Love

I don't really know what I'm posting about right now but I've got some thoughts floating around in my head that have me thinking I need to get them out somewhere... so here I am...

1. We live in a world of mistakes... some deliberate but most of the time we mess up and then hate ourselves for not making better choices, and somehow we turn right back around and make the same mistakes over and over again. We ALL make mistakes.

2. The first commandment is to... "love God with all thy heart, and the second like unto it, love thy neighbor as thyself".

3. Elder Uchdorf said in April conference that the Savior "spoke of love...We can spend our days obsessing about the finest details of life, the law, and long lists of things to do; but should we neglect the great commandments, we are missing the point and we are clouds without water, drifting in the winds, and trees without fruit.

4. So what's the point?? We all make mistakes, and that means others make mistakes too. I know I'm quick to judge and slow to show mercy, but Elder Uchdorf goes on to say that "everyone is walking his or her own difficult path. As disciples of Jesus Christ, our Master, we are called to support and heal rather than condemn....It is unworthy of us as Christians to think that those who suffer deserve their suffering." We are commanded to "mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort."

5. I think it fitting (at least for me) that one of the quotes in this months visiting teaching lesson says "It is not possible to make real change all by ourselves. Our own willpower and our own good intentions are not enough. When we make mistakes or choose poorly, we must have the help of our Savior to get back on track. We partake of the sacrament week after week to show our faith in His power to change us." Repentance.

6. Charity, the pure love of Christ. To see others as Heavenly Father sees them, and might I add ourselves as well.

7. So we all make mistakes, sometimes our own mistakes may seem like a mountain to overcome, I know I feel that way, I set a goal to do better at something and turn around and mess up again. I looked up the word love in the index of the scriptures and it seemed to encompass the whole gospel. Elder Uchdorf finishes his talk by saying "As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us, Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

8. I believe that!!!

This is my dad's brother Joe. In my eyes, he is a great example of love, I'm sure in many others eyes as well.