Ancient Myan Ruins Support the Book of Mormon

My sister and her husband just got back from Cancun and had a fabulous time. As we chatted about her vacation she mentioned something that really intrigued my interest. They had gone to visit Chitzen Itza  and I was reminded of the many times that I have heard about the ancient history of Mexico that parallels the Book of Mormon.

The Tour

As she told me everything she learned from her tour guide I began to write it all down so I could research it myself. Including the interesting tidbit her tour guide pointed out - that the bearded white God is depicted with a Hebrew nose in all of the ancient art. She then mentioned that after the tour, the guide asked she and her husband if they were LDS (mormon) and they said, "yes". He replied, "Oh I wished I would have known that ahead of time because then I could have told you so much more! Your Book of Mormon supports the history and culture of this ancient people. I could have shown you so many neat things that support what you believe." This was really fascinating. In fact, I was so intrigued that right away I hit the web to do some research.

My Research

Feathered Serpent

The ancient Myan civilization reflect in their history an event that took place in which a bearded white man whom they revere as a God descended from the sky. They refer to this deity as "Kukulkan" which means feathered serpent, and the Aztecs refer to a similar deity known as "Quetzalcoatl" which also means feathered serpent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichen_Itza

The double symbolism used in its name is considered allegoric to the dual nature of the deity, where being feathered represents its divine nature or ability to fly to reach the skies and being a serpent represents its human nature or ability to creep on the ground among other animals of the Earth. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feathered_Serpent_%28deity%29

Quetzalcoatl

Many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (us Mormons) believe that Quetzalcoatl, (who has been described as a white, bearded god who came from the sky and promised to return), was actually their depiction of Jesus Christ.

Christ visiting Ancient America

I love the Book of Mormon for so many reasons. It is another testament of Jesus Christ and is a history of the native people who lives on the American continent before and after Christ came to Earth. My favorite scripture in the Book of Mormon is the event where the resurrected Christ visits the Nephite people. He descends from heaven and tells the people who He is. He then blesses their sick and establishes His church exactly as he established it in Mark 3 and Matthew 16. He promises to one day return again. I never feel the spirit so strong than when I read the book of 3rd Nephi in the book of Mormon.
https://www.lds.org/topics/church-organization/the-church-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng

The prophet John Taylor wrote:

The story of the life of the Mexican divinity, Quetzalcoatl, closely resembles that of the Savior; so closely, indeed, that we can come to no other conclusion than that Quetzalcoatl and Christ are the same being. But the history of the former has been handed down to us through an impure Lamanitish source.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatl

As I continued on my research, I found this amazing site. It yields evidence of many events that take place in the Book of Mormon, LDS history and the Old testament  such as the story of the three Nephites, the symbolism of the temple of Solomon incorporated into the Myan temples, and modern day revelation about Jesus birth date. It's amazing stuff and very fascinating indeed!

Here are excerpts taken from this website which you can read in full detail at http://www.yucatan-revealed.com/Christ-In-Tulum.html

The Descending God

Tulum is one of the most intriguing and mysterious of the Mayan cities. In fact, it is not a city at all but a temple complex devoted to the teaching and worship of the Descending God. The Descending God has been so named by the archaeological community because He is always shown with his feet in the air as if he is descending from the sky.

If Christ, having been resurrected, descended from heaven to visit the Maya, He would have come in great glory and the event would have been so singular that its depiction would have been repeated over and over throughout the Mayan world.  This is what we see with the Descending God.

Inscriptions of the Three Men

In Tulum, we find that the Temple Of The Inscriptions was built to teach all people that the Descending God was and is the supreme God of all Gods and that all things are subject to him.

The murals inside the temple tell the story of three men, who may have been responsible for the building of the temple complex. In these murals the three are portrayed as seers, possibly living in a physical state between life and death.

The outside of the Temple Of The Descending God bears symbology that represents the Descending God as the light and life of the world and that He is the living water and light of the sun. The murals inside the temple, which have great need of restoration, show scenes that depict both heaven and earth and perhaps creation.

Temple of the Descending God

The Temple Of The Descending God was built in alignment with both the morning star, or the planet Venus, and the sun so as to mark April 6th as the birthday of the Descending God.

