What FAITH makes

A story that "what FAITH Makes"




When I was 16 I had a part time job working at Brick Lane market in London on a Sunday morning. I used to get home about 3pm to the aroma of a roast dinner sizzling in the oven. One Sunday I came in to discover the house empty, the oven switched off and the roast half cooked on the side. After a few moments of puzzlement our neighbour knocked on the door and told me that Dad had had a massive heart attack and was in intensive care. I was to stay with her until my mum contacted us. When Mum came home she explained that Dad’s life was hanging in the balance - the next 24hrs were vital. I felt numb; all I could think was that I should be feeling more. The trouble was that Dad was a strict and distant figure that I barely knew and was frightened of. Everyone kept offering empty platitudes but all I could think was ’you don’t know if he’s going to be ok, why are you pretending you do?’. I felt empty and very alone .
Dad did pull through and ten years later I found the gospel. This gave me a much deeper understanding of the family and made me appreciate my parents more. I began to develop a better relationship with my dad and started to actually get to know him. Gradually I learnt to respect and like him. He continued to have heart problems and ended up with a quadruple by-pass.
A few years latter I received a frantic early morning phone call from my mum. Dad had had a huge attack and was dead on the bedroom floor. The ambulance crew were trying to revive him without any success. I jumped into the car and raced to my parent’s house. As I drove I prayed ’please give my dad a little longer, I’m just getting to know him and I can’t stand to lose him yet.’ I felt a deep calm descend upon me and I knew that my prayer had been heard. As I arrived the ambulance drove off with my dad on board - after 35 attempts they had managed to revive him. As I followed the ambulance I felt a great calm and reassuring feeling - I knew it would be OK. As we waited in the relatives room the doctor came out and spoke to us. He told us that although dad was alive he had less than a 1% chance of making it. The arrhythmia attack that he’d been having for the past four hours was so bad that the doctor had never heard of anyone pulling through from it. My brother and mum were distraught but I felt like I was cocooned in a deliciously warm embrace. I tried to convey to them that I knew he would be fine but I knew that my words sounded as empty as the people that tried to comfort me all those years before. I continued to pray for my dad and for my mum and brother. After another three hours the doctor came back and said that a miracle had occurred - dad had pulled through. Whilst he recovered on the ward Dad had a trail of doctors visiting him to see the miracle man. I wasn’t surprised by his recovery - I knew he’d pull through. I am so grateful to have such a loving Heavenly Father who answers my prayers. 

An Everlasting Covenant - TEMPLE MARRIAGE

Today is a fun day!! The missionaries visited us and it was fun having them around.. Well as I open my Facebook account I found this Picture wherein I was Tag in, well the words struck my attention , And then I thought the message is definitely right?!! If that Prince can't bring me into the Sacred Temple then He isn't my Prince..Having and receiving Temple Ordinances is one of the most important Thing if you want your Family to be with you in Eternal Life. And as a woman you should also should make yourself a worthy princess for your worthy Prince . Princess should also be clean and pure in thought,speaking,keeping the commandment,in dressing modestly. So that we could be also the Right Princess for that Right Prince! I remember a talk given by Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf entitled "Happily Ever After" and would like to share the topic, posted below:

"My dear young sisters all around the world, I am grateful and honored to be with you today. President Thomas S. Monson and all the leaders of the Church love you; we pray for you, and we rejoice in your faithfulness.

Over the years I have been exposed to many beautiful languages—each of them is fascinating and remarkable; each has its particular charm. But as different as these languages can be, they often have things in common. For example, in most languages there exists a phrase as magical and full of promise as perhaps any in the world. That phrase is “Once upon a time.”

Aren’t those wonderful words to begin a story? “Once upon a time” promises something: a story of adventure and romance, a story of princesses and princes. It may include tales of courage, hope, and everlasting love. In many of these stories, nice overcomes mean and good overcomes evil. But perhaps most of all, I love it when we turn to the last page and our eyes reach the final lines and we see the enchanting words “And they lived happily ever after.”

Isn’t that what we all desire: to be the heroes and heroines of our own stories; to triumph over adversity; to experience life in all its beauty; and, in the end, to live happily ever after?

