 |
| "Hope comes through a knowledge that the Savior has felt all these things." --Blake Fisher |
The first of the previews was a
video of my friend Blake. I met Blake back in August and his testimony has been
strength to me throughout the time I’ve known him. A major theme I could relate
to was how his plans for his life didn’t work out. That one I can relate to. It
would be an understatement to say that my life hasn’t turned out as I planned.
I especially liked his experience in feeling that the Lord would take care of
him is something I can relate to. Recently as I’ve dealt with a kind of
culmination of dealing with Aspergers, anxiety, SSA, school, and financial problems,
I’ve found that that’s something the Lord wants me to learn too. No matter how
many experiences I have… No matter how many emotional breakdowns I have, I
always have this sense that the Lord will help me and keep me safe.
 |
| "When the Spirit speaks truth to your heart, then you know you can move forward." --Lolly Weed |
The second video is of Josh
and Lolly Weed, a couple of my heroes. I’ve met him twice (at the Evergreen
Conference fireside this past September and at the AMCAP conference weekend in
November). He and his wife actually filmed their video later the same evening
that I did mine. I remember hearing them discuss with Ty about “What more can
we say than we’ve said?” After having been on television
and all of that, you’d think they’d have told their whole story. Not quite.
This project allowed them to touch the spiritual aspect of their story,
something that the world doesn’t understand about their story. One of the first
things that impacted me—that EVERYONE should remember—is that there are NO
lesser saints. Every child of God has the potential to become like our Heavenly
Father. Every one of our brothers and sisters is capable of attaining the
highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom. I agree with them that helping one person
is enough to make all THIS vulnerability (what I’m doing on my blog) worth it.
For more on Josh Weed, check out his blog or
you can check out his story in Voices of Hope, which he wrote using the pen-name
“Jason G. Lockhart”.
 |
| "Even when we feel like what we're going through is too hard ... I know the Lord gets it." --Katharine Matis Adams |
The final preview is of Katharine
Matis Adams. Her parents wrote of her brother’s story in “In Quiet Desperation”
and she later told the story of her late husband, Christian Adams, in “Voices
of Hope”. Both her brother and her husband dealt with SSA. The love and care
that she shows for her brother and for her husband and their terribly rough
experiences with their SSA is powerful. It hurts me to hear her say that her
brother’s bishop gave him permission to stop attending church, that it was so
bad. There needs to be a place in the church for people with SSA. We are doing
SO much better now than we used to, in my opinion. However, there is still much
we can improve on. Later, Katharine talks about when her husband went to Journey into Manhood, which is when
he really began to love himself more. After all I’ve dealt with and all of the
scars that I still have from growing up with brothers who tease and classmates
who make fun, making me believe I was worthless, this makes me excited to go
and experience Journey into Manhood for myself. I hope to find that greater
love for myself like Christian did.
I’ll admit, I could never top
what Blake, Josh and Lolly, and Katharine have said in their videos. The Spirit
is SO strong, as they share their stories and their testimonies. I’d invite you
to watch each of their videos. No matter who you are or what you deal with in
your life, I hope these videos help you feel of God’s love for you. He does
love you. I hope that you feel the hope that each of these individuals
expresses and find a way to apply it to yourself, no matter your situation. My
experiences and my knowledge are limited, but one thing I know is that the Lord
loves you.
