You know that power-packed scripture in Proverbs 3:5-6? “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.” 

It’s one of the most profound Bible passages that talk about God’s timing. Believing in Him means believing in His schedule for your life. When you look at the incredible stories in the scriptures and hear the testimonies of people who leaned into God’s timing, you see the blessings – they’re undeniable.

But if we let ourselves be honest, there will be days when we feel that the Lord’s timing is taking too long. 

Blessings seem to come slow. 

We have been waiting for a long time. 

It constantly feels like walking in life without winning anything while everyone else around is getting blessed. 

What do you do when you’re down to your last nerve, feeling totally drained, and maybe even questioning if God’s even listening while you’re waiting for His promises to show up?

What God’s Timing Really Means

When God’s time doesn’t coincide with yours, this does not mean God is being slow or forgetting about you. 

Think of it like this: your life is a masterpiece in progress, and God is the ultimate Artist. Remembering that God is in the details of our lives – like a good artist is – every moment, every delay, every unexpected turn becomes part of His divine design. 

When we talk about His timing, it’s not some random delay; it’s a perfect orchestration that goes way beyond what we can see with earthly perspective.

You might be hyper-focused on one little piece of the puzzle, maybe it looks messy or out of place, and you’re thinking, “Seriously, Heavenly Father?” 

But reader, please remember this: our Father in Heaven sees the whole canvas, the breathtaking beauty that’s going to be revealed. His timing isn’t Him saying “no”; it’s Him saying “not yet, because I’ve got something even better in store.” He knows the exact right moment for everything to come together in a way that brings you the deepest joy and helps you grow in ways you can’t even imagine right now.

So, when that clock feels like it’s moving in slow motion, take a moment to think of this: God operates on a whole different level. Trust His wisdom, because His timing is perfect. 

It takes grit and it takes faith that feels stretched thin sometimes. But when blessings come in His time, they’re gonna be richer, deeper, and more meaningful than anything you could have ever planned on your own. 

Here are some things you can remember every time waiting for the Lord feels exhausting. 

#1: Flashback to The Time Trusting The Lord’s Timing Bore Results

Trying to line up your “ASAP” with God’s “when it’s perfect” can be a battle. Here’s how to dig in and trust Him more when you’re feeling the wait:

When doubt starts whispering in your ear, hold on to the times God showed up for you before.

Think about a moment when trusting His timing led to blessings you never saw coming. Replay that in your mind. How did it unfold? How did God prove faithful? Holding onto those past victories will fire up your faith and give you the strength to trust Him right now. It’s like looking at your highlight reel to remember what our God is capable of.

#2: You’re a Child of God – And His Love For You Is Infinite

Never forget who you are in God’s eyes. You’re His beloved child, gifted with unique talents and potential that He’ll unleash in His perfect time. Think about a loving parent nurturing their kid’s abilities when they’re ready to soar, not before. That’s God with you. Knowing your divine identity gives you confidence and the assurance that He’s got your back every step of the way.

#3:Don’t Just Sit and Wait. Choose to Actively Wait.

Waiting on God ain’t about hitting pause on your life. It’s about actively becoming the person He wants you to be during the wait. Use this season to cultivate patience (yeah, it’s tough!), show love, and work hard. Find ways to serve, dive into His Word, and live in a way that honors Him. By actively growing and getting closer to God, you’re positioning yourself to receive those blessings when they’re ready to be poured out.

#4: Be More Aware of the Lord’s Small Blessings

Don’t be too focused on a big win – you might miss the small blessings the Lord has been sending your way.  

Even when the big answer feels delayed, God’s showing His love in the little things every single day. Open your eyes to those small blessings – a moment of peace, a kind word, a feeling of hope. Being grateful for these daily reminders of His presence will fuel your faith and remind you that He’s always working, even when you can’t see the full picture yet.

#5: Be Still and Know Who’s Got This

When anxiety tries to steal your peace, take a deep breath and remember who God is. Look back at the giants of faith – Moses leading a whole nation through the wilderness, David waiting years to take the throne, the Israelites sustained against all odds. These weren’t overnight successes. But God was faithful then, and guess what? He’s the same God today. His plans are rock-solid, and He will, in His perfect timing, deliver on His promises to you.

Child of God: Be True, Be Faithful, God’s Blessings Are On Your Way

When the weight of waiting feels crushing and you’re running on empty, remember you’re not alone in this battle. Reach out in prayer to the One who gives all good things. He knows your heart, your deepest desires, and your struggles. As you keep turning to Him with unwavering faith and trusting in His perfect timing, you’ll find the strength, the peace, and the ultimate fulfillment that only He can provide. Keep the faith, keep moving forward, and know that your breakthrough is coming.

