The Why & It's beginnings...

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 The Why & It's Beginnings

Watercolor I call "Hope".  I testify that Hope can ALWAYS be found if we look in the right places!

  During a recent Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of which I belong, I had the distinct impression, twice, that I should share the things that I have been learning and my testimony of Christ through my art and ponderings...   The very next day while studying, another impression came as I happened upon this scripture: 3 Nephi 18:24  Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world.  Behold I am the light  which ye shall hold up.

     Despite my immense hesitations, I decided it better to be obedient and vulnerable than to ignore promptings! (I have first hand experience that doing so never ends well, haha).

       So, here goes... I choose to share the things of Jesus that continue to illuminate my path, hoping that by doing so, they will add a measure of hope and peace to you as well.  
       I think we would all agree that, like a great storm brewing, darkness is increasing exponentially in our world.  My natural tendency is to go into fear, hopelessness, anxiety & anger, and I am sure I am not alone in that. But over the years, I have come to realize that the best way to fight darkness is with LIGHT, for when light is present, darkness has no choice but to flee. 

        Light is our best defense!  I have come to understand that this is indeed, true and that I should be better at sharing it, or else I would not be willing to put myself out there...  It is very scary for me to do this, especially as I am not near as eloquent as my husband (who started a blog called Eric's Outspirations a long time ago with the same intent) and his writings are truly beautiful!  But I guess, as can be learned from one of my all-time favorite movies, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future" ...and that is my hope as I strive to share Hope in Christ!

    My journey of learning has only recently become a true joy for me and that is part of what I want to share- to give hope to those who might be struggling in this department too. Studying the scriptures (or  more accurately "reading") for me, in the past, has been done really, only out of a sheer desire to be obedient so as to obtain the promised blessings of scripture/Book of Mormon study. (thanks to the sister who compiled that list of blessings).  I had ALWAYS struggled with reading, in fact I considered it pure torture!  I think it stemmed from frustration of my wildly, wandering mind coupled with a struggle with reading comprehension that makes me have to read, watch or even sometimes hear things SEVERAL times in order to truly digest information.  But, I'm here to tell you that when you persevere, the Lord is merciful! He finally taught me "how" I learn and what works for me! This major break through came in December of 2018 which I will share in my next post.

      But anyway, I know that we learn best by teaching others what we have learned, and conversely from the experiences of others.  So, if you feel so inclined, leave a comment! I would LOVE to learn from your light, too, or from your experiences of learning what works for you.  We all learn differently and sharing this, too, may be of benefit for our readers. I testify that if you ask, the Lord will teach you how to make the scriptures come alive in your life!  Thanks, and happy, reading, watching, learning, sharing as we seek peace and hope in Christ!

Also, a little disclaimer: these thoughts and insights are my own and I, in no way, speak for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of which I belong, nor do I purport, in sharing my insights, to understand the full meaning of each scripture shared. I am simply sharing things I've learned in hopes of inspiring others to seek answers, insights & joy in their own study.

PS.  If interested, here are the two beautiful talks that moved me enough to be willing to share the things that I have been learning on my journey. 
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/15andersen?lang=eng
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/42cordon?lang=eng

 Blessings on your day,
Nikki

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