We have been spending the last few months studying attributes as they pertain to becoming peacemakers, and today we want to dig a little deeper into a big one—R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Have you ever had a hard time understanding meekness? It’s one of those attributes where the world’s narrative and the gospel don’t really match up.

Do you ever wish someone would just tell you what to do? One study recently showed that on average women make up to 35,000 decisions A DAY! No wonder we are a little tired each night!

Summer is here! Is that exciting or overwhelming? Maybe both? It sort of feels like no matter what your situation is, season changes bring new circumstances!

A few months ago, we asked the Magnify community (that’s YOU) what they needed most in life right at that moment. The answer was overwhelmingly universal—PEACE.

Do you ever feel like you are just sort of going through the motions in life? Without meaning to sometimes we get swept away in the busyness of our day-to-day and end up feeling a little disconnected—from ourselves, God, family, and other meaningful things.

Nature never stays the same, and neither do we! This is by diving design. We are meant to change, grow, and evolve. In fact, it could be argued that it is impossible to follow Christ and stay stagnant. What a gift!

One thing that seems to be almost universal is that we have all had to grow and evolve a lot over the last few years to adjust to the constantly changing circumstances of the world. 

Faith has always required courage, but it seems like it’s requiring more and more in our world. President Nelson articulated it so well when he said, “we are presently living in what surely is a most complicated time in the history of the world.”

Last month at Magnify we set an intention to follow the counsel of President Nelson by making more time for God and Christ in our lives—and it made a big impact! We saw our lives transform as we made small and simple changes each day to include diving influences in our lives.

The flip of the calendar can bring up so much emotion! Reflecting on the year before, taking inventory of expectations (met and unmet), and looking forward with a full range of feelings can be a lot to handle.

With Christmas right around the corner, stress, and overwhelm and ALL the other feelings might be hitting hard. What if for the next five minutes, we shift our focus away from the to-do lists and mental loads we are carrying?

You know that feeling when you just don’t know what to do next? Whether facing a specific problem or navigating big-picture confusion it can feel so overwhelming to feel unsure. So how do we get through? What do we do when we don’t know what to do?

You know that feeling of being left out? Or maybe when we are technically included but still feel like outsiders or like we don’t belong? Feeling forgotten, left out, or like people don’t really see us can be extremely painful, and one thing is certain—we aren’t alone in feeling alone!

It seems like everyone is carrying a heavy load right now. Whether it’s an especially challenging time or just the general hustle of life—it’s a lot! Burnout and mental illness are on the rise, and honestly? We are tired! Do you feel this? You are not alone!

Have you ever thought about the lengths we go to trying to avoid discomfort? In our modern world, we have all sorts of things specifically designed to make us comfortable in all circumstances. But all the high-tech comforts in the world can’t save us from all discomfort. And that’s a good thing!