What Do You See In The Mirror:PART 3 What are you taking into the room?

Lets talk about distractions.  Oh man am I really good at getting distracted if I don't one hundred percent want to be focused.  I will be reading and maybe two pages later realize that I don't even know what topic I was reading about, let alone what it says.  I will completely forget assignments until the morning they are due.  I would even walk downstairs in my house and by the time I got there, forget what I even needed to go there for.  Not because I have early onset Alzheimer's or short term memory problems or anything, but just because I start thinking of something else or see something on the way that distracts me. 

So you can imagine how rough it was to practice four hours a day in my little room, especially when I was usually already exhausted, or had homework to do as well, or was excited to go somewhere that night.  It was quite the struggle for my brain and it had very detrimental effects upon the quality and productiveness of my practice sessions. 

However, I don't think that I am the only one who has ever done these things.  I think we all get distracted easily and unnecessarily burden ourselves so we cannot complete our task or just plain forget the why of the task.

I cannot tell you the number of days where I went into my practice room and when I looked into the mirror I didn't see a correction I needed to make in my hand position, or bow hold or fingerings.  I saw that my hair looked really awful that day, or my shirt really made me look chunky, or my skin or eyebrows looked wild.  And therein lied the problem, What on earth did that have to do with helping me become a professional violinist?  Was thinking about that going to do anything other than make me feel awful or angry?

I would go into my practice room with a load of music to learn, a concerto, quartet part, orchestra parts, sonatas, scales, etudes...etc etc...I would also have certain things to be working on in how I held my arm or moved my fingers and I only had a certain amount of time to do it before the next class or my time slot in the room was over.  So why take all those other things into the room to worry about as well.  I had plenty already.  All those things did was blur and distort my focus.  They were not helping me or fixing anything.

 How often do you add burdens to your load that you do not need to carry?  How often do you go where you need to for a purpose and let what only YOU see in your reflection get in the way of why you are there?  Do you take the stress of your job home?  Do you let those extra pounds stop you from being your outgoing self?  Do you expect yourself to be perfect in everything all the time?  Does every single little hair really need to be in place when you are alone in a tiny little practice room?  Why take anything more into the room that you need to? 

Outside of the practice room in the real world, we all have burdens and struggles.  There are things that are constantly pulling at us in all directions.  You may have work load put upon you that is far too much for one person, your children may be struggling in school and getting involved in the wrong crowds,  you may feel down about your appearance or living situation, you may have an mental or physical illness that seems to limit your opportunities, you may be out of work, broken hearted from a failed relationship, tempted by the things the world seems to make look more and more acceptable each day, you may be struggling with your faith, or maybe everything just seems to be out of whack today or this week or the past few years. 

In this you can know, you are not alone.  Not only do those around you have problems in similar proportion, but the Savior, Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven are by your side.
In a recent conference talk, Linda S. Reeves said-

"Our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, know us and love us.  They know when we are in pain or suffering in any way. They do not say, 'It’s OK that you’re in pain right now because soon everything is going to be all right. You will be healed, or your husband will find a job, or your wandering child will come back.'  They feel the depth of our suffering, and we can feel of Their love and compassion in our suffering."

They are there to support you and have given us times and places to find that support away from the world.   I remember years ago in a seminary class learning about the principle of "YAGOTTAWANNA" (you have to really want to) that I am still learning to apply in my practice room and in how I live the gospel today.
Elder Jack H. Goaslind explains-

"Proper worship illustrates how “Yagottawanna” works.  For example, how many of you have assumed the “bored position” during sacrament meeting? You know the position: bent forward at the waist, chin resting on hands, elbows on knees, staring vacantly at the floor. Has it occurred to you that it is your choice whether the meeting is interesting or not?

Several years ago I heard about a good brother who described his attitude as President David O. McKay gave the concluding talk of general conference. It was a sultry afternoon, and this was the fifth session he had attended. He was sitting in the balcony, and his mind had a serious wandering problem. He noticed a man sitting in the middle section who had fallen asleep with his head tilted back and his mouth open. It occurred to him that if he were in the roof of the Tabernacle, he could drop a spit wad through one of the vent holes right into the mouth of that sleeping man. What a glorious thought! Following the meeting, he overheard two men talking about their feelings during President McKay’s talk. They were visibly moved by what they had heard. He thought to himself, These two brethren were having a marvelous spiritual experience, and what was I doing? Thinking about dropping spit wads from the ceiling!

