Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always

General Conference already passed about almost 2 months ago, and my mind is just so occupied with so many daily chores and tasks. For the past few Saturdays morning, I had listened to the General Conference talks when I was mopping the floor.

I yet to have a piece of mind to sit down, read the talks one by one. I thought about making my own reading schedule, about 2 talks a week so that I still can make it before the next General Conference on April 2021.

‘Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always’

by President M. Russell Ballard

I felt inspired start by reading this talk today and indeed I think I really need this at this moment. Firstly, set a goal to pray morning and night with purpose has been an unfulfilled goal annually. Secondly, I think it is time for me to really take action and responsible for the goal that I had set for years…

I have the urge of reading this talk because of the things that happened to me recently. Negative thoughts keep on comes into my mind every time when I think of relationship between me and Alvin. Sometimes I just have a thought of,

“I think it is enough for both of us! It is useless and whatever I tried also cannot bring his heart and mind back to me. So pathetic!”

“Lord, I think I am the weakest daughter of yours among all. I still unable to comprehend the lessons that Thou wants me to learn in this relationship. I really indeed can love a man for my whole eternity life, should I just walk away from this and go experience whoever that can love me whole heartedly? I think I would be much more happy.”

My heart was sinking to the bottom of the sea when Alvin mentioned that he will be going outstation due to job purpose more often now. And tomorrow he will need to go Muadzam Shah and might stay a night or two at Kuantan as well.

Only God would know if he is telling the truth, but my instinct tell me that he is not. As I was taking my bath in the evening, I could not help but thinking of my personal challenges and feel so hopeless at that instance.

Something about the General Conference talk ‘Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always’ by President M. Russell Ballard had brought to my mind. Something caught my ears and eyes when I was listening and reading the talk:

“Sincerely praying for those who may be considered our enemies demonstrates our belief that God can change our hearts and the hearts of others. Such prayers should strengthen our resolve to make whatever changes are necessary in our own lives, families, and communities.”

“The scriptures are full of examples of people of faith who combined prayer with action to make a difference in their own lives and in the lives of others…”

President Ballard taught a few examples of the prophets in the Book of Mormon that had made a difference. Suddenly a thought came into my mind – how Prophet Alma had prayed to the Lord concerning his rebellious child, Alma the Younger, resulted the visit of the angel upon his son. In Mosiah 27:14, it reads

“14 And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightiest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and the authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.”

A thought that is very clear that came into my mind that, I should not have lose faith in Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know that the path ahead between me and Alvin might continue to grow more challenging in the coming days. One thing that for sure is the Lord is with me. President Ballard said,

“… I assure each one of you that the Lord knows you, that He is aware of your concern and anguish, and that He loves you – intimately, personally, deeply, and forever.”

“Praying for justice, peace, the poor, and the sick is often not enough. After we kneel in prayer, we need to get up from our knees and do what we can to help – to help both ourselves and others.”

“Brothers and sister, I urge you to redouble your commitment to prayer. I urge you to pray in your closets, in your daily walk, in your home, in your wards, and always in your hearts.”

“Prayer can change our own lives. Motivated by sincere prayer, we can improve and help others to do the same.”

I have not even yet exercise my faith and kneel in my own prayer, seeking His counsel in everything that I do, listening to His answers, learning to hear Him, and acting on the promptings that I receive.

I have not yet try my best in doing all those things, and what qualify me to just give up on this? But how? Pray to Him more often, and seeking His directions or approval on the things that I plan and decide to do.

I could not stop my tears at that moment. I talked to myself, “I think I have just feel the Spirit and this is what He tells me that I supposed to do next – keep on trying to become a better version of me.”

Fun Making Waffle Day 22 Nov 2021

We are trying out our new toy today – a waffle maker. We have fun making waffle day!

Making the waffle mixture

The final product

A Surprise Welcome Gift for Seminary

Today, Issac and I went to Church for our tithing settlement interviews after our church online sacrament meeting. We met President Augustine at the new chapel in his office.

After our interview, President Augustine took out a paper bag and told us that these presents are from her daughter Sister Anita. Anita was called a seminary teacher who teaches the youths in the Church in seminary.

Next year Annabelle would turn age 14, and it will be her first year to attend seminary class every Saturday morning. After came back home, Issac and Annabelle opened out their presents happily.

It was a box of chocolate for each of them and with slight notes from Sister Anita. Both are happy about the little surprise welcome gift from their seminary teacher for next year.

