Power to Bruise His Head

I am not good with words, but through them I know I can touch someone...anyone. The lord is guiding me and I give all trust to Him. I will not let Satan hold me back.

I know God loves you and me. I cannot deny it.
Throw those voices out that are telling you that you aren't good enough at ______.

Nothing frustrating, judgmental, negative or critical of yourself (or others) comes from a loving Father.

Tell Satan NO! Tell him to leave! You have the power, ALL power over Him.

Genesis 3:15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Bruising a heal does hurt. It is real. It is hard.  It does affect your life. But you can bruise Satan's head. His head!

Listen for God's voice today.

Much love,

Rachel

Don't Overcome and You Will Not Become

I have been gone way to long! It has been a roller coaster last few weeks so I haven't blog. Plus my husband and I only have one computer so he is usually taking it to school.

The big news is: my blog will be going public. I will be letting all my family  and friends know about it. I have let fear consume me and have not yet done so. I have plans for April. I want my blog to touch someone. Even if it I touch one person. Fear has been holding me back, but my story matters- all of ours do! Yes, your story matters too! I promise, you can inspire someone! Many of you have inspired me. 

At first when I thought about making my blog public I didn't want to because I was afraid I would change the way I wrote, or my posts wouldn't be as real because I would be worried about who would see it. 

Today God has told me to be me. Serve MY purpose. I cannot tell you that I don't have fears, I DO! 

I am giving myself permission to dream big. 

This is a struggle. It's not as easy as posting my pictures on my blog and sending our a max email to let everyone know about my blog. Actually, as I have been pondering about my blog and where to go with it Satan has hit me, hard! He has filled me with doubt, fear and many inequities. 

We all have fear. Sometimes fear can be a good thing, sometimes it can be a bad thing. Fear in this case is stopping me. It is holding me back. I am kicking fear in the face. I am kicking my "demon in the face".  I am telling Satan NO! I am leaning more on God. I know God will provide a way. 

I also fear what others with "think" or say. But guess what, I am keeping my horse blinders on. 

I am avoiding anything that keeps me away from my goal. I am facing my goals. I  am putting on and keeping my blinders on. 

If I don't overcome my fear I will not become. There is risk, there always is. But I am taking this journey and am so grateful for it. 

Thank you all for being apart and strengthening my journey. 

Much love, 

Rachel

As I Approached He Smiled....

“I know, as I know that I live, that this is God’s work and that you are His servants. … I remember one testimony, among the many testimonies which I have received. … Two years ago, about this time, I had been on the Fort Peck Reservation for several days with the brethren, solving the problems connected with our work among the Lamanites. Many questions arose that we had to settle. There was no precedent for us to follow, and we just had to go to the Lord and tell Him our troubles, and get inspiration and help from Him. On this occasion I had sought the Lord, under such circumstances, and that night I received a wonderful manifestation and impression which has never left me. I was carried to this place—into this room. I saw myself here with you. I was told there was another privilege that was to be mine; and I was led into a room where I was informed I was to meet someone. As I entered the room I saw, seated on a raised platform, the most glorious being I have ever conceived of, and was taken forward to be introduced to Him. As I approached He smiled, called my name, and stretched out His hands towards me. If I live to be a million years old I shall never forget that smile. He put His arms around me and kissed me, as He took me into His bosom, and He blessed me until my whole being was thrilled. As He finished I fell at His feet, and there saw the marks of the nails; and as I kissed them, with deep joy swelling through my whole being, I felt that I was in heaven indeed. The feeling that came to my heart then was: Oh! If I could live worthy, though it would require four-score years, so that in the end when I have finished I could go into His presence and receive the feeling that I then had in His presence, I would give everything that I am or ever hope to be!” (Melvin J. Ballard—Crusader for Righteousness, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966, p. 65–66.)

I am so grateful that no matter all the hard things I have been through that I know without a doubt that I will see Him. I will know His face and His voice. I will do anything to get back to Him no matter how hard things can be, I know without a single doubt that it is worth every hardship to get back to the Lord. I rejoiced to come down here and yes, it gets hard and ugly, but the end goal- WOW! The end goal is seriously unbelieving amazing!

Thank you Lord! I am so excited to be in your presence again, help me to get there. I miss you!

Much Love,

Rachel

Kiss Your Scripture's

The video above really touched me. I take my scriptures for granted. So many people went though so much, and now I have them on my phone and a few sets of scriptures at home. They are so easily accessible. I have no excuses to not be reading them and rejoicing over them. “Kissing them” like they were doing in the video. 

Elder Scott said,”Scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope and a restoration of confidence in one’s ability to overcome the challenges of life”. (Oct. 2011 Conference)

 Read them! I mean really read them. Read them with a purpose.

1. Pray

2. Take Notes

3. Go S L O W

4. Ask questions

5. Reflect -“Take a thought from what you have read in your morning studies and meditate upon it frequently during your daily activities. This practice will help you keep your mind in tune with truth”. (Step 11, action step) 

You will grow in your ability to resist temptation as you study the scriptures and pray. Addiction Recovery Guide pg.65, Step 11.

So thankful that I have the scriptures. Even though I don't always understand what is going on in them the Lord helps me. He knows how to teach me an a way that I understand. Scriptures have strengthen me. Because of that I am able to resist temptation.  I can testify that if you read the scriptures for the next week your life will change. It was hard for me at first to make reading an everyday habit. But now I rejoice over them. The Lord is so good to provide such a wonderful book for all of us.

Go and read :D

Much Love,

Rachel 

Single Most Important Skill

This week I had an amazing opportunity. I went to my stakes conference. Brother Ron Bartholomew was the key speaker. He is an amazing institute speaker at UVU and BYU. The topic he focused on was Personal revelation, Step 10. 