President Spencer W. Kimball said that worship 'is an individual responsibility, and regardless of what is said from the pulpit, if one wishes to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, he may do so. … If the service is a failure to you, you have failed. No one can worship for you; you must do your own waiting upon the Lord.'"   -Yagottawanna

My practice was only effectice when I wanted it to be and made it so, that is the same with Church, and any other aspect of gospel learning.   

There is a reason that I carried a massive amount of music with me into that practice room.  How could I ever focus if I did not have instructions and notes to read.  I would never be able to find the melodies of the great composers by just playing note after note on my own.

We have such instructions from our Father in Heaven to help us focus, Elder Richard G. Scott lovingly spoke of scriptures in this way-

"Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ...

They can become stalwart friends that are not limited by geography or calendar. They are always available when needed. Their use provides a foundation of truth that can be awakened by the Holy Ghost. Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world."  - The Power of Scripture

How often does your mind wander when you are reading your scriptures?  Are you thinking of that cute guy or girl in your class?  Are you focusing on what else you could be doing with your time or today's to-do list?  Are you thinking about the movie you saw last night? etc. etc. Or even worse, How often do we leave our scriptures on the shelf, untouched and barely noticed?  That would be like me leaving my music outside the practice room door and hoping to be able to play the exact right thing I needed without ever looking at it. When it comes time to perform, I wont have the music there to help anymore and I will probably make a fool of myself. 

Yagottawanna learn and then show that by searching for something that will grab you in the scriptures.  I challenge you to do that so you too can experience what Elder Scott talked about above.

Most importantly, yagottawanna really talk to your Father in Heaven every day.  President Thomas S. Monson said-

“Our prayers are heard and answered. We are familiar with the truth found in 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon: ‘Men are, that they might have joy’ (2 Nephi 2:25). I testify that much of that joy comes as we recognize that we can communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer and that those prayers will be heard and answered—perhaps not how and when we expected they would be answered, but they will be answered and by a Heavenly Father who knows and loves us perfectly and who desires our happiness. Hasn’t He promised us, ‘Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers’ (D&C 112:10)? …

“… Our Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance. I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives.”  -Love, Joy and Inspiration

As we take our cares to Lord, instead of allowing them to distract us from Him, He will lead us and guide us.  He is just waiting to help us.  The more "I wanna" be a professional violinist, the harder I work for it and less distracted I will allow myself to be.  The more "ya wanna" be able to see the reflection of Christ in your countenance, the harder you must work towards that, and luckily if you ask, He will help you leave your distractions outside of the practice room and eventually be rid of them for good.

What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror: Part 2 The Not So Glamorous Days

First lets talk about those not so glamorous days.

There were a lot of days that I looked into that practice room mirror and was really disappointed.  I would be working on a hand position for weeks and still wonder why I had not gotten any better.  I would practice hours every day trying to improve sound quality and intonation and perform and feel like nothing sunk in.  I felt it was all a waste of time because I could not see any improvement.  It was the most discouraging thing I have ever faced.  To do so much work and try so hard and have nothing to show for it.  There were a lot of times that I wondered if I had actually gotten worse.  I often felt just like my friend in this picture.  I was beyond frustrated. 

Now I'll admit it, those who have worked with me on my mission or at school and especially my parents and violin teacher know that when I get frustrated I get a little dramatic.  My brain seems to malfunction and shut down and refuse to think properly.  There is no way that anything useful is going to come from me once I reach that point.  I just have to walk away and then there is really nothing getting done.  Needless to say it is not the most useful practice method.  However my friends, this is why at least twice a week I had time scheduled to work with my teacher. 

Once a week I had a private lesson with her and a small class with seven other students where we performed for each other.  My teacher could see the problems in my playing and give me help to fix them because she had been there before.  My friends in the class could help by telling me what was working for them in their practice and suggest what I might try.  The best part though was that they were not with me in the practice room every day, so when I played for them once a week they could see the accumulation of the small daily improvements that I could not because I am with myself ALL THE TIME.  And then they could help me learn to start seeing those small improvements myself. 

