Refining Fire

Into every life there come the painful, despairing days of adversity and buffeting.

There seems to be a full measure of anguish, sorrow, and often heartbreak for everyone,

including those who earnestly seek to do right and be faithful.

The thorns that prick, that stick in the flesh, that hurt,

often change lives which seem robbed of significance and hope.

This change comes about through a refining process which often seems cruel and hard.

In this way the soul can become like soft clay in the hands of the Master in

building lives of faith, usefulness, beauty, and strength.

For some, the refiner’s fire causes a loss of belief and faith in God,

but those with eternal perspective understand that such refining is part of the perfection process.

James E. Faust

If there were no night, we would not appreciate the day,

nor could we see the stars and the vastness of the heavens.

We must partake of the bitter with the sweet.

There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day.

 They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus they bless.

When we pluck the roses, we find we often cannot avoid the thorns which spring from the same stem.

James E. Faust

How beautiful it is to have a healthy child.

I have taken it for granted TOO MANY times.

I'm sure, from now on, everytime Bradley coughs I will be worried!

This is the life of a mother.

We sign up for some heavy stuff when we sign up to be parents.

I feel like I'm starting to come out of the fire.

Quite honestly I still feel a little beat up.

But I know one day I will look back and think,

Wow, I made it through that

AND IT MADE ME STRONGER!