Trash or treasure

Sometimes I get so caught up with the things of the world. Making sure my house is in perfect order (which never happens). Making sure its decorated all cute. Driving a nice car. Having cute, stylish clothes. Buying this, buying that. Watching this TV show. Etc....Seriously! Does it really matter. No. Maybe to the world it does. But what if everything were taken away from you. And all you had left was your knowledge.
A man I know said this statement: "If everything were taken away from me, I'm grateful to know they can't take my greatest treasure, my testimony."
I would have to agree with this statement.

Lesson Learned:
"Are you trashing your treasure and treasuring your trash?"

What am I doing to cherish my greatest treasure. To ensure that I will always have it and use it to it's full potential. What am I doing with the rest of my treasures. My husband, my son, my family, my friends, my scriptures, my one on one time with Heavenly Father (Prayer).
On the other hand what am I doing to treasure my trash. Which in turn is causing me to trash my treasures. I'm pretty sure when we return to Heavenly Father and He asks us what we treasured and held on to through out our lives, I don't think He will be impressed with our brand new cars, gorgeous houses, stylish clothes, the newest smart phone, and that we stayed up to date with the "best" TV shows.
Treasure your treasures, not your trash.

Grateful

Lesson Learned:
"If you woke up this morning with only the things you thanked your Heavenly Father for in your prayers last night, what would you have?"
-unknown

french horn or a piccolo?

Lessons Learned:
"Truly, we may each be an instrument in the hands of God. Happily, we need not all be the same kind of instrument. Just as the instruments in an orchestra differ in size, shape, and sound, we too are different from one another. We have different talents and inclinations, but just as the French horn cannot duplicate the sound of the piccolo, neither is it necessary for us to all serve the Lord in the same way." 

(Mary Ellen Smoot)

"...No one else can do what you can do. Please do not compare yourself to others; rather bloom where you’re planted! "

 ( Janet Bradford)

"...Sometimes we question our promptings because of what I call the ‘smallness factor’.  We think that because the Lord wants us to do just a tiny thing that it is not important.  This is wrong..."

 (Janet Bradford) 

We each have our own specific purposes in this life. The Lord's work, ALL the Lord's work is important and of great worth to Him. It needs to be done. We are those that need to do it. No matter how big or small a task may feel it is still the Lord's work. I am grateful to know that as an individual, I am required to serve in my own way. 'No one else can do what I can do'  The Lord needs me over here while He needs you over there. It is all the same. It is His work. I hope to be better at 'blooming where I'm planted' so to speak. And use my talents and strengths to serve in my way. 

Treasures of Heaven

I had the opportunity to attend girls camp with my ward this past weekend. One evening we had a little fireside and a testimony meeting. Our theme for girls camp was "Seek ye the treasures of heaven." (Everything was pirate themed) Our guest speaker gave a great talk.

He started by showing us this painting that was very old and explained how this painting was a treasured family heirloom. He then asked someone to hold the painting for him up while he explained how this painting became apart of his family and the importance of it. And how he had inherited it after his mom died and he now is the coveted owner of the painting in his family. The person holding the painting (who happened to be my husband) slipped and accidentally dropped it in the fire. Shock. Everything went silent. Not knowing what to do someone finally attempted to grab it out of the fire. The look on the speaker's face was enough to make anyone want to cry with him and jump into the fire yourself to save such a thing. It was a horrible feeling. The speaker stepped aside with his painting, clutching it in his arms looking at the damage. It was all burned. It was damaged. Blackened from the flames. It seemed as if the world had just stopped moving and silence took over. Then he threw it back in the fire and explained that this painting was just a $2 painting that had no meaning to him. Oh my gosh. Seriously. Then he told one more story as we are all sitting there in shock.

He told a story of a fire fighter that arrived at a barn that had been burned beyond repair. As he entered the rubble he noticed a hen still alive surrounded by soot and ashes from the fire. This hen had all her babies clutched under her wings, still alive. The mother hen had saved her babies through the fire.

In the scriptures the Savior uses many parables to help teach us, one of these is he is compared to a hen and we are the chicks. 

Lessons Learned:

As we are trying to find the treasures of heaven, trying to live the gospel, we are becoming like the Savior. We are His treasures.  The hurt I felt for the speaker and the burnt painting was great, I can only imagine the pain he must have felt. Just as we are the Lord's treasures, I can only imagine the hurt and pain He feels as we make choices that in a sense is like throwing our spirits in the fire. Burned and torched. But it also brings me hope knowing that has the mother hen was able to protect her baby chicks from the fire. The Savior sacrificed, atoned for our sins, and died for us so that He might be able to at times protect us from the fire but also heal us when we are burned and torn. Seek ye the treasures of heaven. For we are the His treasures.  

"...The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; BUT they are numbered unto me, for they are mine." (Moses 1:37)

We are of importance. We are treasures. We are His. His treasures. May we do all we can to strengthen our value.