dear friend...

Thank you so much for calling me yesterday.  I know that it was not for you, but for me.  It was time that I be reminded of a lesson that I need to learn over and over again.  For some reason {pride}, I just can't seem to get the message.  You reminded me of an issue that I deal with daily.  You reminded me how much I need to work on.  I've thought about you constantly since we talked and I can't get the topic of our conversation out of my head because I have a similar problem.

My problem is "contentment."  I want a lot of things.  But most of all, I want {see there it is again} to be content.  I usually am content with my life, but I'm also a dreamer.  I'm constantly striving to make my life better.  That's not a bad thing right?  Absolutely not!  {Don't mind if I do answer my own question.}  However, as I was reading last night, I came across something that has made me do a lot of pondering today.

"...reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh." (2 Nephi 10:24) 

This was my problem and answer.  I have not fully done this.  I need to reconcile {harmonize, come to terms, accept as inevitable} the will of God. 

What is the will of God?  Is his will that I have a bigger home, more things and a smaller waistline?  Probably not.  Is it his will that I am happy?  Absolutely.  But, not temporal happiness.  He wants me to have true, lasting, eternal happiness.

I often get caught between the will of God and the will of the World.  I need to reconcile myself.  I need to finally come to terms with where I stand.  Will I choose God or the Devil?  I say that I choose God's will every time, but do I really?  Absolutely not.  {Again, answering my own question.}

How can I reconcile myself to God's will and find that contentment I so desperately want {even more than my perfectly decorated dream home or a perfect body}?

I turned to one of my favorite places for answers.  As I began searching through articles, I found all the answers and more.  I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes and post them on here as a constant reminder for me.  I wanted to post the links so that I won't forget about them and so that I can refer to them often.  I thought I would be generous and share them with you too.

"There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions."

"I think most of us intuitively understand how important the fundamentals are. It is just that we sometimes get distracted by so many things that seem more enticing."

"Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light. It comes from placing our attention and efforts on the basics of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It comes from paying attention to the divine things that matter most."

{"Of Things That Matter Most."  President Dieter F. Uchtdorf}

"We have all experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings. Said the Greek philosopher Epictetus, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

"Do material possessions make us happy and grateful? Perhaps momentarily. However, those things which provide deep and lasting happiness and gratitude are the things which money cannot buy: our families, the gospel, good friends, our health, our abilities, the love we receive from those around us. Unfortunately, these are some of the things we allow ourselves to take for granted."

"The English author Aldous Huxley wrote, “Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.”

{"The Divine Gift of Gratitude."  President Thomas S. Monson}

 "Life's necessary defining moments come within our allotments. ...Our response are what matter.  Sufficient unto each life are the tests thereof.

"For I ought to be content with the things the Lord hath allotted unto me."  (Alma 29:3)

"The Lord does not seek to overwhelm us but instead to help us overcome the world!"

{"Content with the Things Allotted unto Us."  Elder Neal A. Maxwell}

"In the words of C.S. Lewis:  "Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. ...It is the comparison that makes you proud:  the pleasure of being above the rest.  Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone."

"The world shouts louder than the whisperings of the Holy Ghost.  The reasoning of men overrides the revelations of God."

"If we love God, do his will, and fear His judgment more than men's, we will have self-esteem."

"The antidote for pride is humility, meekness, submissiveness (Alma 7:23).  Either we can choose to be humble or we can be compelled to be humble."

{"The Faces of Pride."  President Ezra Taft Benson.}

I know I have an endless battle to try and reconcile my will to God's, but I think these words of wisdom are an amazing start.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to remind myself of things I need to work on.  Thank you for being a great example!

Love,