The post God’s Timing: What To Do If It’s Taking Too Long appeared first on morefaith.ph.

Repentance is a powerful balm we can access when we need to turn away from sin and come back to the light. 

Heavenly Father, in His profound love, offers repentance as a path to relief and renewal. Through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, we can acknowledge our mistakes and be freed from their burden. This act of grace allows us to embrace forgiveness and find peace, guiding us back to divine love and happiness.

“But, repentance is hard. I want to feel God’s love again, but how can I do that when I have sinned so much, and I’m terrified I can’t be forgiven anymore?” 

Have you ever felt this way about repentance? 

Even though repentance is a beautiful gift from a loving Heavenly Father, the thought of going through the repentance process can be challenging and overwhelming for some. 

Apart from the commitment and the effort we need to put into asking God for forgiveness, we also have to deal with the fears that come with repentance. 

How do we overcome these fears? And how do we find the strength to continue even if repentance is hard? 

The Road to Repentance is Hard Because It Requires Effort

Repentance is like going back up after slipping downhill during a hike. 

The slip brings you down fast, but the hike back up – where you get to see stunning views and the majestic skies – requires double the effort. 

Just like sliding down the hill, falling into sin is easy. 

Getting back up through repentance takes great courage, strength, humility, tears, and perseverance.  

Because true repentance will cause us a “mighty change of heart,” it will ask us to make mighty efforts. Repentance will change us, but before we experience this change, we must work. 

Repentance is Hard Because Satan Works to Make It Harder

Our Heavenly Father absolutely understands that repentance is not easy, but He also knows that forgiveness for our sins is possible. 

Satan, however, wants to flip the truth. 

Another reason why repentance is hard is because Satan – the great adversary – wants us to believe it is so much more complicated. 

He whispers lies telling us “Why do you need to repent? You’ve sinned so much.” 

“You’re a lost case.” 

“You aren’t even a good person.” 

Satan wants us to doubt the Lord’s capacity to hear us, forgive us, and see us for who we are beyond the mistakes we have committed. 

And he is committed to doing that because he “for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” 

Without repentance, we fall into misery. 

And one of the most potent ways that Satan stops us from really repenting is by instilling fear in our minds. These fears are – in reality – built on lies. 

8 Fears That Makes Repentance Hard

Fear #1: God Won’t Listen to Me Anymore

Finding hope for forgiveness becomes difficult when we feel that Heavenly Father has turned His back on us because of our mistakes. 

Unintentionally, we begin to see Him as this boss we need to please rather than a loving Father in Heaven who has been waiting for us to come back to Him. 

Just like the Father in the Story of the Prodigal Son, Heavenly Father is eagerly waiting, and looking forward to our return! All we need to do is take the first step. 

Fear #2: God Sees My Sin, So I Don’t Think He’ll Find Hope in Me

When discussing second chances, it’s best to remember the story of Saul, who later became Paul. As a stalwart persecutor of Christ’s believers, Saul had done seemingly unforgivable things. 

But the Lord sees differently. When talking to Ananias in a vision, He reminded the man that Saul – despite His mistakes – was still a chosen vessel to Him. 

He saw beyond Saul’s mistakes. He can see beyond ours. 

Fear #3: Repentance is Hard Because God Has Ran Out of Patience for Me

God’s forgiveness is infinite. But He does expect us to forsake our sins. Some of us can do it immediately, while others might take a while to reach their goal. 

The blessing of repentance is that it’s available for those who choose to repent, even through small, simple steps. 

God knows that in our journey toward becoming better, there will still be moments when we will fall short. The principle of repentance is a constant reminder that no failure ever needs to be final because the chance to start again is always there. 

Fear #4: I’ve Traveled So Far From God’s Light

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, an Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, worded this comforting process beautifully: 

“But however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.” 

Satan works twice as hard to make us believe that we have become so bad, so unworthy, and so undeserving of God’s forgiveness. However, if we only listen again to our Father in Heaven, we will know that even before we step back into the light, God already has His hands outstretched.

Fear #5: I’m Going to Do It Again

The fear of repeating sins can be daunting. Yet, remember, repentance is a journey, not a one-time act. God’s mercy is boundless; He welcomes our sincere efforts to change, no matter how often we falter. His grace empowers us, turning our fears into stepping stones for growth. Embrace this continuous path with hope, knowing that each step towards repentance is a step closer to divine love and transformation.

Fear #6: People Will Know and They Will Talk

One common fear is the worry about others discovering our transgressions and the subsequent judgment that may follow. 

This fear can be paralyzing, causing us to shy away from seeking forgiveness. 

However, it’s essential to remember that repentance is a personal journey between you and God. 

The opinions of others, while they may seem daunting, hold no power over God’s infinite mercy and love.

Fear #7: I’m Scared of Facing My Mistakes

Confronting our past actions can be incredibly painful. 

The guilt and shame associated with acknowledging our wrongdoings often deter us from repentance. 

Yet, facing our mistakes is a crucial step towards healing and growth. It’s about understanding the impact of our actions and developing a genuine desire to change. 

Remember, this fear is a sign of your conscience at work, indicating that you can choose better and, therefore, the potential for real, profound change.

Fear #8: Fear of the Next Steps

The uncertainty of what lies ahead can make the journey of repentance seem overwhelming. 

Questions like “What if I can’t change?” or “What if I fail again?” may cloud your mind. 

But the beauty of repentance lies in the process itself – it’s a step-by-step journey, not a sudden leap to perfection. 

Embrace each step with faith, knowing that with the Atonement, you are never alone. Each effort, no matter how small, is significant in the eyes of God.

3 Ways to Find Strength to Repent When You Have a Hard Time Repenting

#1: Trust in the Knowledge That God Wants You to Repent

Why did God send Noah, Moses, and even Jesus Christ to the world? One of their biggest callings was to call people to repentance. 

Because in truth, no matter how dark our choices have been, God wants us to repent, to change, to come back to Him and feel the happiness of choosing Him once again. 

#2: Know That The Atonement Makes Repentance Absolutely Possible

One of the most beautiful verses in the Bible can be found in Isaiah 1:18. It talks about the promise that even though our “sins be as scarlet, it shall be as white as snow.” 

How is this even possible? It is all because of the Atonement. 

Christ died for us, so we can always, always go back to our Heavenly Father. His Atonement makes repentance a gift, not a punishment. 

#3: Ask for Guidance from Heavenly Father

Humbly ask for help from our Heavenly Father. He will lead you to the right people, give you the strength to face your mistakes and persevere no matter how hard repentance gets, and help you feel His love as you go through repentance. 

Receiving help from the heavens can sustain us when people talk, when the steps become difficult, and when we stumble along the way. 

You Can Repent No Matter How Hard It Is

Contrary to the lies of Satan, repentance is the better choice. Although it is hard, it is – ultimately – the only sure way to happiness in this life and in the life to come. 

If you have questions about repentance, we’re here to help. You can talk to us by sending us a message on our social media channels or by contacting us here.

The post These Fears Make Repentance Hard + How to Find Strength appeared first on morefaith.ph.

So how can we achieve it?

Many people fail to see joy because they have an ‘I will be happy when’ mentality, a belief that once we finally ‘make it’, we’ll be content and happy. What if we don’t make it? What happens then? Is our happiness solely dependent on whether something happens in our lives or not? Is our happiness conditional on our success?

If we let this mentality define us, our lives will become a spiral of momentary peak moments every time we ‘make it’ but without ever truly understanding and embracing the joys that come from learning the ‘aha’ moments and growth we experience while working towards our goals.

It’s not that we shouldn’t focus on our goals and destination. The destination is what gives us purpose. It’s the driving force behind our efforts. But while we enjoy making those efforts, it doesn’t hurt to pause and let the positive emotions linger a little while longer and celebrate our progress every day, no matter how small. If we don’t progress and experience a setback, we can still recognize the lessons that the experience taught us and how we can do and become better. When we do this, happiness becomes something that we can pursue and achieve every day.

Another important thing about happiness is that it is not the absence of struggles, frustrations, pain, opposition, and other unpleasant feelings. We all experience some degree of difficulty in our lives. Happiness is learning how to live with difficulties and responding to them the best way we can. How we respond to these difficulties can expand our capacity to see, feel, and embrace happiness. In our response lies growth and learning that can lead to fulfillment and joy. We can grow through what we go through with optimism and hope for good things to come.

The last and key aspect to achieving lasting happiness is walking side by side with God every step of the way. Because happiness is the purpose and design of our existence, it is not surprising that before sending us to Earth, God prepared a path to help us achieve what we came here for, if we choose to. This path has been laid out for us in the holy scriptures, written by prophets of old and living prophets in the latter days.

This path to lasting happiness is not about living perfectly because no one can attain perfection in this life, except Jesus Christ who was perfected line upon line, precept upon precept. All that God requires of us is our best efforts.  In a meeting with Primary children, President Russel M. Nelson shared perhaps the most reassuring words to help us better understand the immense love that God has for us. He said, “[T]he Lord loves effort, because effort brings rewards that can’t come without it.” Our efforts to follow the commandments, love God, our neighbor, even our enemies, forgive others, live humbly and peacefully, respect others no matter their beliefs, care for ourselves and those in need, remember Him in times of joy and sorrow, and strive to continue in the path that will lead us back to Him, really do COUNT.

Our efforts count no matter how small we think they are. If we give it the best we can, He will magnify our efforts and help us reap the promised reward of eternal happiness. Happiness doesn’t just happen, we make it happen through Christ who is the ultimate author of lasting happiness.

The post How Can We Achieve Lasting Happiness? appeared first on morefaith.ph.

Holding his hand gently, Chona reminded her dad of his parents and siblings who have passed on before him, that they will welcome him as he reunites with them again. “Don’t be scared, dad. Our separation will be temporary. We will see you again, that’s for sure,” she added with a firm belief of the promise of the Plan of Salvation.

Her dad smiled and went back to sleep.

We all have fears. They come in many forms and degrees in our lives. But the most common and perhaps the fear that terrifies us the most is death.

What happens after we die?

One of the most common reasons why many of us fear death is not knowing what happens next. Fortunately, the Plan of Salvation can give us a clear picture of what happens after we die.

Every one of us will pass beyond this life and cross into the strange territory called death – a state when our body and our spirit separate. When that happens, our physical bodies die but our spirits live on. Our spirits then go to what we call the spirit world. This is where we will get to reunite with our families and friends who have passed on before us.

Are we going to stay in the spirit world forever?

Fortunately, this is not the end of the story. Someday, our bodies and spirits will be reunited again. We will shake off the sleep of death, and we will live again. We’ll look the same, but our bodies will be perfect. Every pain, sickness, and imperfection will be gone. Our bodies will become immortal and will never die again. This is called the Resurrection and it’s made possible by the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made 2000 years ago. His atonement and resurrection overcame death. Because of Him, every one of us will be resurrected too. No one is exempt. All of us will live again. All of us who have been and will be born will be resurrected, regardless of the choices that we make.

At the time of resurrection, Jesus, our Savior will judge us individually. This final judgment will be based on our desires, actions, and choices. Only Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know our hearts. They know our individual circumstances and the challenges we face in life. So only They can judge us perfectly. When it’s time for the final judgment, it will be one of mercy, healing, and love. Because of His great love for each of us, God’s ultimate goal is to help all of us return to our heavenly home – the Celestial kingdom.

Whether we will live with God or not depends largely on the choices that we make here on Earth. He has provided commandments as a guide to help us live righteous lives and we have the power to make those choices. We won’t always make the right choices, we will make mistakes sometimes, but through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can repent and be renewed from sins.

The Plan of Salvation can give us hope and change the way we look at death

Knowing about the Plan of Salvation and Resurrection can give us hope and strength to face the challenges we experience here on Earth.  Our knowledge of these things can change the way we look at our trials like physical, mental, and emotional deficiencies, disappointments, and loss, even death. We can find comfort that our challenges are temporary, and we can look forward to that glorious day when our bodies will be resurrected and perfected. And if we live righteously, we get the opportunity to live and dwell with God and with our loved ones forever.

With these profound truths, Chona’s dad passed on peacefully. But even with these truths, it was still hard for her and her family. Her grief and sadness were still immeasurable, but her knowledge of God’s plan helped her understand why death is inevitable. It gave her a firm hope of someday reuniting with her father again.

To live again, to be reunited with those who died before us, and to be free from earthly pain – isn’t this wonderful blessing and plan an undeniable evidence of God’s unimaginable love for us?

The post HOW CAN GOD’S PLAN OF HAPPINESS HELP US UNDERSTAND DEATH BETTER? appeared first on morefaith.ph.

The Wonder and Joys of Childhood

When I look back at my childhood memories. I am amazed at how awesome my imagination was. I grew up not having a lot of toys because my family only had enough for the basic necessities. But I look back and I feel like I didn’t lack anything. I remember playing outside and imagining that I was a soldier and scraping my knees from crawling trying to dodge bullets. There was a time when I believed that I was a mermaid. My skin got burned from staying on the beach for long periods of time. I learned to cook rice from playing house – sneaking into our kitchen to get a fistful of grains and cooking them in a can – with real fire made from twigs. Then my father, who was a fireman, would lecture us about fire safety when we got caught. Those moments were priceless! I am grateful for them all – the mischief and the learning moments.