Now sometimes I also get down on myself as I am trying to be the best person I can be.  Don't we all? I'm trying to follow Christ and really see his image within myself but I just don't see the improvement.  I don't often see any leaps forward in my patience, or diligence or in trying to be kinder or less grumpy in the morning.  I am trying to practice being like Christ everyday, but I still have so many weaknesses and just don't seem to measure up.  Sometimes I feel I have so much to work on that I do not even know where to start. 

This is where I am most grateful for an all wise and loving Heavenly Father who knew that I would feel this way in my life and prepared for it.  Just like a college music programs provides classes and teachers to help you improve, our loving Heavenly Father also provides places and people to help us see the changes within ourselves. 

In Moroni 6 it says-

 "And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls."

You have been or can be numbered among the people of Christ.  At church you will be remembered, you will be nourished by the associations and the lessons.  You will be taught to see yourself and the world in ways that you could not on your own.  Others will be able to help you see the improvement in you that you cannot see in yourself.   

You may come downtrodden and upset.  You may feel you have failed the past week at your job, at being a parent, friend or student.  You may have feel you failed at becoming more patient or charitable.  You may feel you have failed at life in general or you could come feeling you are doing well at everything or any emotion in between, but if you come willing, you will be uplifted and you will start to learn to see the image of Christ shining through you.  You will receive the strength to start again, to try again, to pick yourself up and keep going. 

Just as my violin teacher and fellow students help me to see the violinist I can become one day, you will start to learn to see yourself as Christ sees you and what he knows that you can become.  It is a slow, daily, lifelong process and wont happen all at once, but it will happen.

 
How grateful should we be to a kind and wise Heavenly Father who has put friends, teachers, leaders, parents, companions, and his beloved son Himself there to help us see what we cannot yet see in ourselves. 

So what do you do to take advantage of what I have been talking about?

Find the nearest Latter Day Saint chapel and then come and see.

The Power of Helping Hands

As we all know, hurricane Sandy was devastating to the east coast, especially in New york and New Jersey.  It is heartbreaking to see the pictures and hear the stories of those who have lost everything they own.  Those affected really are in many ways lost in darkness.  They don't know how to keep going or how they will ever be whole again.

The scriptures say that Jesus Christ is "The light and the life of the world, a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not;"  D&C 34:2 Listen and watch the true stories of how the light of Christ is shinning forth into the darkness of this tragedy through the efforts of those who seek to follow him.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been organizing crews to go into all the affected areas since before Sandy even hit.  On Veterans day, Nov. 11, 2012.  Members of the congregation where I am currently serving as a missionary were part of a crew that went to Manahawkin, New Jersey to offer relief with the Mormon Helping Hands program established by the church. 

This is just one true story related to me that very evening by a member, Brenden Wikle, who helped serve that day.

After a morning of working the crew returned to the volunteer headquarters for lunch and to receive a new assignment.  While  there Brenden started talking to an 82 year old man who lives in Manahawkin.  This man  told of how he had lost everything in the storm.  His house was destroyed and the quote for how much it would cost just to remove all the damage was far beyond what he could afford.  To add to this heartbreaking loss, his wife had recently broken her hip while hanging laundry on the wet deck and was in the hospital.  He was left by himself to deal with everything the storm had dumped upon him.  He said he had put his name on the list to receive help and now just had to wait and hope.

Brenden told how his heart t broke for this man and he wished he could take the crew he had been working with and go help him right then, but they were already receiving another assignment.  So he departed with them to the next home they were sent to help.

When they arrived, he was overjoyed to learn that it was this old man's home.  There was another group from a different organization already there trying to help clean out the house.  When the leader saw the crew coming, he broke down into tears. 

When asked why he was crying he told them that they had been working for a long time and had gotten very little done and knew they could not do it on their own. He said that he had knelt down ten minutes earlier and prayed to God that he would send someone to help them.  He said I told God to please send the "little yellow army" (referring to the yellow mormon helping hands vests volunteers wear).  He wanted this little yellow army because he knew an army was what they needed to get this house emptied. 

The crew was able to clean out the whole house in only an hour.  Gratitude ran very high and prayers were answered all around.

In Mosiah 2:17 it says-

 "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

When we are in the service of God we are entitled to his help no matter what nationality, religion, race, gender, political or economic status etc. God hears and answers every heart felt prayer, and he often answers them through the helping hands of another person.

