AM I A CHRISTIAN?

I was born and mostly raised in Tampa, Florida. My mother and father were divorced by the time I was three. I lived with my father's father for a bit and he took me to his church. It was fun. They sang really loud and people would get up and wave thier hands in the air and speak in words I couldnt understand. It was a pentacostal church. they had revivals and potlucks and weekday evening church. It was an atmosphere of fellowship and worship of God. At another point my brother and I stayed at a home kinda like daycare where you slept and lived. The church bus would come and pick us up and we would attend church..I am not sure what church it was. I also remember once attending a youth group with my Aunt. There was alot of singing and it was very fun. I think it was baptist. My mother and I moved around alot and attended several elementary schools and a few junior high schools and I went to six different highschools by the time I graduated. But during all of the moving around I met some great people. One of my friends that I met in junior high took me to thier church. It was fun. Lots of singing, mid-week evening church and one time I remember them asking the congregation to come and be saved...I went up to the front and they took me in the back and asked me if I believed in Jesus Christ and that he died for my sins. I said yes and I was saved. I then was baptized. It felt good to be saved and be a part of that group of people and go out to eat after church and participate in youth programs. It was a Southern Baptist Church. This was all before the age of 16. As I look back over my childhood...I can say that I have always been drawn to religion. It made me feel good to be a part of something that made me feel good inside. I never really paid much attention to the deep doctrine of each religion or church that I went to. The basic knowledge that Jesus Christ was my Savior and that he died for me was pretty much taught in all the different churches that I attended. When I was sixteen I was living with my Father and his girlfriend...they had invited two young men to come into thier home and teach them a gospel message. They invited me but I was too busy. One night though I decided to sit in and listen to thier message. It was a good message about where we were before we came to this earth and who we are and why we are on this earth. It struck me with a strong impact on the message the were sharing with us and suddenly I felt such a strong sense of who I was...A daughter of God in the spirit and that I had come here to this earth to obtain a physical body and to be tried and tested. With this message fresh in my mind it gave me for the first time in my life a clear understanding of myself . I had already known that Jesus Christ was my Savior and that he died for me but this was more. More of an understanding of the beginning of where knowing that would take me and what it really meant for me and how much I needed that. I continued to listen to the message the two young men shared with me and we set up additional times for them to teach me more. It was amazing to me that my testimony of Jesus Christ began to grow and swell within me as I continued being taught by these two young men. They expounded on what I already had in my heart as true and I search pondered and prayed that the things that they shared with me were true. When the lessons they were teaching me were over Iwas left with an understanding that Jesus is the Christ. The Savior to all mankind and that through Him and His Atoning Sacrifice that we can be saved. That though we are not perfect we can strive to live his commandments in our daily lives and repent often of our sins and he will make up the difference through his grace. The two young men then asked me to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I prayed for myself if this was true and right for me and I recieved an answer that it was. This was over thirty two years ago that I was blessed by these two young men who had sacrificed two years of thier lives to go out and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who would listen. Today I still live as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My relationship with My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is most sacred and personal to me. I believe he was born of Mary and is the Son of God. I believe he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane and died on the cross on Calvary so that all mankind might be saved by the gift of his atoning sacrifice. I believe he was resurrected three days later and that he will come again, I whole heartedly believe Him to be our only hope on this earth . It is through Him that I have an example of Love and that I can love others. I am a disciple of Christ.

There are those on this earth who would like to say that I am not a christian because I believe that God still reveals scripture, that God still speaks to a Living Prophet and that I believe the Trinity to be three seperate beings, God the Father , His Son Jesus Christ both being of Flesh and Bones and the Holy Spirit and that I believe the Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ to be the word of God, that I believe in personal Revelation.

So I ask myself...Am I a Christian? I know what I live, I know what I believe because I live it everyday. I do not need anyone to define for me whether I am a Christian or not because I believe in Jesus the Christ and my religion and my life are based upon the teachings of Christ


Jesus Christ is the Son of God (the same Jesus prophesied of by Isaiah). He came to this earth and was born of the virgin Mary. He lived a perfect life. He is the only one who has walked this earth that was without sin. He is the one and only Savior of this World He is the Prince of Peace, The lamb of God and our Redeember.

SISTERS

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day,

drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother.

As they talked about life, about marriage,

about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood,

the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully

and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

'Don't forget your sisters,' she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass.

