Saturday 24 November 2018

The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.
He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.
He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.
We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.
He rose from the grave to “become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fulness of times” (Eph. 1:10).
Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:
“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father” (D&C 110:3–4).
Of Him the Prophet also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22–24).
We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—“built upon the foundation of … apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph. 2:20).
We testify that He will someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isa. 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.
We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.
Christ



https://www.lds.org/ensign/2000/04/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints?lang=eng

Saturday 20 October 2018

Shame Verses Me

I have been reading a book* about a transparent people. They are so open, that they can read each other’s minds. They do not lie, they have no secrets, they are not ashamed.

I was recently learning about picture books where the pictures tell a different story than the words, not only are the stories different, they contradict each other. I wondered if I could write such a story about my life: the narrative, what goes on in my head, the pictures, a depiction of my life. Would they contradict one another?

I am not prone to cry, even less likely to cry in front of others. Recently I found myself in tears, video chatting with SJ’s mom, feeling uncomfortable as I allowed her to see my humanity.

I have secrets. I am ashamed of who I am. I constantly fear the disproval of others. I am afraid to be wrong. I am afraid that if others really saw me, they would not like what they see. Therefore, I ponder many different ideas, but I act in a way which I think will be agreeable to those around me. If I do not know how they want me to act, I freeze. I do not think people want to see the negative emotions floating inside my head. I doubt they want to hear my apathy, I can’t be bothered to share much of it anyhow. I fear that if I share my fears and anxiety, others will fear what I fear, or they will disregard my fears, and disregard me, as nonsensical. So I hide my feelings, I hide my thoughts, I hide me.

This is a challenging way to live, and it be sure, I don’t think it is at all good for my mental health. My physical health seems to be suffering too. I want to change, I want to improve. I want to change the name of this blog, post it on my Facebook, and walk around naked (at least metaphorically). Change is hard, and I am afraid. Part of me is afraid that I don’t really know me, I don’t know who I am, not sure who I want to be. A big part of me is afraid that people will not like me if they see the real me. They will learn that I am pesky and miserable. I want to be a happy person, but when I am not happy, is it wrong to pretend to be content for the sake of others? Perhaps rather I should ask, is it helpful or harmful to pretend a mood.

It is also important for me to remember that I am allowed to change. Though posting on the internet is much like writing in indelible ink, and my past has very much shaped me, it does not define who I am today. My feelings, positions and perspectives are allowed to change, and are encouraged to do so. The aforementioned book* discusses how changing and improving are crucial in our lives, and provide us with purpose and meaning. The people have names that change and develop as they learn and become new beings. They celebrate who they become, they celebrate their accomplishments, not to boast, but as a way to acknowledge the goodness in and around them. They know who they are, they recognise their value.

Who am I? I am a child of God. Perhaps my greatest value in this life comes from being a child of God. Because he is my parent, I have potential to become like him.  I am human.

I am a daughter of God. I do not believe I fully understand or appreciate this part of me. I do not mind being female, but I wonder if there are ways I can better be motherly towards children and youth.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am a follower of Christ. I have chosen to take the name of Christ upon myself, and make and keep sacred covenants with my Heavenly Father. I desire to become like and follow Christ in all I do.

I am gay. I am particularly attracted to one woman, and I desire to express my love for her in a way that aligns with the pure love of Christ and the covenants I have made. I desire to speak more openly about my sexual orientation, but even when given an opportunity to share, I most often shy away. On a deep level, I am still ashamed that I am gay. Since I have yet to fully accept this part of myself, I cannot expect others to accept me.

I am a teacher. I love teaching! Perhaps one reason I so appreciate my job is that I can stand in front of my class, make a fool of myself and still be accepted. My inner class clown, the attention seeker I’ve always suppressed, has an opportunity to shine.

I’ve been taking anti-depressants for about 6 months now. I think they are helping, but I don’t want to rely on them for the rest of my life. I think if I can learn to be, love and appreciate me, I might not need anti-depressants any longer.

I am an auntie. I love my nieces and my nephew. I love spending time with them, though I feel like often my energy in inadequate.

