Do You Know Who You Are?

So, a lot of friends told me that I needed to start a blog. We are currently having them evaluated at a local psychiatric hospital as I speak. I DID however think that this was a great way of keeping a journal for the little things that happen each day in the life of my kids and I. Most of you will understand this to be my "larger plates" while I will keep my "smaller plates" to myself.

Last week I was asked to give a talk in church. It was the first talk I have been asked to give for almost ten years! Not that I am complaining. I spoke at my mission farewell, was never asked to speak once in over a years time on my mission and then came home sick from my mission and therefore did not give a return talk. I have not been asked to speak since (probably because there were protests in the street). So my last talk in Church was in July 1998.

I am not going to go off quoting myself because that would be a little ridiculous, but I will share some things I learned while preparing this talk. I used the subject of Dean R. Burgess talk from the Priesthood session of General Conference, but went in a little different direction. The topic? "Do You Know Who You Are?" Here are my thoughts:


1. Do you know who you are in your family? I talked of our important roles in our families. I realized the importance of every person in a family and of constantly working together as a family. I know the love I feel for my kids as well as for my siblings and parents. It is important to know who you are the role that you play as well as the role you SHOULD play.

2. Do you know that you are a child of God? I think too often that we forget the real meaning of this. I think it is great that many of us learn at a young age that we are children of God. That alone makes us capable of so much. I love the following quote and I used it in my talk:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

So, my question is "Who Are You Not To Be Great?" I love this quote, it is definitely one of my favorites.

3. Do You Know Those Around You? As I feel the love my Savior and Heavenly Father have for me, I can begin to see people in the world as They see them. We need to all realize that we are ALL sons and daughters of God and treat each other accordingly. I have worked to view others as I believe They view them. I may or may not have made a difference in that persons life that day, but I have made large differences in my own life. It is not always easy for us to do (I don't have the whole "perfect" thing going for me quite yet), but it makes a difference. It is much easier to love, tolerate, and be patient with those around us as we try to see people as our Savior and Heavenly Father do.

That is by no means my whole talk (consider yourselves very lucky), but just some feelings I thought would be appropriate to starting off the blog. Plenty more ramblings will follow I am sure.