On that day Venus can be seen rising into the night sky directly over the door of the temple and sunlight forms a brilliant star that can be seen only on that day. This is Extremely significant because Mayan Gods were known by the day on which they were born.  And April 6th is the birthday of the Descending God.

It is interesting to note that the prophet Joseph Smith, who lived in the state of New York, published in 1830 a translated ancient record which told of a personal visit by Jesus Christ to the Americas shortly after His resurrection.  In addition, he identified April 6th as the birthday of Jesus Christ.  He also identified the ancient name of the city of Zion as being Zama.  Zama was the original name for the city of Tulum.

the prophet Joseph Smith

In 1831, when Joseph Smith identified Zama as the name of the city of Zion, Tulum had not yet been uncovered and was overgrown by rainforest.  It would not be until 1837 that the jungle would be cut away from the temple complex that we call Tulum.  And, it would not be until late into the 20th Century before the April 6th phenomena would be documented and the original name of Tulum be identified as the same name Joseph Smith had used more than a hundred and fifty years earlier to identify the city of Zion.

It is also interesting to note that included in the translation of the Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith was an account of three men, two of them brothers by the same mother, who were Disciples of Christ and attended to Jesus during his visit to the Americas.  The translation indicates that they were seers and were granted the power, by Christ, to live until his second coming in a translated state.

Finally let’s talk a bit about the red hands.  In Tulum we see the red hands associated directly with the Descending God.

The 17th Century Spanish historian Lizana recorded that the Maya represented the great God of heaven by symbol of the hand, because with his powerful hands he had performed many powerful miracles amongst the people to include healing the sick.

The color of the hands is significant because red was the color the Mayas gave to the East.  The direction from which Christ will come in accordance with New Testament scripture, and the direction from which He would have come if he had visited them.

What is of additional interest is that we find the red hands in many other cities that contain strong evidences of a possible visit by Jesus Christ and which had a belief in the Descending God. 

What do you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts or anything you'd like to add - especially if you have visited these ancient sites.

I have always had a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Factual evidence or no factual evidence doesn't change my testimony one bit. This information is definitely food for thought and is the icing on the cake to what I already believe. 

I know that Christ established His church on the Earth then and today. I know that the Book of Mormon is a true book. It supports the Bible and truly testifies of Jesus Christ and His gospel. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

If you would like to read the Book of Mormon it is free and online here: http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng


Sources for this article: http://www.yucatan-revealed.com/Christ-In-Tulum.html

An "Ah-ha!" Moment

This last fast Sunday I had decided to fast for something very important to me. It seems as though I pray and fast for this often and it never happens. This time as I was beginning my fast with a prayer the night before something unusual occurred.

First, I opened up my scriptures to where I left off. Doctrine and Covenants Section 14.  Right away the words on the page began to speak to me. It's as if God was showing me what I needed to know and pray for, before I prayed. He was giving me a nudge.

The verses that stood out most were:

5 Therefore, if you will ask of me you shall receive; if you will knock it shall be opened unto you.  

6 Seek to bring forth and establish my Zion. Keep my commandments in all things.

7 And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

8 And it shall come to pass, that if you shall ask the Father in my name, in faith beleicving, you shall receive the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance, that you may stand as a witness of the things of which you shall both hear and see, and also that you may declare repentance unto this generation.   

 9 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who created the heavens and the earth, a light which cannot be hid in darkness;

 10 Wherefore, I must bring forth the fulness of my gospel from the Gentiles unto the house of Israel.

Here is section 14 in it's entirety http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/14?lang=eng

The "Ah-ha!" moment arrived. I was spending too much time during the week focusing on things that were not in any way building the kingdom of God. He wants me to ask and promises to receive but in return I need to give back. Was I helping bring souls to Christ? Was I sharing the message of repentance? Was helping build Zion my ultimate goal at the end of the day?

Sharing the gospel and building the kingdom is the Lord's priority. What if I were to match my priorities with the Lord's? It would change everything - the way I pray, what I pray about, the way I treat others, love others etc. It was amazing!