I like to run, I like to bake, I like to write and I like to create, but interest in these hobbies waxes and wanes. These hobbies do not make me who I am.

These sorts of thoughts are not new to me.  They are not new to my blog.  I hope posting this post is the first of many steps to change. The process of reconciling myself with myself, may not be easy. Perhaps the next step will be changing the name of this blog, coming out to a few more people, or crying openly. Change may not be easy, but I believe it is possible, I believe it is worthwhile.

*Morgan, Marlo. Mutant Message Down Under. (HarperCollins, New York, NY: 1994)

Saturday 6 October 2018

My Very Best Friend


I have a lot of friends, I know a lot of great people, but I have one very best friend, a friend I know I can always count on, because I know she always cares about me.
There are very many reasons why I love her so much, but I will just name a few. She is incredibly humble. She eagerly learns from others, accepts feedback and seeks to improve. She doesn’t think of herself as being better than others, but values all people and sees good in them. She is patient. When waiting in necessary, she is willing to wait. She is helps me to wait patiently and recognise the good in each day. She is responsible. When there is work that needs to be done, she does it. When sleep is the responsible option, she takes it. She is also very hard working. She is respectful. She will never treat me in a way that makes me uncomfortable. She listens to and cares about my opinion. She values my thoughts and she values me.
The more I realise that she cares about me, the more I feel safe trusting her with my heart. It is hard for me to believe that someone might love me, and yet, I know she does. It is wonderful. Though she is far away, we look forward to a day when we can live together and do life together. I wish that could be right now, but she reminds me that we need to be responsible and patient.
I can imagine a day when I won’t be waiting for her to come online, rather, I will be waiting for her to come home to my embrace. I look forward to a day when we can eat together, shop together, play together and pray together.
I want to tell the whole world about my very best friend, but they have a hard time understanding. Most seem to doubt that we can accomplish our goals and our dreams. I look forward to proving them wrong. Still, their hesitation, and the uniqueness of this friendship, can make me hesitant to share this good news with others. Regardless, I don’t need them to understand, because my very best friend takes time to understand me.
Our friendship is sacred, special, unique and peculiar. Our friendship is ours. It does not require the approval of others, we seek rather to delight each other and to serve our God. 
I am so thankful to have a very best friend who cares so much about me.
Happy Birthday SJ.  I love you!


Monday 17 September 2018

Canadian


Being Canadian means smiling at a stranger
when it is minus twenty-two
and this common experience
connects me to you.

Being Canadian means loving our land,
Enjoying the mountains, prairies and sand,
Laughing with the geese as they fly away
The winters’ snow and gusts we will withstand.

Being Canadian means watching from the sideline
as our big sibling makes choices
and we can only shake our heads
and raise our silent voices

We wait and see what will come to be
and hope we don’t make the same mistakes
We hope that we can stay afloat
that we don’t drown in their wakes.

Being Canadian means clinging to our own,
and watching as ownership slides through our fingers
to another American company
And only historical pride lingers.

Being Canadian means listening to the CBC
allowing them to normalize differences
giving voice to the minorities
challenging our inferences.

When others are different,
we stick up for them
We’re united in our uniqueness
Those who are rare, are our gem.

Being Canadian means I am sorry,
for the hurt and pain on this earth,
I take responsibility
Though I can to little to help of worth.

Being Canadian means feeling small
Though grand in size our numbers are few
Like a little sister we tag along
trying to be liked while to ourselves staying true

Being Canadian means knowing who we are not
before knowing who we are.
Being Canadian is always changing
Looking behind to see we’ve come far.

Being Canadian means I must end by saying
That this is what being Canadian means to me.
But out there, I’m sure, are 36 million ways to be.
Each one is right and each one is free.

