I have a lot on my “to do ” list today and blogging isn’t really one of them, but I found this message a few days ago and didn’t find time yesterday to post it, and I know that the week will just get busier and away from me, so hopefully the inspiring words will give comfort to others as they did to me.

 I have used a word (or form of it) many times in my writing – addict, addicted, addiction, addicting.  I have used it in the phrase “baking addict”; as in “I am addicted to watching Hoarders”; referring to “my new addiction” of making paper flowers; the ever-present “everything 99cents only store” shopping trips; and even just blogging.  I love to write because I can edit my words, whereas when I speak, I cannot as easily replace those spoken thoughts with carefully considered ones once they have travelled from my brain to my lips.  So when I talk about my personal addictions, it is in a light, not serious manner.  I mean it to be something that I really like to do, like craft, bake, gather, create or contribute. 

But addiction is really not a light matter at all.  There are those that are suffering from serious addictions that can affect their lives and the lives of those that love them, in hurtful and damaging ways.  It is a way that the “adversary” manages to control them and their ability to make wise, healthy choices.  I recently watched this “Mormon Message” from Elder M. Russell Ballard that tells it so beautifully:

You can read or listen to the entire message here.  

Yesterday in Relief Society, we studied from Gospel Principles, Chapter 29, The Lord’s Law of Health, or the Word of Wisdom.  There was a statement in the lesson from Boyd K. Packer that really struck home to me.  He said, “Our physical body is the instrument of our spirit. In that marvelous revelation the Word of Wisdom, we are told how to keep our bodies free from impurities which might dull, even destroy, those delicate physical senses which have to do with spiritual communication. The Word of Wisdom is a key to individual revelation.”

There are many other forms of addiction that are not drug, alcohol, and/or tobacco related.  I am not formally trained, so I am not an authority on the subject, but anything that is hard to resist can become dangerous to our personal well-being.  Too much shopping, over-spending, gossiping, trouble-making, laziness, not being charitable or forgiving…all these types of behavior can be destructive and lead to having less power over breaking bad habits.  Even finding good deals on food can be a bad thing if I am not prudent.  When the Israelites were wandering in the desert with Moses, remember what happened when they didn’t follow his instructions about the manna?  A good deal on food isn’t a good deal if it goes to waste.

What a blessing it is for me to have guidance in my life and to understand why not following that guidance can hamper my spiritual growth.  It’s not so much about it restricting what I “can’t” do so much as what I “can” do if I follow inspired principles.

Have a great day, everyone!