Today I want to draw your attention to something very significant, very extraordinary. On the first page of your Young Women Personal Progressbook, you will find these words: “You are a beloved daughter of Heavenly Father, prepared to come to the earth at this particular time for a sacred and glorious purpose.” ¹

Sisters, those words are true! They are not made up in a fairy tale! Isn’t it remarkable to know that our eternal Heavenly Father knows you, hears you, watches over you, and loves you with an infinite love? In fact, His love for you is so great that He has granted you this earthly life as a precious gift of “once upon a time,” complete with your own true story of adventure, trial, and opportunities for greatness, nobility, courage, and love. And, most glorious of all, He offers you a gift beyond price and comprehension. Heavenly Father offers to you the greatest gift of all—eternal life—and the opportunity and infinite blessing of your own “happily ever after.”

But such a blessing does not come without a price. It is not given simply because you desire it. It comes only through understanding who you are and what you must become in order to be worthy of such a gift.

Trial Is Part of the Journey

For a moment, think back about your favorite fairy tale. In that story the main character may be a princess or a peasant; she might be a mermaid or a milkmaid, a ruler or a servant. You will find one thing all have in common: they must overcome adversity.

Cinderella has to endure her wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters. She is compelled to suffer long hours of servitude and ridicule.

In “Beauty and the Beast,” Belle becomes a captive to a frightful-looking beast in order to save her father. She sacrifices her home and family, all she holds dear, to spend several months in the beast’s castle.

In the tale “Rumpelstiltskin,” a poor miller promises the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king immediately sends for her and locks her in a room with a mound of straw and a spinning wheel. Later in the story she faces the danger of losing her firstborn child unless she can guess the name of the magical creature who helped her in this impossible task.

In each of these stories, Cinderella, Belle, and the miller’s daughter have to experience sadness and trial before they can reach their “happily ever after.” Think about it. Has there ever been a person who did not have to go through his or her own dark valley of temptation, trial, and sorrow?

Sandwiched between their “once upon a time” and “happily ever after,” they all had to experience great adversity. Why must all experience sadness and tragedy? Why could we not simply live in bliss and peace, each day filled with wonder, joy, and love?

The scriptures tell us there must be opposition in all things, for without it we could not discern the sweet from the bitter. ² Would the marathon runner feel the triumph of finishing the race had she not felt the pain of the hours of pushing against her limits? Would the pianist feel the joy of mastering an intricate sonata without the painstaking hours of practice?

In stories, as in life, adversity teaches us things we cannot learn otherwise. Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way. Our loving Heavenly Father has set us in a world filled with challenges and trials so that we, through opposition, can learn wisdom, become stronger, and experience joy.

Let me share with you a personal experience I had as a teenager while our family was attending church in Frankfurt, Germany.

One Sunday the missionaries brought a new family to our meetings whom I hadn’t seen before. It was a mother with two beautiful daughters. I thought that these missionaries were doing a very, very good job.

I particularly took notice of the one daughter with gorgeous dark hair and large brown eyes. Her name was Harriet, and I think I fell in love with her from the first moment I saw her. Unfortunately, this beautiful young woman didn’t seem to feel the same about me. She had many young men who wanted to make her acquaintance, and I began to wonder if she would ever see me as anything but a friend. But I didn’t let that deter me. I figured out ways to be where she was. When I passed the sacrament, I made sure I was in the right position so that I would be the one to pass the sacrament to her.

When we had special activities at church, I rode my bike to Harriet’s house and rang the doorbell. Harriet’s mother usually answered. In fact, she opened the kitchen window of their apartment on the fourth floor and asked what I wanted. I would ask if Harriet would like a ride to church on my bicycle. Harriet’s mother would say, “No, she will be coming later, but I will be happy to ride with you to church.” This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but how could I decline?

And so we rode to church. I must admit I had a very impressive road bike. Harriet’s mother sat on the top tube bar just in front of me, and I tried to be the most elegant bicycle driver over roads of rough cobblestone.

Time passed. While beautiful Harriet was seeing many other young men, it seemed that I could not make any headway with her.

Was I disappointed? Yes.

Was I defeated? Absolutely not!

Actually, looking back I recognize that it doesn’t hurt at all to be on good terms with the mother of the girl of your dreams.

Years later, after I had finished my training as a fighter pilot in the air force, I experienced a modern miracle in Harriet’s response to my continued courting. One day she said, “Dieter, you have matured much over these past years.”

I moved quickly after that, and within a few months I was married to the woman I had loved ever since I first saw her. The process hadn’t been easy—there were moments of suffering and despair—but finally my happiness was full, and it still is, even more so.

My dear young sisters, you need to know that you will experience your own adversity. None is exempt. You will suffer, be tempted, and make mistakes. You will learn for yourself what every heroine has learned: through overcoming challenges come growth and strength.