I then knelt to pray and begin my fast. I promised Heavenly Father that I would change my priorities and do all that I could to build His kingdom. I told Him that He could count on me. I asked Him that if I were to do these things, if He in return would bless me with what I was asking for.

Over the next couple of days I began to have vivid dreams with important meanings. I wrote down everything so that I could log my experience and see the Lord answering my prayers in real time. He answered my prayer in dreams, then people began to reach out to me with the answers I was praying for. God was sending me answers through other people. It was amazing.

As this was happening, I continued to do my part to build the kingdom. I spent all of my spare time reaching out to people I hadn't talked to in a while, looking for people to genuinely compliment and serve, spending time reading scriptures with my children and teaching them about the gospel. I got up earlier to pray, clean my house and read scriptures. I turned my home into a more beautiful and sacred place to be. Suddenly life was more cheerful! Everything was brighter and I could feel the Lord smiling down on me.

If this is what life is like when I change my daily focus to building Zion, then I want to do all that I can to keep that my focus. I could feel the Lord blessing me as I aligned my priorities with His.

Christmas in August

Check out my featured blog post on Time Out For Women

http://tofw.com/story/649-christmas-inaugust-the-secret-to-year-round-gifting

By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them

Matthew 7:16-20 

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

This scripture has been ringing in my mind over the past few days. There are a handful of people that I know who at one point were faithful saints and now live lives contrary to the gospel and commandments of God. I can't help but notice the similarities between them.

• They seem to be on the "attack" approach - always poking fun and making light of the gospel or people who live the gospel. 
• Associating with groups or organizations who dislike the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and/or the laws of God
• They are very verbal online. Always looking to comment on anything and everything that opposes their lifestyle or choices
• Speak as though they have a chip on their shoulders. Bitter about a plethora of things.
• Find amusement or get a rise out of "shock value" such as participating in filthy language, lude pictures, behaviors and comments especially towards those whom they know would take offense
• Always seek to make bad look good and good look bad - justifying their behaviors and looking to find others who agree with them and will support them
• Spewing anger towards those who question or disagree with them on any issue
• They are hyprocrites - pleading for understanding and tolerance but not granting it to others
• Prideful - when all the signs are pointing in the wrong direction, and the facts are against them, they will continue in that direction regardless.
• Not open or respectful of other oppinions

 I had been noticing a pattern of the similarities above and realized that all of these people were people who had left the church or no longer practice their faith. It was a testimony to me that the gospel provides true everlasting joy, happiness and peace. When you walk away from the gospel, you walk away from joy, true happiness and peace. Therefore it eats at your soul when you know what you could have vs. what you have been choosing. Giving up that happiness and those blessings removes peace from your life. No matter how you try and justify it, there will always be a hole in your spirit. This explains the chip on the shoulder or bitterness towards those who live and love the gospel.

I have been blessed with the gift of discernment and the spirit is quick to testify to me truth and error. People who emulate the light of Christ and those work against him. I can read right through people and I know their true intentions whether good or bad. I have been grateful for this gift as it has helped me avoid hazardous situations and sometimes real danger.

Unfortunately there are many who cannot easily detect truth vs. error. They can be easily deceived or persuaded my the philosophies of men and the cunningness of the adversary. Feeling guilty for supporting something that is not popular or questioning whether or not they really do believe in ALL the principals of the gospel. This can be a slippery slope to apostasy.  We know that Satan carefully leads souls away. Before you realize what has happened he has a firm grip on you and as stated in 2 Nephi 28:21 "he leadeth them away carefully down to hell".

So how can we avoid getting caught in Satan's grip? By learning how to detect good fruits vs. bad fruits. Are the people or groups you are associating faithful in serving God? Do they keep the Sabbath day holy, use clean language, watch clean movies, pray often, seem at peace, are polite and respectful towards others, love to serve, refrain from sexual sin, are chaste etc. These are good fruits. You will know these people are of God by their good fruits. On the contrary, if they gossip, complain often, cheat, lie, use vulgar language, spew hate towards and person or group, participate in sexual sin, are not chaste or virtuous, are violent or generally not at peace, they are a contentious adulterous people. They produce bad fruits and are serving the adversary whether they purposely do so or not.They are not guided by the spirit and while living in sin without confessing or forsaking their sins, will not be able to feel or recognize the spirit as they are not searching for truth through the light of Christ.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks has said (as featured in my recent post on July 6th) in cautioning about the misapplication of love and tolerance:

