Musings on God's Favorite

 Elder Karl D. Hirst Conference talk Oct 2024. God's Favourite

(I loved this talk and here are quotes and then my musings on it.)

"One of the miracles of the divine economy is that when we try to share Jesus' love, we  find ourselves being filled up in a variation of the principle that whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

We don't experience the feelings that come to us.  We experience the feelings that come from us. I know this is true from my Life coach training.  There is a circumstance- and we have thoughts about it-which creates our feelings.  It doesn't help me at all to have hate, disdain, dislike, or disgust for other people because they don't have to feel that- I feel that.  I want to feel love instead, so I think kind, supportive, empathetic thoughts and love is the feeling produced. 

One of the ways we experience God's love is by sharing it, by living it.  

Loved people, love people.

When we can connect keeping the commandments as ways of showing love to God and love to others, then we know, like, oh, this is practicing and experiencing love.  It takes practice to have faith and repent and always remember Him and pay tithes and help our neighbor. When we start to do those and feel love, we want it more and more, so we serve more and more and have more faith. It's circular.

This doing, this practicing is an expression of our love for God.

And how do I feel God's love?

"Bird song, feeling the sun or a breeze or rain on my skin.  And times when nature puts my senses in awe of God. Each has a part in providing me with a heavenly connection.  Perhaps the comfort of faithful friends will help.  Maybe music of serving.  Have you kept a record or journal of times when your connections with God was clear to you?  Perhaps you could invite those you trust to share their sources of divine connection with you as you search for relief and understanding."

I keep a journal/blog  and record the times I see God in my life. 

I feel particularly connected to God... with sacred music, Jesus music, Christmas music.  I love it all.  

I feel the love of God in the Belnap's company.  Such good, no pretense, let's discuss hard things type of friends. I feel the love of God with many of my friend's and family when we help and serve each other. 

"The Temple is a place where we retreat and sink deeply into the evidence of our Father's love for us."

I feel the Love of God in the temple.  I go in and have a conversation with God --ask Him what I should be doing with this child, grandkid, sibling, friend to strengthen and help.  I ask Him where my weaknesses are and my strengths and What I should be doing. When I was there in September, I was prompted to have monthly lunch dates with each of my sons, and to jump in as a coach with Holly's Friend to Friend program every Friday afternoon at Centerpoint.  He also told me to continue with our "geriatric" band service.  So I feel guided and I step forward with faith.

"When we love one another in this way, in the way of Jesus, as completely and fully as we can, heaven gets involved too."

Carl Jung: " Modern man doesn't see God because he refuses to look low enough."

God is here with the people.... He is here in the magic of the everyday. I know this. I feel it when I go to stores and converse with strangers or when I travel. I feel it on my walks to the duck pond most mornings, or when I see the pink mountains to the east of our home at sunset time.  Our world is so beautiful.

"When I see people showing Christlike love for one another, it feels to me as if that love contains more than just their love.  It is a love that also has divinity in it. One of the most profound blessings that I feel deep gratitude for is that God gives us extra love.  When we seek to follow Him, when we make covenants with Him, He changes our nature and gives us the capacity to love the people we care about and those we don't, in deeper ways and more profound ways."

"Divine love never runs dry, and we are each a cherished favorite."

I minister to Val and Kim.  I run them to doctor appointments and to the store and bank...sometimes multiple times a week.  It's good that I have a flexible schedule so I can help..but it's also hard and I feel God's love helping me do this.  This mother and daughter have so little resources. They come to church maybe twice a month in their jeans and tops that don't change much. They live in the low-income, medical-help apartments. Kim is soft-spoken, no-nonsense, doesn't ask for much, go along to get-along type of person. I don't know what all of her medical conditions are, but she has a lot. Val is her mom.  She fell off a horse in her 50's and hasn't been the same since.  Val used to take care of Kim, and now Kim takes care of Val.  I know they are just as cherished and loved and God's favorite as I am.  

I like to remind my primary kids, "I am a child of God and everyone else is too."