It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop.

There are those among you who, although young, have already suffered a full measure of grief and sorrow. My heart is filled with compassion and love for you. How dear you are to the Church. How beloved you are of your Heavenly Father. Though it may seem that you are alone, angels attend you. Though you may feel that no one can understand the depth of your despair, our Savior, Jesus Christ, understands. He suffered more than we can possibly imagine, and He did it for us; He did it for you. You are not alone.

If you ever feel your burden is too great to bear, lift your heart to your Heavenly Father, and He will uphold and bless you. He says to you, as He said to Joseph Smith, “[Your] adversity and [your] afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if [you] endure it well, God shall exalt [you] on high.” ³

Enduring adversity is not the only thing you must do to experience a happy life. Let me repeat: how you react to adversity and temptation is a critical factor in whether or not you arrive at your own “happily ever after.”

Stay True to What You Know Is Right

Sisters, young sisters, beloved young sisters, stay true to what you know is right. Everywhere you look today, you will find promises of happiness. Ads in magazines promise total bliss if you will only buy a certain outfit, shampoo, or makeup. Certain media productions glamorize those who embrace evil or who give in to base instincts. Often these same people are portrayed as models of success and accomplishment.

In a world where evil is portrayed as good and good as evil, sometimes it is difficult to know the truth. In some ways it is almost like Little Red Riding Hood’s dilemma: when you are not quite sure what you are seeing, is it a beloved grandmother or is it a dangerous wolf?

I spent many years in the cockpit of an airplane. My task was to get a big jet safely from any part of the world to our desired destination. I knew with certainty that if I wanted to travel from New York to Rome, I needed to fly east. If some were to tell me that I should fly south, I knew there was no truth in their words. I would not trust them because I knew for myself. No amount of persuasion, no amount of flattery, bribery, or threats could convince me that flying south would get me to my destination because I knew.

We all search for happiness, and we all try to find our own “happily ever after.” The truth is, God knows how to get there! And He has created a map for you; He knows the way. He is your beloved Heavenly Father, who seeks your good, your happiness. He desires with all the love of a perfect and pure Father that you reach your supernal destination. The map is available to all. It gives explicit directions of what to do and where to go to everyone who is striving to come unto Christ and “stand as [a witness] of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.” ⁴ All you have to do is trust your Heavenly Father. Trust Him enough to follow His plan.

Nevertheless, not all will follow the map. They may look at it. They may think it is reasonable, perhaps even true. But they do not follow the divine directions. Many believe that any road will take them to a “happily ever after.” Some may even become angry when others who know the way try to help and tell them. They suppose that such advice is outdated, irrelevant, out of touch with modern life.

Sisters, they suppose wrong.

The Gospel Is the Way to Happily Ever After

I understand that, at times, some may wonder why they attend Church meetings or why it is so important to read the scriptures regularly or pray to our Heavenly Father daily. Here is my answer: You do these things because they are part of God’s path for you. And that path will take you to your “happily ever after” destination.

“Happily ever after” is not something found only in fairy tales. You can have it! It is available for you! But you must follow your Heavenly Father’s map.

Sisters, please embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ! Learn to love your Heavenly Father with all your heart, might, and mind. Fill your souls with virtue, and love goodness. Always strive to bring out the best in yourself and others.

Learn to accept and act upon the Young Women values. Live the standards in For the Strength of Youth. These standards guide and direct you to your “happily ever after.” Living these standards will prepare you to make sacred covenants in the temple and establish your own legacy of goodness in your individual circumstances. “Stand … in holy places, and be not moved,” ⁵ regardless of temptations or difficulties. I promise you that future generations will be grateful for you and praise your name for your courage and faithfulness during this crucial time of your life.

My dear young sisters—you who stand for truth and righteousness, you who seek goodness, you who have entered the waters of baptism and walk in the ways of the Lord—our Father in Heaven has promised that you will “mount up with wings as eagles; [you] shall run, and not be weary; and [you] shall walk, and not faint.” ⁶ You “shall not be deceived.” ⁷ God will bless and prosper you. ⁸ “The gates of hell shall not prevail against you; … and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.” ⁹

Sisters, we love you. We pray for you. Be strong and of good courage. You are truly royal spirit daughters of Almighty God. You are princesses, destined to become queens. Your own wondrous story has already begun. Your “once upon a time” is now.

