Redeemed | Justin Williams | Worth of Souls

   

re·demp·tion

noun

1. 
   
2. 1. the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.
3. 
   

   "God's plans for the redemption of his world"

   
   
4. synonyms:saving, freeing from sin, absolution
   

   
   

~~~

Seems like all I could see was the struggle 
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past 
Bound up in shackles of all my failures 
Wondering how long is this gonna last 
Then You look at this prisoner and say to me “Son, 
Stop fighting a fight it's already been won" 

I am redeemed, You set me free 
So I'll shake off these heavy chains 
Wipe away every stain, now I'm not who I used to be 
I am redeemed, I'm redeemed 

All my life I have been called unworthy 
Named by the voice of my shame and regret 
But when I hear You whisper, "Child lift up your head" 
I remember, oh God, You're not done with me yet 

I am redeemed, You set me free 
So I'll shake off these heavy chains 
Wipe away every stain, now I'm not who I used to be 

Because I don't have to be the old man inside of me 
'Cause his day is long dead and gone 
Because I've got a new name, a new life, I'm not the same 
And a hope that will carry me home 

I am redeemed, You set me free 
So I'll shake off these heavy chains 
Wipe away every stain, 'cause I'm not who I used to be 

I am redeemed, You set me free 
So I'll shake off these heavy chains 
Wipe away every stain, yeah, I'm not who I used to be 
Oh, God, I'm not who I used to be 
Jesus, I'm not who I used to be 
'Cause I am redeemed 
Thank God, redeemed 

Emerson Stirling Gulbrandsen

From Katie: 

A piece of our hearts returned to heaven yesterday, all too soon. Our son Emerson Stirling Gulbrandsen left us shortly after I went into labor on his due date. (03/13/2017) They are not sure the cause, but his little heart just stopped suddenly. We know that he is ours forever and that Heavenly Father has a plan. 

We are grateful for the prayers and love.

"Whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.” — Alma 36:3

Mission Complete

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

I find it concerning that Lady Gaga performed for the Super Bowl half time show last night, millions saw this and are praising her for it. She is into Satanism and the Illuminati, Symbolism of the Occult, Paganism, Demonic Rituals and is part of the ‘New World Order’. (This is not just about her)

Actually for the last few years the performers of the Super Bowl and other large performances have had the same ideals and belief systems. Performers (Celebrities) who want to blur the lines of gender, sexuality, modesty and anything that is sacred.

**ALL HUMAN BEINGS - male and female - are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose. ~ The Family. A Proclamation to the World. The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Are we even listening to the lyrics of the music we causally listen to, or the dialogue in TV shows or movies? What about acts of violence, sex, murder, rape, drug use etc, have we become so desensitized for justification?

**Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! ~ Isaiah 5:20

Why do we hold in such high regard celebrities, musicians, writers, performers, actors, sports players and seek after wealth, fame and power?

**We must leave off the worship of modern-day idols and a reliance on the “arm of flesh,” for the Lord has said to all the world in our day, “I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.” ~ D&C 64:24

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ~ Timothy 3:1-7

The 13th Article of Faith ~

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Add to Faith, Virtue by Walter Rane

I am not looking for options or arguments about this matter.

‘So God Made a Farmer’

And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the field, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt and watch it die, then dry his eyes and say,'Maybe next year,' I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from an ash tree, shoe a horse with hunk of car tire, who can make a harness out hay wire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. Who, during planting time and harvest season will finish his 40-hour week by Tuesday noon and then, paining from tractor back, put in another 72 hours." So God made the farmer.

God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, yet gentle enough to yean lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-comb pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the leg of a meadowlark."

It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed, and brake, and disk, and plow, and plant, and tie the fleece and strain the milk, . Somebody who'd bale a family together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh, and then sigh and then reply with smiling eyes when his son says that he wants to spend his life doing what Dad does. "So God made a farmer."

He'll Carry You

He'll Carry You - Hilary Weeks ( LDS ) with Lyrics

He knows your heart
He knows your pain
He knows the strength it took just too simply breathe today
He sees the tears that you cry
He knows your soul is aching to know why
He hears your prayers each humble word
When you said you couldn't face another day he understood
He knows the path that you will find
Though you felt alone he's never left your side
Chorus:
He knew there'd be moments when no earthly words
Could take away your sorrow
And no human eyes could see what you're going through
When you've taken your last step and done all that you can do
He will lift your heavy load and carry you
He'll bring you peace and leave you hope
And in the darkest night he'll comfort you
Until you know the sun will rise and each new day
You will have the strength to live again
Chorus:
And when there are moments when no earthly words
can take away your sorrow
And no human eyes could see what you're going through
When you've taken your last step and done all that you can do
He will lift your heavy load and carry you
He hears you when you're crying in the night
He hears you when your soul longs to find
Till the morning will come
And the light of the dawn reassures
Chorus:
That in the moments when no earthly words
can take away your sorrow
And no human eyes could see what you're going through
When you've taken your last step and done all that you can do
He will lift your heavy load and carry you

The Family: A Proclamation to the World - Celebrate the Family - Our Family Photo Essay

The Family: A Proclamation to the World was given in 1995 to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and to the World as a guide to help all of us understand the importance of the family and how to have a happy family in this life and the next. 