Here are all the photos of them and the small notes from their caring teacher ^^

Running

Today when I browsing through the Facebook, so happened that I saw Sister Beam shared a post on her page. It was a post written by her brother about his journey on running.

It was so co-incident and at the right time, in the midst of what I am doing now for this week! It indeed motivate me! Thus, there were some thoughts in my mind that I would like to share and thanks Sister Beam:

Dear Beam, I am glad that you have shared your brother's thoughts about running. It is just like, "Hey, it is exactly how I felt for this week, and Bingo! I am doing the right thing!"

For the past 25 over years, to get moving for exercise is a no, no, no for me!

Last week I had read somewhere at the Facebook about how to become a happier woman?

"First of all, be happy. How to do it ? As long as your husband’s matter is not excessive and doesn’t step on your bottom line, just open one eye and close one eye, and ignore him.

Care about him too much, put the spotlight on him, he will suffocate to death, you will have hormonal imbalance, why bother?

Love yourself more, focus on yourself, find the things and people you like to fill the blank spaces in your life, and make yourself happy.

Occasionally, have some parent-child activities with your husband and children, talk about some common topics, and have a common happiness goal.

In this way, you will be a lot happier, and he will love you more and more, because you are improving and becoming more charming.

If you are happy, the people around you will be happy too.

Next, in addition to eating healthy, getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water is exercise.

Yes, exercise is the key!

To be honest, I have not seen an "ugly woman" who exercises regularly and is happy both physically and mentally.

Women who love sports will exude a unique charm, not only appearance, but also temperament. Exercise is the cheapest and most effective skin care product."

And because of this sharing on the Facebook, I had determined to set a goal to run just to kick off this new goal of mine, considering my age and my ‘shape’ and it is critical to start immediately.

So I goggle on the internet and make a plan how to start running even if I never exercise before.

So here come my 1st week is to just get moving by walking first. Every morning this week onward, I will - from my first walkout 15 mins to goal walkout 60 mins till end of this year.

I was pretty excited, as I started this last Monday. I hope and want to keep on doing this walking - running that I had planned for.

During my every morning walk, there are thoughts that come into my minds: Hey, this is not difficult to achieve, bit by bit and do it everyday, and slightly increase the walkout time by 2-3 mins and eventually 5-10mins. And, I can do it!

This little goal of mine had make me think of living in the gospel.

It is exactly the same thing to do: improve ourselves little by little to become more like Jesus Christ, through His commandments and our covenants – pray daily, reading the scriptures, attend the Church weekly and renew our covenants with Him, how we keep our covenants by doing it little by little, He will reveal to us line upon line, precept upon precept if we keep on trying to become a better person.

Faith too, is the same. Faith is present continuous tense. Faith is the action taken doing it after what I believe.

Faith is … searching the scriptures; helping a needy cross the busy road; feeding the hungry.. it is series of an action to achieve a higher level of Faith of what we believe in.

Testimony too, is the same. It is gained after we are gaining experience, we were gaining experience after we are doing it or we were doing it.

I like what your brother said about,

“learning by action is better, more effective.
.
.
Running for me is learning by taking action.”

And I think I feel the same after I start to ‘walk’ this week, and I know I will start to run next January.

How grateful I am that I can still walk and run every morning.

I know that this little Running goal of mine will help me to explore more possibilities and potentials that I myself not yet even discover even though I am at my age of 45 this year and going to be 46 next year.

I feel thankful for your sharing that remind of me as it is the messages that the Lord would wants me to know and do.

Thank you so much! And love you and your family too!

Young Women My 150 Challenge

The Young Women organization is celebrating its sesquicentennial anniversary this year. Young Women's general presidency is inviting young women worldwide to join in celebrating the 150th anniversary.

Earlier in the year, the Young Women general presidency had extended invitations to the young women striving to improve themselves, develop their talents, serve others and strengthen their testimonies of Jesus Christ through the challenge called "My 150".

Leaders are encouraging young women worldwide to think of the activity related to 150 to commemorate the anniversary. They had done it through the cookies baking for last June. Now they are planning to do a bookmark. Thus, I helped Annabelle printed out the selected bookmarks.

Both Issac and Annabelle work as a team to do the cutting, laminating, and punch the hole tie the ribbons for all the bookmarks. Finally, let's have a group photo together with all the bookmarks.

The bookmarks are intended to give it away to their friends or someone they know or pass along to others to spread the gospel of the things that the young women believe in.

Of course, the first one that Annabelle gave was her best friend and beloved brother Issac.