-
Sabbath Devotional :: Loaves and Fishes
Last Sunday my nine-year-old daughter gave a talk in sacrament meeting as part of our ward’s Primary program. She prepared her own talk and bravely stood at the pulpit in front of the congregation to share some of the things that she has learned from the scriptures this year. During her talk she shared that one of her favorite stories from the New Testament is when Jesus fed a multitude of five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fishes (Matthew 14:15-21; Mark 6:34-44; Luke 9:13-17; John 6:9-13). After commenting on what an amazing miracle this was, she said: “How this applies to my life is that whatever small…
-
Sabbath Devotional :: The Power of Words
In many Native American creation stories, and indeed, in our own creation story, the world comes into being in part because the Creator spoke the words to create it. Genesis tells us that “God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). Jacob taught that “by the power of his word, man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word” (Jacob 4:9). God cannot lie (Ether 3:12). All his words must be fulfilled (D&C 1:38). Just as his word created the earth, it can cause the earth to pass away, the rough places to be made smooth, and…
-
Sabbath Devotional :: Spiritual Gifts
For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God (Doctrine and Covenants 46:11). Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4). There are many people in my life who would tell you they have always had a testimony of the truthfulness of the restored Gospel. They have always believed or known the Church is true. They have never wrestled with overwhelming doubts or experienced a crisis of faith. This doesn’t mean they are blind followers or their testimonies aren’t valid. Rather, it indicates some of the beautiful…
-
Sabbath Devotional :: Room in my Heart
In December 2016, two months after I began volunteering for Refugee Services of Texas, I saw an opening for a position teaching English to recently arrived refugees. I hadn’t worked outside the home in years, but felt teaching was part of God’s path for me. I never could have imagined how interacting with such an incredible group of people would change me. Making room in my heart for those who suffer unimaginable burdens has made a lasting impact on me, and I am forever grateful. A few days before class began, I received a list containing all my students’ names, ages, marital statuses, levels of education and countries of origin.…
-
Sabbath Devotional :: Turning to the Hymns for Peace
I spent the last few years as a primary teacher. In addition to interacting with the sweet and adorable sunbeams, the calling meant that I spent a lot of my Sunday worship singing at church. While the children’s songs were often in so high a register that I could only squeak out a few of the notes, the messages of the songs and the enthusiastic singing of beautiful truths by my little primary friends provided profound and enduring lessons in the truths of the gospel. I felt so grateful that these little brothers and sisters were learning the pure truths of the gospel – that we are children of Heavenly…
-
Sabbath Devotional :: Infinite Loop of Agape
“An infinite loop (sometimes called an endless loop) is a piece of coding that lacks a functional exit so that it repeats indefinitely.” I have a faint recollection of the concept of an infinite loop from an undergraduate computer coding class I took over 20 years ago. When a young man in my ward used the phrase in a gospel context during his missionary farewell recently, I felt a jolt of recognition as it related to some of my personal spiritual experiences over the past few years. It was a way to describe a state of being that I felt gloriously “stuck” in. It began with love, then became marked…
-
Sabbath Devotional :: Pursuing Peace on the Train
About a week ago my family and I were stuck on a very overcrowded train on a holiday weekend in a foreign country. People were behaving badly. There weren’t enough seats on an inadequately staffed train, and the descent into chaos was quick, with many individuals refusing to honor the seat assignments of others. There were fights, and some punches were actually thrown. Long story short, in spite of having pre-booked the journey and paid for reserved seating, my family of six was left standing for much of a seven-hour journey. We were understandably a bit stressed and peeved. A few hours in, we were able to get into some…
-
Sabbath Devotional :: Leap of Faith
While we were on vacation recently, my daughters and I spent an afternoon at an outdoor swimming pool. Of course, we were not the only ones who had decided to enjoy the sunshine and water on this hot summer day. There were at least a couple hundred other people there with us. The pool was enormous. Every area of the pool was crowded with bodies, swimming and splashing and shouting. More people were all around the outside of the pool, laying on the grass or stretched out on lounge chairs; soaking up the sun or enjoying the shade of the large oak trees. The pool curved from one end to…
-
Sabbath Devotional :: Higher Ways
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. These scriptures were my constant companion for about a decade. During those especially difficult years, I would read the verses over and over again, looking for meaning, support, and strength. I learned two broad lessons from…
-
Sabbath Devotional :: Come, Come Ye Saints
Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear; But with joy, wend your way. Though hard to you this journey may appear, Grace shall be as your day. A few weeks ago I had the privilege of participating as a Ma on a trek with our stake. I must admit that I hadn’t approached this assignment as a privilege, but rather an obligatory chore. I wasn’t looking forward to wearing voluminous clothing and slogging along old rail paths in the humid New England heat with a bunch of teenagers. The privilege part snuck up on me. My focus going in had been on the discomfort and work, which is…
