January 15, 2012

Sunday Thoughts: Sifting Souls

I rolled over in bed to make eye contact with Scott...

"Are you ready for this?", I said.

I had already pushed snooze every 5 five minutes for the last hour and a half. We were both clinging to the edges of our bed as Sawyer's head rested near Scott's chest and his feet were pushing on my thigh. I closed my eye's and reopened them to watch Scott rise. Somehow it always feels easier to get up when I am following behind Scott.

Thank the heaven's for Sunday Mornings.

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*Image found {Here}




















My family gains so much from attending church on Sunday mornings. Some mornings run smoothly, and some are chaotic, but NEVER do I ever regret getting my family into that chapel. There is such a peace and comfort that I receive at church that fuels me for the coming week. Taking the sacrament and renewing my covenants each week helps to keep me focused on what really matters in life.

For the past few weeks I've been trying to prepare for next Sunday when Scott and I will be speaking to the Stake Single Adults at their monthly fireside.

I've decided to title my talk Sifting Souls. I was inspired by Kim over at Oh, Sweet Joy. Her post entitled Sift My Soul really moved me and got me thinking.

Who is Jesus Christ?

He is a Soul Sifter.

He reaches into us, moves around all that we are, and helps rid us of our impurities. It isn't always comfortable and sometimes we get jarred around quite a bit.

I've been thinking a lot about how he Sifts our Soul's. For me most recently it has been through injury, illness and infirmity. For some it is through loss. It can be through the Holy Ghost, the scriptures, a sermon at church, financial struggles, unemployment, or loneliness. The list can go on forever. The one thing that is certain is that we all need to be sifted. 


And I think that the Lord uses all of these opportunities to search our souls and to heal us.

On Christmas Eve, Ryan and Kelly Pack were traveling to their home in American Fork, UT, when a SUV crossed the median and hit their car head on. Their life was changed instantly. They sustained very critical injuries and on Christmas Day their sweet 18 month old son passed away.

I don't know this family, but I can grieve with them. I know that this will be a time of a great sifting in their lives. They will have to rely on their faith and on their Savior to survive.

I wanted to share with you a sweet video that was made of Colum's funeral. I warn you that it is very hard to watch and contains quite sensitive footage, but I assure you it is beautiful. I wonder if the Lord won't sift our souls as we watch it.


Colum Jacob Pack Funeral 6/29/2010 - 12/25/2011 from Kenny Bozich on Vimeo.

Please if you have any thoughts or feelings regarding this post will you please share them with me as I am preparing to speak on this subject next Sunday. I would really appreciate it.

And if you would like to donate to the Pack Family you can do so {HERE}.


10 comments:

  1. I love the title Sifting Souls... but can I add that along with sifting that some of us... and when I say us I mean me...some of us need some SHIFTING as well... SHIFT out of the easy, the normal, the "comfort zone" and start actively serving even if it stretches us past our normal "point". Thanks for Sharing today. I needed a reminder that time is fleeting and sometimes all the "details" need to be forgotten, nitpicks set aside... and I need to SHIFT & Sift my soul into an all encompassing, LOVING without purpose or expectation mode.

    xoxo
    Michelle

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  2. I love that Michelle!!!

    Sifting and Shifting Souls.

    Great incite. Thanks.

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  3. I loved this post. Just what I needed. That video made me sob and sob!

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  4. You've given me a lot of food for thought re. sifting souls. It makes me think of separating the wheat from the chaff. Off to ponder. You're great!

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  5. wow erin! can't believe i am even typing this, as i am bawling from watching that so ever tender video of the pack family. it totally made me think of just how much we take for granted each and every day! i could not even imagine losing one of my tykes. (i am going straight to their rooms to hug them as they sleep and let them know how much i love them.)
    the pack family will have a lot of sifting to do, but i am sure they r so every grateful for Christs sacrifice so they call all be together again some day. and to know how blessed they r by family, friends, and complete strangers.
    god bless and good luck on ur talk next week!
    u 2 will rock it!

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  6. I just shed more than a few tears for that sweet family. What a hard thing for them to go through...thinking of them at this difficult time. I feel so blessed to have stopped by your blog tonight Erin...to be reminded to hold each one of my kids a little closer tonight and loved your thoughts on the Lord sifting our souls. Thank you for sharing. :)

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  7. Wow, that was touching. This last year my cousin, had a baby born with Downs, 2 years ago they had a baby die just 7 days after he was born because of problems from birth. I always wonder why people have to go through what they do and sometimes I feel guilty because I haven't had to go through as hard as things as that...but then I think that the Lord puts things in our lives at certain times just for us to learn from {I guess you could say he is sifting our souls} Who knows what my trials will be in the future. all I know is that it makes me want to be the best person I can be so that I can be with my family forever.
    Thanks for visitng my blog today, and also for your post.

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  8. Right On Sister! It was snowing yesterday here, the roads weren't plowed and yet we were some of the few at church. I was grateful to see someone cared enough to beat us and plow the walk way, what a blessing! God does sift us, like searching for flecks of gold in the dirt, amazing post!

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  9. My eyes are full of tears and my heart is aching for that sweet little family, life is cruel sometimes.

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  10. I hope you feel the spirit lift your soul as you give your talk. You lift mine.

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