Category Archives: Adversity

You are loved

When times get tough, remember this reminder from the Apostle Paul.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
—Romans 28: 35, 38-39

Dallin Oaks reminds us, “The love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments, and the effect of God’s laws and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love….

If a person understands the teachings of Jesus, he or she cannot reasonably conclude that our loving Heavenly Father or His divine Son believes that Their love supersedes Their commandments. Consider these examples.

When Jesus began His ministry, His first message was repentance. (See Matthew 4:17.)

When He exercised loving mercy by not condemning the woman taken in adultery, He nevertheless told her, “Go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).

Jesus taught, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).”

All things are done according to the free choice of individuals. Dallin Oaks also reminds us, “[God] will bless us to endure the consequences of others’ choices, but He will not prevent those choices.”

Also, “If only we will listen, we can know of God’s love and feel it, even when we are disobedient.” He related one woman’s story, who said: “He has always been there for me, even when I rejected Him. He has always guided me and comforted me with His tender mercies all around me, but I [was] too angry to see and accept incidents and feelings as such.”

INspired Action INvitation: May we all obey God’s laws and feel His love rather than becoming “a law unto ourselves” by participating in iniquity, therby TURNing away from the source of our true strength and ultimate happiness.

About Carolyn Calton Carolyn Calton

Carolyn Calton is an online educator and ReNEW YOU Life Strategist. As founder of FamilyTreeQuest.com, CarolynCalton.com and as CEO of Ron Newsom's LiahonaLightAcademy.com, Carolyn helps sincere, determined men and women embrace with certainty a safe, secure framework for creating their own brighter and happier future TODAY—no matter their past. Turning heartache to happiness, those who Join her ReNEW YOU Classes and Joyful Breakthrough Membership Circles at FamilyTreeQuest.com, learn how to turn stress, anxiety, anger and dysfunction to hope, direction, happiness and peace in order to renew and regenerate themselves, their families and family lines.

Spiritual Vitality: Where is the Solid Foundation Upon Which to Stand?

Helaman said to his sons:

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
–Helaman 5:12

Enough said today.

About Carolyn Calton Carolyn Calton

Spritual Vitality: Love God Through Thick and Thin

This morning, I was pondering. This realization came to the forefront of my mind.

I have a deep and abiding desire to teach my children and grandchildren, through my example, to Love the Lord through thick and thin.

In Isaiah’s words:

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:29–31.

God helps us when we call upon His name in faith, believing we shall receive. I bear witness to His constant goodness and divine intercession in our behalf.

Consider the deepest desires of your heart. What will you do today to take creative action in order for your desires to be fulfilled? Take decisive action. Celebrate your results.

About Carolyn Calton Carolyn Calton

Under the onslaught of troubles

My sweet friend has recently experienced the death of her mother. She is a woman of faith (not losing faith), yet I know times are really tough for her right now. Many of us have undergone other trials– finances, health, frustration, discouragement and more that is spoken of in this video. My heart is deeply touched by this topic. I hope it will help you or someone you love.

Below are comments from Henry B. Eyring. I hope you will take 5 minutes to watch Mountains to Climb.

“Now I wish to encourage those who are in the midst of hard trials, who feel their faith may be fading under the onslaught of troubles. …

Finding faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will help us have the power to endure and overcome even the hardest trials in life.

If the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts the power to endure will crumble.

Acting on even a twig of faith allows God to grow it.

That particle of faith, most precious, that you should protect and use to whatever extent you can, is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord has promised, “I will not forsake thee.”

Comments are welcomed under this post on my Facebook site.

About Carolyn Calton Carolyn Calton

Flattery and Empathy

Wow. I gained insight today as I read about a man named Gadianton “who was exceedingly expert in many words.” He used flattery, others bought into it, and it turned out to be more destructive through its ripple effect than could ever be imagined!

I concluded that it’s important that we DO NOT CONFUSE FLATTERY, which is insincere praise, WITH EMPATHY, which is a sincere seeking to understand another’s situation or feelings.

I realized that many good-hearted, empathetic people in our day may confuse flattery with empathy. Many stay in more-than-difficult situations because they see what seems to be good in another person and think it’s empathy, when underneath, in the heart of the other, there is deceit and calculated choices. Destruction is brewing.

Developing the quality of discernment is important in our lives today. Discernment is keen perception or insight. To me, this must be coupled with the influence and insight that comes from God into our own hearts, so that we may see clearly and know clearly what to do next in our lives and in our relationships.

The influence of good-hearted people is needed in our ever-darkening world. We must continue to shine the light of our positive influence without fear of being used and abused. To do this, I can see that discernment is needed, so we do not become prey to those with deceitful desires and self-centered, destructive purposes in their hearts.

We must also check our own heart and the methods we use to interact with others. Do we simply use flattery (insincere praise) to get our own way, or are we truly connecting heart-to-heart through empathy. We all long to be loved, appreciated and cared about. Choosing empathy is choosing a path to healthy connections if both parties have empathy in their hearts. Choosing flattery leaves you feeling emotionally flat and alone–even in a crowd.

Reference to Gadianton: Helaman 2:4-14 in the Book of Mormon