As I put together this photo essay; it has given me time to reflect on the eternal nature of families and to see how truly blessed I am. This past year has been a hard one on me, with Donny working away a good amount of time, my health, cancer scare and surgery and with just the craziness of everyday life of a large family and all its demands. I am very grateful for my knowledge of the gospel and the blessings it bring into my life. 

To read the Proclamation in its entirety, click on the link below.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

"Family is central to the Creator’s plan for 

the eternal destiny of His children."

"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny." 

"'Children are an heritage of the Lord'(Psalm 127:3)."

"Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, 

to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, 

and to teach them to love and serve one another"

"Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan."

"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ." 

"Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families 

in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide

 the necessities of life and protection for their families."

"Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children."

"The family is ordained of God."

2011 Mutual Theme - We Believe

from Elegant WordArt by Bethany

A Thought

... And to all who suffer—to all who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely - I say with love and deep concern for you, never give in. Never surrender. Never allow despair to overcome your spirit."

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

The Blessing of Stewardship

I love springtime for so many reasons, but one of my favorites is that somehow, the cool breeze and warm sunshine motivate me to thrust open the curtains and get cleaning.

I write about this in my e-book, Spring Cleaning for Normal People, and in it, I share a three-step process to use in ten areas of your home over the span of two weeks. The idea is to work just a little bit each day for a few weeks, so that you don’t burn out or get overwhelmed before finishing.

This process deals with the physical clutter.  It gives you practical ideas for dealing with the stuff.

But spring cleaning is merely a band-aid unless you frequently take some time to evaluate your inner life and heart. This is because holding on to clutter is merely a symptom of a deeper heart issue -- and this is the place where the root needs to be nurtured and fertilized.  And sometimes pruned.

As we manage the stuff in our homes that God has entrusted to us, the question for all of us is this -- 

"Where do I put my trust?"

Do I put my trust in the stuff around me?  Do I hold on to things because,  I'm able to find a use for them around my home or they add beauty to our environment?  Or do I hold on to things out of fear?

 • Am I scared to sell our plethora of unused children's clothes given by my mother-in-law because it might damage our relationship?

• Even though our unloved Christmas china would sell for a pretty sum, am I holding on to it because I feel like it defines who we are as a family?

• Do I hold on to my old high school notes, the souvenirs from my European trip in college, and the ticket stubs from our honeymoon because if I let them go, I'll forget that they were important?

All of these questions point to heart issues; a conflict of interest between our material things on Earth and the author and perfecter of our faith.  It's good to wrestle with this conflict regularly, so that our hope remains in heaven and nowhere else.

This isn't to say having stuff is bad.  It's not.  Many, many times the material things in our life truly are blessings, and in light of these things, we must be thankful.  God blesses us richly.  Heck, nine times out of ten, He blesses us beyond all we ask or imagine, with things we don't even need.  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. But while on Earth, we constantly need to be mindful of our status here as stewards, not as owners.  And stewardship means to manage well.

 Let's manage the stuff that truly is a blessing with honor and integrity, to the glory of Him who gave it in the first place.  And the things that are no longer a blessing for us -- let's bless someone else by giving it away or selling it.

Because with spring cleaning, that's all decluttering really is -- thanking God by fully enjoying His blessings in our life, and passing on everything else so that it can bless someone else.

How will you bless someone else with your "stuff" this week?

By Tsh Oxenreider

** Since I shared this post Tsh has since started her own blog theartofsimple and wrote a great book.

Organized Simplicity

This book spends the first half sharing compelling evidence that our modern-day homes are too big, that they too often don’t represent our values, and that once we revamp our budgets, calendars, and purpose, we can our house a place that just makes sense.

The second half maps out a ten-day approach to jump starting a new lifestyle in your home—clutter-free, filled with only the beautiful and useful, and as a haven that just works for your family. It’s more than a how-to book; it challenges you to think differently about that place you call home. Does bigger really mean better? What purpose does each room serve?

Order your copy here:

• Amazon (also on Kindle)
• Barnes & Noble (also on Nook)

It's Prom - 2010

Every year in High School tradition there are the sports, activities and the dances. Here you see two beautiful girls all dressed up to enjoy their High School Prom like many girls across the US. But there is so much more behind these pictures. First of all, it’s a first for us to have two girls going at the same time. (These are daughters 4 & 5) Sierra turned “16” in March so she was old enough to go when she was asked.

 Another fact is my husband is a General Contractor, a business that has been hit really hard with the recession. Things are always tight anyway with a family our size, there is always that concern deep in your heart (do we have the money?) You want your children to be able to do all they can and enjoy the fun stuff of youth.

Katie & Sierra

Sisters!

Tanner & Katie

 Keyan & Sierra 

Here is the part that touches my heart.

My girls have such an amazing group of friends, both of these dress are borrowed from those friends, the one Sierra is wearing the young lady had never worn herself yet. Big sister Alissa did the hair and make up and big sister Kristen made the boutonnieres. My girls have always been so sensible about these things. Another thing I love, is that they are modest and they choose to be. This mother's heart is full tonight.