To find out how you can be a part of the relief, visit mormon.org and request to talk to the nearest missionaries or contact any local LDS member or location.

The Must Read Book of the Century!

Have you ever found a book that captivates you?  You loved hearing the story for the first time and find yourself going back to experience it over and over again as time goes on? You come to love and identify with the heroes and hate the villians and can't wait to start again to find new details about them? 

Now have you ever found a book that inspires you to do better?  It lifts you up or helps you see ways to improve?  It tells true stories that give you hope for our world and the people in it and makes you desire to be better and do bigger things?  Do you find examples of strength, courage, faith, diligence or endurance in the pages that become personal heroes?

Have you ever found a book that is both captivating in story and inspires you to act?  Well I have. Let me tell you about it.

This book starts in 600 BC in Jerusalem.  A man and his family leave because of divine instruction and venture off towards an unknown destination called the promised land.  They go across deserted and dangerous lands and are plagued from much intrigue within their own family.  Some learn to trust in God, while others reject him.  They cross the sea and find themselves  in the promised land.  This family feud turns into years and years of strife and war.  The people go through cycles of pride and obedience to the God, suffering much in times of pride and enjoying much in times of obedience.  Great kings and civilizations rise and fall in short amounts of time, cities destroyed overnight, a constant struggle between good and evil, and wars and bloodshed abound until the long awaited prophesy of a Savior is fulled.  His glorious ministry and works bring light and hope to the people who were long time plagued with dark secrets societies that combined to ruin all liberty and happiness.  He offers them redemption and freedom from the evils that have abounded all around them.  Peace and everlasting joy is found within all societies and individuals that accept and follow Him unless they allow the secret combinations of old to again enter in among them.

This book leaves the reader with a great desire to follow the Savior and experience such joy and everlasting happiness and shows the consequences of not doing.  Along with that it gives the best and most accurate steps to achieving everlasting happiness as well as long explanations of well debated and studied theological, social, emotional, economic and historical topics, to just name a few.  You can request a free copy of this life changing and true story by visiting www.mormon.org or talking to any member or missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

What Do You See In The Mirror Part 1

What do you see when you look in the mirror? 

I have spent a lot of the last few years of my life looking into the mirror.  Almost everyday of college I found myself standing in front of one for hours and hours.  I would put myself in a room with only me and the mirror for very long spaces of time.  Some days it was an enlightening and exhilarating experience leaving me with a great sense of fulfillment and other days it was disheartening and discouraging in a way only tears can adequately explain.
One day I would see a beautiful person accomplishing her goals and headed in the right direction.  Nothing could stop me.  Others I saw a sad and defeated person who just couldn't measure up and who never would.  I saw a lack of progress and a waste of time.  Sometimes I would even turn out the light so it was impossible to see in the mirror and or I would turn my back so I could not see my reflection.  I learned to both love and hate what I saw in that mirror and even the mirror and the room itself.  Two emotions fighting within me, never knowing which one would come to surface the next day.

Now don't get all worried, I wasn't just going into a room to stare at myself, this is an overview of four years of my life as a music performance major on the violin.  Every day I was required to practice for four plus hours. This required a place where you could be alone and focus, or a practice room which was the size of a closet with only a stand and a mirror inside.  It was vitally important that you played in front of the mirror so you could see if you hands and arms were working in the correct way to produce the right sound.  If something sounded weird or a certain arm movement or finger pattern was not working, you could look carefully at yourself in the mirror and find the problem.  Sometimes you would lean off balance and it would distort the sound or your wrist would turn out in the wrong way or a finger wasn't curved enough.  It was a constant time of critiquing to become the best you could be and ultimately play the perfect performance.

On the days I really focused and practiced well, I would look in the mirror and see the professional concert violinist within me.  I knew my potential and I was working towards it.  Nothing could take away the joy of that hard, intensive practice session that left me feeling this way.  On the days I allowed myself to get distracted or not work as hard or practice lazily, I left downtrodden.  I could see nothing worth value in that mirror.  I just wanted to get away from it.  It all depended on what kind of focus I had had that day.

