Dear
Sisters,
“Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says,
I’ll try again tomorrow”.
What
beautiful words of encouragement from our dear Prophet. Don’t we all have days like this,
I
know I do. In his message Living
the Abundant Life he encourages all of us to live a life filled
with
an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings and he offers his own ABC’s to help.
Have
a Positive Attitude.
A
refers to Attitude. William James, a pioneering American psychologist, wrote, “The greatest
revolution
of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner
attitudes
of
their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.
Charles
Swindoll author, educator, and christian pastor said “Attitude to me, is more important
than
the past, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than
what other
people
think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill
it will make
or
break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice
every day
regarding
the attitude we will embrace for that day.”
Believe
in Yourself.
B is
for believe in yourself, in those around you, and in eternal principles.
Be
honest with yourself, with others, and with your Heavenly Father. One who was
not honest
with
God until it was too late was Cardinal Wolsey who, according to Shakespeare,
spent a long
life
in service to three sovereigns and enjoyed wealth and power. Finally, he was
shorn of his
power
and possessions by an impatient king. Cardinal Wolsey cried: Had I but served
my God
with
half the zeal I served my King, He would not in mine age have left me naked to
mine
enemies.
Don’t limit yourself and don’t
let others convince you that you are limited in what you can do.
Believe
in yourself and then live so as to reach your possibilities. Trust and believe
and have
faith.
Face
Challenges with Courage.
C is
for courage. Courage becomes a worthwhile and meaningful virtue when it is
regarded not
so
much as a willingness to die manfully but as a determination to live decently.
Said
the American essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Whatever you do, you need
courage.
Whatever course you decide on, there is always someone to tell you that you are
wrong.
There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe that your
critics are right.
To
map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same
courage that a
soldier
needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.”
There
will be times when you will be frightened and discouraged. You may feel that
you are
defeated.
The odds of obtaining victory may appear overwhelming. At times you may feel
like
David
trying to fight Goliath. But remember-David did win!
Courage
is required to make an initial thrust toward one’s
coveted goal, but even greater
courage
is called for when one stumbles and must make a second effort to achieve. Have the determination to make the effort,
the single mindedness to work toward a worthy goal,
and
the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitably come but also to
make a second
effort,
should such be required. “Sometimes courage is the
quiet voice at the end of the day
saying,
“I will try again tomorrow.”
Sisters
I love this message from President Monson and I am looking forward to hearing
more
from
him and our other wonderful leaders during General Conference. Sharon Eubank
the First
Counselor
of the Relief Society General Presidency, speaks of courage by encouraging us
to
“use your voice and your power to articulate what you know and feel on
social media, in quiet
conversations
with your friends, when you’re chatting with your
grandchildren. Tell them why
you
believe, and what it feels like, if you ever doubted, how you got through it,
what Jesus Christ
means
to you.”
God
knows us. He knows what makes us laugh, what makes us cry, things that excite
or make
us
anxious, He knows and wants us to share these moments with him. He wants us to
find
peace
and joy through getting to know Him and His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. May
we all
have
the courage to reach out to those who need to hear “I know God lives”.
Patty
Mark
2nd
Counselor
Kanesville Stake Relief Society
