Now is the Time to Prepare

When the time for decision arrives,

The time for preparation is past.
Thomas S. Monson

If only... I have said those words, over and over again

If only... have you said them too?

Don't say them again, my friend

If only we could see, how we all used to see

If only we could know, what we all used to know

If only we could be, who we all were meant to be

If only life were easy, but life wasn't meant to be

The challenges we face in life, are meant to shape our souls

Experience, relationships all help us to behold

The person that we are, and who we can become

Through eternity, we know, our growth is never done

But here, this time, this place, right now, it's time to begin

Awaken, see and know, and then endure until the end

Mortality, a blink, a melting snowflake, falling rain

With its radiating joys, alongside educating pain

Be ready to meet challenges, be awake, be aware

Be ready for our suffering, for yes, it will be there

Don't fear the trials we will face, the fire we all pass through

 We stand with honor, strength, courage, 

and faith to aid us too

Move forward on life's path, move on with quiet surety

Keep focused on a point ahead, walk the path of purity

Treat others as you wish they all would treat you, as a rule

Forgive the ills, abuses and guiles of the fools

This world's a stage, it seems a game, mirage that can confuse

But if we see with eyes of faith, then we are free to choose

The treasure that is hidden, that will uplift our soul

Give thanks to the Gracious One, who paid the pricey toll

With gratitude and serenity, we can embrace this life

And smile through the good times, and the times of strife

Pray and learn, stretch and grow, believe in God above

All things are truly possible, through His perfect love

So reach for higher planes, for knowledge that is true

Remember who we are, once upon a time we knew

Even though at times is seems, we do not know quite how

Don't wait, don't procrastinate, the time to start is now

No longer say, if only, but do, and do it well

At first it's strange, and difficult, but time will surely tell

When habits formed are good and true, 

all will be well with me and you

Blessings sent from heaven, will settle as the morning dew

Let us make today the day, let us find a way somehow

Because the time for all to prepare, is absolutely, right now

-liz  

6/22/15

Pathways

 

A single footstep will not make a path on earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. 

To make a deep physical path we walk again and again. 

To make a deep mental path we must think over and over the kinds of thoughts that we wish to dominate our lives.

-H.D. Thoreau

When I am weak, then am I strong

9.  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

 

2nd Corinthians 12

For Rachel

Because you see beyond yourself...

 "While we are busy looking at ourselves, shooting stars fall"

 - Akiane

From Rachel

"People always ask me who my best friend is.. But I never have a solid answer. I have too many great friends, but none like my mom. She is a great blessing in my life and I am so thankful for her. So from now on when people ask who my best friend is, it isn't going to be a question I'm going to ask myself, I'll have my mind made up right away! My mom is my BEST friend. :)"

- Facebook post
5/1/12

Differences Between a Constitutional Republic and a Democracy 

A Constitutional Republic is a state where the officials are elected as representatives of the people, and must govern according to existing constitutional law that limits the government's power over citizens.  A Constitutional Republic is the current form of government in the United States. However in recent years, many people have criticized the federal government for moving away from a Constitutional Republic, as defined by the Constitution, and towards a pure democracy^.

Democracy means the people rule and can do anything they want by majority rule. In the U.S. "super majorities" (over 50%) are required for many decisions, such as ratifying a treaty or passing a constitutional amendment. Republicanism means there is a system of rule of law, or inalienable rights, which no majority can vote out.  Alexis de Tocqueville wrote:  If, on the other hand, a legislative power could be so constituted as to represent the majority without necessarily being the slave of its passions, an executive so as to retain a proper share of authority, and a judiciary so as to remain independent of the other two powers, a government would be formed which would still be democratic while incurring scarcely any risk of tyranny.

A Republic, by definition, has two principle elements. First, it is controlled by Law; therefore, it does not control Law. Second, it recognizes the private independent sovereign nature of each person (man or woman) of competent age and capacity; therefore, a Republic must be representative in its nature.  A Republic recognizes Law is unchangeable, or at least that it can only be changed by a higher source than government. In a Republic the concept of “collective sovereignty” cannot exist, except with recognition that the State or nation, as a body of sovereigns, can speak through one elected voice; though that one voice can never lawfully interfere with the private rights of the individual sovereigns.  The purpose of a Constitutional Republic is to place limits on the tyranny of the majority over the rights and freedoms of the individual.

Definition of Sovereignty

Sovereignty is having ultimate authority over a territory, with the absolute right to govern. Thus, a sovereign state is one that governs itself, independent of any foreign power, with the full authority to make war or peace and to form treaties or alliances with foreign nations. Sovereignty in government includes the authority to create, execute, and repeal laws, as well as the power to impose and collect taxes.

Popular Sovereignty

Democracy is based on the concept of Popular Sovereignty.  In federal systems of government, such as in the United States, sovereignty also refers to powers that state governments possess independently of the national government. Disputes over this authority led to the American Civil War.  So this form of Sovereignty can lead to state vs. state.