Dating, Courtship & Marriage

Falling in love is a great adventure. People may or may not agree but love is a beautiful journey. My encounter with love started with the crushes that I had when I was a teenager. With the butterflies in my stomach, I learned that love is not always thrills and excitement. It can also involve heartaches and betrayals. I look back at the strange and funny feeling of liking someone. There were also moments when I needed to give way to other girls because we had the same crushes. When I remember those moments, I can’t help but laugh and also realize that some relationships are more important that other relationships. No wonder love is the most common story and song topic of all time. It takes us on a roller coaster ride. But for me, the greatest adventure was finding that one true love and choosing to stay together. I am now in an adventure that I consider the most important. My marriage has been nice, warm, scary, joyful, weird, lovely, and all the other emotions rolled into one. It is a great opportunity for me to be experiencing this type of adventure.

The Journey Towards the Golden Years

I consider myself to be in the middle of my life. I have a goal age when I want to “retire” and I am about half of it right now. At this stage, I look forward to what the coming years have in store for me. Of course I feel the fear of the unknown, but also the excitement of someone who is trying to make a fallout shelter for the end of the world. Now, my adventure is preparing for the sunset of my life. There are still a lot of things to do and sometimes I get overwhelmed. But I have family and friends on this adventure with me. I feel passionately the need to fight for things that I know are important. Although I choose my battles wisely, I am very vocal about a few things that are precious to me. I fight for women and family, for truth, and for the environment. Part of my advocacy is wellness and good health. We have things we need to fight for in life and doing so is a great adventure in itself. I think aging is graceful if we are striving for something better.

As I look at life, we are all on a great adventure. It is sad that some people think their lives are less than those of others because nothing much is happening. There are a lot of things that are happening. We can make a lot of things happen. Our lives are not the same but life is a great adventure in itself. We fight villains and we stand with heroes everyday. As we journey home to our God, let us make every day count. May we leave a legacy of joy, learning, love and purpose as we live our own adventures.

The post Discovering Great Adventures in Our Ordinary Lives appeared first on morefaith.ph.

During the descent, climbers have to battle with exhaustion and physical exertion, and fight the urge to be more lax after reaching the peak. It is no wonder that some mountaineers consider the descent down the mountain to be the real challenge.

Goals and challenges are often compared to mountains. And like the aspiring climbers, most of us focus on overcoming the mountains in our lives just by climbing up the summit. But are we as prepared for when the trail turns downhill?

Up in the Summit

I’ve climbed four mountains (one of which I climbed twice) in my lifetime. My favorite part of the climb is always reaching the summit. I love seeing everything from a bird’s-eye view – from the top of the tallest building down to the tiniest house my eyes can recognize. I basked in my “success” by taking a lot of pictures. Up on the summit, I felt that all my efforts and pains had been worth it.

After reaching my fourth summit though, I did not just see the things below me I also started noticing the higher mountains in front of me. They seemed to be inviting me to aim for greater heights. That’s when I realized that to climb these higher mountains I first needed to come down safely from where I was. 

For you see, mountains and peaks are rarely connected. There were no upward trails, no shortcuts that would lead me to a higher peak from the top of the mountain I had just climbed. In other words, to reach another summit – loftier and more majestic than my last one – I first need to descend from the summit that I have learned to love, the one where I currently am.

The Descent

The problem is there’s not much glory in the descent. It’s not as exciting as climbing up, and it doesn’t merit Instagram-worthy photos. Many of us, in fact, can’t wait to climb down the mountain so we can start bragging about our experience at the top. However, we can learn just as much wisdom and experience from climbing down as we can from climbing up. We should not rush through our descent, but we should also relish every moment just as we did when we were ascending.

In facing our mountains of life, we will have our ups, and sometimes, we will reach our summits. We enjoy these experiences, and we wish they would never end. Then there are our downs, our descents. In dark contrast to our bright moments, we don’t want to be there. We just want to latch onto our happy moments and not let go. 

We have to realize, though, that just because the path is downhill, it doesn’t mean we’re being led to our downfall. The downhill trail is essential to more exciting and rewarding adventures in the future.

Climbing Higher Mountains

The descent from the summit also doesn’t lessen our feelings of achievement from our ascent. Instead, it prepares us for new challenges by slowing us down and encouraging us to rest for a time, so we can become stronger and wiser for our next climb. Don’t fear the descent! For the best thing about being down is that there’s no way to go but up, and what heights our Heavenly Father has in store for us!

The post The Importance of Why We Need Descents appeared first on morefaith.ph.

Needless to say, I was disappointed. A wait list? Why am I on the wait list? I passed every requirement, submitted the best portfolio I can ever come up with, spent hours answering questions just to make sure I get a spot, and prayed fervently to be qualified. What did I do to be placed on a wait list?

In the midst of my frustration, a thought came into my mind. It’s as though I was transported back to the time I presented my first Family Home Evening Lesson. “The Lord answers our prayers in three ways,” the 10 year old Giulia said, “Yes, No, and wait a while.”

