FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT -- Stronger than Darkness

This morning, I read President Uchdorf's masterpiece of a talk:  "The Hope of God's Light", which you can read here:  http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/the-hope-of-gods-light?lang=eng

President Uchdorf told a story about a young girl who was brutally and repeatedly abused from the age of three to the time she became an adult at age 18.  She then was finally able to escape her abuser and move far away to begin going to school.  At this time, she was introduced to the gospel.  For the first time in her life, she learned that there was light.  I can only imagine how that realization must have felt for one who had lived her entire childhood with the fear that each day could have been her last.

As she grew older, memories of her troubled past began to haunt her and threatened to consume her and drag her back into the darkness of her youth.  She attended counseling, received medication, and searched within herself and also searched the gospel's teachings.  What she eventually came to believe was that there will always be darkness, but there will also always be light.  She chose to dwell in the light.  She went on to become a schoolteacher, touching hundreds of young lives with her love and compassion.  She became a fearless defender of the weak and oppressed and dedicated her life to helping others through their own seasons of darkness.

In the past few months, there has been so much darkness in the headlines.  I like to be aware and educated about current events and I often check news websites for updated information.  During the Newtown shootings, the Boston bombing, the Jodi Arias trial, etc., I found myself curious about the latest developments, to the point that I was checking the news at least once a day, sometimes more.  I would read each article, word-for-word, trying to learn all I could about the events.  Before long, I began to feel overwhelmed with sadness, anger, and moodiness at home.  One morning, as I was booting up my computer to read the headlines which had so captivated my interest, the spirit inquired of me:  "Do you really want to go there today?"  I paused and took a deep breath, realizing that I did not want to dwell in the darkness any longer.  Instead, I chose to spend the day doing only those things that would be uplifting.

I am so grateful for the technology which allows me to try to share light with the whole world via my blog and via Facebook.  There is good all around us, even on the web, but the internet can most certainly become a dark and seductive place for those who are not on our guard at all times.  I have been inspired by several women who have used the internet as a platform to spread happiness and light to the world.  Here are some of my favorite, uplifting websites:

www.nieniedialogues.com
www.thebdayproject.com/
www.cjanekendrick.com
www.alfoxhead.blogspot.com
www.lookingupandkneelingdown.blogspot.com

I hope that my website inspires others by allowing them to see my desire to dwell in the light during even the hardest days.  Getting to know my readers, their stories, and their testimonies, makes it that much easier to find the light in my life.  Thank you.