My Bout with Doubt

Since we moved into our transitional house, my youngest (the baby) has been coughing up a storm every night in the middle of the night. She has been getting over a cold and for some reason in the middle of the night it manifests itself.

Well, a couple of nights ago I was tired and exhausted from the move, her birthday party, Fall festivities and her coughing every night. When I heard her cough I was too tired to get up out of the bed and try all my experimental remedies that help her through the cough attacks. More than anything I just wanted to sleep. I had an idea.

I prayed a silent prayer to Heavenly Father that He would stop her coughing and allow her a restful sleep as well as myself. I told Him why I needed rest as did she and how much this would mean to the both of us. At the end of my prayer she stopped coughing - I was so grateful for the silence and was then able to fall asleep.

About 3:00 am I woke up and realized that she had been continuously silent and had no other coughing attacks. I couldn't believe it. Instead of attributing that to the Lord I began to wonder if something had happened to her. Maybe she had died and that's why she was silent. I would feel so bad if she had died and it was my fault because I was too tired to get up with her when she was coughing. Realizing that I was doubting the Lord I began to struggle with my thoughts. Getting out of bed to check on her would mean that I doubted the Lord, yet trying to fall back asleep left me feeling guilty - what if something had happened to her?

After struggling with these thoughts and the agonizing fatigue I was experiencing, the Lord sent me a tender mercy as well as a wake up call. My baby began to cough. I was so happy to hear it. Then as she coughed, and coughed, and coughed, I sheepishly said to the Heavenly Father, "Lord, I get it. I'm sorry I doubted. Thank you for your hand in all things. Please allow her coughing to stop....again." And just like that, her coughing stopped. It was silent the rest of the night.

And so it is with so many things in our lives. The Lord answers our prayers and blesses us and then we later question the choices we made on the confirmations we received. Were they really from Him? Was it our our thoughts and desires overpowering the Spirit?

Doctrine and Covenants 6:36

Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

Mathew 14:31
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Mormon 9:21

Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.


Bottom line. When you ask the Lord for something recognizing and accepting His will, and you get it - He answered your prayer. Do not doubt but rejoice!

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen.

Faith, Prayer and a Camera

It's amazing to see how traffic is rapidly increasing on this blog. When I first started it a couple of years ago I did not expect it to reach so many people! Thank you for all of your comments - I love to read them! For some reason blogger is having technical difficulties and it won't let me respond to your comments lately. Leave your emails and I'd be happy to write you personally anytime.

I just moved and so the last couple of weeks have been crazy. I had quite the spiritual experience this morning and I promised God that I would write about it right away on the blog today!

Last night I was taking pictures of some recipes I had made for my food blog and afterward had set my camera on the kitchen counter. 30 minutes later I went to grab it so I could take pictures of our amazing Halloween decorations in the front yard and....it was nowhere to found!

I did a quick search through the house and then had to leave for an appointment. While I was gone my husband and sweet children turned the house upside down looking for the camera. I really needed it because today I was going to catch up on all my blog posts and I had taken the cutest Halloween pictures of my family this week - also my youngest has a birthday party on Saturday and I needed my camera!

After the appointment I came home and for the next hour my husband and I searched every heater vent, window sill and pillow case for the camera. No spot was to be overlooked. We all knew I had set the camera on the kitchen counter and I hadn't left the kitchen at all. It was sure a mystery. I was certain it had been swallowed up by a black hole.

That night I prayed that the Lord would help me find it. I had the impression that this was to be a spiritual learning experience for my children about prayer. In the morning I had my children kneel with me and we prayed to God to help us find the camera. I then said my own personal prayer explaining to God why I needed to find my camera and that I know that he knows all things. He knew where my camera was and I had the faith that He would guide me to it. I asked Him to reveal to me where to look.

After my prayer I had the feeling to go back to the kitchen. We all began looking together. I then felt drawn to the pantry. We had looked there so many time already, but I knew I had to look again. As I combed the shelves I was reminded that after I had taken pictures the night before, I had cleaned up the kitchen. It was possible that I had put the camera in the pantry with something else. Trying to remember the things I had put away, I saw my cookbook. Just then I had the best feeling ever. I grabbed the cookbook and felt something heavy inside. I opened it up and the camera fell out - right in front of my kids!

Right then and there I told them that we needed to kneel down again and thank God for answering our prayers. So we did. My kids were beaming with joy as was I. I taught them that God answers prayers based on your faith. We asked, we had the faith and He answered.

As parents especially mothers, we need to teach these truths to are children. Even better - they need to witness it in action. This will give them the faith and testimony they need when life's challenges come their way.

So many scriptures come to mind about this very subject. My favorites are:

Doctrine and Covenants 29:6

And, as it is written—Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive.
JST Mark 9:45

Seek unto my Father, and it shall be done in that very moment what ye shall ask, if ye ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive.

3 Nephi 18:20

20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

Alma 7:23

23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.


It is so true. The Lord knows all and if we have faith with no room for doubt He can tell us, show us and provide for us whatever we need at the time we need it!

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen.