"Come Forth!" and "Live!" (Lamb of God 2015)

This is the third year that I have had the privilege to be a part of the Lamb of God, a sacred musical production about the final days of the life of Jesus Christ, told through the eyes of those who knew him best. It's hard to find the words to describe what a great blessing this has been in my life. As a result, my understanding and testimony of Jesus Christ and His Atonement has increased.

There is great power in music and when you use music to relate and teach about Jesus Christ, that power multiplies and intensifies. It has been such a privilege to testify of Jesus Christ through music.

As I have participated this year, the story of Lazarus has greatly touched me and has become a favorite of mine.

The scriptures tell us that Jesus loved Martha,...her sister (Mary) and (their brother) Lazarus. (John 11:5)

Word was sent to Jesus that Lazarus was very ill, but Jesus did not come immediately; He stayed away two more days, stating that “this sickness is for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” (John 11:4)

After waiting 2 days, Jesus did come. And hearing that Jesus was coming, Martha was the first to go and meet him, saying: “Jesus, Lord if thou hadst been here, my brother hadst not died.” (John 11:21)

Martha and Mary were greatly mourning and weeping for the loss of their brother, As Jesus saw this, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And the scriptures say that “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35).

He cried with them, he mourned with them, he had perfect Compassion for them.

Even though Jesus Christ knew that He would raise Lazarus from death, His tears on this occasion show His compassion for all those who suffer and mourn.

Apostle James E. Talmage wrote: “The sight of the two women overcome by grief...caused Jesus to sorrow with them so that He groaned in spirit and was deeply troubled. This experience testifies of the compassion, empathy, and love that our Savior...feels for each of us every time we are weighed down by the anguish, sin, adversity, and pains of life.”

Sister Linda S. Reeves said: “Jesus Christ knows us, loves us, knows when we are in any sort of pain or suffering of any kind. He doesn't say 'It's OK that you're in pain right now because soon everything is going to be alright. You will be healed, or your husband will find a job, or your wandering child will come back.'”

Rather, Christ feels the depth of our suffering...his bowels are filled with mercy for us...this is part of His Infinite Atonement.

Sister Reeves continues to say: “Whatever sin or weakness or pain or struggle or trial you are going through, He knows and understands those very moments. He loves you! And He will carry you through those moments, just as He did Mary and Martha. He has paid the price that He might know how to succor you. Cast your burdens upon Him.”

Alma testified of Christ, saying:

“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him...their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, ...that he may know...how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” Alma 7:11-12

...that his bowels may be filled with mercy...

This perfect compassion...is part of the Atonement.

This perfect Compassion that Christ has for each of us because of His Infinite Atonement has been very strongly impressed upon my mind.

To continue in the story of Lazarus,

Mary and Martha both showed great faith in expressing “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother hadst not died.”

And Martha is told by Christ that her brother will rise again.

Martha responds again with faith as she says “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” John 11:25-26

Martha again expresses faith as she saith unto him, “Yea Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”

But when they get to the grave and Jesus asks Martha to take away the stone, “she saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead for 4 days.”

She has such great faith in Christ and knows that if he had been there, that Lazaras would not have died. But she and the others with her don't fully understand what's about to happen.

The scriptures say “for as yet they did not understand the power of God” (John 11:16 JST)

But Jesus responds to Martha: “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldst believe, though shouldst see the glory of God?”

And then more faith was shown as they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid.

Christ then says “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me”, followed by the miraculous words:

“Lazarus, come forth.”

“And he that was dead came forth...”

Bruce R. McConkie explained that the raising of Lazarus was different from other miracles and had important purposes. He said:

“With our friend Lazarus it was different...1. As our Lord neared the climax of his mortal ministry, he was again bearing testimony, in a way that could not be refuted, of his Messiahship, of his divine Sonship, of the fact that he was in very deed the literal Son of God; and 2. He was setting the stage, so as to dramatize for all time, one of his greatest teachings:

That he is the resurrection and the life, that immortality and eternal life came by him, and that those who believed and obeyed his words should never die spiritually.”

Christ said: 

I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

The atonement of Jesus Christ gives us life, life eternal, physically and spiritually.

He's asking each of us to believe in Him and live! In so many ways He's asking us to come forth and live...

we may be dead spiritually, lost in sorrow, tempted, caught in sin, struggling, hurting, suffering in countless, endless ways...physically and spiritually...But in Christ we may live..

He's calling to us to “come forth” and “live”, just as he did to Lazarus.

Because of His infinite Atonement, he can deliver us from EVERYTHING!

He is our Hope and our Deliverer.

