Come and Claim Your Blessings

I just finished reading The Holy Temple by Boyd K. Packer. It was an intellectual and spiritual feast. Truly. I started it a long time ago - more than a year probably, but lately I have been anxious to read it and finish it and tonight I just couldn't put it down - reading the last 4 chapters. I am looking forward to starting it over tomorrow. There is so much that I want to remember. And there are a few things I want to record tonight.
"Come to the temple - come and claim your blessings. It is a sacred work. Of this I give my witness." - Boyd K. Packer
"I have long since learned that there are no special compelling words set aside to be used only by the Brethren in the bearing of testimony. We use the ordinary words. They are often very inadequate to convey the very depth of feelings." - Boyd K. Packer
"I think I am finally beginning to understand." David O. McKay not long before he died.
"I will not say, as do many, that the more I learn the more I am satisfied that I know nothing; for the more I learn the more I discern an eternity of knowledge to improve upon." Brigham Young
"If we so live that our minds are free from worry and our conscience is clear and our feelings are right toward one another, the operation of the Spirit of the Lord upon our spirit is as real as when we pick up the telephone. If we are worried about something and upset in our feelings, the inspiration does not come." Harold B. Lee paraphrasing David O. McKay
"Of course you can not force spiritual things. The Lord said that such things as these come in His own time and in His own way and according to His own will; and if we will live as we should and endeavor to keep His commandments, what ought to happen to us can happen to us." Body K. Packer
"I know of no other work in the Church more conducive to spiritual refinement and communication than temple and genealogical work. In this work our hearts and our minds are turned to those beyond the veil. Such a work helps us to sharpen our spiritual sensitivities." Boyd K. Packer
"The spirit of revelation is in connection with these blessings. A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass, and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus." Joseph Smith.
I would add my witness. And express my gratitude that these words were read this particular week and after great requests for peace and understanding. Granted.
~Emily~

Resting in the sunshine.

There are times when we finally come to a balance. Balancing is hard. I've done the NY ballet work out the last few days (David loves doing it with me - he comes flying in from somewhere in the house as soon as he hears the dulcet tones) and really all you do with your arms is hold them aloft. You don't jab or punch or lift or stretch - just hold them aloft. Balance. And it is tough. They start shaking and you are certain they have something like hamhocks hanging from them. Nope. It's just hard to stay balanced for a long time. Builds strength.
Is the year balanced if its one way for winter and the other way for summer? Is the day balanced if you are awake for some and sleep for some? Is the diet balanced if there is a little broccoli and one oreo? Is the decade balanced if finally at the end there is some clarity? I say yes.
Douglas said this yesterday - In the end it'll be alright. If it's not alright then it's not the end.
I'm grateful God gave us so long to find balance.
And I think I'm on my way to some long fought balance soon. In moments - in days - in a few weeks. I will rest in the sunshine. I will soon have lady bugs crawling all over me.