"Carried to an undisciplined excess, love and tolerance can produce indifference to truth and justice, and opposition to unity. What makes mankind free from death and sin is not merely love but love accompanied by truth. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). And the test of whether we are the Lord’s is not just love and tolerance but unity. The risen Lord said, “If ye are not one ye are not mine” (D&C 38:27). To follow the Lord’s example of love, we must remember his explanation that “whom I love I also chasten” (D&C 95:1). And we must remember that he chastens us “that [we] might be one” (D&C 61:8).

 Political correctness and pandering will send you into the wrong side of the battle of good vs. evil or right vs. wrong. If you have a wicked and adulterous spirit, you will choose wrongly every time. So what can you do to always be prepared to recognize the spirit discern good from evil?

Apostle Royden G. Derrick suggested in his 1984 conference address the following:

"May I suggest a formula for bringing forth good fruit and helping one to gain eternal salvation? (1) have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in yourself, (2) study eternal truths, (3) ponder and pray for understanding, (4) strive to incorporate principles of truth into daily living, (5) exercise integrity in all that you do, and (6) strive to do everything you do to a standard of excellence."

Be bold, be brave and stay true to the gospel. When you are searching for truth and living your life in line with the teachings and principals of the gospel you will know truth and you will not be deceived. You should never feel guilty or embarrassed for standing up for truth and righteousness. Surround yourself with people who bear good fruits and you will be blessed.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen. 

An Amazing Experience - Still Pinching Myself!

I spent a memorable weekend in Safford Arizona speaking at an LDS women’s conference and was so blessed to be able to share the stage with some amazing LDS artists, songwriters (for Grammy award winning artists), and bands. The Inspire My Life conference was meant for me to contribute my talents to inspire the crowd but in reality the conference inspired me!

Ron Saltmarsh and Katherine Nelson warming up

I experienced in a way I never have before the power of music. Everyone can connect through music and come together. Music breaks barriers, moves souls and invites the spirit. I was so touched by the wonderful performances, words spoken and amazing people I got to spend hours with in the green room. It was an experience I will never forget!

Gilla Valley, Arizona temple

Safford is a small town in Arizona that completely stands out from the rest of the county. I drove for three hours through hot desert on an old highway and for miles all I saw was cactus, trailer homes, garbage on the side of the highway, and several memorial sites along the side of the road where people had been killed. It was a little depressing. Then after 3 hours the highway curved and there were beautiful mountains that appeared out of nowhere. Green fields and churches lined the road. Then suddenly out of the blue I see a temple! I had no idea there was a temple in that neck of the woods. It was a wonderful surprise! The Gilla Valley temple was so beautiful. It felt like home away from home. 

Safford Center for the Arts

The streets were clean and the people outside seemed very happy. After checking in to my hotel, I went to get a bite to eat. I picked a small Mexican restaurant surrounded by palm trees decked with Christmas lights. It was Luau month and there was Hawaiian décor all throughout the Mexican restaurant. When I opened the door I heard “Hi Sister Jones!” The restaurant was owned by a well loved LDS family. They sparkled with radiance of the Savior and bright smiles. Everyone knew everyone and they were so loving towards one another. It felt so comforting especially being alone on a trip, in an unfamiliar town at night.  I felt safe.

The food was so delicious and the place was packed. I had never experienced such great customer service and hospitality as I had that night. I looked up and saw a poster on the wall with my book on it. It was an advertisement for the event I would be speaking at. These people didn’t make the connection regardless of who I was or why  was there, they treated me like family. 

The next day after the conference, I went out into the lobby to sign books and to my surprise was met with open arms and tear filled eyes of several women I had never before met.  They shared with me their different stories about how my message had inspired them and again it felt like family. It was so inspiring to connect with these humble and faithful women. To hear about their struggles and to give them hope. There was nothing quite like it and I didn’t want the day to end.

