"Having a perfect brightness of hope"

          I wish I had written this post six months ago. This week, I will go to The House of the Lord and be married to the man of my dreams, my best friend. As we continue to live true to our covenants, our marriage will be sealed for all of eternity. I am so full of joy and love, of course my perspective, at this point, would be a bright one. But I want to say something of hope. And while hope is still a blessed part of my everyday, and I have great hope for the next phase of life's journey, the most profound lessons on the matter came during the waiting, came through the unanswered questions, through trial of faith, and before the tangible blessings. 

          In my culture, at the ripe old age of 29, I classify as "a little older" to be getting married. (Ha!) The first decade of my adult life was rich and full and blessed. God sent me various opportunities to experience, grow, contribute, and love in many capacities which have shaped who I am. I will ever be grateful for the path He paved for me. That path has also included twists and turns, steep climbs, and difficult descents. There have been obstructions to overcome and times when I could not see even one step ahead. Oh, how I am grateful for these portions of the path! 

          I wish I had written this post six months ago because I would want you to know that the lessons, and many of the blessings, came before the path cleared. And I recognized them then. And I was so happy even before my fairytale. THAT is important. Pre-fairytale happiness enriches fairytale happiness immeasurably. I'm sure of it. 

          Here are a few of the things I have learned about hope. I look forward to future lessons.

• Hope is not a wish. Wishing is based in variables and uncertainty. Some wishes don't come true. Hope is a surety. Hope is grounded in the Savior Jesus Christ who is constant and absolute. Hope is anchored in promises made by an all-powerful Being who cannot lie. Hope is not fickle. It is fast and sure. 

• Hope has more to do with the present than it does the future. Hope is not about events of tomorrow. It is about the state of my heart today. It is an attitude, a perspective, an assurance, a way of living. Hope enables one to make the most of now.

• True hope requires trust and submissiveness. And I mean complete trust and total submission. During a particularly difficult and confusing time, I learned a lot about this from the talk "But If Not...." One reference really hit home for me. Elder Simmons talks about how God made promises to Abraham that were to come through his son Isaac. Yet, when Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac, which would have been excruciatingly difficult and confusing on many levels, he absolutely trusted and submitted. He knew God would keep His promises even if the logistics were beyond mortal comprehension. Sometimes life doesn't make sense. But Heavenly Father knows the end from the beginning, and He has a great design in the works. When we trust in and submit to His will with humility and a whole heart, we enable the Lord to pour blessings upon us in unlimited ways. This. Is. True. I know it is true because I have experienced it. Along with this kind of trust comes the sweet peace of hope.

• Hope stems from personal relationships with God the Eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Developing these relationships requires sincere, consistent prayer, diligent study, and dedicated obedience. It requires continual repentance. It takes learning about Them and trying to become like Them, allowing the grace of the Atonement to make up for all that we lack. Personal revelation is key. Hearing, understanding, and heading communication from the Spirit is absolutely necessary, and this takes daily and lengthy practice. How our lives would change if we really understood the magnitude of the privilege of prayer and personal revelation! I can converse with God Almighty. I speak, He listens. He speaks, and I can hear, if I will. Whoa. That is a big deal. Learning to use it effectively brings immense hope because it allows us to know God, trust Him, learn His will, and change our hearts to comply. 

• Hope is a source of confidence- confidence in today, tomorrow, one's self- confidence in the Lord. 

• Hope fosters patience. Time is not a burden to the hopeful. 

• Hope is accompanied by happiness. When heart and mind are knit with the will of the Lord, when converted to the truth that He will make a righteous life exactly what it needs to be, then- then comes the sweetest joy. It is a quiet, peaceful, complete happiness that encompasses your whole self. It does not erase difficulty but does enable the attitude "Come what may, and love it."

All of my life, my dream and greatest desire has been to be a wife and mother and to build a righteous home. I did not foresee the timeline that Heavenly Father appointed. The wait was longer than expected, but I am grateful that He instilled hope in my heart all along. Never once have I doubted that this dream would be fulfilled. I know family is His plan. It would happen eventually- whether on earth or after- and as long as I was doing my part to live worthy of His blessing, I knew He would design my life to provide the fullest amount of joy possible. 

Now that this greatest desire is beginning to be fulfilled, I look back with awe and gratitude for all that I have been given through my life. Hope is among the greatest of those gifts. And as I look to the future, hand-in-hand with my sweet companion, I know that hope will help our life together continue to be rich and full and blessed despite the challenges that will come- or maybe because of them.  

How good is our Father above. 

His Way

You know, sometimes the forest is thick. Sometimes it is dark. Sometimes the way is unclear. But always there is a quiet guide. And when I listen to my Guide, eventually, in His time, He leads me to where the thicket opens to a most beautiful clearing. There the table is spread. With blessings unmeasured. And all is well. The journey, however long, however trying, is valued beyond measure. Because it brought me here. And along the way, I came to know and trust the Guide. And I am filled with peace and with confidence knowing He will continue to lead me right. 'Blessed be the name of my God who has been mindful of us wanderers.' 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6

Looking forward to an eternity of new paths and trusting and guidance with my best friend. 

Hold Nothing Back

"As you love His children, Heavenly Father will guide you, and angels will assist you. You will be given power to bless lives and rescue souls.  

Jesus Christ is your example. He “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.” To minister means to love and care for others. It means to attend to their physical and spiritual needs. Put simply, it means to do what the Savior would do if He were here." 

                                                                                                          -David L. Beck

For my 2 1/2 years in the Providence YSA Ward, I've been blessed to associate with two of the most Christlike people I've ever known. They have devoted their time and talents, their home and their hearts to the ministry. They have served humbly, worked diligently, counseled wisely, prayed fervently, sacrificed wholly, and loved completely. They held nothing back. And they have met their great task with constant JOY. I want to be like the Wigingtons. 

One of my assignments in the ward required regular counsel with Bishop Wigington. There was one week I was feeling particularly weighed down by the cruel assault of the adversary on my peers and those I so desperately wanted to see succeed. As Bishop characteristically closed our meeting that Sunday with a big smile and enthusiastic handshake, I paused and asked how he managed to be so cheerful all of the time. My question was sincere. I knew that the burden he carried as a bishop was more than I could ever imagine, yet he overflowed with happiness. Whatever his secret was, I needed to learn it. His response was immediate and sure, delivered with gratitude. "I know what the Atonement can do! And I see it work miracles." Of course that is the key to happiness. My resolve was strengthened. I know it is this testimony, and Bishop's willingness to give everything for it, that enabled him to be used as a tool in the Lord's hands to bless hundreds of young people. 

Undoubtedly, the person I am becoming has been shaped by lessons learned and love received from Bishop & Mamma Wigs, Stan, and Brother Brenchley. I am so grateful for the years of sacrifice they and their families have given. 

comeback

Well over a year has passed since I've had anything to do with this blog. I feel like I should have something profound to share in this comeback post. Alas, nope. I've been thinking about starting to write a bit here and there, and I feel as though I should. Don't know exactly what will be included, but I have a few specific reasons for revisiting Observations by Skye... 

• count my blessings
• declare what I know
• document a bit of life

That's it. So, stay tuned. Or not. No promises. Read at your own risk.