Saturday 4 August 2018

Eyelash

We had transformed our basement into a theatre. The large room at the bottom of the stairs was divided into a seating area and the stage. The rooms which linked around the basement felt like secret passages and acted as our backstage. I sat with Celine it what was an undeveloped laundry room turned into our hair and makeup studio. I would have objected to the idea of makeup, but I knew I didn’t have a say. I had already heard her articulate the importance of stage makeup, and it was opening night. As she applied mascara, she commented on my eyelashes. They were long, and she said beautiful, and I didn’t care. “Someday,” she promised, “you’ll be grateful for them. They will catch the attention of all the cute boys.” I shuddered at the thought. She discredited my discomfort, and guaranteed that when I was a little older, I’d be grateful for my eyelashes, I’d want to know how to apply makeup to them, so they would jump out and capture the attention of men.
Age came, but I remained indifferent to my eyelashes. Beauty was something I hid rather than embraced. Baggy clothes offered a picketed fort of protection from where I could fire warnings at any male who got too close. More often than not, however, I just hid. I was glad that I was so successful, most of the time. Occasionally I’d wish someone would notice me. Honestly, I was always longing for attention, but I didn’t want the sort of attention I would garner by wearing makeup or stylish clothes. It didn’t seem to matter how much my age increased, my desire for the attention of cute boys, or men, never came to be. And just as I felt uncomfortable when Celine complimented my eyelashes, I continued to feel bothered every time someone suggested that I am beautiful. That suggestion had me worried that I might attract the attention of a man.
However, when SJ tells me I'm beautiful, I do not retaliate. When she tells me, my defence system is not triggered. When she tells me, I don’t think for a second that what she is actually communicating is, “don’t worry, some day, some boy will be attracted to you.” When she tells me, it is never with the suggestion that I wear mascara, fix my hair, or engage in any other activity to enhance my looks. She is talking about me, just as I am. When she tells me, she speaks both of my interior and exterior qualities. When she tells me, she believes it. And sometimes, when she tells me, I almost believe it myself.  When SJ tells me that I am beautiful, suddenly I care. I don’t want her to ever change her mind. I look at me in the screen and wonder if my nose is too pointy, if my wrinkles are to pronounced, yet I know SJ thinks I am beautiful. I also trust that as my wrinkles become entrenched, and all my hair turns white, she will still find me beautiful.

Saturday 7 July 2018

To Sacrifice All

Sometimes God asks for sacrifices. A classic example is that of Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son. Abraham, determined to do as the Lord commands, takes his son and sets of on that journey. He will be obedient. I wonder if Abraham ever doubted, after his arm was stayed, after the cords which bound his son were loosed, as he watched a ram sizzle upon the alter, I wonder, if at that moment he wondered if it should have been his son’s flesh burning. Did he question if it was really an angel which stopped him from killing his son. Did he ever wonder if perhaps it was a demon, or his own imagination?
Perhaps there are times when God wants us to be willing to sacrifice everything, when he tries our faithfulness, takes us to the edge of the cliff and then pulls us back. Do we then, hang out on the edge of the cliff, waiting again for God to change his mind and tell us to jump, or do we enjoy the meadow and trees behind us? Perhaps God is saying, “well done faithful servant. Because you were willing to give this up, you may now enjoy it.” Because Abraham was willing to kill his son, he was able to thereafter enjoy time with his son. Still, that son belonged to God, and was called to a righteous purpose. Abraham was required to raise his son in righteousness. I think of the Israelites who were required to bring animals for sacrifice, and yet were given a portion of the animal back to sustain them.

Yes, God requires sacrifice, and he requires obedience, but he will bless us in ways far beyond our comprehension. He will bless us in ways we never thought to ask for or imagine. When he does, he wants us to enjoy the blessings, and remember that they came from his hand. For my blessings, I will thank God, They are a gift, given because of his goodness, a gift I can experience because of my obedience. May my life glorify God.

Saturday 23 June 2018

I am gay, and that's okay... but I am not sure what that means.