Dinner backstage

Later that night after spending all day backstage I decided to blend in with the crowd and enjoy the concert put on by the Nashville Tribute Band. The entire town must have been there and we were clapping our hands and stomping our feet. The music brought us all together and we shared our love for pioneers, missionary work, the prophet and the gospel entirely. The members of the band were from Nashville and Utah - some converts and some members all their lives. No matter our backgrounds, status or length of membership in the church – the artists, band, myself and the people of Safford were all united in the gospel that night through the music. It was so touching and inspiring.

The band members whom I had never met until that day treated me like family. We laughed, some cried, and we shared special memories about our lives and families. There was prayer, there was lots of humor and jokes – it was as real as real can get.

Me and Katherine Nelson AKA actress playing Emma Smith

As we said our goodbyes and parted after the show, I was inspired in a way I have never been inspired before. I’m going to start a new project that I am so happy about and it never would have crossed my mind had I not been a part of all this. I came home to my family a better mom and a better wife and we have all been blessed.

Michael McLean, me and William Joseph

I’ll update you later as my project unfolds but in the meantime know this - God is wonderful and the gospel it true and sweet! People that we meet in our everyday lives are sometimes no different than the angels in heaven. God uses them to protect us, comfort us and bless us in ways we could never imagine. If you want to feel God’s love – look around it’s not hard to find.

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

Here is a link where you can learn more about the conference and the bands/artists. You'll be blown away at their portfolios and talent!

http://inspiremylife.com/

Get My Book for FREE!

Great news! I released my new ebook this week on Amazon and to celebrate, you can download it for free between today and Saturday. It's an inspirational book about success, failure and God - and of course about my life! This is a great message and I'd love people to be able to read it for free, so spread the word!

Here is the link http://www.amazon.com/Successful-Failures-Recognizing-Opposition-ebook/dp/B008I74N64/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341970251&sr=8-2&keywords=lindsey+rietzsch

I'd love to hear feedback! You can visit my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/successfulfailuresbook

Boundaries and the Gospel - Coping with Toxic People

We all have people in our lives who rub us the wrong way, press our buttons, or see the glass half empty about everything in life. This can be mentally, emotionally and spiritually draining for everyone. 

During the last 7 months I had a few people in my life who fell into the above description. It was as if a black cloud followed them everywhere they went. Everything in their lives (according to them) was going wrong. They were swimming in trials, challenges and struggles and their way of coping with it was to complain. It was everyone else's fault - they were the victims. 

Now being a positive person, I am like a magnet. I attract these people into my lives unexpectedly. They come to me wanting to vent, feel listened to, validated,  justified, and uplifted. I have always done my best to listen and be a shoulder to cry on. 

Over time, it was starting to wear on me. A negative energy seems to follow these people around and if around them to long, that negative energy sucks the life right out of you. Because there were a handful of these people I was spending time with, it was triple the amount of negative energy and I began to feel stress, anxiety and exhaustion.

Now, I don't mind lending a helping hand, listening ear or my time in general to those who are just going through a tough moment. That's understandable and the Christ-like thing to do. Being there for others often helps them through the tough moment and then they are able to move onward and upward. However, the handful of people in my life were not moving onward and upward they were stuck in a state of negativity and had been for months, even since the day we had met.

Before I tell you my solution - I want to describe the unhealthy aspects that these people had in common. Maybe you can relate to someone in your life.