Now as a missionary I find myself looking into another kind of mirror.  On my desk I have a picture of Christ and the way it is sitting I can look into it and see my reflection in the glass.  With the picture there behind the glass I can literally see the image of Christ within my own.

In Alma chapter 5, Alma asks a piercing question.  He says "Can ye look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenance?"  Can you see Christ within you when you look in the mirror?  How can you even tell?

Well, when I acted like a professional violinist and practiced like a professional violinist with all the tools and knowledge I had to help me become so, is when I could see that potential within me.  I could literally see it in my reflection in the mirror.  Jesus Christ has told us of our potential by telling us who we are and what we need to do. 

In Romans 8:16 it says, 

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."

 Since we are the children of God, Ephesians 5:1 says,

 "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children."  

God just asks us to follow him and his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, as a child would follow a parent, because we literally are following our Heavenly Father and our elder brother.

So how do we do that?

Nephi tells us "And he(Christ) said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethern, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?" -2 Nephi 31:10

When you want to be a professional violinist, you get the books and study with the teachers that will show you how to become so, and then you practice every day.  So if I want to follow Christ and become like him, and therefore see his image within my countenance, I need to do the same.  Get the books, find the teachers, go to where they are and then practice!

The scriptures are the books and the prophets, apostles, leaders, parents, friends and teachers, and missionaries can be the teacher.  The more you study about and then try new techniques on the violin, the better you become.  The more you study and listen and learn and go to church and then try, the more you will become like Christ. 

So I ask you, "Can  you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenance?"
Yes...But it is going to be a process...

To be continued  :)

Mysterious Ways and Marvelous Results

The Lord works in mysterious ways sometimes.

Just when you feel things are going great in your life, you have it down, you know what you are doing, and you are so happy about where you are, the Lord decides to change it up.  Something big throws everything off and you feel like you are starting all over.  You wonder why me, why now, why this?  It does not make sense to you at all.  It makes you reexamine yourself and have to go out of your comfort zone.  You start looking at things in different ways and changing yourself.  IT IS TIME TO LEARN AND GROW, and ultimately become what we are meant to be someday.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson told this story- “ President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:

'How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.'

President Brown replied, 'Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, "Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down."’

Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:

'I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, … I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, "How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?" I was as bitter as gall.
And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, "I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do."  The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness...'

'… And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’

When we feel we are being cut down or changes in our lives make us wonder why we could not continue to be comfortable and grow where we were, we should remember that God sees the whole plan and is helping us to become the best we can be.  He is the gardener and I’m grateful he takes the time to prune me into the best person that I can be."   -"As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten"

In Revelation 3:19 it says

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Sometimes we are like little children who are certain that we know what we are doing and that we are making tremendous growth.  A loving parent will always teach their child what they need to become better, whether the child likes it or not. :)

In Hebrews 12:9-10 it says

 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

See that last line! Heavenly Father only chastens us so that we can partake of his holiness.  He cuts us down so that we will grow into the best thing possible.  It will always be for our own good. 

So next time you go to think "why me, I was doing so good?", instead think about all the possibilities of what you are going to be because the Lord saw fit to direct you into a bigger and better and more exciting path. 

Would you rather follow the plan of God who can see what is coming, or your plan where you can only see what's already happened?  I think I'll put my trust in the one who knows the future, he usually gives me much better things than I tried to plan for myself. 

The NON Sticky Notes: A tale about usefulness

There we found ourselves in the middle of the nerd wonderland.  I do not know what it is about office supply stores and all the paper and pens and stickers and gadgets galore that gets me so excited!  I just love wandering around the store and gathering object after object to indulge my need of having pens and paper and everything in between to decorate them in every shade of the rainbow!  In fact these stores along with bookstores had to be labeled by my family as off limits for me when I am alone because I tend to spend my whole paycheck in one glorious adventure through the isles that just adds to the stacks I already have sitting there waiting to be used at home.  But you never know when you are going to need a letter opener with a crown on top, and a flash drive shaped like a turtle, or a massive pad of sticky notes and different colored pens to match my clothes or moods...

See what I mean, just so exciting...