As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I leave you my blessing and give you a promise that as you accept and live the values and principles of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, “[you] will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.” ¹⁰ And the day will come when you turn the final pages of your own glorious story; there you will read and experience the fulfillment of those blessed and wonderful words: “And they lived happily ever after.” Of this I testify in the holy name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I like Pres. Uchtdorf said "  You are princesses, destined to become queens. Your own wondrous story has already begun. Your “once upon a time” is now. I Was really Inspired of being worthy as His Queen..I haven't found my Prince-King yet, But I know i'll meet him ! 

Shake it off and Take a step UP..

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.


He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.


A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.


As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!


MORAL :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.


Remember the five simple rules to be happy:


1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.


2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens.


3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.


4. Give more.


5. Expect less from people but more from God.


You have two choices... smile and close this page,
or pass this along to someone else to share the lesson .
God bless us all!

Valencia A Blessing

           We reach here in Valencia Last 2006 , it was an amazing part of my life because it's a new area and with new people . Everything has it's own purpose . When I reach 18 years old , our Branch President called me as Young women secretary and with our new Young women president at the age of 20 years old and after the sacrament meeting we have a little chat about what had happen that day . And each of us says "were too young to be in this calling" with a worried face on how to run our callings . At first we really had a hard time on our callings because we are still students at that time, pressure's came in church and also at school , but after seeing our young women grow spiritually in the Gospel even how hard it is for us to fulfill our callings it made us realize we should be more strong in making our duties right and seeing the Young Women gather on mutual and doing the Personal Progress and assisting them ,it become more easier and easier.
          We reach here having a very small chapel wherein there are 40-60 members and this chapel was 20-22 years old.. As the year ended our small chapel can't handle  the members enough, so we, the youth held our classes outside the chapel wherein there are mango trees and also the Primary. I also accepted a calling of being a Primary Teacher..and it is very hard at first especially handling kids because I have only one sister?..my patience was test by these kids but I am happy that as Sunday's pass by, Heavenly Father help me have new ideas how to let these cute little kids listen to me while I am teaching them every Sunday and they became my very good friends, and good listeners. I know that they are learning from me but I am more learning than from them by teaching them I am also teaching myself learning more about the Gospel.
                                     In the young women organization my skills of broadening my ideas were used , I even played the Piano on Elder kho's visit at open house,Conference's ,Choirs (played the piano), that I never imagined I could do such things! It was definitely an amazing experiences. I learned things on this place.A different "me" was build, a "mature one".
                                     After 20-22 years of waiting to have a big and Wonderful Chapel at 2010 our new chapel was Built because of it's growing number's of member's. And before the open House? I saw a Mother of 5 kids cried at the Sacrament Hall..as I was looking at her I know she felt a very wondrous spirit inside the Sacrament building. I can see each faces of the members how lucky they are and Thankful of the newly built chapel they have. After 5 year's of living in these place I had such a wonderful memories together with these people.
                                     Yes! we had challenges,trials that had come over our family here in Valencia but In spite of these I consider Valencia a BLESSING! because in these place I LEARNED THINGS! in a NEW WAY...I learn how to appreciate things even in a little way, I learn to love each members and people, I learn to Share the Gospel, I learn that Serving the Lord will give you much Blessing. He may not give you riches, But in terms of growing Spiritually and Mentally is a big Gift of Blessing from Him. I love the members! And will Always treasure and Cherish them .
       
       

Prayer

I got up early one morning
And rushed right into the day,
I had so much to accomplish
That I didn't have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me
And heavier came each task.
"Why doesn't God help me?" I wondered.
He answered, "You didn't ask."

I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on gray and bleak.
I wondered why God didn't show me;
He said, "But you didn't seek."

I tried to come into God's presence,
I used all the keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
"My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning
And paused before entering the day,
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray.

A poem about prayer : A great tool power in our everyday living . Sometimes we forget that we should always pray especially in the morning. The poem say's it all!! and I love the message of this poem .In fact this is my greatest tool  to be able to overcome all the trials and challenges that is coming in our lives. One of my greatest tool in asking him especially deciding things in my life .Heavenly Father may not answer immediately but He answer's Prayers . 

My Decision To Go On A Mission

I found a story from a LDS Website ..and this story talks about Missionary Work, That's going to be happening soon on me!! I plan to apply as a Full Time Missionary ...Since I am still 20 years old I will be preparing for it, Last Month got a hard time to decide because of the Job offers but there's only one thing to do "Pray" - and I'm happy that Heavenly Father answer my sincere prayer ... After i pray ,I hooked up on my Scripture and read it in Jacob 2:17-18-- 

17 Think of your ^abrethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your ^bsubstance, that ^cthey may be rich like unto you.