Collective Sovereignty

The people collectively, also known as the Collective Sovereignty, have a similar responsibility towards governments as parents have towards their children. They have the inherent and irremovable authority to instruct and command their elected civil servants.  That the Sovereign people do not need to seek permission from any of the governments they created to speak and act in their Sovereign or Collective Sovereign capacity.

Theory of Sovereignty vs. Today’s Reality

Acting in our Collective Sovereign authority we have also participated in elections every 4 or 5 years. In theory the purpose of the elections is for the Collective Sovereign people to elect public servants from amongst ourselves. However, in reality the so-called democratic leaders have been pre-selected for us by the wealthy and powerful corporations who finance the politicians' campaigns. Those elections have only given the illusion of democracy and are both a challenge and insult to our Collective Sovereign authority - reducing us to a level of voting for pre-selected leaders, signing useless petitions and participating in letter-writing campaigns of questionable origins, value and effects.  We are occasionally asked to vote simply yes or no on referendums, laws and restrictions of which we were not even part of the drafting or creating. Most times we are left out of decisions that directly impact our daily lives. We are told that our government knows best, or that certain knowledge is top secret and somehow beyond our authority.  We have increasingly become subject to licensing, registration, taxation and such restrictive laws that we no longer live or act in a free capacity.  We have become the “silent partner” in our own fate.

We often hear the claim that our nation is a democracy. That wasn’t the vision of the founders. They saw democracy as another form of tyranny. If we’ve become a democracy, I guarantee you that the founders would be deeply disappointed by our betrayal of their vision. The founders intended, and laid out the ground rules, for our nation to be a republic.

The word “democracy” appears nowhere in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution – two most fundamental documents of our nation. Instead of a democracy, the Constitution’s Article IV, Section 4, guarantees “to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.” Moreover, let’s ask ourselves: Does our pledge of allegiance to the flag say to “the democracy for which it stands,” or does it say to “the republic for which it stands”? Or do we sing “The Battle Hymn of the Democracy” or “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”?
-info from several internet sites

Submission

What is submission, is it to give in
Is it to give up, never to win
Is it for the weak, the feeble-minded

Or for the strong, the most determined

Is it a compromise, a trust to form

Choose to submit, be forewarned

Submission to those who desire to use

Is but unhappiness, each will lose

How courageous it is to give of will

A difficult struggle, climbing a hill

Submit to the Savior, our cup to fill

Submit to the Spirit, when we are still

Submit to the Love we feel for each other

As a small child, submits to his mother

Submit to a loved one, to eventual death

Submit to obedience, giving your best

Submission can be a beautiful task

When it creates a bond that will last

Submit to your Lord, submit all your will

Trust in His care, His gift on the hill

He submitted completely, the Greatest of all

He submitted for man, because of the fall

Give all you can, give to others until

You’ve given enough, for He gave you free will

- Liz

4/11/12

The Savior showed us a great example of such a prayer of submission. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane as He worked out the Atonement that His Father’s will would be done. He knew that His Father’s will would be for Him to do what was so painful and so terrible that we cannot comprehend it. He prayed not simply to accept the Father’s will but to do it. He showed us the way to pray in perfect and determined submission.  - Henry B Eyring

The total submission of our will to His is one of the most difficult obstacles we face on our journey toward eternal life. - Lowell D Wood

The Savior’s perfect submission to the Eternal Father is the very essence of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Christ’s example teaches us that a broken heart (versus a proud heart) is an eternal attribute of godliness. When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master. - Bruce D Porter

As we come unto Christ, we must surrender our worldly ways, our pride, and our selfishness. As we yield to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we should experience a “mighty change in [our] hearts” (Alma 5:14)  - Lowell D Wood

Forget Me Not

"There is something inspiring and sublime about the little forget-me-not flower. I hope it will be a symbol of the little things that make your lives joyful and sweet. Please never forget that you must be patient and compassionate with yourselves (and others), that some sacrifices are better than others, that you need not wait for the golden ticket to be happy. Please never forget that the "why" of the gospel of Jesus Christ will inspire and lift you.  And never forget that your Heavenly Father knows, loves and cherishes you."

-President Uchtdorf, 2011

Completion

How elusive completion is, but that’s no reason not to finish

Don’t be afraid to begin again, each try is like a root taking hold

You feel it each time you stretch yourself, or start over

These are the times you show yourself and everyone around you

What you are made of, you can be trusted, relied on and not fear

But each day you wake, you must renew this new belief

Every time you fall and forget your newfound strength, exercise yourself

Rise up, head held high, breathe deep and slow and stand strong

Aim for your target, reach for your dreams, believe in yourself

- Anonymous

The little dissatisfaction which every artist feels at the completion of a work forms the germ of a new work.

- Berthold Auerback

When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live.

- Greg Anderson

Faith & Conviction

"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything" - Alexander Hamilton

"Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.” - J. B. Conant.

