tried “23.” That’s where the “2” back goes to the “3” position. Bam! We’re still six inches away.

Well, we have to do something. We’re now at third down. We’re going to throw what is called a “basketball pass” to me. That’s where I go over the goal line and Jim Kabashi, our quarterback, tosses it over the heads of everyone to me. I go up in the air, I’m waiting for the ball, easy catch—and the ball goes zip!—right through my hands and to the ground. The team is cracking up laughing, the other team is laughing because I should have caught the ball; it was an easy uncontested catch. There was nothing in the world keeping me from catching it. But the ball is lying on the ground now. And it’s fourth down. We’re still six inches short of our goal.

It’s fourth down and we have about nine seconds to go. We have one down left to score. I said, ‘Time out.’ And I went over to the coach. I said ‘Coach. We have tried every goal line play I know, and we can’t make a touchdown.’

He said, ‘That’s right. You have played every goal line play you know—but not every goal line play I know.’

He said look at this. And he draws it out on a board. I take it back in.

We score a touchdown!

We win the game!

I suggest when times are hard and you can’t score the goal, when you’ve done everything you know and still no success, and you’ve played every goal line play you have—call a time out! Go to the coach! He knows all the plays. That’s our Father in Heaven.

He knows ALL the plays!”

Alma 40:10
Doctrine and Covenants 88:41
1 Chronicles 28:9
Acts 15:18
Doctrine and Covenants 38:2

~Bruce Barton

Printing Your Own Scripture Sticky Notes

 

Below is a link to a sheet of blank Scripture Sticky Notes you can print and use on your own.

1.  Click the Adobe PDF™ icon below.

2. Print the page of blank Sticky Notes.

3. Cut out the Sticky Notes.

4. Write your content on the Sticky Notes (an example is included).

5. Place removable glue on the back of the Sticky Notes.

6. Put the Sticky Notes in your scriptures.

Click here for detailed instructions on using Scripture Sticky Notes.

Have Fun!

 

 

ScriptureKIT Book 1

How to Use it

ScriptureKIT Complete

What is it?

“People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.” ~ Joseph F. Newton

Creating and maintaining positive connections with our family and friends is the focus of God’s plan for His children.

He knows our greatest joys in life come from our relationships with others:

Falling in Love

Watching a Child Grow

even Lunch with a Friend.

 But like everything worthwhile, it takes effort – and time.

Good relationships only happen when charity and forgiveness are applied.  We must love as much as we want to be loved.  And give more mercy than we expect to be given.

 

“And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.”  ~Mosiah 18:21 (emphasis added)

 

My challenge for you this week is to do your knitting!  Say a kind word, comfort a friend,  hug a child, and re-act with love not anger.

 

 

by Tiffany Birrell

Please check back often!

 

Scripture Reading Schedule

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