It was so beautifully perfect I had to share:

He quotes Sister Beck: “The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.” ( May 2010 “And Upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit”)

How we can prepare our minds and hearts to hear the spirit? 

We need the following 3 things:

Natural Darkness: absences of video. absences of phone. 

Natural Silence: absences of audio distraction, any sound at all!

Personal Solitude: absences of personal thoughts. 

He then explain why having all of this absent from our live is important. 

3 Nephi 11. It starts out explaining that a group were gathered in a temple and “they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one with another the great and marvelous change which had taken place…conversing about Jesus Christ”. They were engaged in something wonderful! They were not doing anything that would clearly offended the spirit. 

The scriptures go on to explain that as they were talking they heard a voice “from heaven, they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard…it being a small voice….they heard the voice again, and they understood it not. And again for the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and is said unto them: Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased in whom I have glorified my name- hear ye Him”. Then Christ Himself descend from heaven (3 Ne 11:1-11)

Brother Bartholomew explained that they could not hear and understand the voice until they stopped talking and stopped looking. 

His talk touched my heart so much, I will definitely be sharing more of it sometime. I am so grateful that he had the spirit with him while he spoke. I took away so much from his talk. What a blessed man he is. 

I hope that we can all adhere to President Monson’s when he said, "The boy prophet Joseph Smith sought heavenly help by entering a grove which then became sacred.  Do we need similar strength?  Does each need to seek his or her own "Sacred Grove”?  A place where communication between God and man can go forth unimpeded, uninterrupted, and undisturbed is such a grove." (Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Choose You This Day, Ensign, November 2004) 

My personal "grove" is waking up before any else is.  Being completely alone, silent: no music, no TV, no phone, absolute silence. I am so thankful for that time I have. I don’t use it ever day. I hope that I can, because what a beautiful gift it truly is. 

Much Love, 

Rachel 

Inspiring Podcast(s)

What uplifting podcasts do you listen to?

Podcasts are AMAZING! I listen to them every day and they are free. I usually listen to: 

- Take control of your money. By: Dave Ramsey (Financial  counselor)

- Inspiration with Val; “get inspired, unstuck and happy” (just  starting listening to her. She has guest speakers come on that  are inspiring for sure! 

- Life Habits by: Karel Vredenburg. Super inspiring. 

- Believe in yourself/Confidence on the Go by: Trish Blackwell

The last one that I mentioned has been a favorite since Day 1! Trish is a recovery from an eating disorder. She is now such an inspiration for others and I really admire her for that. She now spends her time as a personal trainer, author and coach. 

Every episode Trish has a "listener of the episode". On Feb 12th I was the listener (she shared part of an email I sent her). The last 3 minutes she talked about it and thanked me for sharing my story and for changing. I was jumping up and down. I rewinded it probably 5 times. NO JOKE! I was so happy that she would share a tiny bit about me. It helped me see my progress. 

I am so grateful that the Lord is changing who I am in His own time and in His. As I rely on Him with all my might, mind and strength. I love Him. I am so grateful that everyday I get a chance to make a difference and to learn more about who I really am through the Lord. 

I hope that I can add more good to my day. There are so many good movies, book, songs and podcasts that can change your day. Get rid of ANYTHING that puts you down, triggers you or doesn’t invite the spirit. 

What podcast or books have your guys read/heard that you inspire you? I would love to know. Post them below. 

Have a wonderful day. And know that things will get better. 

Much love,

Rachel 

I will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able.

2013 was a roller coster. Last January I started to feel ill. Little by little it got worse and worse. I was in and out of emergency rooms. Every test in the book was being ran and I was sent from specialist to specialist. Unfortunately, all the tests and blood work came back normal.  Leaving me with no answers!

As a recovery addict being sick is a HUGE TRIGGER. Today as I was watching New Testament videos I watched the one about the women with “the issue of blood”. Tears filled my eyes.

I was so frustrated this week trying to do every single thing that I could do to get rid of headaches. They have been coming on for the past week constantly. I let Satan step in because of my frustration. He tricked me into thinking that God was not helping me anymore. Telling me it had been a year and what has come of it, well as I tried to reach for God's help, He showed me what has come of it:

The Lord guided me to this video. I was reminded that God has power to do all. We must have faith. In Mark 5 it says,” Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague”. How beautiful! 

In last April Conference Elder Erying gave a talk called "In the strength of the Lord":

“The combination of trials and their duration are as varied as are the children of our Heavenly Father. No two are alike. But what is being tested is the same, at all times in our lives and for every person: will we do whatsoever the Lord our God will command us?

Knowing why we are tested and what the test is tells us how to get help. We have to go to God. He gives us the commandments. And we will need more that our own strength to keep them. 

..The restoed gospel makes plain the simple things we need to do. And it gives us confidence that the help we need will come.”

I can bear my testimony that God knows me better than I know myself. He has given me challenges, as well as all of us, because He knows you can handle it. We can do it with Him, we must have faith. Deep in my addiction this scripture used to make me so upset: 

 1 Corinthians 10:13: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

I used to think that God was mad at me and gave me this addiction and struggles. I could not understand it. I am so grateful to be reminded today that I choose to come down to earth and go through EVERY single trial because I loved my Father in heaven so much that I would do whatever it took to return to him. 

Today was a hard day, but I will do anything to get back with Him. I know it will be worth it. Day by day, moment to moment always, always rely on Him. A great reminder for today and every day. 

Thank you Lord.

Much Love, 

Rachel 

“The test of a loving God has set before us is not to see if we can endure difficulty. It is to see if we can endure it well. We pass the test by showing that we remembered Him and the commandments He gave us.”