Testimony of Tithing

I've always paid tithing. I'm grateful that my testimony on this law has always been solid. Even this past year, I haven't been working, and Trevor has only worked part time. We haven't brought in enough to completely pay rent without dipping into savings - but we still paid tithing. Somehow, our savings, though used all year, isn't completely gone. I don't know how we have as much as we do with as much as we've had to spend.

Also, this year, while I haven't been working, I had a miscarriage. This involved a day at the ER and a surgery. We feared about the bills. Visits to the ER are never cheap. Luckily, I'm still on my parent's insurance which is great. I consider even this a blessing of tithing. 

Well, about 2-3 weeks after, the bills started coming in. To my surprise, insurance paid most of it!  The trip the the ER was about $2,000 and the surgery was about $1,000. Yikes. that added up in a hurry. But, what a huge blessing we received. Insurance paid all but about $400! What a relief we felt. But that still left us with a bill we couldn't pay. We were pulling out of savings to pay rent each month. I felt guilty, because these doctors helped me and I wanted to pay my portion. I called the hospital whose ER I visited. They suggested I use their financial services. From the $200 for my ER visit, I ended up only having to pay $50!!! That was a God wink and a blessing of paying tithing! The surgery came out to about $150 that I have to pay for. But now, I have a job and in a few short weeks we'll be able to pay that off too. 

It's interesting to look at the big picture a little bit. The miscarriage was a trial and a spiritual experience for me. I know it happened for many reasons. But I also know that it was suppose to happen. I also know that God knows, and helped provide a way for us to rebound from the trial He gave us. In the end I'll end up paying about $200 for many important lessons learned. Even though it was an unpleasant experience, a lot of good has come from it. A lot of good is still coming from it 3 months later. I'm grateful for the experience and I'm grateful that God has been with us through it all and that he has provided a means and a way for us to overcome this trial, be better, and in due time, have children. 

God is great.

 - SamiMae

Missed Blessings of the Law of the Fast

A few Sunday's ago we had a lesson on the law of the fast. It really opened my eyes. I needed the lesson. I have never been good at fasting. Nor has it been on the forefront of my mind. Out of all the gospel principles and commandments, of all the little things that we are told to do - fasting is my weakest one. I had a miscarriage in September, and while I was pregnant, I didn't fast. And I hadn't fasted in the 2 or three months since.

In Relief Society, we talked all about the blessings of the law of the fast. We also talked about fast offerings. The more we talked, the more I realized that I was missing possible blessings because I wasn't keeping the law of the fast. Fasting is a choice. And I had been choosing to skip out on the blessings that come from fasting! What a shock it was to me to realize that. God wants to bless us, and I've seen many blessings come from other commandments which I've kept. But when I realized that because of my choices, I hadn't realized that I was chooseing to skip out on some of the blessings the Lord had to give me. They had to pass me by.

Doctrine and Covenents 130:20-21
20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

Yup. That pretty well sums it up. Any blessing we receive, is because of obedience to that law which we've kept. So that Relief Society lesson was a wake up call for me. I knew that I could put forth more diligent effort to obey the law of the fast. This also includes fast offerings. It was just never anything I had thought about. Trevor and I are full tithe payers, but we had just never thought about fast offerings. You might ask "How could you not think of it? It's on the tithing slip!" I know, I know. Guilty as charged.

I now have a good testimony of the law of the fast. The week after this lesson was Fast Sunday! This also happened to be the week that Trevor and I found ourselves with no internship and the thought of me getting a job. (Dec 5th weekend). That Sunday, Trevor and I decided to give a proper fast, and pay fast offerings. I was hungry, but we made it for the full fast. 

That night, we received answers to our prayers. We felt closer to God and we received a little more knowledge of His will for us. I applied for jobs, and the QuickBooks class. We felt peace. That night, our path changed for the better. I know it was because of our obedience to the law of the fast that blessings were showered down upon us that week. We gained so much from that week. We gained direction, peace, comfort, knowledge, perspective, understanding and a strengthening of faith. 

I've heard it said that our obedience is like an umbrella. When we don't obey God's laws, it's like we are opening an umbrella and His blessings do not fall on us. But when we are obedient, that umbrella closes, and God showers down his blessings upon us. 

It was amazing how much happened and how much we gained from obeying that great law. I also know it's important to fast with a purpose. Without a purpose, you are just starving yourself. But fasting with a purpose, and you are drawing closer to God. 

What are some of the blessings of fasting? You can click here to read more. 

• You can feel God's love, 
• Your relationship with God will strengthen,
• You can receive personal revelation (like we did!)
• You can receive power to overcome temptations,
• You can receive a remission of sins, 
• You can receive/witness healing and miracles. 
• You can receive spiritual strength
• You can receive health.

Side note: It was been proven that to fast once a month is a good thing for your body. It helps the body to reset and kind of cleanse the insides. It allows the body to empty and start fresh. 

I know that I've been blessed and have seen blessings come from keeping the law of the fast. It's something that I plan to do from now on. I don't want to pass up any blessings, because I know that I need all the blessings I can get. ;) We are all imperfect and need God's blessings. I also know that He is very eager to shower blessings down upon us, to rush to our aid, to help us in any and every way He can. 

- SamiMae