He can deliver us from death (just as he did with Lazarus), And He can also deliver us from sin, sorrow, struggles, fears, trials, temptation, doubts, from absolutely anything and everything.

Jesus Christ and His Infinite Atonement is the answer to everything.

His Atonement is all-encompassing.

He is the resurrection and the life.

As I played the Lazarus song in this sacred musical production this year, I could feel my Savior calling to me,
“Mindy, come forth.”

Jesus Christ has the power to help us “come forth” from anything.

Through the power of Christ's Atonement, we can overcome all.

And as we are imperfect mortals on this earth, we have much to overcome. We are not expected to be perfect right now, but God wants us to to have faith in and believe in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, that we may overcome all things.

In this year's production, I was also particularly touched by Thomas.

While Thomas has traditionally been referred to as “doubting Thomas”, other scriptures affirm his love for the Savior and devotion to Him.

When the Savior decided to return to Judea despite the dangers there, Thomas said that he would go with Jesus even if it meant dying with him. (John 11:16)

This response shows that Thomas was not an inherent doubter or coward. Rather he was a man of faith and courage.

When Christ was resurrected, he came to the apostles and stood in the midst of them. But Thomas was not with them when Jesus came.

As I have pondered this, I have felt sympathy for Thomas, realizing that Christ came when all of the apostles were there, except for him. I personally feel that Thomas must have felt very sad about this, possibly feeling left out that Christ had come when he was not there. Personally, I feel like this was a struggle for Thomas and he was probably troubled by this, and in this, his struggle, he said,

“Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

8 days later, Jesus comes again, and this time, Thomas is with them.

Jesus Christ, with his perfect compassion, brings peace to Thomas in his struggle, and He says: “Peace be unto you.”

And then He offers Thomas exactly what he asked for as he tells him to “reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side:

Christ then teaches all of us as he says...be not faithless, but believing.”

How often do we all need the Savior's compassion and this reminder to 

“be not faithless, but believing.”

Even Peter needed this reminder to have faith.

When the apostles were at sea, and saw someone walking on the sea...

Jesus spake unto them, saying, be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid.

And peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

And Peter came out of the ship, and he walked on the water, to go to Jesus

But when he saw the winds boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink...

Peter became afraid when he saw the winds. Just like we might often become afraid as we face winds, adversities, and struggles and we begin to doubt in our struggle.

But, Peter, cried to the Lord, save me

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

(Matt. 14:25-31)

In the midst of struggle, trials, it's easy to doubt, worry and fear. But the Savior is always there, ready and waiting with His hand stretched out to us. We simply need to cry unto him for help, like Peter did. And remember what the Savior said:

I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

And be not faithless, but believing.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is always there, calling for us to “come forth”! and live!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

(Romans 8:35, 37)

Jesus Christ is our Hope and our Deliverer...through faith in Him we can conquer all.

But Faith in God also includes faith in his timing. Sometimes we want things to be a certain way, but it's not the right time or not the Lord's will.

Elder Maxwell said: “Faith means trust---trust in God's will, trust in His way of doing things, and trust in his timetable. We should not try to impose our timetable on His. Indeed, we cannot have true faith in the Lord without also having complete trust in the Lord's will and in the Lord's timing.”

Using a music analogy, Jesus Christ is the director and has the musical score of life. He can see when we need to wait, and when we need to come in and play our part...he can see the whole picture from beginning to end.

A friend of mine who has many rests where she doesn't play was impressed with the idea that sometimes it's her part to wait.

And so it is with life. At times we must wait for the Lord's timing and the Lord's will.

Sometimes it is a trial to have faith, and as we all have the natural man to overcome, our faith fluctuates back and forth...we have times of struggle and doubt and times of great faith.

But I am reminded of the story in the Bible where the Father brings his child to the Savior to be healed and

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears,

Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9:21-25)

We're not perfect, we have doubts, struggles, we make mistakes...we need Christ to help us overcome all things....even to help us overcome our unbelief.

We can give the Lord all the faith we have and ask Him for help in completing our faith. He is the author and the finisher of our faith.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus Christ drank the bitter cup and suffered in Gethsemane so that we would have a way to overcome all and return to live with Heavenly Father again.

In Gethsemane, Christ knelt down and prayed, Saying Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.

In the Aramic language, he cries out Abba, which means Daddy. He cried out for help from his Daddy. He called out to His Abba, and to your Abba, a cry of desperation because the pain was so much to bear; in His own words He describes pain...

“how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not...which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup and shrink...”
(D&C 19:15-19)

Jesus Christ willingly chose to suffer this for each one of us. At any moment, He could have stopped it.

He went from the incomprehensible pain of Gethsemane to being Betrayed by one of his friends, Judas.

