Trials have been the theme of this Christmas holiday and my gratitude for them. What I have realized this month is that trials add oil to our lamps by doing a number of powerful thinks for us. Yes, it test and tries us and God has said " I will have a tried people" and so I am grateful to be number as his people but what I want to write about today is the blessing in trial on a specific level in the oil production. Trials engage the law of sacrifice and all the blessing that are pertaining to that law and covenant. We are a covenant keeping people! I am a covenant keeping women. How do I know that unless I see how they work in my life. literally? I have had many health problem in my life. I born with many health issues that have been my sacred teacher and refiner in this mortal life. I love my mortal body more than I can express in words. It has served me in ways that no other human being or experience on this side of the veil could have. I am so grateful for it and I just pray that I can communicate that to my flesh by the way that I hold it sacred as we travel this journey in mortality together. This body of mine is the very flesh that will become like my Mother in Heavens and I gave all I had..all my eons of memories of who I really am and my relationships with each of you to get it. I have walked through many trials because of this gift and today I see yet another level to that I want to share with my brothers and sisters this morning. To start this discussion I would ask you to go to a blog of a friend John Pontius an LDS Author who passed away this month from brain cancer. His friends and co-authors are still posting on this site and the Dec 2012 post from Spencer on trials is what I would as each of you to read before we move on to my insights on the subject. The reason why I am not just adding his comments to my blog is because there is 3 part to the message and part 3 has yet to be added. The blog address is www.unblogmysoul.com

Oil is Earned

There is much debate in the Christian world about salvation and the mechanics of the atonement in it. That statement sounds so void of grace it is hard to type. Mechanics of something as far reaching as the atonement can even seem silly to discuss when I know I comprehend so little of it. My mind is a Child in its understand of such a subject yet I dare to bring this debate up to make one statement about what I know and can't deny. Salvation is not in and of itself earned. There is nothing that you or I can do to save ourselves. Christ, the bridegroom, given to us by our Heavenly Father is the only way. It is the oil that we earn. The oil to enter the wedding chamber when the Bridegroom arrives. Oil, what is the oil then and how do we earn such an entrance fee? Trial that are more precious then gold 1 Peter 1:7 is the answer for me. Trials are not the oil itself. It is in the trial of our faith that the oil is expressed from. A living breathing olive press called mortality. I think it is interesting that the word "trial" switching the the order of i and a it spells "trail". Many of you may feel as I do that my trail is a daily trial of my faith. This is good though. The pressure may be intense at times. We are being refined by it and this is when we are earning through enduring the olive press. Gracefully enduring has been my lesson in recent years. Full of Grace= Gracefully! This is where the drops of oil form. Sometimes they may feel or even be drops of blood but our blood would have never been enough, so as we combine our blood with the Saviors through his grace. our sweat and tears turn to oil one drop at a time. oil that can never burn out for eternity. What a glorious gift life's challenges are. A sacred gift in and of themselves to learn how to apply the atonement in times when there has been no sin committed by us alone. This is salvation in every day and every moment. For today IS already a day in our eternity. Rejoice in your affliction this day and help others do the same...gracefully!

I am a Molley Mormon and unashamed!

Today is no different than any other except for one thing...I am finally writing. Why do I say finally? Because in the past, I have felt inspired to write, but just seemed to let life get in the way. One morning I woke up and started to say my morning prayers and I felt impressed to ask my husband for a priesthood blessing. I couldn't think of why I might need one or how I would ask my dear husband for a blessing for no reason. Usually I have a question, I'm sick or I have a deep desire for comfort. This morning I was on top of the world, so it didn't make any sense. A strong remembrance came into my mind. You are not asking Chris for a blessing you are accepting a blessing I, your Father in Heaven, want to give you through my Priesthood. The mental debate ended and I shared with my husband exactly what I heard and felt. The reason I share this with you is not just because of the unconventional way I was given this blessing from my Father in Heaven but how it is the very reason I have started this blog. In that blessing I was told directly that Father wanted me to write what he has taught me and the inspiration I have been so blessed with through the Holy Ghost. He mentioned books, journals, but the strongest witness came to me when I was asked to write a blog for the benefit of his children. That is the purpose for this blog. Obedience! I am writing it for you just because he told me to. I don't know which of his children this will benefit but he said in my blessing that he would guide them to it. So...what that means is that you could not possibly be reading this unless he led you here one way or another. What I know about you is that you are my family in God. You are my brother or sister so I will write this with that in mind and I hope you read it the same way. I named this blog Molly Mormon because I want to get a little more Molly in me. Growing up a Molly Mormon implied that you never did anything bad or wrong. It also might have been looked as being a prude or being inexperienced in the world. Well, I am far from perfect. I have experienced more of the world than I have cared to and I can relate to all you sinners out there who have been in great need of the atonement. DAILY! In my adult years I have decided I could use a little more Molly Mormon in me. I now see it as a desirable characteristic, to get a little more Molly in me and through my relationship with my savior Jesus Christ I'm feeling more Molly everyday. In fact as I pray for insight on who I really am I have a feeling I am more like Molly than I ever would have admitted. This Blog is my announcement to the world. I am a Molly Mormon and I am unashamed! That is what I feel the Lord meant when he said he wanted me to write. He wants me to share with you how I am finding my Molly, the peculiar person I have been asked by my Heavenly parents to find in me. I know she is there...the real me...the daughter that Father sees when he looks at me. "We live in a strange world daughter" I hear him say, "but your Mother in heaven and I will be by your side and give you all you need to complete what you came to earth to do if you will listen to the promptings that I will give you." He has kept that promise and he wants me to share all he has given me, with you. No, Im not talking about sharing my bank account though I give him all the credit for that too. I'm talking about my oil. The oil in my lamp that has come through living in this strange world and all the trials that come with a fallen Telestial planet in the 11th hour of wickedness. We all chose to come at this time for a reason and we are all in need of oil for our lamps. I am pretty sure Molly was a virgin in need of oil too so here we go!