• If you say 'what they want to hear' then you "love them and you understand"
• If you say something they don’t want to hear but it’s being truthful (even if in a loving manner) then you are not listening and you do not understand which means you do not care.
• They frequently say, "I'm glad God is the final judge and not me..." but they do judge by pointing out others' wrongdoings or having offended them and then saying that those people are going to have to face God's judgements. Is that not judging?
• They are passive aggressive. Saying and doing things to get what they want or to get you to react the way they want.
• They are offended easily and worried that they are being judged constantly.
• They analyze everything a person says even down to their body language. To them, everyone has an alternate motive.
• They cannot seem to forgive and hold grudges. They either say they have forgiven someone but clearly they have not, or they say what that person has done does not warrant forgiveness and the Lord will understand. 
• When someone else repents of a wrongdoing - these people cannot let that former action go. They constantly bring up what that person did even if it was 20 years ago and that person has changed their lives for the better.
• They are envious of others who have good lives and are happy. They say it's not fair. "Why can't I have that? I'm a good person. Why me?"
• They are selfish inwardly. On the outside they make efforts to serve others in a self gratifying way as to point out to others that they do in fact, serve. Yet they keep tally points. Keeping track of who serves them and who doesn’t. Rather than focusing on others the focus is on themselves. Always focusing on what people are or aren’t doing for them to make their lives easier or better. 
• They'd rather have someone do something for them than show them how so they can do for themselves. 
• When someone does something kind, they point out that it could have been kinder. They emphasize what that person lacked in their service.
• They don’t have any friends. Everyone is "out to get them", has abandoned them or turned on them. They are lonely. 
• They want to always have a sense of control, in every situation and in every relationship.
•  They take on "stalker -like" qualities. Wanting your attention several times throughout the day or week. If you don't answer the phone, they continue calling and leaving messages asking why you are not responding. Demanding that you call them right away. They want to know where you have been and what you have been doing, to see if your behaviors are justified. 
• You feel the need to make excuses even when you shouldn't have to. It's as though making an excuse somehow alleviates the pressure  and prevents them from becoming offended or angry. Yet, it makes you become angry. 
• Though you really were not avoiding these people when you didn't answer the phone when they called (you just have a family to take care of and other responsibilities in your life that take priority) you now feel the desire to avoid them. You get a sick feeling in your stomach when you see their name on your phone. You lose sleep and your eating habits change. It becomes a hazard to your health.

I call these TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS. If you are giving more than you are receiving it can be hazardous on your health and your spirituality. If the cons outweigh the pros it's not worth maintaining these relationships. Here's the solution.

The Savior taught us compassion but he also taught us the importance of setting boundaries. He taught us that you can still show love for someone but not for their behaviors. He threw over the moneychangers' tables at the temple. Often he didn’t do what people wanted him to do - especially those who expected miracles just to make life easier. Whenever he did help other people he expected them to do their part. For instance, even in Jesus’ miracles he asked people to do something, usually something they felt they couldn’t do. (The blind man had to walk a long way to get to the pool of Siloam to wash the mud out of his eyes.)

We can and should be tolerant and accepting of everyone, but this does not mean that we let others walk all over us or try to control or manipulate us. We can still be kind to others but this does not mean that we have to say "yes" to everything asked of us. Someone once told me that if you say "no" with a smile on your face - you can't go wrong. 

If you are a person who has the aspects mentioned above - read this message from Pres. Uchtdorf. If you read it with a humble hear it will change your life.  http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=enghttp://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=eng

Now, if this person is a family member or you have a special stewardship over them, then I do not agree in cutting off the relationship (unless there is physical violence involved).  You will need to set boundaries with love - and stick to them.

In all other circumstances if you feel that you just need to cut off a toxic relationship you can do so in a loving way. First, try setting boundaries with this person. Let them know what is and is not okay. They need to know. If they respect your boundaries things will work out. If they cross the boundaries then you must be honest and upfront. Let them know this behavior is not okay. A healthy relationship requires respect and love from both sides. If one person is not respecting or showing love - there is no relationship. Be honest with this person in a stern yet loving manner. If you are honest - you should not feel guilty. How a person chooses to react to your honesty is their choice and not your fault in any way. 

Finally, pray for this person. Serving this person through prayer will help you love and forgive them.

I had to clean up shop in my life and set some of these boundaries. For some, they chose to be offended and removed themselves from my life. I chose not to feel guilty but actually a sense of relief. For others, they valued my friendship and gave me some space. They knew that they could come to me anytime when they had something positive to share but if they were having a pitty party they needed to be proactive find another way to take care of it.

By treating people kindly in the way we talk to them it becomes easier to say "No". After a while this person will get used to hearing "no" from you and will move on to someone who will tell them "yes". 

It's important to serve and to love others but if we let others overstep our boundaries, our capacity and desire to love and serve can be drained. This can affect our families and our testimonies. We shouldn't serve because others expect it, we should do so because we choose to. God is not a God of force or manipulation, He is a God of agency. By setting boundaries you can reserve your energy to continue serving and loving all of God's children.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.