And Peter, wanting to defend Jesus, took his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest. But Jesus told him not to fight and he healed the ear of the high priest.

Again, we see, Christ's perfect COMPASSION.

He had just experienced Gethsemane and then betrayal, yet he heals the ear of the high priest who has come to take him.

Then Christ stands trial...

And then is to be crucified.

From the sixth to the ninth hour there was darkness over all the earth. Jesus cried with a loud voice. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Elder Holland said of this, “For the supreme sacrifice of His Son to be as complete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind...all of us...would feel when we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone.”

Thus completing the Infinite Atonement which provides Christ's perfect Compassion and perfect Love for each of us.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Romans 8:35, 37

Jesus Christ is our Hope and our Deliverer...through faith in Him we can conquer all.

For he has said:

I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

I know that Jesus Christ loves each of us with a perfect love and wants all of us to “come forth” and live!

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. Of these things I testify.

(By Mindy Taylor, March 22, 2015)

Happiness is a Choice??

"Happiness is a Choice"...this sign is displayed in my house and is something I've always believed...Until now...
Happiness is a Choice...except for when it isn't.  
What if Happiness no longer feels like a choice?
That is what I have been experiencing these past few weeks. My feeling happy has been non-existent.
The idea that happiness truly doesn't feel like a choice is just as much a reality as it was that I had an appendicitis. I didn't choose to have an appendicitis, nor would I ever choose that...it's an awful, painful feeling. Neither would I choose the way I've been feeling: sad (so many tears), worthless, hopeless, failure, no desire to see anyone or go anywhere, no desire to do the things I normally would love to do, etc. For the most part, I have stayed home, literally unable to get up and face anything.  I'm grateful for those that have come and got me or given me a reason to get up and get out...I have done so on occasion, but with such great effort and afterwards I come home feeling so exhausted and drained, physically and emotionally.
Going to church has been the most difficult...And to be honest, the one thing that has helped get me to church is my testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ and my great desire to go and partake of the sacrament and remember Him and His great atoning sacrifice.  But I never thought going to church would be hard for me. I never could have imagined that it would be so hard for me to get dressed for church and walk through those doors, with the awful feeling of not wanting to see anyone burning deep inside.
And I am just now realizing the reality of what I'm dealing with: hormonal depression, as a result of surgical menopause.
Surgical menopause heightens the risk of developing depression because of the drastic, rather than gradual, drop in estrogen.
Depression. It's not a choice. It's a disease.
Elder Holland speaks of "“major depressive disorder”—or, more commonly, “depression.” He said, "When I speak of this, I am not speaking of bad hair days, tax deadlines, or other discouraging moments we all have. Everyone is going to be anxious or downhearted on occasion. The Book of Mormon says Ammon and his brethren were depressed at a very difficult time, and so can the rest of us be. But today I am speaking of something more serious, of an affliction so severe that it significantly restricts a person’s ability to function fully, a crater in the mind so deep that no one can responsibly suggest it would surely go away if those victims would just square their shoulders and think more positively—though I am a vigorous advocate of square shoulders and positive thinking!"

Just as my appendicitis wouldn't go away by simply thinking more positively, neither will this depression I'm suffering from go away without necessary help. 
Yet these past weeks, I've been thinking, what's wrong with? Just get up, just face this! And then I saw those words: "Happiness is a choice" and it hit me that happiness truly hasn't felt like a choice. I feel like life is moving forward without me and I am stuck, stuck where I can't get out without help. And besides not feeling like a choice, happiness simply feels out of my reach.

I went into the hospital with one type of infection (appendicitis), and left the hospital with another infection, depression.

"So how do you best respond when mental or emotional challenges confront you or those you love? Above all, never lose faith in your Father in Heaven, who loves you more than you can comprehend. As President Monson said to the Relief Society sisters so movingly last Saturday evening: “That love never changes. … It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve [it]. It is simply always there.”  Never, ever doubt that, and never harden your heart. Faithfully pursue the time-tested devotional practices that bring the Spirit of the Lord into your life. Seek the counsel of those who hold keys for your spiritual well-being. Ask for and cherish priesthood blessings. Take the sacrament every week, and hold fast to the perfecting promises of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Believe in miracles. I have seen so many of them come when every other indication would say that hope was lost. Hope is never lost. If those miracles do not come soon or fully or seemingly at all, remember the Savior’s own anguished example: if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in happier days ahead.
If things continue to be debilitating, seek the advice of reputable people with certified training, professional skills, and good values. Be honest with them about your history and your struggles. Prayerfully and responsibly consider the counsel they give and the solutions they prescribe. If you had appendicitis, God would expect you to seek a priesthood blessing and get the best medical care available. So too with emotional disorders. Our Father in Heaven expects us to use all of the marvelous gifts He has provided in this glorious dispensation." (Elder Holland)