When I told my bishop that I am gay, he told me “that’s okay.” I’ve been wondering ever since exactly what that means. Does it mean it is okay that I like rainbows and the colour purple?
I suppose it is difficult for me to say what it means for me to be gay, because I don’t like stereotypes. I can’t say that the reason I like playing soccer is because I am gay. Maybe I just like playing soccer. So, perhaps I can stick only with the basics. I am gay, that means I am attracted to women, and that is okay. God made women beautiful, and it is okay if I notice that beauty.
Perhaps a better starting point would be: “I am me, that’s okay, but what does that mean?”
My identity and my understanding of myself has changed a lot in the past 7 years. I was once held the belief that Mormon’s were very wrong, and headed to hell. Now I am a Mormon. I once thought that being gay was a choice, and that being gay was a wrong and bad choice. Now I identify as gay. I once thought I’d be a Christian youth worker, now I teach adults in a secular environment.
I’m a Mormon, and that is okay. Generally I have come to terms with this. I have grown in my faith and confidence, and my love of the Book of Mormon and our living prophets. It is still tricky around my family as I try hard to avoid offending them, and as I fear I cannot fully talk about that part of my life. At times I feel like they do not want to hear much about the church. At other times, being a Mormon is hard for me, and I don’t want to express these struggles in a way which might make the church look bad. I am a Mormon, being a Mormon is hard, and that is okay.
I am gay, and that’s okay. It took me many years of life to accept my orientation, and even now, I am not sure I fully understand what it means. I am coming to understand that being gay is about more than dealing with certain temptations. Yes, there are certain temptations that come with being gay, but there is more to being gay than being tempted. Perhaps being gay is more than okay, perhaps it is beautiful. God didn’t just make me okay, he made me good. He has a plan and a purpose for me, yes, even for the gay me. We are not all meant to be the same. We are beautifully different, and gay me has something unique to contribute. I am gay, and I hope one day I will fully see that I am gay and that’s beautiful.
I am a teacher, and I really do love my job. Sometimes I feel bad for leaving behind the dreams of my youth, but I am happy to do what I do, and to allow this job to become part of my identity.
Another addition to my identity which I picked up nearly 5 years ago is the title “Auntie.” I love being an aunt, and I seek to be the best aunt ever. At times this is very hard, as depression and anxiety keep me from engaging as fully as I wish I could. But, I love being an aunt. I love my nieces and nephew.
I am me, and that is okay.



Thursday 19 April 2018

I felt like… a prophet.

I’ve been teaching English as a Second Language, and I generally enjoy my job. I work part-time and pick up other shifts subbing. I was asked to sub yesterday, and I was asked to give the students an assessment… a test. The students were not pleased by this news, and it was very much new news to them. I took the first part of class teaching them about letter writing. It was supposed to be review, but it seemed full of ideas foreign to my students. When it came time to administer the test, they retaliated. They gave me every good reason why they should not have to write the test, and begged me just to teach them instead. I told them we were writing the test. I tried to prepare them for the test, giving them all the information they would need, but they were not listening. They had determined that they were not writing the test. I tried to explain that the test was the material which the teacher had left for them. I was just following orders. I didn’t know why she had left them this test, but I gave possible explanations, guessing at her motivation. They were stubborn. So was I. They threatened to go to a different school, an easier school, if I made them take the test. At one point another teacher walked by the window. I gave a slight nod of my head, beckoning for his help. When he entered, I told him the situation, and he told the class that I was just following orders. They could complain to their teacher, but they shouldn’t complain to me. It was nice having him back me up. He was a second witness, but the class still did not care.
It was then that I started to cry. I didn’t want to manipulate them with my tears, really, I didn’t want to cry, but it didn’t feel like I had much choice.  My tears softened them, but didn’t change their resolve. They assured me that their frustration wasn’t against me, they promised that they liked me, but they were frustrated with all that had gone on that semester and they were not writing that test. One of the students came and put her arm around me, another told me not to cry, while a third asked me why I cried. The only answer I could think to give him was that I am fragile. Through my tears, I taught them the English saying “don’t shoot the messenger,” and pleaded with them again to write the test. One of the students asked me to just teach them. “I can’t teach anymore,” I said. I didn’t mean I could never teach again, only that it is hard to teach and cry at the same time.
The hour allotted for the test was now diminished by half. My resolve was weakened, and I asked them to try. I told them to do the test as practice, and I would help them, and they could ask me questions. I placed the tests on their desks. They looked one to another, trying to decide if they would indeed try. Slowly pencils met papers and they began the test.
I reflected on the question, “why did I cry?”
I cried because I felt disappointed.
I cried because I felt like they were trying to manipulate me.
I cried because I want to do what I have been told to do. Foundational to my molarity is a need to do what I am told, and what I have agreed to do. I am good at following instructions, but they sought to deny me of the joy of doing that.

