Eyes to See

Eyes to See

by Sister Michelle D. Craig

Seeing God’s Hand

Sister Craig started her talk by sharing what we commonly learn about the story in the scripture – about a young man helping the prophet Elisha. The young man was worried because their city was surrounded by the enemy and it did not look like there was any way to survive the upcoming battle. The prophet Elisha said to the young man,

“Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”

Isn’t that reassuring? I feel so overwhelmed with all the battles I take on and face during the day. Some pretty nasty battle wounds and some defeats hurt more than others. Often times I forgot that I am not fighting these battles alone.

Some battles don’t even need to be fought! As I gain ore experience, I am learning it is important to pick my battles. When I stand firm and choose the right and stand firm at the beginning as what Elder Bednar talked in his talk “We Will Prove Them Herewith” what has Elder Holland counselled to young adults, “Choices have to be made. Not making a choice is a choice. Learn to choose now.”

I am also learning that I do not have to fight alone because I have family and friends on both sides of the veil that will help me.

However she has opened her eyes with a new lesson to learn:

“There may be times when you, like the servant, find yourself struggling to see how God is working in your life—times when you feel under siege—when the trials of mortality bring you to your knees. Wait and trust in God and in His timing, because you can trust His heart with all of yours. But there is a second lesson here. My dear sisters and brothers, you too can pray for the Lord to open your eyes to see things you would not normally see.”

This is the question or prayer that I had never think about. What are the things that I can pray for the Lord to see the things I do not normally see?

Then the answers were Sister Craig explanations on the following;

Seeing Ourselves as God Sees Us

“Perhaps the most important things for us to see clearly are who God is and who we really are—sons and daughters of heavenly parents, with a “divine nature and eternal destiny.”²

“Ask God to reveal these truths to you, along with how He feels about you. The more you understand your true identity and purpose, soul deep, the more it will influence everything in your life.”

There were so many times that the Lord reminds me in the midst of my challenges that I am a daughter of God. All those moments brought peace and comfort to me. And gave me strength to press forward even not knowing what would be placed in front of me.

One thing I know is that: The Lord shall prepare a way that I may accomplish the thing because He knows I can handle it. He put the trust in me that I can do it, even I do not have such faith and trust in myself.

Seeing Others

“Understanding how God sees us prepares the way to help us see others as He does. Columnist David Brooks said: “Many of our society’s great problems flow from people not feeling seen and known. … [There is a] core … trait that we all have to get … better at[, and that] is the trait of seeing each other deeply and being deeply seen.”³

“Jesus Christ sees people deeply. He sees individuals, their needs, and who they can become. Where others saw fishermen, sinners, or publicans, Jesus saw disciples; where others saw a man possessed by devils, Jesus looked past the outward distress, acknowledged the man, and healed him.⁴”

“Even in our busy lives, we can follow the example of Jesus and see individuals—their needs, their faith, their struggle, and who they can become.⁵”

“As I pray for the Lord to open my eyes to see things I might not normally see, I often ask myself two questions and pay attention to the impressions that come: “What am I doing that I should stop doing?” and “What am I not doing that I should start doing?”⁶

I realised that I do not have much experiences on seeing others, most of the time I was too concern about my own trials and challenges that made me lost sight about the people around me. I only consider my sufferings and pains, my eyes would not be able to see others around me.

Suddenly I have a thought that: there is a reason why my calling as Relief Society President came along. The Lord wants me to learn to open my eyes to see things and seeing others when I serve the sisters in the Church.

When I get to know the each sister in the Church, I started to learn that not only me whom struggle with my own challenges, sisters that I serve to also have their own trials and afflictions.

Some struggled with mental illness and depression. Some are single and others had large families, while still others struggled with infertility or divorce. Some are fluent speakers and impressively literate, while others struggled to put together a coherent sentence.

But there is one thing in common that I recognize, is that they all are committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to build the kingdom of God. I can see the faith in their daily doings, in the things they make with their hands and the relationships they develop with every sisters in the branch and with Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.

When I worried about children’s future education, certain sisters would came into my mind and reminded me of think of ways to improve the children studies.

When I saddened and felt heartache with my relationship, certain sisters reminded me that I still can hope and trust the Lord that everything is in His good hand and He knows what is the best for me and my family.

When I was nearly give up for my calling, certain sisters stood next to me, helping me and teaching me to expand my heart and ability to love and serve, just as they had done to others.

Little did I know, Relief Society sisters strengthen me just like how they strengthen each other.

I know that this is only a very small part of how I seeing others, but may be not deeply enough.

Seeing God’s Errand for Me

“As with all gifts the Father so willingly offers, seeing deeply requires us to ask Him—and then act. Ask to see others as He does—as His true sons and daughters with infinite and divine potential. Then act by loving, serving, and affirming their worth and potential as prompted.”

