Hope

I decided that I wanted to study hope next because that's one of the first line of the bible dictionary for faith says: "Faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true and must be centered in Jesus Christ...." Hope is another important word to understand so I can understand faith. Hope is not in the bible dictionary so I looked hope up on the Latter-day Saints website. In the True to the Faith booklet it stated that: "Hope is the confident expectation of and longing for the promised blessings of righteousness. The scriptures often speak of hope as anticipation of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ." This caught me off guard. Hope in the "world" sense that I think of is (thanks, dictionary.com): to feel that something desired may happen. It's the word may that would throw me. May is something that throws a maybe into a situation. I'm glad that I found this new way of looking at hope.

Ok so I'm really struggling with this. With how to put words to my thoughts and how to fully understand hope. I know this will be a work in progress and I'll get it step by step.

One other statement on hope that I liked was "hope is sure, unwavering, and active." (True to the Faith) Hope isn't something that you just say and that's it. Hope is something that is solid, there, and moving! It's something to rely on! Back to the first statement added to this statement, listen to these strong words used to describe/define hope: confident, longing, promised, blessings, righteousness, eternal life (oh I need to have a post on this!), sure, unwavering and active! I'd take any of those words over maybe.

Hope has taken a whole new definition for me. It's not something that MIGHT happen, it's something to look forward to. I can't wait to learn more about hope and share it with you.

Faith in Christ

Today I wanted to focus on Faith. I was thinking about all the things I knew about faith and I realized that I I wasn't sure I really knew much. So I was really excited to learn more and gain that testimony of faith.

I started in the Bible Dictionary: Faith. The one part that stuck out to me was the part that read: "To have faith is to have confidence in something or someone." I finally made the connection that faith is confidence. Confidence is to me trust.

Then I started thinking, who and what can I have faith in? The next part in the Bible Dictionary pointed me in a great direction: "The Lord has revealed himself and his perfect character..." What a great person to have faith (or confidence) in but a perfect Lord? :-)

I know I have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That means I have confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ and in what He teaches. One thing the Lord teaches is to have faith in His time line. I was reminded of that today when I received a new calling and was set apart.  In the blessing Bro. J said that I would be blessed as I prepared my life and home for my future family. And that it would happen in the Lord's time. (paraphrased from memory)  I've been reminded of this so many times in the last little while.

Earlier in the day in Sunday School we were talking about Christ's early life and how we don't know much about it. Our teacher Sister W. lead us to D&C 93, where John the Baptist testifies of Christ (modern revelation from Joseph Smith). We were discussing verse 12 when it says "received grace for grace" Sister W. brought up the saying "Tit for Tat" She looked it up and found out it's a gaming strategy. Basically, Player 1 makes a good, cooperating move; Player 2 can do one of two things: fight by not cooperating and Player 1 will also be done cooperating in the game; or Player 2 can cooperate with Player 1 and together they will cooperate until the end of the game. In class we continued to discuss how this is like our relationship with Christ. He will make the first move then wait to see what we will do next. If we follow the commandments he continues to bless us. Sometimes Christ will let us make the first move... our move therefore is into the dark.

While this was being discussed I thought of how I could apply this to me. The Holy Ghost pointed me to the right direction, I thought of a conversation I had with Bro J. when he asked me to take on my new calling that morning. He asked me what our plans were if we had a baby (with work), and he explained that there would probably be a release if I continued to work. I know the Lord called me for a reason to this position. How could I disappoint him and skip out of those blessings? Also why would the Lord give me this calling if He didn't have faith in me? So I started thinking what would my first move be if the Lord is waiting for me?

We know we should have a baby and we've been counseled not to put it off and that as a mother I should be at home. So our first step should be preparing ourselves for this to happen:

• Savings (Save more so that we can live off of the savings if Luke can't find a job. Plus there maybe some rainy days because he'd only be able to work part time)
• Molding my job for the future (I have an opportunity right now to mold my job so that if and when I get pregnant I may be able to work from home.)
• Luke finding a job now (we live in a college town it's hard to find jobs at times. If he can find a job now we can put all that money into savings and already be prepared with a job.)

I learned so much about faith this week and it was so cool how it related to my church lessons on Sunday. I know the Lord loves us and wants the best for us. I have faith in the Lord and in His time line. I know He's the perfect person to have faith in. 

It came in a dream.

I've been thinking about starting this blog for awhile now. My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for awhile now and although most people would say it's infertility I say it's an opportunity for our faith to grow. Through this experience I have noticed a lot of the whys. And I've learned that I need to trust in the Lord and his timeline. There's a reason for everything. And this blog is one reason, I need to build my faith. I was reading in 2 Peter when I came across a scripture that made me stop and ponder. My mind was drawn to it multiple times in the last couple of weeks.
2 Peter 1:5-8:
  "5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

  6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

  7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

  8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Verse 8 is what caught my eye, "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful" (no I didn't read any further haha). That started me thinking, are these things in me? Do they abound? 

I want to make sure these things: faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity, abound in me so I will "neither be barren nor unfruitful."

So I decided to start this blog to record my progress. I've been having a hard time coming up with a title for this blog. Well last night I was sleeping and it came to me, "good will come from this." It was perfect, everything that will come out of this will be good! 

So here it is. Enjoy and grow with me. 

Camille