Giving in and giving up

Somedays you feel so overwhelmed with all your troubles, stresses, and blah feelings that you tend to just want to run away and hide from it all...give in to them or give up fighting them. There are some few simple things we can do to help us not give in or give up fighting them. They are simple and basic seminary answers, but isn't that what the Gospel is all about? Keeping things simple and remembering the basics? This doesn't encompass all things you can do, but are some things I have done recently to help me:

• Remember to never stop praying -- pray for things you are grateful for and the specific things you are in need of
• Read and study your scriptures everyday!
• Attend all your church meetings

I think I've quoted this before, but here it is again.

If you want to talk to God, pray. If you want God to talk to you, read the
scriptures. (John Bytheway)

When we follow the commandments and do the things given to us to help us progress spiritually as a person, He will bless us for it!!! Yesterday was one of those "not so bad, but could be much worse" kind of days even with doing the things above. It was frustrating to me, bc I felt I was doing all I could to help uplift my somber mood. But things come in due time...well, actually the Lord's time. The answers or blessings we seek in earnest come when we least expect them. Mine came at the end of the day to make it a good and very worth while day. :-)

Being Poor In Spirit: Simplicity in all things

I was reading in the scriptures about being poor in spirit. What exactly does it mean to be poor in spirit? I was reading in Alma 26 that led me through this scripture chain study from the Scripture Topical Guide. In Matthew 5:3 it says

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

In the footnotes for poor it says:

IE poor in pride, humble in spirit

Reading in Alma 26:12 it states:

Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therfore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

----------
A pattern that I've noticed of the people in the scriptures is

• Hit with trials
• Turn to the Lord & give thanks for their blessings
• Obey Covenants made
• Have faith in the Lord

Simple, but isn't all gospel principles made in simplicity? Over and over again the Lord tells us in the scriptures that as we repent, exercise our faith, bring forth good works, and pray continually w/o ceasing that it is given to them to know the mysteries of God.

A mystery of him that is wanted by all is his will for us. What is it that he wants me to do? We can't know unless we turn to him. It's like that John Bytheway quote --

If you want to talk to God, pray. If you want God to talk to you, read the scriptures.

It's so easy to get caught up in the every-day routines that you forget about why you are even doing all the things that are keeping you busy. What is the goal for such activities? Every once in a while you need to simplify your life. Look at it and evaluate the things you are doing to see if they are accomplishing or helping you reach your lifetime goals. Taking a breather can help clear the air, noise pollution, and other disturbances that might block the whisperings of the Spirit to you. We need to take a break sometimes to listen for an answer to our prayers. I know that I don't always do. That will be going on my to-do list.