Wednesday, October 2, 2013

DC Week 34!

DC Week 34!
Well, I'm sure you all heard about the government shutdown. Lame. Good thing we don't watch the news at all 'cause I really don't want any part of it. We were going to head into the city today, but opted out considering the fact that we would probably end up sitting on a bench eating a hot dog from the nearest vendor the whole time. Who knows how long it will last. You would all probably know more than little ol' me anyway. Movin' on! :)

Thought for the week:

"Hope [...] comes from direct personal revelation, to which we are entitled if we are worthy. We also have the security of living in a time when a prophet who holds and exercises all of the keys of God’s kingdom is on the earth. Samuel Smiles wrote: ‘Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.’ … Hope sweetens the memory of experiences well loved. It tempers our troubles to our growth and our strength. It befriends us in dark hours, excites us in bright ones. It lends promise to the future and purpose to the past. It turns discouragement to determination.” 

James E. Faust: Hope, an Anchor of the Soul 
1999 October General Conference 

Think about the well-known verse in Ether 12:4 which discusses how this "hope" which cometh of faith maketh an anchor to our souls... If it's fair to assume that Christ is that anchor...what are the links in that chain...that ground us to Him?

Elder Ballard eloquently put it this way: 

"These links of your gospel anchor chain may seem elementary, but they are as important as the anchor of faith and testimony itself. Remember, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. We must take care every day to examine our own personal chain to anchor our souls to the gospel and see if we have any weak links that may make us vulnerable to the influence of the devil. [...] 

"Your personal chain that anchors your soul to the gospel can be as strong as you want to make it. Be grateful for the principle of repentance, which provides the way for us to strengthen any weak links in our chain. If you know that you are anchored to the Lord Jesus Christ, but still feel like life’s trials are more than you can handle, find peace and strength in the knowledge that each day you have done the best you can in honoring the Lord. Remember that strengthening your testimony is a lifelong process. Look to the Lord for strength. Work on one link at a time and strengthen each until you can feel anchored safely and securely to the gospel of Jesus Christ."

These thoughts stem from the workshop I gave last Friday for our training meeting in the Visitor Center with all the sisters and the senior couples. The theme was plucked from Ether 12:4. Classic stuff. Love it!

Anyway, I hope you are all excited for General Conference this weekend!! Examine the "weak links" in your lives... and go into Conference with this question or concern in mind. See if you don't get a response from your Heavenly Father. Remember: the more specific the question, the more specific the answer. 

I love you guys. Make it a good one.
Hermana Graff

Pictures:
1. Antique shopping!
2. ...
3. ...
4. ...
5. Say..."Queso!"

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