Thursday Thought: Excuse Me, Are You Jesus?

I got this story in an email today and thought it would be perfect for thoughtful Thursday! I hope all of you will enjoy and be inspired by this story as much as I was. I challenge all of you to be more like Jesus!

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago . They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding. ALL BUT ONE !!! He paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.
He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, 'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?' She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.'

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister......' He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, 'Are you Jesus?'
He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: 'Are you Jesus?' Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our Destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.
If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.

Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

My Favorites

Job:

Other Job

Season

Restaurant #1

Restaurant #2

Restaurant #3

Store #1

Store #2

Perfume

#1 Pet~Maggie Dot Mae

Quote #1

Quote #2

Things I can't live without

#1 Movie

#2 Movie

#3 Movie

#1 Ice Cream

#2 Ice Cream #1 Flower~Orchid

#2 Flower~Purple Roses

#1 Fruit

#2 Furit

Favorite Scripture

#1 Dessert

#2 Dessert

1st Family

2nd Family

#1 Candy

#2 Candy

#1 Dream Car

#2 Dream Car

Color

Best Friend

Other Best Friend

Other Best Friend

#1 Book

#2 Book

#1 Actress

#2 Actress

#1 Artist

#2 Artist

#3 Artist

Thursday Thought

I did not get a chance to watch the General Relief Society broadcast...but I did read this talk from it. When I started reading it, it inspired me to do better. I think that all of us as sisters should read this and really think about how we can become better and think about what we can to do better! We must all be aware of the gaps that come into our lives and must all know how to overcome them.

Below are some of my favorite parts of this talk!

Mind the Gap~Barbara Thompson

Gaps can be reminders of ways in which we can improve or, if ignored, can be stumbling blocks in our lives.

"Many of us have gaps in our own lives. Sometimes it is the difference between what we know and what we actually do or the gap between our goals and what we actually accomplish. These gaps can be reminders of ways in which we can improve or, if ignored, can be stumbling blocks in our lives."

"Most of us who have been in the Church for more than just a few months have sung the song “I Am a Child of God.” I have sung this song since I was a young child and have always believed it. Even though most of us believe this, it seems that at times of hardship or difficulty we have a tendency to doubt or forget this.
Some have said such things as: “If God really loved me, He would not let this illness come upon my child.” “If God loved me, He would help me find a worthy husband I could be married and sealed to in the holy temple.” “If God loved me, we would have enough money to buy a house for our family.” Or, “I have sinned and so God couldn't possibly love me anymore.”
Unfortunately, we hear these types of statements all too often. You need to know that THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN "SEPARATE [YOU] FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST."

The scriptures clearly tell us that no tribulation, distress, persecution, power, nor any other creature can separate us from the love of God.
Our Heavenly Father loved us so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son to atone for our sins. The Savior not only suffered for every sin, but HE ALSO FELT EVERY PAIN, SORROW, DISCOMFORT, LONELINESS, AND SADNESS THAT ANY OF US COULD EVER EXPERIENCE. IS THIS NOT GREAT LOVE? President Henry B. Eyring has said, “It is the Holy Ghost that testifies of the reality of God and allows us to feel the joy of His love.”
We need to accept His love, love ourselves, and love others. Remember that every soul on this earth is also a child of God. We must treat each other with the love and kindness befitting a child of God.

Most of you work very hard to perform your duty, to keep the commandments, and to obey the Lord. You need to be able to recognize the Lord’s approval. You need to know that the Lord is well pleased and has accepted your offering.
Remember to mind this gap and to not let doubt and uncertainty enter into your minds. Be assured that GOD LOVES YOU dearly and you are His precious child"

My dear sisters, especially you younger single adults, I testify to you that God loves you; He is mindful of you; He has a plan for you. He needs you to serve His children. He needs you to be ACTIVE and FAITHFUL and fully participating women in His Church. He needs you to “COMFORT the weary and STRENGTHEN the weak.”

Sister Eliza R. Snow, second Relief Society general president, spoke to a large group of sisters—both teenage and adult women—gathered in Ogden, Utah, in 1873. She gave the following counsel that was timely then and is still appropriate today.
Speaking to the younger women, she said: “If you associate together [meaning older and younger women], your minds are improved, you are gaining intelligence, and you are retrenching from ignorance. The Spirit of God will impart instruction to your minds, and you will impart it to each other. I say, God bless you my young sisters. Remember that you are Saints of God; and that you have important works to perform in Zion.”

She further counseled all women: “Paul the Apostle anciently spoke of holy women. It is the DUTY of each one of us TO BE A HOLY WOMAN. We shall have elevated aims, if we are holy women. We shall feel that we are called to perform important duties. No one is exempt from them. There is no sister so isolated, and her sphere so narrow but what she can do a great deal towards establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth.”

Please mind this gap, and DON'T let a gap of inactivity come into your life in any manner. You need the Church, and the Church needs you.However, for us as Latter-day Saints, we know that we must do more than believe in Christ. We must have FAITH in Him, REPENT of our sins, BE BAPTIZED in His name, and receive THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST, and then we must ENDURE FAITHFULLY TO THE END.

We must share our testimonies with others. We must faithfully keep the covenants we have made with God. We know that all things will be revealed and given to those “who have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let your voice be heard among the faithful as you valiantly declare that HE LIVES, that His Church has been restored, and that the plan of happiness is available to all.

As we mind these gaps by paying careful attention and removing ourselves from danger, we will begin to realize the fullness of the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.

ONE of God's BEAUTIFUL Creations

Last night was my night to choose what David and I were going to do!

I came up with a great, FUN plan....go watch the sunset at Table Rock! Can I just say....WOW.....BEAUTIFUL?!

God creates everything to be BEAUTIFUL....this view was no exception!

I know I did a fantastic job picking our date....plus I invited my little brother, his wife and her sister to come with us! It was good to be able to see my brother and Caroline, it has been too long! Caroline's sister came too and took all these wonderful pictures!

David and I

Casey and Caroline

David and I again. Caroline's sister was just sitting up there taking photo after photo of just about everything...half the time she was taking pictures of us and we didn't even know it!

Thank you Casey, Caroline, Diana and especially David for such a fantastic night!