Looking in the Mirror

"I looked in the mirror as I washed my hands ... and--fearing the worst--found myself thinking how beautiful I looked tonight. It is a feeling I have never had before, and it left me somewhat dazed. No, I don't think I would win any beauty contests, but for once, I didn't focus on the blemishes, which I am sure are still there. Maybe I can yet come to be at peace with myself, on the outside and on the inside. May we all find that balance, to see ourselves as beautiful, radiant children of the Most High God. ... How would it be?" ~~A young mother 

 

Another post from Cassia "The Recovering Perfectionist": GOALS

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm done with being selfish and angry. I'm fed up with fear and doubt and anxiety. 

I'm moving on. 

I'm leaving my fear at the feet of Jesus and picking up trust. I'm going to stop dwelling on yesterday and start living today.  I am more than my problems. God is more than my problems. Together, we'll smash the walls of restriction, and build a palace of peace. I'm leaving behind who I was and becoming who I really am.  Strong. Joyful. Determined. Faithful. Obedient. Compassionate. Wise. 

Because beating myself up only hurts me more, I'm going to stop letting shame chain me, and start letting grace free me. 

The worth of souls is great in the sight of God. I want the worth of each soul to be great in my eyes too. I want to take off the mask of misunderstanding and see people as they really are. Good, powerful spirits, with unique gifts and talents. I want to see differences as marks of beauty. I'm tired of caring about what other people think of me. I want to live the right way, and be free to be myself.

The world says it's not ok to look weird. The world says you shouldn't dare to be vulnerable, but I'm tired of hiding. I'm  sick of being cooped up in a little box of frigtened emotions. I'm ready to spread my wings and take flight with divinity. 

If I say somethings  stupid, who cares? If I embarrass myself, who cares? If I mess up, make a mistake, I'm not going to let that cripple me like I've done in the past. I'm moving on from the past, and looking forward to the future. Cherishing every learning opportunity. Being excited just about life. Not being afraid to dance, sing, and laugh. Loving with my whole heart, for it is worth it. I'm stepping out of sadness and jumping into joy. 

What a beautiful day to live! 

What are We Searching for?

By Cassia Bates, on "The Recovering Perfectionist"

Hi Ladies. I want to ask you a question. What are we searching for? Why do so many of us burn our hair, pinch our eyelashes, smear stuff on our faces, pluck our eyebrows, spend hours in front of the mirror, and worry so much about how we appear?



Do we think we can starve ourselves in order to fill ourselves with some fantasy form of validation? Do we think that attention obtained in any form, is worth more than our dignity? Do we think people will notice or judge our every move, word, or look? True friends won't. True people won't care. Actually, they will probably appreciate that we're relatable when we mess up.

My point is, let's stop living in fear! In reality, most people are likely too worried about what they look like, or how they say things, that they don't really care about you. Not that they don't care as i.n they don't love you, but they don't care as in they have too much on their mind to be worrying about your flaws.


Now don't get me wrong. There are some people out there who just judge and put people down in

an attempt to make themselves feel better, but what I'm saying is that we shouldn't care. Who cares if someone else doesn't like us for some weird reason? I believe that the only opinion that matters, is God's opinion.







That overwhelming crave for attention, love, and validation is ingrained in each human soul… But it can become a problem when it is our main reason for action. If we don't get that sense of worth from others, and that is the only thing that makes us feel good about ourselves, it can be devastating. We need to have a higher source of purpose. I know that when I do things just to get attention from others, or just really want to be noticed, it's like running a race with no finish line. It is empty and useless because that attention we might get is fleeting. Doing things for attention is selfish. It is hurtful, unkind, and just plain annoying.





I want to believe that we can stop worrying about what others think about us. I want to believe that we can do things for reasons other than to get attention. I want to believe that we can do things for the soul cause of love. I want to believe that I can just be free to be me; my true, unshaded, real me.


I don't know if we can get rid of this “want to be loved”. As Ingrid Michaelson put it “Everybody, everybody wants to be loved.” (Link to the song to know what I'm talking about:) Love makes the world go round. Since the day we were born, we needed love in some form, to survive.





Even though that want for love is inside us, we can develop the motive of love towards others. Through gratitude, and service and being outward centered, we can turn this whole damaging attention seeking mentality around, and be like lights illuminating the path of lasting happiness.

"A Picture on His Dresser"

She lay in her hospital bed, emaciated and broken, her skin tinged a sickly yellow, heartache and regret bleeding from her oppressed soul.

Her body, saturated with heroin and plagued by AIDS, was decaying quickly; there was no time left to make up for all the wasted years.

She mourned the bitter depths she was condemned to after all the cheap and destructive highs.

She stared at the picture on her dresser and broke down and sobbed, aching for what could have been.

For days she sat listlessly, too dejected to even turn on the TV, completely disinterested in eating; it was only a matter of time, so why prolong the agony?

One day a priest was making his rounds and came into his room. He sat down next to her on the bed and, smiling warmly, asked how she was doing.

“I’m lost,” she said. “I’ve ruined my life and every life around me. There is no hope for me. I’m going to hell.”

The priest sat in silence for several moments, absorbing her bitterness and grief, searching for words. He looked up and noticed the picture on her dresser.

“Who’s that?” he asked.

She brightened a little and responded, “That’s my daughter. She’s the one beautiful thing in my life and the only person I’ve ever loved.”

