Balm for the Soul

During the Spring I've noticed that my lips become incredibly chapped. Seriously, they look like two scaly little lizards just chilling on my face! (bad visual, I know) I have been going through TONS of lip balm just trying to keep my little puckers moisturized. So lets talk about the word "balm".  We have heard of lip balm, hand balm, there's even balm for your feet. The intended use of balm is to heal or soothe skin. The feeling when you apply a much needed coat of chapstick to your dry lips is comparable to a cool glass of water on a blazing summer day.

Aside from my lips being chapped, I have noticed that the season or stage of the world we live in has been chapping my soul. I can't go anywhere without something depleting my soul's health in some way. Our souls start out being so sensitive, but over time, we stop trying to protect them and they become more calloused. We make excuses for not applying the correct protection each day.

I don't want a calloused soul.

What are the benefits of keeping our soul soft and healthy? Well first, we are more able to feel Heaven. On my mission I met some people who had never felt God. It was impossible trying to explain to them what He feels like, and the only way they could understand was if they had a personal experience. We invited them to do certain things that would give them the ability to feel Him. As people truly desired what we were describing, they did all that they could to feel it. When they felt it, their lives changed. The felt an immense peace, or balm, wash over their souls. They had greater hope for what was ahead, they had greater resolve to stand strong. They sensed a light directing them to what was good and right.

Another benefit of a healthy soul is that we have a heightened ability to deal with life's demands. Who doesn't want that? I know the difference when I have heaven help me. It doesn't mean that bad things don't happen to me, but I can support them and deal with them so much easier. I am a perfectionist and often times I feel so down hearted about not reaching my goals. When I become hard, I can't deal with these failures. When I am soft, I have hope that as I do what is necessary, I can try again and be successful.

What balm can I use to help my soul stay soft? In all honesty, the greatest relief I have ever felt comes from when I apply Jesus Christ to my soul. This weekend the whole world has the opportunity to use some of His balm in the LDS Church's General Conference. This conference is a time when the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share with the world messages of faith, hope, peace and guidance. I promise that if you do your best to listen to even one talk, you will feel the relief I am talking about.

If you don't believe me, ask my parents how they have gotten through the past year and a half. This is real and it is powerful. Trust me!

Before I go, let me update you on the happenings with Papa Baer. Dad has been approved by our insurance company to have a fancy little breathing device in our home! This device sends warm, moist air through his oxygen hose so his lungs can get the moisture they need to behave better. When his lungs get too dry he coughs like crazy, even to the point where he coughs up blood. It's crummy. Aside from that, he has shown great progress over the past two weeks because his blood has been the desired "thinness". We had a couple of rough weeks where his blood was uber thin and he was bruising like crazy, but we finally got it under control! Still working on that swallow, building model cars, and he's even tried his hand at art! We are loving the progress he is making.

Have a wonderful week and a Happy Easter!

Aubs

Opposition

Everything has its opposite, and everything will have at least something opposing it. A few examples:

 Over the past couple of years at my old High School there have been a number of suicides.These tragic circumstances have affected student body past and present and we have joined together to try and lift and inspire those around us through a movement called #ichoosetostay. I was surprised at the opposition that came from this movement. Many people argued with those who posted a short testimony on why they would never give up. The opposed were saying that we were offending the families of those who were lost to suicide. Others commented that we should talk face to face with those suffering instead of hiding behind words posted into cyberspace. They called this movement a cowardly and lazy way to deal with such a heartbreaking reality. 

Another: 

As a student I have been privvy to some pretty wild arguments about this, that and the other. Today we see what was once deemed as good and wholesome as preachy and self-righteous. Those who stand for seemingly positive values are attacked and labeled as immoral and selfish. 

It has broken my heart to see some people suffer by trying to do the right thing. The movement #ichoosetostay was in no way trying to neglect or belittle families who have lost loved ones. Rather we hope that they can find peace from the words offered by someone who chooses life while their family is struggling with death. Someone who stands up for wholesome and traditional values is not trying to demean or devalue people who have different views, but those who retaliate so often try to shame the person for standing up for what they personally believe in. 

So what do we do? Can we end opposition? Sadly no. In the Book of Mormon (Verse 11 of the link) it says that there "must needs be opposition in all things." If there isn't happiness there isn't sadness. If there isn't light there can't be dark. By the same token however, if there isn't misery there isn't joy. If there isn't pain there isn't healing. We'd just...be. 

There will always be someone who opposes you and what you believe, say and do. Our best efforts are spent trying to do and say what Christ said and did. He knows perfectly well the loneliness that comes from being a light on a dark hill. In a document called The Living Christ it says that Christ "went about doing good, yet was despised for it." Being Christlike does make you vulnerable to worldy retaliation, but just remember, as Christ says"...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Christ has been through it so He knows how to get through it. 

Love y'all.

Aubs