As I walked home, I thought about prophets. I thought about prophets like Samuel the Lamanite who stood declaring a message only to have people hurl stones at him. I thought about prophets during the years when black members could not hold the priesthood. They wanted to give suggestions about why that might have been so, but really they did not know. They were simply doing what they had been told to do. I thought about prophets today, declaring hard truth against gay marriage. People may threaten them, tell them they will join a different church, an easy church, if the prophets don’t change their mind. The message doesn’t come from the prophet. If we must complain, we should complain to God. President Nelson offers that invitation in these words, “Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen!” (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng)


I’d better post this, and then get back to work.

Friday 13 April 2018

Death or Life

The blogpost I read yesterday left me feeling pretty hopeless.
What I took away from it was that the only way to find happiness in this life is to hope for, seek for and hopefully find, a romantic partner, where both partners feel strong romantic feelings for the other. One idea that was strongly presented was that denying oneself of the pursuit of a romantic relationship resulted in dying, in becoming more and more anxious and depressed and far too often in suicide. While he did not quote any sources, he spoke with one having authority, and I cannot deny his struggle nor the struggles of so many like us.
Am I depressed because I don’t seek for a girlfriend, because I don’t allow myself to hope for a romantic relationship with someone I could love?
Is there no other way to be happy but to search for a romantic partner?
Even if I take anti-depressants, if I exercise and socialise, am I fighting a losing battle? Is the battle to become a happy, faithful Latter-day saint one that I can never win?
Am I dying? Am I killing myself slowly by denying myself of an intimate relationship with a woman?
With these heavy questions playing through my mind, I got to bed late, only to wake up early to head to the temple. While the temple has motivated me to stay faithful before, I wondered if it is really worth it. I go to the temple regularly, I enjoy my time there, but it hasn’t brought lasting peace into my day to day life, it hasn’t made me happy. It hasn’t taken my depression away. I am still dying on the inside.
Before the session began, I found myself focused on a picture I had never noticed before. It is a picture of Jesus Christ standing on a hill outside of a city. I wasn’t sure if it was depicting a specific story. What I did notice, however, was the light radiating from the character of Christ. I was reminded of my institute class from yesterday. “I am the light and the life,” Jesus said.
It struck me, Jesus Christ is my source of life. No potential lover can take his place. While I believe that (and I also believe looking for such life from humans will lead to disappointment), I also believe there is value, a lot of value and a lot of good that comes from human interaction and human intimacy. It isn’t good for Patricia to be alone.
As usual, I struggled to stay away during the session. Suddenly, a phrase hit me, jolting me awake, having me wish I could rewind and listen again. It was a phrase reminding me of a covenant I made with God, a covenant I made to sacrifice, to sacrifice, if necessary, even my life. If the aforementioned blogger is right, if foregoing any hope of a lesbian lover causes me to die inside, even death is not a reason to forsake my covenants, for dying is what I have covenanted to do.
I didn’t get any warm-fuzzies, while I was in the temple, telling me that my life would be easy and happy, but I was reminded that I do have hope. I hope for that which God has planned for me, I hope that his plan is greater than my plan. I hope, indeed, I have faith that what he offers is greater than the joys I could find in a romantic relationship. I don’t know what God envisions for my life, but I know his vision is greater than mine and so I have hope.
I hope that hope is enough to keep me going and to keep me living. Not just to keep me physically alive, but to keep me alive, and thriving, inside.


Thursday 5 April 2018

Enlarge My Plate

I know that feeling of having too much on my plate. I feel that way almost every day. The reality is, while I feel like I have far more to do than I can possible handle, I don’t. While I feel that adding one more activity to my week, will cause my balance boat to tip and sink, it won’t. The reality is, most days I have plenty of time to waste playing games on my phone and I can’t find the motivation to engage in useful tasks because none of them are pressing.
Today I took on a task, made of goal, which I am not sure I can accomplish. As I was feeling overwhelmed, I prayed, expressing how I felt that I had too much on my plate, but acknowledging that I can accomplish more than I think I can. Rather than praying for activities to be taken from my plate, I asked that my plate would be big enough. Rather than having fewer tasks required of me, I want to have the ability to accomplish more, and, I want to have peace, knowing that God will not ask me to do more than he will enable me to accomplish.


