Yes, there is hope!

I read President Uctdorf's talk on hope from conference. I think we all have moments in our lives when loneliness and despair rears it ugly head!!! After all, there must needs be opposition in all things! I am usually very upbeat and optimistic, but I, like everyone else have my moments when life is too big and overwhelming ...(see my last blog) I'm better today :o) ...I wrote a funny song about my Bishop ...I will sing it at the ward Christmas party ... I will not give you a sneak peak because people from my ward read this blog and they have to wait!!! So, I guess my best advise if you're feeling lonely or sad is write a funny song ...it does wonders for your moral!

President Uctdorf says:

"Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The scriptures are clear and certain about the importance of hope. The Apostle Paul taught that the scriptures were written to the end that we “might have hope.” Romans 15:4

Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness. Its absence—when this desire of our heart is delayed—can make “the heart sick.”

Hope is a gift of the Spirit. It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior. This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment, and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope. Hope in our Heavenly Father’s merciful plan of happiness leads to peace, mercy, rejoicing, and gladness. The hope of salvation is like a protective helmet; it is the foundation of our faith and an anchor to our souls.

Moroni in his solitude—even after having witnessed the complete destruction of his people—believed in hope. In the twilight of the Nephite nation, Moroni wrote that without hope we cannot receive an inheritance in the kingdom of God."

He also goes on to say:

"Hope is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future. It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance."

I am so grateful to have Hope ... when life is "too much" I find strength in hope ... hope in Christ gets me through all the gunk ... and we all know that life is clear full of gunk! My very favorite scripture is 2 Nephi 31:20 as follows:

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

I encourage all to cultivate hope in your life! President Uctdorf counseled, 'We learn to cultivate hope the same way we learn to walk, one step at a time. As we study the scriptures, speak with our Heavenly Father daily, commit to keep the commandments of God, like the Word of Wisdom, and to pay a full tithing, we attain hope. We grow in our ability to “abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost,” as we more perfectly live the gospel.

There may be times when we must make a courageous decision to hope even when everything around us contradicts this hope. Like Father Abraham, we will “against hope [believe] in hope.” Or, as one writer expressed, “in the depth of winter, [we find] within [us] an invincible summer.” (this quote is from Albert Camus ... It is one of my favorites!)
Faith, hope, and charity complement each other, and as one increases, the others grow as well. Hope comes of faith, for without faith, there is no hope. In like manner faith comes of hope, for faith is “the substance of things hoped for.”

I wrote a poem recently about Faith and hope ... I blogged it before ... but because it fits so well here ... I will blog it again!

FAITH AND HOPE
written by Jana Jeppson 2008

When nothing makes sense
faith steps in and I find the logic.

When I question "why?" or "why me?"
faith is the Comforter's arms around me assuring me that everything happens for a purpose.

When I feel abandoned
faith comes in and I realize I am not alone!

When life is too noisy
faith is the music that sings me to sleep!

When life is painful and it hurts
faith is the balm that heals my soul.

When nothing seems fair
faith is the comfort that assures me that it all works out in the eternal wash.

When everything is good
I realize that faith is my joy!

When my heart burns with the spirit
I know that is because of faith that I recognize its warmth.

When I am still ... I can hear God's voice
it is my faith that interprets what He needs me to hear.

When all that's left is hope ...
it is then when I realize that it is because of faith ... that I have hope.