'They'll be more important as you get older.

No matter how much you love your husband,

no matter how much you love the children you may have,

you are still going to need sisters.

Remember to go places with them now and then;

do things with them.'

'Remember that 'sisters' means ALL the women

your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too.

'You'll need other women. Women always do.'

What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought.

Haven't I just gotten married?Haven't I just joined the couple-world?

I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake!

A grownup!

Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'

But she listened to her mother.

She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year.

As the years tumbled by, one after another,

she gradually came to understand that her mother really knew what she was talking about.

As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman,

sisters are the mainstays of her life.

THIS SAYS IT ALL

Time passes, Life happens, Distance separates.

Children grow up, Jobs come and go, Love waxes and wanes.

Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break, Parents die, Colleagues forget favors, Careers end.

BUT.........

Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you.

A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach.

When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself,

the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on,

praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf,

and waiting with open arms at the valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you....

Or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,

daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers,

Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family:

all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women,

and neither would I.

When we began this adventure called womanhood,

we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead.

Nor did we know how much we would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still.

Happy days!

"I CAN ONLY IMAGINE"

MercyMe - I Can Only Imagine - YouTube

"I Can Only Imagine"

I can only imagine

What it will be like

When I walk

By your side

I can only imagine

What my eyes will see

When your face Is before me

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory,

what will my heart feel

Will I dance for you Jesus

or in awe of you be still

Will I stand in your presence

or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah,

will I be able to speak at all

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

When that day comes

And I find myself Standing in the Son

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever Forever worship You

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever, forever worship you

Perseverance

Perseverance is commitment, hard work, patience, endurance.
Perseverance is being able to bear difficulties calmly and without complaint.
Perseverance is trying again and again.

Perseverance is my motto for my life. I can apply this to every aspect of my life. My marriage, my job, my quest for spirituality, raising my children and so many many more things that make up my life. In the midst of this motto are disappointments, tears, fear, questionings and yes sometimes wanting to give up. This day is filled with uncertainty. I think God really wanted us to learn how to live with each other. but dang it...it can be so hard sometimes. With all of these individuals trying to coexist together it can be down right challenging at times. Individualism is one thing...then throw into the mix, depression, mental illness, anger management (or lack of) hormones, etc. and then the whole picture comes into play on how much of a trial it truly is for us to have to learn to live together. Sometimes I wonder if there is still going to be a Denisa somewhere in the mix of all this. So it all boils down for me to PERSEVERANCE!

Special Places

I have been thinking alot about special places. Places that are not necessarily physical, although some are, but mental too. My life consists of waking up getting breaksfast and lunches made for my family and rushing out the door to make it to work and school on time. I then spend the usual 8-10 hours working for a boss that I tolerate with interruptions from time to time from the anxiety laden family member who cannot find a solution to thier problem without my assistance. I then rush home to either pick up my daughter or my son because someone else has forgotten to and then I get home to make dinner or buy it. I then may have basketball, young womens or basketball practice to get the kids to or buy supplies for a project that is due tomorrow. Not much time left in the day for me to do much more except drop in bed. So it is within this life that I start to feel empty and robotic. I then begin to daydream about special places: the beach, foriegn lands to explore and travel to, a bigger house, a newer house, the temple, Utah, the coast..the list goes on and on..So I spend alot time in this place. but today I woke up and have realized I am living in a very special place. A place where I matter. A place where I can cuddle with a husband who loves me. A place where I can have meaningful conversations with a man who is vastly informed and intelligent. A place where I can be a part of children who are growing and rely on me to be a big part of thier lives. I live in the most special place already with a family who is sealed forever. we are going through our lives together and not to far in the future I will miss these wonderful children who have grown up and are living in there own special place. I am so grateful that I "WOKE UP" this morning and realized I do not have to only dream of special places I can count my "LIFE" as its own special place too. So here is to my life being part of the special places I visit everyday.

MEN

Well for me Men are a broad subject......Fathers, Brother, Uncles, Friends, Husband, Sons, , Brother in-laws, Bishops, missionaries, Bosses, grandfathers, father-n-law, nephews...etc. Men encompass just about every part of my life in one way or the other.

I am going to start my post by declaring what I have found in my life that I do not like about certain men...