“As this becomes the pattern of our lives, we will find ourselves becoming “true followers of … Jesus Christ.”⁸ Others will be able to trust our hearts with theirs. And in this pattern we will also discover our own true identity and purpose.”

One of the reason being called is to run God’s errand. Most of the time I think I am just like the priest or the Levite on the road to Jericho – one who looks and passes by.

Seeing others as Jesus sees them deeply and seeing God's errand for me is something I have to pray for the Lord for myself. I like how Sister Craig ended her talk:

“I witness that Jesus Christ loves us and can give us eyes to see—even when it’s hard, even when we’re tired, even when we’re lonely, and even when the outcomes are not as we hoped.”

“Through His grace, He will bless us and increase our capacity. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, Christ will enable us to see ourselves and see others as He does.”

“With His help, we can discern what is most needful. We can begin to see the hand of the Lord working in and through the ordinary details of our lives—we will see deeply.”

I am grateful for the General Conference study plan that I found on internet, that it indeed guide me and direct me to know the things that I need to focus in each talk at one time, and at the designated period what I have going through.

Virtual Christmas Caroling #3 ~ We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Here is our Yu Family caroling ^^

Virtual Christmas Caroling #2 ~ Oh Come All Ye Faithful

Here are both Issac and Annabelle's turn to sing their hymn.

Virtual Christmas Caroling #1 ~ Joy to the World

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are still unable to go to Church for sacrament meetings. This year the members of the Church would be celebrating Christmas in our own home instead, not like the previous years that we can have our branch Christmas party in the chapel.

 

Sister Jennifer was so thoughtful and kind enough to help organize a virtual Christmas caroling for the members of the Church. She gathered most of the Christmas carol members to prepare singing video at our homes and forward to her to do some editing for the videos. Here is one of the group songs that both Alvin and myself, but in different costumes!

Sustainable Societies

Elder Christofferson began his talk with some remarks about “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” adopted by United Nations in 2015.

“What are the fundamentals that sustain in a flourishing society, one that promotes happiness, progress, peace, and well-being among its members? We have scriptural record of at least two such thriving societies. What can we learn from them?”

Sustainable Societies

by Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Elder Christofferson's talk remind me of what in Chinese we said 大同. 大同 is an ancient Chinese ideology. It refers to the ideal world that mankind can finally reach, and represents mankind's beautiful vision for the future society.

The basic characteristics are that everyone loves and helps each other, every family lives and works in peace, there is no difference, no war. This state is called "the world of great harmony", and this kind of world is also called "the world of great harmony."

Although 大同 thought is a Chinese ideology, some other concepts such as religions, Western utopias, modern socialism and the global village also have great similarities with 大同.

The concept of 大同 has now joined the global political, economic, technological and cultural integration ideas. It also emphasized the importance of "equal opportunities", such as all people are born equal, etc..

However, he felt more concerned with sustainable societies and mentions his thought on this:

“The societies in these two examples were sustained by the blessings of heaven growing out of their exemplary devotion to the two great commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself…”

“…Sustainability is not guaranteed, and a thriving society can fail in time if it abandons the cardinal virtues that uphold its peace and prosperity. In this case, yielding to the temptations of the devil, the people “began to be divided into classes; and they began to build up churches unto themselves to get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ.”

“Reflecting on this and other examples of once flourishing societies that later foundered, I think it safe to say that when people turn from a sense of accountability to God and begin to trust instead in the “arm of flesh,” disaster lurks…”

What can we do for this? It is actually bounds back to the basic unit of the society:

“The institutions of family and religion have been crucial for endowing both individuals and communities with the virtues that sustain an enduring society. These virtues, rooted in scripture, include integrity, responsibility and accountability, compassion, marriage and fidelity in marriage, respect for others and the property of others, service, and the necessity and dignity of work, among others.”

“Nevertheless, when secularization separates personal and civic virtue from a sense of accountability to God, it cuts the plant from its roots. Reliance on culture and tradition alone will not be sufficient to sustain virtue in society. When one has no higher god than himself and seeks no greater good than satisfying his own appetites and preferences, the effects will be manifest in due course.”

“In contrast, our joyous message to our children and to all humanity is that “the truth of God” points a better way, or as Paul said, “a more excellent way,”¹⁸ a way to personal happiness and community well-being now and to everlasting peace and joy hereafter.”

“The truth of God refers to the core truths that underlie His plan of happiness for His children. These truths are that God lives; that He is the Heavenly Father of our spirits; that as a manifestation of His love, He has given us commandments that lead to a fullness of joy with Him; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Redeemer; that He suffered and died to atone for sins on condition of our repentance; that He rose from the dead, bringing to pass the Resurrection of all humankind; and that we will all stand before Him to be judged, that is, to account for our lives.”

