Lovin' Yourself

I want you guys to take a minute to think about something. Do you love yourself?

What's your answer? Yes? No? Some days yes and some days no?

How much we love ourselves really determines how much love we are able to give towards others.

If we don’t love ourselves in a healthy, balanced way, then we won’t be able to spread the love of God to those all around us because we can’t give away something we don’t have already to begin with.

When I met Josh and we became friends, I really took the time to figure out ME first.

I knew I had to be secure and love myself and God first before I could love anyone else.

What a huge difference that made. Now I am not saying that I don't have bad days where

I struggle with who I am...because I do. All the time. I am imperfect. We are all imperfect.

But I know how my Heavenly Father sees me. I know that He has singled me out and chosen me to be His child. He is pleased with how He made me and His love surrounds me all the time.

 I am the apple of His eye. I take so much comfort in this.

Now when I talk about loving yourself I am not talking about a selfish, 
self-centered kind of love for that is arrogant and puffed up. 

There is a balanced way to develop a godly appreciation
 for who you are and the talents & abilities that God has given you.

I think one of the biggest problems we have today is how we feel about ourselves. It seems many people have a broken record playing in their head that keeps repeating, 
“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with me?”

We compare ourselves to other people (totally guilty of this) 
and wonder why we can’t look or act like they do. 

Satan wants us to feel bad about ourselves. 
He tries to mess with our thinking so we are always wondering why something is wrong with us. 
And many times we make the mistake of getting mad at ourselves because of it.

The Bible says that those who are in Christ have been made righteous.  

 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; 

that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

-2 Corinthians 5:21

This means that in Christ, we are as we ought to be. 
God created us. He approves and accepts us by His love and goodness.

Gods love is one of the most important truths we need to know. Loving God and then yourself in a healthy, balanced way is the first step toward fulfilling our destiny and becoming a vessel of God’s love so we can spread His love to others. 

Lately I have been pondering these questions......

How much joy do you have? 

Do you enjoy spending time with yourself? 

Do you spend enough time with God?


Meditating on this scripture lately also:

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will"

-Ephesians 1:4-5

Remember that God loves you unconditionally. 
He created your temperament, your talents, and all your other traits.
You are beautifully and wonderfully made in the image of a loving Heavenly Father.

We all have specific areas we can grow in and things to 
work on and that is quite alright. We are imperfect but God is perfect.

Weaknesses Into Strengths

It is usually pride that keeps us from being shown our weaknesses.

It is humility that allows the Lord to show us our weaknesses.

He says we are given weaknesses for a reason.

  That we may humble ourselves...

Our weaknesses present us with a choice.

We can choose to turn to the Lord for help, or we can choose to try and overcome it ourselves.

If we choose to turn to the Lord, our weaknesses then become strengths ... through His power.

This mortal test was purposefully designed to bring us to our knees.

To make us want to cry-out for a Savior.

One of my favorite Hymns is "I Need Thee Every Hour"

We do need Him every hour.

I think about the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane before He
was placed on the cross.

There the greatest single act of love of all recorded history took place.

Our PERFECT loving Savior was on His knees crying out to our
Father in Heaven.

 "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee;
 take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
How much more do we need to cry out to our Father in Heaven.

Our only Hope is Christ.

There is no other way or means to heaven, but through Him!

This reality requires us to humble ourselves before Him.

Many people don't want to admit that they need help with something, that they cannot do it under their own power.

Before coming to know the Lord a few years ago, I tried that.

It doesn't work.

I became frustrated because I felt like nothing in my life
was working out.

 It wasn't.

 I felt like I was walking through life with a blindfold,
not knowing what my purpose was and I felt no hope for my future.

 I was going down all the wrong paths trying to find peace and happiness in partying, money, shopping, and other people.

Only to soon find out that it only provides a cover up for a time and then quickly fades away.

For me, knowing that I have weaknesses and I am imperfect is okay...

that in some pre-mortal realm I agreed to accept the weaknesses that I have. 

This reality changes everything for me.

 When I counsel with the Lord in all my doings I feel close to Him and I feel like I can do anything... and I can do anything through Him who strengthens me.

Together, the Lord and I are taking my weaknesses and using them to teach me, humble me, and ultimately make me stronger.

 Without my weaknesses, such growth would not be possible, and I would feel no real need to cry unto my Savior, or make use of the great gift He has given me in the form of His Atonement!

I am grateful for all my many weaknesses and imperfections
because it makes me who I am and I know I can overcome
my weaknesses and imperfections through Him!

Have a great Friday & a fabulous weekend!!