There’s that word again – wait. I would have gladly taken the No. Waiting was another story.

Is that familiar? Have you – like me – ever felt like you were also on a wait list for the Lord’s blessings? Do you also have a goal – like completing school, finding your eternal companion, landing a great job, finding peace – that seems to be so elusive no matter how hard you’ve worked for it?

Waiting is an essential part of the Plan of Salvation – it is not easy, but it will help build our patience and faith. The Lord will ask us to wait – He asked me to wait on the day I was informed I was on the wait list. After that, my mind began to think about the many times I was asked by the Lord to wait and the lessons that came with them. Here are four important lessons I learned only through waiting upon the Lord.

Waiting Upon the Lord Helps Me Understand His Will Better

When a blessing is withheld from us, it’s easy to question “Father, why me?” You could be a young woman who’s patiently waiting for an eternal companion; a young father struggling to find jobs to make ends meet; or a new member of the Church that awaits revelations that will strengthen your testimony. Tears and doubts can come with delayed blessings. But through these challenges, we will realize that if we are true and faithful, we will begin to see the will of the Lord unfold. It may not make us understand everything easily, but it will help us trust the Lord’s will more.

Waiting Upon the Lord Helps Us Develop Christlike Attributes

In the scriptures, to wait is to hope and to trust. As we wait with hope, we echo the hymn “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go” — “so trusting my all to thy tender care, and knowing thou lovest me,… I’ll be what you want me to be.” Understanding and trusting the Lord’s timetable can help develop important Christlike attributes such as humility, patience, hope, and gratitude for the Lord.

Waiting Upon the Lord Provides Us Opportunities to Serve and Improve

If we view waiting in a negative light, it will make us feel down in the dumps. But if we learn to build the faith that waiting is a blessing from the Lord, we will learn how to make use of it. When the Lord asked me to wait, I discovered He gave me more time to prepare and improve so I can qualify in other mentorship programs.

Another blessing is the ability to serve others who may be going through the challenges of waiting. Because we can understand what they’re experiencing, and because we have already developed the faith that waiting upon the Lord’s timing can bring blessings, we are given the ability to succor and serve them.

Waiting Upon the Lord Can Bring Us Happiness

I won’t deny it – waiting can test one’s faith. It tested mine and for several weeks, I was singing Lead Kindly Light in my heart. “I loved to choose and see my path but now, lead Thou me on.” I wanted to be a part of that mentorship program so bad, but there’s a high possibility I couldn’t make it.

Still, I held on to faith and my testimony that the Lord knew what blessings to give to me. After 3 weeks of polishing my application, and doing everything to qualify, an offer came – a local mentor was willing to include me in his class. Unlike the other mentorship program, I will be paying a lower price and fewer hours away from my toddler. After receiving the call, my testimony was strengthened – “But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.” (2 Nephi 2:24)

The Lord took away the blessing I wanted, and made me wait for a while for a better blessing – the blessing I needed.

When we’re in the process of waiting upon the Lord, let us remember that the Lord has plans for our success (Jeremiah 29:11). He may take away a blessing now, but in His own time, He will compensate with another that will bring us more happiness.

If you’re currently on the process of waiting for a blessing, remember this comforting statement from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

“Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.” We may not know when or how the Lord will give us blessings, but let us always remember that our prayers do not fall on deaf ears. Like the Lord and His love for us, His blessings are eternal, and not temporary. May we continue to wait upon Him and never give up on the blessings which He has in store for us, both in this life and the life to come.

The post The Lord Asked Me to Wait, Here’s What I’ve Learned appeared first on morefaith.ph.

I was then reminded of our first week as husband and wife. We decided that Jeremiah 29:11 was going to be our scripture verse. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” is a promise we vowed to cling on to. Heavenly Father wants us to succeed – there was nothing to fear, right?

During one of the most trying times in our young marriage, I held on to the promise in Jeremiah 29:11. We prayed and worked hard for the business, and still, we failed. I knew for a fact that mistakes are part of God’s plan, but our experience – our own taste of failure – made me realize that failing is also part of the equation.

Our “epic fail” of a business venture helped us realize four important lessons about failure, and God’s plan for us. The Lord – because of His love for His children – will allow us to fail, to make mistakes. Here are some reasons why.

Failing Makes Faith Meaningful

Should failure mar our faith? If we allow it, it could. But if we try to see the role of failure in the bigger picture, we can begin to see how it makes faith meaningful. Not getting the results we have originally – and faithfully – planned can teach us lessons on humility, preparation, and holding firm to the Lord’s promises.

