Realizing That God is Our Heavenly Father

Before we take this journey we all must open our minds, stop thinking in terms of religion, but broaden your horizons that no matter what religion we are there is God and he is the God of us all.

• What is God?

 "So god created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him..."
(Genesis 1:27). From this we know we look like God, and know that are functions are the same has his except that he is on a higher plane of existence.  Isaiah wrote " For as the heavens are higher then the earth, so are my ways higher then your ways, and my thoughts your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9).

• Who is God?

1 Nephi 11:17 "And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.". " ...we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." (Acts 17: 29). here we learn that we are gods literal children, and he is our heavenly father we should not think that he is some unknowable being. Romans 8:16,17 adds to this. "...we are the children of God: And if children then heirs; heirs of God....". the definition of an heir is
a person who has the right to become a king or queen or to claim a title when the person holding it dies. In this case God doesn't die. Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon says  "Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am."(3 Nephi 27:27). 

• Our Blessings

Now lets take this a different direction. think back on your life, try to remember all of the blessings you have ever gotten, I am sure has you are doing this like me you will realize that it would be almost impossible to remember all of the blessing you have received, from your favorite Christmas gift to, the food that you have each day, or even your health, and all of the other many things you have been given.

• Our Misfortunes

 Now think of all the bad things that have happened to, some how I can count each one, breaking my arm at 4 years old, getting the flu, getting my favorite things stolen, and losing one of my greatest friends and the love of my life in a car accident. First we see that most of us are more blessed then not. When these bad things happen our first instinct is to go to our mother or father because we know they love us and will do whatever it takes to help us. Yet we know that our parents are not perfect, but god who is our heavenly father is perfect and his love for us is perfect. 

•  Why?

We might ask if his love for us is perfect then why would he lets this happen. Joesph Smith who was incarcerated at liberty jail, tortured, and there for the coldest times of the year might have thought the same things, and god answered saying " And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."

• Realizing He is Our Heavenly Father

It still may be hard for us to understand, but has we realize that God is our Heavenly Father then we can know that he doesn't let anything happen to us except it be for our growth, unless we use our agency to walk away from the teachings he has given us, but I know that he does love us in a way we can never truly understand until we return home to him. I look at it has a Father teaching his child to swim. He will put the child in the water and let he/she first work things out for themselves yet the Father is right there watching, ready to help when he knows we have reached our peak. However if we deiced to disobey and go swimming when our father is not there to watch us, then we are subject to our own misfortune, Nonetheless a father would still do all he could to save us even in our rebellion, And our Heavenly Father is the same. "For God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten son that whosoever believeth in him will not parish but have everlasting life"(John 3:16).           



 

The Fight of Life

           Living the gospel is hard. You may ask yourself, how can I do this I have made to many mistakes I am to far along to come back. This is the trap of our natural man which is an enemy to god. You can come back! Never is it too late, no matter how many mistakes you have made you can repent and come back unto Jesus Christ.

Its like a Tennis match, battling it out on the court, doing your best yet you find yourself losing 1-5. So what is the mentality of a player at this point? The natural man would tell them to give up, that it is to late you have already lost.

But this is not the mentality of a true player, I know what its like, its easy to give up, and hard to keep going but it is not over till the last point is played.

No matter how many mistakes you make, both in life or the world of tennis there is always a hope, and as long as we correct our mistakes, and do our best we can win. If things aren't working out for you then you must change the game plan, use your strengths, and work on your weaknesses. We can work on our weaknesses by reading the scriptures, praying to our loving Heavenly Father, and live the principles of the gospel that Christ so perfectly laid out for us. Isn't this, the fight that we all go through? (read this talk on mercy by president uchtdorf http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=eng ).

 In tennis its you vs. the enemy, but are you really alone? Never! Just has you have friends,  a coach, family, and fans in a tennis match helping you. You also have friends, family, church leaders, and most importantly, Jesus Christ who went through what you are going through, and he is the biggest help!

Many times I have found myself down 1-5, but through determination, and never giving up I was able to win 7-5
 Let us have the determination, love, and trust in the savior to correct our mistakes and return to our Father in heaven with everlasting life which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.