“Would you help her if she was in trouble or made a mistake?” the priest asked. “Would you forgive her? Would you still love her?”

“Of course I would!” she cried. “I would do anything for her! She will always be precious and beautiful to me. Why would you ask such a question?”

“Because I want you to know,” said the priest,” that God has a picture of you on his dresser.”

What Love Really Means

God the Eternal Father did not give that first great commandment because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and dominion extend through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration.
No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God!
For what we love determines what we seek.
What we seek determines what we think and do.
What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become.
We are created in the image of our heavenly parents; we are God’s spirit children. Therefore, we have a vast capacity for love—it is part of our spiritual heritage. What and how we love not only defines us as individuals; it also defines us as a church. Love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ.  ~Dieter F Uchtdorf

Prayer and Friends

Soup Can Phone

One summer morning ... , while Elizabeth was playing croquet by herself in the front yard, she saw a car drive up next door. A man and woman got out of the car. And then a girl with bright red hair got out. She looked just the right age! Elizabeth ran over to meet her.

The new girl’s name was Becky. Elizabeth smiled at her. Becky smiled back.

“I’m playing croquet,” Elizabeth said. “Do you want to play?”

“I’ve never played it before …” Becky said shyly.

Elizabeth smiled and held out a croquet ball. “Want to learn?”

Becky nodded and ran over to play.

From then on Elizabeth and Becky were always together. During the day they played and ate snacks in their clubhouse. At night they sat by their bedroom windows and yelled to each other so they could keep talking.

One night as the girls were yelling back and forth, Elizabeth’s older brother stopped by her room. “You know what you two need?” he said. “Soup-can phones.”

“What are those?” Elizabeth asked.

“All you do is connect two cans with some string. You run the string between your windows. And then you won’t have to yell.” He promised to help set it all up tomorrow.

The next night Elizabeth and Becky had their first soup–can phone conversation.

.... All too soon summer turned to fall. With homework and dancing lessons (for Elizabeth) and swimming lessons (for Becky), they didn’t see each other as much as they had during the summer. But almost every night, they sat by their windows and talked using their soup-can phones....One day Becky left for her grandma’s funeral. She didn’t know how long she’d be gone.

“I’ll miss you,” Elizabeth said.

Becky nodded and hugged her goodbye.

That night, after saying her prayer and getting in bed, Elizabeth couldn’t sleep. She missed talking with her friend.

A thought came to her: Why not pray? But she prayed every night before going to bed. And besides, she had already said her prayer tonight.

But the thought came again: Pray. Pray as if you’re really talking with Heavenly Father.

And so she got on her knees again and prayed. Only this time she didn’t just repeat what she usually said. This time she really talked about how she felt about things—small things and big things.

Prayer isn’t just a bunch of words you say, Elizabeth thought as she climbed back in bed. Prayer could be like a real conversation—like her soup-can conversations with Becky.

In her prayers Elizabeth started talking about things that had happened to her earlier in the day. She talked about her problems and her feelings. She felt like she’d found another friend.

Elizabeth was glad when Becky finally came home. That night they had their usual soup–can phone conversation. And later, just before she went to bed, Elizabeth had another special conversation—with her Heavenly Father.

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“Our Heavenly Father is always near. You can reach out and receive His aid through prayer.”

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994), “Prayer,” Ensign, May 1977, 32.

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Dear Friend,
I just had to send you a note to tell you how much I love you and care for you. I saw you yesterday as you were talking to your friend. I waited all day hoping you would want to talk with me. As evening came, I gave you a sunset to close your day and a breeze to rest you and I waited. You never came. Sure, it hurts me, but I still love you because I am your friend.
I saw you fall asleep last night and I longed to touch your face. Again I waited wanting to rush down so we could talk. I have so many gifts for you. You got up late and rushed off to work/school. My tears were in the rain.
Today you looked so sad - so all alone. It makes my heart ache because I understand. My friends let me down many times too, but I love you.
If you would only listen to me! I love you! I try to tell you in the blue sky and in the quiet green grass. I whisper it in the leaves, in the trees, and breathe it in the colors of the flowers. I shout it to you in the mountain steams and give the birds' love songs to sing. I clothe you with warm sunshine and sweeten the air with nature scents.
My LOVE for you is deeper than the ocean and bigger than the biggest want or need in your heart. If you would only knew how much I want to walk and talk with you. I know how hard it is on Earth. I really know! And I want to help you.
I want you to meet my Father. He wants to help you too. My Father is that way you know. Just call me - ask me - talk with me! Please don't forget me! I have so much to share with you! Alright, okay, I won't bother you any more. You are free to choose me. It's your decision. I have chosen you, and because of this I will wait, and wait, and wait, because I love you.
Your Friend, Jesus

"And I... I am a Son of God"

... I came to the conclusion at that time that I should seek additional education and apply for a scholarship from an American university. If I were selected, I would have to leave my job, sell everything we had, and come to live in the United States as a scholarship student for two years.

Tests such as the TOEFL and GMAT became the first challenges to be overcome. It took three long years of preparation, many “nos,” and some “maybes” before I was accepted at a university. I still remember the telephone call I received at the end of the third year from the person responsible for scholarships.

He said, “Carlos, I have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is that you are among the three finalists this year.” There was only one opening at that time. “The bad news is that one of the other candidates is the son of someone important, the other is the son of someone else important, and then there is you.”

I quickly responded, “And I … I am a son of God.”

~Carlos Godoy, of the LDS 70