"Complete trust or confidence in someone or something." - definition

"How may people do you know that you can completely trust?  Sadly, it is inevitably a small percentage." - L. A.

"Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith." - H. W. Beecher

"The only faith that wears well and holds its color in all weathers is that which is woven of conviction and set with the sharp mordant of experience." - J. R. Lowell

"If patience is worth anything, it must endure to the end of time. And a living faith will last in the midst of the blackest storm." - Mohandas Gandhi

Love & Family

Especially for me and my family: When we feel love and kindness towards others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace. And there are ways in which we can consciously work to develop feelings of love and kindness. For some of us, the most effective way to do so is through religious practice. For others it may be non-religious practices. What is important is that we each make a sincere effort to take our responsibility for each other and for the natural environment we live in seriously.
- Dalai Lama, 14th

The smile is the beginning of love - Mother Theresa ♥

Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighbouring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where... individuals and nations are free. True peace with oneself and with the world around us can only be achieved through the development of mental peace. The other phenomena mentioned above are similarly interrelated. Thus, for example, we see that a clean environment, wealth or democracy mean little in the face of war, especially nuclear war, and that material development is not sufficient to ensure human happiness. Inner peace is the key: if you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility. In that state of mind you can deal with situations with calmness and reason, while keeping your inner happiness. That is very important. Without this inner peace, no matter how comfortable your life is materially, you may still be worried, disturbed or unhappy because of circumstances - Dalai Lama, 14th

May I Forget...

Life

Live a fearless life, not a reckless life, but a life without fear. Do not be good merely for fear of consequences, but for a pure desire for good. Truth never accompanies fear. Truth is strength.  -LA

What are the first 4 letters of analyze?  Anal.  Don't analyze everything, experience it.  Get it into your gut.  Really feel it.  -Dr. Wayne Dyer

Only that which is real, never changes.

Take your shoes off.  Allow.  -Dr. Wayne Dyer

BECOMING

“The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.”

D. H. Oaks

BECOMING

What am I becoming, is it everything I can

Am I someone useful, to my fellow man

Am I a good example, of what we all should be

Are my actions, beliefs and words, all in harmony

Everyday I’m living, am I living well

If someone else was watching, would my story tell

That my life’s intentions, were good, fine and true

Or do my actions come across, differently to you

Am I hypocritical, or am I simply human

Do I hold myself, to the same heights I hold you to

Am I unforgiving, judgmental, and unloving

Or do I come across, as a person who’s accepting

In my heart are many truths, but also so much pain

In my mind are many faults, and I can be quite vain

I can be unhappy, and so create no joy

I strive to overcome my faults and good thoughts to employ

I long to feel serene and surround myself with beauty

I wish to live a long life, of goodness and of purity

My actions and desires, they don’t quite meet as yet

I’m trying to remember who I am, and not forget

I seek help from my family, and those who show me love

And also from the things I’ve learned, of my home above

Negativity, depression, these creep into my mind

And when I alter how I live, I sometimes become blind

The pain and suffering of this life is difficult to bear

Sometimes it seems there’s no one in my life that really cares

But there are times when I feel love, shining bright and true

And then I know I’m on the path, doing what I should do

I’m striving to achieve the life I dream of, in the quiet

But in this loud, confusing world, I sometimes can forget

So I place things around me, to help remind me daily

What traits I want, what traits I need and who I want to be

I need to learn forgiveness, both for myself and others

How can I say I’m loving, if I can’t forgive my brothers

I hope they will forgive me too, together we will see

It’s so much better, for us all to live in harmony

We’re all so busy with the little things we do each day

We forget to think of others, to listen and to pray

But when we take the time to perform an act of kindness

It generates much growth in us, brings forth happiness

These are the things I think of, when I pause to ponder

How can it take so long to grow and change, it makes me wonder

That very thought then logically, will turn my mind to see

I believe in change and that it takes eternity

So if I always keep on going, and I focus on my growing

I will remember my dream is, to never stop becoming

There’s always hope, I cannot quit, not ever, so it seems

I must endure until the end, to reach all of my dreams

-Liz

5/18/11

Wisdom

"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich."

"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love."

 

— Laozi (Tao Te Ching)

Because I Have Been Given Much, An Attitude of Quality

"Greatness is not always a matter of the scale of one’s life, but of the quality of one’s life.  True greatness is not always tied to the scope of our tasks, but to the quality of how we carry out our tasks whatever they are.  In that attitude, let us give our time, ... to the things that really matter now, things which will still matter a thousand years from now.

-Spencer W. Kimball

Because I have been given much, I too must give

Because of thy great bounty, Lord, each day I live

I shall divide my gifts from thee

With every brother that I see

Who has the need of help from me

Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care

I cannot see another’s lack and I not share

My glowing fire, my loaf of bread

My roof’s save shelter overhead

That he too might be comforted

Because I have been blessed by thy great love, dear Lord

I’ll share thy love again, according to thy word

I shall give love to those in need

I’ll show that love by word and deed

Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed

-Grace Noll Cowell