Mosiah24:15 “And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.”

Monday 2 April 2018

Freud*

I am sure Freud would say
I have some sort of repressed memory
Something that happened
That makes me the way I am,
But what if
I am just the way I am?
Perhaps if I
Make up a reason,
Create a repressed memory,
I’ll have something to blame,
Something to call wrong,
So it will no longer be me
Who is wrong.
If I create a repressed memory
I’ll have somewhere to start.
A place from where
healing can begin.
If Freud is right
Maybe I can be alright

After all.

*I took an introduction to psychology course about ten years ago.  That is all I know about Freud, in other words I am not an expert and have no idea what he would say.  I don't think I have a repressed memory of a dramatic event, but I do at times think it would be nice if there was a reason why I have the struggles I have.  It would be nice to have something to blame so that I don't need to shoulder the blame.

Monday 12 March 2018

Now!

While symptoms of depression and anxiety are not new in my life, I am finally realising them for what they are and deciding that it is time for a change. A great motivator has been writing a list of what “better” would look like.

What better looks like:
confidence in social interactions
church without fear or extreme discomfort
grocery shopping without feeling overwhelmed
better understanding and awareness of my feelings (recognising stress prior to feeling physical symptoms like stomachaches and headaches)
no thoughts of self harm
no negative self talk
willing to make commitments
worry doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of the present
greater awareness and acceptance of my attractions
no disproportionate reaction to touch
no dread of going to bed
motivation to wake up in the mornings
consistently care about what I care about
friendships in which I am raw
no delay of leaving/being late because of fear/discomfort about where I am going
no general aversion to food
no feelings of vulnerability when wearing a skirt
be okay with looking pretty/attractive
give worries reasonable weight/attention
hope
social interactions a delight and not a burden

Since making this list I have been more motivated to get help and get better. This morning I saw my doctor and she suggested I try some counselling to see if that helps before trying meds. Counselling, learning to change my though patterns, take time and is work. Meds also take time to work. I want to be better now. I don’t want to wait, and I don’t want to work. I crawled out of bed to go see the doctor; when I got home, I crawled right back into bed. I guess I don’t have much hope. I can’t promise myself that every aspect of better will be accomplished as I heed the words of my counsellor; improvement won’t be in an instant, but it is possible.

And yet:


If I were miraculously healed now, I’d feel like that would discredit my current feelings. The difficulty I am having in explaining this is perhaps evident that this thought process is illogical. If I instantly get better, then I will believe I was never sick. I want to be sick. I want to be sick because I want there to be a reason I am feeling as I do. I want to be sick because then there is reason to hope that better is possible. I want to be sick because if this is normal, normal is horrible. Normal isn’t worth living. If I am miraculously happy now, if I wake up as jolly as a daisy tomorrow, I’ll forget how awful I’ve felt. These feelings so present now will flutter away with the dust, and I’ll begin to believe I always was fine. If I wake up happy tomorrow I’ll decide I don’t need counselling, and certainly not medication, but these awful, horrible feelings inevitably will come back. They always do.

Thursday 1 March 2018

Purpose

As a missionary I taught the Plan of Salvation as an answer to the question "why we are here?"  It is an important question which the Plan of Salvation answers in many big ways.  We are here to learn, grow and progress.  We are here to gain a body and to eventually live with Heavenly Father again.  We are here to be part of families, to love and to be loved.  We are here to face challenges, hardships and trials, and ultimately, to overcome.  We are here to try, and because of our saviour's atonement, we are here to make mistakes, to learn to repent and to find forgiveness.  We are here to have joy.

Regardless of knowing the above, I go day to day often with little purpose.  I don't know why I get out of bed in the morning, I don't know what to do with my time to make it meaningful, I don't know why I am here.  Living life without a purpose is really hard.