As Elder Christofferson closed his talk, he included a quote which, if applied, will lead us all to more sustainable societies:

“There is much we can do as neighbours and fellow citizens to contribute to the sustainability and success of the societies we live in, and surely our most fundamental and enduring service will be to teach and live by the truths inherent in God’s great plan of redemption…”

“If enough of us and enough of our neighbours strive to make our decisions and guide our lives by the truth of God, the moral virtues needed in every society will abound.”

That would be how a God should be and should feel about His children, and that was the God once I knew! When the missionaries came to our family and talk with us, the feeling that I had is just like the things that they taught had been inside me and in my subconscious mind since the day I was born.

And the missionaries just worked in the Lord’s hand to trigger the button in me and the truth  are all revealed out in me. I am so grateful that I do not need to go to a lot of churches to look for Jesus Christ. It is a blessing to me that I came to the true Church of Jesus Christ!

In conclusion, Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught that, a truly wonderful life (even with all of the trials that come because of the purpose of living a mortal life) can be had by anyone who comes unto Christ and truly tries to live the standards and principles taught by our Saviour. As we spread this message, we can assist in the creation of communities of peace and joy throughout the world.

We Will Prove Them Herewith

“The year 2020 has been marked, in part, by a global pandemic that has proved, examined, and tried us in many ways. I pray that we as individuals and families are learning the valuable lessons that only challenging experiences can teach us. I also hope that all of us will more fully acknowledge the “greatness of God” and the truth that “he shall consecrate [our] afflictions for [our] gain.”⁴”

“Two basic principles can guide and strengthen us as we face proving and trying circumstances in our lives, whatever they may be:

(1) the principle of preparation and (2) the principle of pressing forward with a steadfastness in Christ.”

We Will Prove Them Herewith

by Elder David A. Bednar

These are among of so many things that Elder David A. Bednar had spoken in his talk. It is indeed kind of strike my mind, and it continue to amaze me for what the Lord would want me to know. It had started from the first talk that I was trying to keep up with a study community group.

Started asked me to give a thought on my prayer, then console and comforted me with peace and be still in little trial that I faced. Continued with the assurance that He gave me through the difficulties or the path that I walk on, He able to do unimaginable things.

And, Elder Bednar said in this recent talk,

“Now is the time to prepare and prove ourselves willing and able to do all things whatsoever the Lord our God shall command us.”

From the moment that I decided and determined to start getting my physical goal done, I have started to look into other areas in my life that I need to improve, such as spiritually, socially, intellectually as per what the Children and Youth Program suggested for the children and youth in the Church.

“… One of the Lord’s primary patterns for growth and development. “Thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more.”¹¹

I slowly find some small little goals to achieve, such as Pray with Purpose, Get Moving, Get Cooking, and Reading General Conference talks. I can feel some positive changes on me that I am glad. It is to me is just get going and get doing on it! Sounds like the Nike’s slogan ‘Just Do It’!

“I invite each of us to “consider [our] ways”¹² and “examine [ourselves], whether [we] be in the faith; [and] prove [our] own selves.”¹³ What have we learned during these recent months of lifestyle adjustments and restrictions? What do we need to improve in our lives spiritually, physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually?”

I guess I need to face my trials with a cheerful heart and

“As disciples of the Savior, we are commanded to “prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”⁵

We also are promised that “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

“And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless.”⁶

The most important message that I learned is that:

“The process of proving ourselves is a fundamental part of Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness.”

Thus, take it positively every time and learn to embrace it with my own good. I am grateful for what I learned today.

Comfort Dinner @ La Juiceria x Super Saigon Main Place USJ21

Just want to post some really nice food that we had last night for dinner. We went to La Juiceria’s at Main Place USJ1. This special outlet actually is combination of La Juiceria Superfoods and Super Saigon.

La Juiceria with the deliciously healthy food and Super Saigon’s steaming hot Melbourne style Pho, come together under one roof. Here are some of the items that we ordered.

Annabelle ordered a Pesto Pasta. House made pesto sauce made from fresh herbs and pine nuts, sautéed mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, seasonal green, Italian spaghetti, parmesan cheese.

Issac ordered a Teriyaki chicken soba. Teriyaki chicken tight, soba, poached omega egg, roasted seasonal veggie, spring onion, sesame seeds, seaweed with shoyu sesame dressing.

I ordered a Special Beef Combination. Slice Aussie beef, beef brisket, beef tendon, beef tripe, beef balls.

Alvin ordered a Marinated BBQ Pulled Beef Banh Mi. Unfortunately I did not manage to take a photo of the banh mi, but it is simply delicious! Vietnamese baguette, chicken liver pate, shredded carrots, cucumber, spring onions,coriander, egg mayonnaise and red chili pepper.

Overall, we had a great meal last night!