 

 18 But ^abefore ye seek for ^briches, seek ye for the ^ckingdom of God.

As I was reading this verse it struck me because I wanted to have a job because I can earn money...Thinking of the salary I will receive each month wherein I can buy some of the stuff that I want! But as I was pondering...Indeed I should go and Serve in his vineyard And I know by serving Him many blessing will come .The below story give me also a wonderful lesson about Missionary work " The Parable of Flashlights" .....

"Once there was a family of flashlights, within the family were all different sizes and colors of flashlights. In this family every flashlight was able to give off light, but some lights were brighter than others. Some of the small flashlights gave off brighter light than the larger ones. One of the big ones wondered why one of the smaller lights gave off more light. They both had rechargeable batteries and had been recently charged; the big one thought that he didn’t need to have his charged as often because he was bigger.

This family had good friends that lived next door; they noticed that some of their lights were not working. They were to busy to offer a helping hand to try and help get their neighbor’s flashlights working. This good family also had other friends that had the same problems, they were so busy dealing with life and trying to recharge their own batteries, that they couldn’t find the time to help someone else.

It was Christmas time, the family of flashlights decided to do something nice for their neighbors. They decided to take over a plate of cookies and wish them a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday. They knocked at the door and were invited in; they noticed that this family of flashlights was giving off little or no light. Upon investigation they found that the flashlight cases were fine, however some were more beautiful and bigger than their own. Checking the batteries they found that some of the flashlights had a size C battery, put together with a double AA battery. Another had a D size battery accompanied by a C size battery.

The good family helped them match up the batteries so they would work properly. They also helped them replace their battery charger with another so that their flashlights would give off light. The neighbor family was so appreciative that they wanted to spend more time with this good family, recharging their batteries on a regular basis.

Before long both of these families noticed that their own lights began to get brighter and brighter. The more time they spent with each other the light from this family became noticeable to some of the other flashlight families in the neighborhood. These two families started sharing what they had learned and decided to work with and help many of their friends. The more they shared the brighter their lights became.

There is a meaning of this story for each and everyone of us, because we are the flashlights, the batteries are the gospel and our testimonies. The light is, “The Light of Christ.” There are many of our family, friends and neighbors that are missing something in their life to make their flashlights work. Some may just need their batteries charged by gaining a strong testimony on how to keep it recharged. The missionaries are here to help us; all we need to do is just ask.

May you find peace in your life by sharing the gospel with others. Let your light so show shine that others may see your good works and want to become part of this work. Remember the Savior’s words “If ye have done it unto one the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

I dedicate this parable to all the missionaries serving throughout the world. With a special thanks to those special missionaries serving in the Washington Seattle Mission."

These experiences help me learned that Heavenly Father is always wanting to share the gospel to every people around the world and by showing and helping them they will have peace in their heart and also with us by sharing the Gospel with others...Let our light so shine that others may see our good works !! and by doing this this they will become part of this great work. As one of the song says"A Time To Learn,A Time To Love,A Time To Share" . And by this stories I am excited to be His Armies that wanted to share the Gospel in His Vineyard..

Will you keep your light shine and share the Gospel? 

Simba our Bestfriend

Simba with his cute Hat!!

 Hi! There everyone...it's been a long day!! I would love to share with you today our 3rd Dog named "Simba",a male dog that has a half breed of German Shepherd and a Azkal dog . He was given by our mom's cousin to ease her pain of our 2nd Dog who died because of unknown sickness . This dog became our youngest member of our family since He's so adorable and love's to sleep and eat!! (heheheh) . My dad loves this dog and He's a totally amazing dog . He's always with us and really has a kind of attitude who always want to be with his Boss side and wanted to go wherever his Boss goes!! so sometimes we bring him and give him a very beautiful walk/ride..and whenever my Dad comes home or every member of the family he always cry and sometimes roar!! with his wagging tail with kisses.He has a very big feature of body and I love his cute face. He also knows who are Missionaries and he never barks them. He's been my totally Bestfriend since he always listen,ease my stress and even discouragement (sometimes). We also named him after Simba the white Lion because of his color! Isn't it that great?!! Do you have a pet? Pet's are really man's Bestfriend .