Why is it that there was no question for me to get medical help for my appendicitis. But when these feelings of depression came, I felt there was something wrong with me as an individual? 
Maybe those feelings come with the depression and are part of the nature of the disease, which may explain why it's so hard for people to get the appropriate help when it comes to depression. I feel this is one reason why the command to pray always is so helpful. And the idea that when you least feel like praying is when you should pray the most. I'm here to tell you that I haven't felt like praying and at times it's just been a prayer in my heart as I lay in bed. And they certainly haven't been long, but have merely consisted of the words: "Father in Heaven, please help me. I don't know what I need, but please help me." I feel I got an answer to prayer when I saw those words this morning "Happiness is a choice" and realized the reality of what I'm facing...and as I have pondered those words, I have been guided and helped to get on the path to receiving the help I need.
I have been and am holding fast to the hope of Jesus Christ and the gospel truths and the spiritual practices that bring the spirit. I am so grateful for my testimony of Jesus Christ and these spiritual practices. It is that testimony that is helping me push through this...although even that is hard and so much harder amidst such depression.

Although right now happiness doesn't feel like a choice, my Savior and Friend, Jesus Christ, wants me to be happy. And I will place HOPE in the fact that He wants me to be happy and that He understands and will help me and guide me until I find that place where happiness does feel like a choice and is within my reach. As I pray and seek His help, I believe He will help me get the help I need, medically and otherwise. Because of Him, we can overcome ALL things...I believe that with all my heart. I know that He  can and will help me overcome this because of the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. 

Blessings Unknown

Blessings Unknown

I have to believe everything happens for a reason.

For God is All-knowing of things in their time and season.

I do round after round of what if, instead, I had done this,

Worrying time after time of opportunities missed.

But He knows all of me—every single part.

My weakness, strength, even all my heart.

And He takes all of it and works it for my good,

And He sees that all things happen as they should.

He knew which mistakes I'd make...

He knows what I'll choose and what it will take

To teach me, shape me, refine me to be

That daughter of God whose potential He sees.

Every pain, each trial, experience, and story is given

To help me rise up, repent, and start living

The life and path He desires me to take;

All that happens is for my good, for my sake.

And I have to exercise faith and hope in what comes

Believing all that happens is part of many blessings unknown.

By Melinda Taylor

November 2014

Homecoming Dance and Peaches!!

Karissa and Kelsi both had fun at Homecoming Dance Saturday night! Kelsi found her dress at DI for only $15 and a cardigan to go with it for only $10! And Karissa loved wearing Ali's dress!

Karissa gave an excellent talk in Stake conference Saturday night as well, in between the day date and the dance, she got home 1 minute before her date picked her up for the dance!! 

Karissa spoke on Family History and Temples...she is called as our ward's Family History consultant.

LOVED stake conference and Regional conference and looking forward to Women's conference and General conference coming soon!

Bryan and I bottled 81 bottles of peaches!! Bryan bottled most of them!!..he's the best! And Jacob helped some :) ...(Now to re-organize the storage room)...

Sam said it's like we have a peach farm!

One of the dad's in Karissa's homecoming group is a professional photographer so he took these great pictures for them:

Here's Kelsi with her date:

Kelsi

 Karissa

 Karissa and Kelsi

 Karissa with her date when he picked her up:

We bottled 81 bottles of peaches this year!!!

Sisters Weekend 2014!!! Texas Style!!!

We had sisters weekend in Texas this year!!! It was so much fun!! Shopping, River walk in San Antonio, George Bush Library and lots of fun Sister time!! :)

Mindy, Kristi, Julie, Annette

 The Alamo: Julie, Kristi, Mindy, Lisa, Mom, Annette

 River Walk: Kristi, Mindy

 Shopping at Sam Moon (best store ever!): Annette, Mindy

 Julie, Mindy, Annette, Lisa, Mom, Kristi

 Texas A&M: Kristi, Lisa, Annette, Mindy, Mom, Julie

 Airplane ride: Mindy, mom, Lisa, Kristi, Julie

Fun family night with cousins!

 Jeff and Sam

 Jeff, Lisa, Mindy

 Sam, Josh, Isaac (Utz), Grandma Blake

Bryan, Jacob, Grandpa Blake, Karissa, Alyssa

"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver"

The following story is a great example of how the Lord teaches and molds us through life's trials.

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." (Malachi 3:3) This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study. That week this woman called up a silver smith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silver smith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot--then she thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.

She asked the silver smith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silver smith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy--when I see my image in it"
Author unknown