When it was suggested to me today that I have a hard time finding purpose in my day to day life, I wanted to retaliate.  I wanted to argue "But the Church..." The Church, the doctrines it presents, provide meaning in my life.  I ought to have purpose, I know the doctrine, I have taught it time and again.  That said, I could not disagree.  From day to day, moment to moment, my life lacks purpose.  I notice this lack of purpose when I am playing games on my phone, not because I am enjoying the game, but because I can think of no activity which would bring meaning into my life.  I notice this lack of purpose when I cannot will myself out of bed in the morning.  I notice this lack of purpose when I check my social media accounts again and again, not sure what I am looking for, but never finding fulfillment.

Yet I believe the Plan of Salvation is God's plan for us, even for me.  However, I have a hard time applying it to the moments which make up my life.  My purpose here is to progress, to become like God.

How does waking up early and actually getting out of bed help me to become like God?
How does brushing my teeth help me progress?
Will I progress faster if I make and eat pancakes for breakfast or if I eat cereal?
How does my decision on what I wear help me to progress?
And then what?  What meaningful activities can I do before work which will help me progress?
Yes, there is scripture study, and prayer, but what else?
Does sending a text help me progress?
Do I progress as I play games on my phone?
Will skating endless figure-eights aid in my progression?
Does developing and using my skills help me to progress?  Which skills should I develop?
How do I make sure work is more than work, but that I take hold of the opportunities in which I can progress?
How does staying up late writing a blog post help me to progress?

Perhaps it seems silly to consider how each action plays in to my eternal destiny (and if I do not go about this carefully, I may end up feeling stressed about my lack of progression), but if my actions are not eternally significant, then they are not significant, and quickly I begin to wonder if I am significant at all.

If I am going to find joy, I must see the greater significance behind my seemingly meaningless actions.  I must determine which actions will help me become who it is that I want to become.  Progression is a slow journey.  I cannot expect to find meaning in a day.  I still do not know what will get me out of bed tomorrow.  Yet, if in each day I can find some meaning, if I can understand, even if ever so slightly, how my activities are helping me become the best me, if I can take small steps forward, then let me celebrate.  I am here for a reason.  "This is the day which the Lord hath made; [I] will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

Wednesday 21 February 2018

A Diagnosis is not an Excuse

I have often seen memes on social media celebrating the small victories in the lives of those who struggle with depression, anxiety or other mental health issues. These memes remind those individuals who suffer with such illnesses to take it easy on themselves, to be pleased if they make it out of bed in the morning even if they do not do all the world demands of them, or all they expect of themselves. I agree. We should celebrate our little accomplishments, even if for others, our accomplishments are their daily routines. We mustn’t beat ourselves up for accomplishing less than others, or less than we wish we could.

But I wonder, and I wonder this only for myself, how do I know if I am doing my best? How can I tell if I am making excuses to stay in bed, when really I could be out enjoying the sun, and how do I know when I am doing my best. An expansion of that question is, am I really mentally ill, or am I just lazy. If I get a diagnosis, do I by extension get an excuse to stay home, hide out and do little?
Unfortunately for my lazy self, the answer is no. A diagnosis of depression is not an excuse, it is an understanding, and it allows for new approaches for battling the mountains of everyday life. And when I put it that way, I remember that I like mountains, and life is to be enjoyed as well. Life is hard, a constant challenge, but within the journey there is joy to be found and wonders to behold.



Perhaps with a diagnosis there comes tools, tools to see the views more clearly, to hear the birds, and to understand the pathway better. Perhaps with a diagnosis comes the support to make it over the mountain placed before me each day. Whether the mountain be mighty or mini, it will be a mountain which I am equipped to face and which I can conquer as I accept all the help I need. I want to have the desire to climb mountains. I don’t want to look for excuses to moan at the bottom, stuck in self-loathing or apathy. I don’t want an excuse to stay where I am. I want the help I'll need to climb the mountains I’ll face, no matter how big or little they’ll be. So I will celebrate getting out of bed, but I won’t be content until I’ve stopped to sample the nectar of the castillejas and can look down in awe from my summit of the day.