Obsession over money, leaving peanut butter on butter knives after making a sandwich, how bad they smell when they have worked out really really hard,whiskers on the bathroom sink and counter after they have shaved, not listening, how bad they can smell up a room, taking up the whole bed even when it is king size, being a little to ruff sometimes, thier tempers, chauvinistic tendencies, arrogance, leaving shoes out to trip over, wet towels on carpet or wood floors, leaving the doors open, complaining,lying, justifying, food on thier clothes and not caring, doing yard work in thier socks, walking outside in thier socks, wearing nice clothes to do dirty work....well my list isnt too long and alot of it is trivial...


I know now I have to write the things I like about certain men too....

Well let me see....smiles, eyes, arms, legs, chest, the way I am looked at with total love in thier eyes, the way they smell when wearing cologne, dressed up in a suit, playing sports (any), how silly they are with little children, how tender they are with thier children, standing up for what they believe, how hard they work, how much they sacrifice for thier family, when they serve God, playing with the children, surprise gifts brought home no matter how small, making the bed, understanding, did I mention the smile and eyes and arms?, well shoulders too, being appreciated, being the man! Letting me be the woman! LOL

I Have a husband, I have 4 sons, I have 1 brother, I have 5 brother-n-laws, I have a father n-law, I have several nephews and cousins that are male. I have numerous male friends. Sometimes I just want to get away from men! But as I ponder it more and realize how much I really do have no chance of that and that I really appreciate what men can do, what they do and how much of an influence they have in my life, I breathe a little easier.

Men can hold the priesthood here on this earth. The priesthood is the power of God on this earth. It is a sacred responsibility for men. A righteous man is a most beautiful thing. I have no problem with all of the trivial in the presence of a righteous man. As a women I feel it is my duty to live as a helpmeet to my husband by his side leading and guiding together in righteousness. That is my goal and hopefully as I strive to become that woman and my husband strives to become that man we will indeed become each others King and Queen and I will feel honored by him and him by me. That makes me feel all the best feelings for men!

So my thoughts today are on men....they way they act, the way the look, what they do...through it all it all boils down for me to this.....I love a righteous man, an honorable man, a man that is not afraid to stand up for his beliefs, not afraid to be vulnerable when needed, not afraid to be wrong on occasion, not afraid to work hard and not afraid to love the Lord more than anythng or anyone!

HOPE - FAITH - GRACE - TESTIMONY

2nd Nephi 31:20 - Wherefore, ye must press forward with a "steadfastness in Christ having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward feasting on the word of Christ and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

"We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord's tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When words cannot provide the solace we need or express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yeild adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance. (David A. Bednar)

1Nephi 1:20 - .......But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of thier faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

In the atmosphere of faith and testimony, we can find hope that begins to to awaken us to the mercy and power of God. If we attend meetings, pray, be active and ponder and apply scriptures we will see our own miracles begin to happen. We will find ourselves blessed with the grace of Jesus Christ.

GRACE - divine means of help or strength given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

AMAZING GRACE:

Amazing grace! How sweet the soundThat saved a wretch like me!I once was lost, but now am found;Was blind, but now I see.'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,And grace my fears relieved;How precious did that grace appearThe hour I first believed.Through many dangers, toils and snares,I have already come;'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,And grace will lead me home.The Lord has promised good to me,His word my hope secures;He will my shield and portion be,As long as life endures.Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,And mortal life shall cease,I shall possess, within the veil,A life of joy and peace.The world shall soon dissolve like snow,The sun refuse to shine;But God, who called me here below,Shall be forever mine.When we've been there ten thousand years,Bright shining as the sun,We've no less days to sing God's praiseThan when we'd first begun.

Our Saviour Jesus Christ has provided a way for us. We are not alone. When we become willing to replace trust in ourselves with faith in the love and power of Jesus Christ we will find the strength we need to overcome the temptations that do so easily beseech us. We can find peace and solace from our pains, fears and trials. I have a testimony and I have the hope that my Lord and Savior will deliver me. After all I can do...follow the instructions he has given me, then his grace will lead me home.

Some days are so hard because I rely on me or I call a friend or get busy and avoid. Really letting the knowledge of who I am and really letting the power of the atonement into my life causes me to rejoice. Really rejoice. To feel "real" love with no judgement is the most amazing experience. Makes me utterly and completely HAPPY!