Well in my latest adventure to the store, my missionary companion Sister Honomichl and I found a real treasure in the clearance isle.  I'm telling you how could anyone pass up 600 DIFFERENT COLORED STICKY NOTES IN A SWIRLED SHAPED PAD!  It was so awesome we each had to buy one.  When we got to the register with those and all our other goodies the clerk said "wow I have never actually seen anyone buy one of these before," referring to our sticky note towers.  We were so confused why he had never seen that before.  Don't people understand how amazing it is to get 600 sticky notes for two dollars!!!  And they are 7 different colors!  We decided he was just not very observant, because that would be crazy. 

Well we got home and soon discovered why the clerk thought our purchase was not the best idea.  The notes were not sticky.  It is just a clever looking stack of paper.  I thought "wow, now what am I going to do with 600 little pieces of paper that wont stick to anything.  I was tricked into buying these and they are useless.  The clerk must have meant that by what he said." Oh were we sad.

Do we ever feel that way about ourselves?  Oh I'm not pretty enough, not good enough, not smart enough.  I'm not married or I'm a single parent or just a housewife whose only job is to watch kids.  I'm not in this calling or that calling.  I don't have good job, I don't make a lot of money.  I cant help like my neighbor can, I cant play sports like my friends, I don't know how to cook, my house is never as clean as others.  My past is not spotless and my future is uncertain.  I'm not what normal people should be.  I'm not what I think a perfect member of the church should be.  Or in context of the story, you are not sticky, and why would anyone want notes that do not stick or people like you who apparently just are not good enough for anything?

Well let me tell you why you don't have to be sticky to be useful and important.

After the initial time of moaning and woe over waisted money, we decided to put those non sticky notes to use and discovered something great from that little pad of brightly colored paper.

Those notes became lists and lists covering everything from grocery items, daily occurrences to write in journals, funny things we or others said, and ideas and dreams for all aspects of our futures.  Not to mention decorations for our walls and notebooks.   Everything started to be covered in these little notes.  We found reason after reason to use them and had a lot of fun along the way!

My favorite use for them was an idea Sister Honomichl had.  She wrote funny, inspirational and caring things all over these little notes and left them in random places for me to find.  It always seemed to be at moments I needed a lift or on days when I felt down that I opened or moved something and out would come a bright little piece of paper, with just the right thing to make me smile.  I have found and am still finding these little bright spots in my day and they indeed have become bright spots in every way for me.

I would say that little pad of non-sticky notes was one of the best things I have bought over the past year, because they are something that I have actually used daily and found quite of bit of joy in.  So what that they are not sticky.  Did you know that they are larger than sticky notes so a lot more can be written on them.  You can also use both sides fully.  They are easy to fold into many shapes because they wont stick together and best of all they are a lot less expensive, so I tend to use them a lot more.  They also can go on surfaces and in books where you would not like to have something sticky because it could ruin it or leave behind a residue.  There are so many great things about them we overlooked because they were not the normal thing and someone else told us we were waisting our money.

So what does this have to do with you?  So your not the normal thing YOU decided you should be.  Someone said a careless word making you feel useless.  Or some comment or look or form of guilt makes you think that everyone is looking at you like you dont belong.  Or maybe you are just a little different.  Maybe your life is not what you thought it would be.  You wonder why Heavenly Father didn't make you sticky when everyone else around seems to be. 

Well wouldn't life be boring if we were all sticky notes?

Lets see what Paul has to say about it in 1 Corinthians 12-

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

We need every part of our body to function.  All are neccessary.  The foot is no less important than the arm and the eye is no less important than the ear.  Your eye cant hear for you and ear cant see for you just like you cant do the things your neighbir can, but here is the most important part, THEY CANT DO WHAT YOU CAN DO.  If we were all the same and could only do the same things what would happen?

 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

Every single person is needed and each person decides if they will contribute or not.  It's your decision to be useful to the body.  But you say, I'm a small and useless part that is weak and does not function properly.  What then?

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:

 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

The more feeble parts are just as important and are bestowed more abundant honor!  God has put you where you are and as you are for a reason.  You are meant to use what you have to offer, not what your friend or neighbor has to offer.  So stop worrying about not being sticky and start seeing what you do have.  For Christ said in 3 Nephi 18, "I know my sheep and they are numbered."  No one is forgotten, no one is useless. 

Stop listening to those around you who are wondering what you are uselful for like that store clerk did and listen to God who knows the answers.   Then be like Sister Honomichl and lift someone else up with what only you have to offer.