ed week ~ top five

the top five things i learned at byu education week were:

5. to be grateful for my physical body
last school year, while subbing for an elementary school teacher, i heard the phrase "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit"... and well, it stuck. this phrase comes to my mind every time i realize there is something in my life that i can do very little - if anything - to change. i have been given the blessing of a body and to take it for granted it pointless and harmful. i need to protect myself from negative body image because i already know where that leads me... right now i must learn acceptance and peace.


4. obedience brings joy and peace
education week gave me a chance to assess my own 'obedience level' in a kind of way. i consider myself an obedient soul... for the most part. well, i guess i'm what you'd call run-of-the-mill in the obedience category. i'm good at following the rules in some things, and i'm a downright failure when it comes to others. i've got a stubbornness that, especially when silent, can be even more deadly than when i'm vocal about my opinion. anyway, education week opened my eyes to some areas in my life that could use some "cleaning up." ezra taft benson said, "the best measure of who we are is how Christlike we are." one of the presenters made the point that the more obedient we are, the more valuable we are to the Lord. of course there are times in our lives when we have not been obedient, but for those times one presenter said, "we cannot go backward, but we can say 'never again!'"


3. the difference between "true" and truth
there are things in life that are true, but they're more or less than truth. truth, on the other hand, is eternal, saving principles. satan doesn't tell bold-faced lies, he tells us 'true' things. but remember, 'true' things aren't the truth! let's clarify this concept by giving an example -----
    true: some are more attractive than others, some are thinner than others, some are taller than others, they're expensive to maintain, they age over time and eventually skin starts to sag.

{depressing, isn't it? but all true}

  truth: satan and one-third of the hosts of heaven were denied physical bodies when exiled from God's presence; bodies are necessary to become like God and experience the fullness of joy.


2. God is still a God of miracles
God is unchanging. we are the ones who change, dwindling in unbelief. He is trustworthy, we just need to learn to trust in Him. it is after the trial of our faith that we receive miracles and boy! do we need miracles day-by-day! miracles come in all shapes and sizes -- answered prayers, comforts, inspirations, angels found in friends, and even angels unseen. miracles are a witness of God's love for us and they have the power to transform us, but again we must remember: faith precedes the miracle.


1. even more gratitude for Christ and His Atonement
no matter what happens in my life, there is always one constant: Jesus Christ. that is the main reason for going to education week - knowing that somewhere in every lesson is the testimony of the plan of salvation and our Savior's Atonement. each time it is taught about, i learn something new and my testimony is strengthened and grows. the following are things i found particularly touching:
*we are never alone - the Savior's whole role is to run to us, to comfort and heal us when we are struggling. pain is not evidence of the absence of God's love, rather the opportunity to humble ourselves and receive the Savior. He is the one person who knows that pain we feel inside, he knows our hearts. the Savior is the one who will always be there for us, never leaving us alone.
*we can do all things with God's help - 100% of all things when we rely on Him. mercy drenches the plan of salvation. as long as we rely on our Heavenly Father, we have no reason to fear. we are able to do all that is asked of us, anything that is put in our path.
*Christ is the healer of souls, advocate, comforter: this is the resurrected Savior. the complete and infinite atonement covers everything. learning about the Savior, truly understanding His love for us and His power to save us from ourselves can change our hearts.