One of the biggest examples of meaningful faith was Nephi. He was faithful – he was sure the Lord would not fail those who follow His commandments. But when he and his brothers were tasked with getting the sacred records from Laban, they failed, twice. If Nephi had allowed those failures to overcome his faith, he could have walked out in a heartbeat. But he persevered. Perhaps through of their two failed attempts, Nephi was able to learn how to navigate Laban’s house and impersonate him – two things that could have contributed to their success.

Should failure make us question our faith? If we allow it, it could. But if we learn from it, and get something from it, failure can make faith more meaningful.

Failures Show Us That Heavenly Father is in the Details of Our Lives

When we decided to finally give up on the business, my mind was filled with questions. “Father, we prayed hard for this. We were so positive about this. Why did things not go the way we planned?”

Have you also asked that question? Have you also questioned the Lord’s plan for you? Have you ever wondered why – after preparation and hard work – things still did not work out?

Our experience with our failed business taught us something: that the Lord is in the details of our lives.

A few months after our failed investment, a new business idea came to my husband. One that continues to be productive and steady until now. Failing one business was necessary for us to learn and move on to a better one.

We were reminded of the Prophet Joseph Smith. After learning that the 116 pages of The Book of Mormon manuscript were gone, he exclaimed “All is lost!” But in the Lord’s bigger plan, it wasn’t. He saw Joseph Smith’s failure 2000 years before, and He was ready for it.

He sees our failures, He can turn our failures into blessings. He also knew we will make mistakes, so He provided us a Savior. The Lord is in the details of our lives. His plan for mankind, and His plan for each of us is perfect. He is true to His promise that He has plans for us to succeed. Those promises may not be evident now, but they will surely unfold in the Lord’s own time.

Mistakes Allow Us to Make Better Decisions

I still think of those bitter months time and time again. Although I remember the fear and worry I had to endure, I am better reminded of one of the biggest lessons on failure – our wrong decisions can help us learn to make better choices. Because we know well what happens when we make hasty decisions, we will know better to take time and ask the Lord’s will.

Of course, the Lord will not lead us to the paths of sin, but He will allow us, through experiences, mistakes and failures, to increase our knowledge so we can make better choices.

Lessons from Failure Make Us Realize that Success is One Faithful Step at a Time

“Lead Kindly Light” by John Henry Newman has become one of my favorite hymns about faith. When we experience moments of uncertainty and failure, it’s easy to desire greater light – an understanding to help us see what the future holds for us.

But in reality, enough light to illuminate only the next two or three steps is what we actually need– what we can put our trust in. Success in this life and in the life to come is dependent on what we do with the light provided for us.

We can’t always know what lies ahead, but the Lord does. As we bravely use that feeble light, and as we take one faithful step at a time, believing that the Lord will guide our way, we can move past our failures and find success.

Failing is never an easy thing to appreciate. But when we realize that moments of failure can often help us understand more, learn more, and do more, we begin to see why failure is part of God’s plan for us.

The post If the Lord Wants Us to be Successful, Why Does He Allow Us to Fail? appeared first on morefaith.ph.

However, it’s a different story now that we’re here on Earth. Each step, each test of faith can make us question and wonder, “What’s next?” “Does this challenge really have something for me?” “Can’t I just know what happens next for me so I’ll have a little more assurance?” Uncertainties seem to be a constant part of our earthly life. They can test our faith and trust to the Lord. But, when we learn to move forward positively, we can grow from these faith-testing experiences. Here are 3 ways we can move forward positively, even during moments of doubts.

Remember How The Lord Fulfilled Promises In Your Life

Developing faith that the Lord is true to His promises is one of the best ways to overcome moments of uncertainty. Gratitude is the key to recognizing the Lord’s guiding hand during our trying moments. President Henry B. Eyring has said, “With our Father’s help, all of us can choose to feel more gratitude. We can ask Him to help us see our blessings more clearly, whatever our circumstances.”

When challenging times test your faith, remember the moments when the Lord was true to His promises. Remember the times when miracles happened because you trusted in the Lord.

Understand Why Moments of Uncertainty Are Necessary

Just like wise earthly parents, our Father in Heaven knows there are opportunities for growth and understanding that only come through patience. If our Father in Heaven always relieved us of challenging moments, we would never truly understand the joy that comes with answered prayers.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf pointed it out so well:

“Every one of us is called to wait in our own way. We wait for answers to prayers. We wait for things which at the time may appear so right and so good to us that we can’t possibly imagine why Heavenly Father would delay the answer.

I learned that God’s promises are not always fulfilled as quickly as or in the way we might hope; they come according to His timing and in His ways. Looking back, I know for sure that the promises of the Lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain.

Without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace.”

Moments that test our patience may be frustrating, but we have to remember that it is also an essential part of the plan.

Remember Who You Are

One of the greatest things we can do when moments of uncertainty wear down our souls is to remember our divine identity – we are sons and daughters of God whose love we cannot begin to comprehend. Imagine this – if our earthly parents always want the best for us, what more can our perfect Father in Heaven want for us than to have peace and happiness in this life?

In Jeremiah 29:11 are words of comfort from Jehovah: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

You and I are children of God. Remember He wants the best for us. When challenging times come like huge waves, you can always ask help from the Parent who knows it all.

Let’s face it – moments of uncertainty are not easy to overcome. However, when we remember who we are, when we practice patience, and when we hold tight to our testimony that the Lord is true to His promises, we can endure.

The post Facing Uncertainties: Moving Forward Positively appeared first on morefaith.ph.

One favorite Primary song is “I Am a Child of God,” in which we sing, “Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way.” In our mortal journey, the Lord will give us guidance and direction, helping us know what we should do. Most of the time, we stray from what is expected of us. As a loving parent, the Lord won’t take away our choice, or force us to do anything. Instead, He sometimes sends reminders in the form of corrections.

I learned a valuable lesson about correction one time when I was travelling with my son and getting ready for date night. Silently complaining about the stresses of motherhood and how money just never seemed to be quite enough despite working so hard, I was anything but grateful. I thought to myself, “Oh, if only I could earn more so we could afford a car, life would be so much better.” Right then, a group of 3 people boarded the jeep (public transport in the Philippines). Their shirts said, “Tandang Sora Street Sweepers.” These 3 people were laughing hard and enjoying each other’s company. Then, I heard one of them say “I only have PhP 320 left in my salary for today. But it’s okay.” After hearing that, I felt so humbled about my circumstances and the way I had reacted to them. There I was, about to eat at an expensive ramen restaurant and I was still ungrateful. I was so focused on things that I lacked that I did not take the time to express gratitude for the things that I had. I felt it was heaven’s gentle correction just for me –  a reminder to simply be grateful.

There are great lessons that come when we heed the Lord’s corrections. When listened to regularly, these corrections can lead and redirect us in our mortal journey. But they don’t always come as grand epiphanies – most of them come in gentle promptings. Here are some ways we can receive, and listen to the Lord’s loving reminders.

Make Time for Silent Assessments

In this busy world, we can easily get caught up with commitments, to-do lists, and various activities. Needless to say, our world gets so noisy that it is sometimes hard for us to sit down, enjoy some quiet time, and make personal assessments. When we take adequate time to ponder and reflect on how we live our life, the Holy Ghost will surely be there to help us know what we can do better. Our Father in Heaven knows – above anyone else – what we need. When we take time to listen and be open to corrections, we can receive them.

Direct Questions to the Scriptures

It’s hard to forget a scripture passage that once taught us a lesson or made us realize there’s more we can do. One of the ways that the Lord speaks to His children in these latter-days is through scriptures. Make your scripture study more meaningful by asking a question before you study. In 1 nephi 19:23, Nephi acknowledged that likening the scriptures to our lives can be for our “profit and learning.” Ask questions about what else you can do and seek for answers – or corrections – from the scriptures.

Ask “What Lack I Yet?”

During the October 2015 Conference, Elder Larry R. Lawrence gave an invitation for everyone to ask this question: “What lack I yet?” He said:

“The Holy Ghost makes an ideal traveling companion. If we are humble and teachable, He will take us by the hand and lead us home. However, we need to ask the Lord for directions along the way. We have to ask some difficult questions, like ‘What do I need to change?’ ‘How can I improve?’ ‘What weakness needs strengthening?’”

Take the time to ask the Lord what else you need to do to become better or to improve. Some answers may come instantly, while some may take time. But we must listen to the answer and be committed to work on it.

Develop a Sensitivity to Promptings

Being sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit comes in handy when navigating life. However, developing a keenness to the promptings of the Holy Ghost takes effort – just like learning a new language. One of the great ways to develop a heart that knows when a prompting is from the Lord, is through living a life that’s worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and always acting on the spiritual impressions we receive. By doing these, we become more sensitive to the Spirit’s guidance and we can develop an eagerness to obey and work on the impressions because of the blessings we have previously received and experienced through promptings.

Corrections are a loving reminder from the Lord that He wants us to improve, and be happier in life. Let’s not be afraid of corrections – let’s welcome them, and learn from them.

The post Are We Taking the Time to Listen to God’s Corrections? appeared first on morefaith.ph.