Jet Mariano

Tag: gratitude

  • Born of Water, Blood, and Spirit — The Sacred Role of Mothers

    Life enters this world through sacrifice.
    Through water. Through blood. Through a mother.

    Excerpt

    Every life enters this world through sacrifice. Through water, through blood, through a mother. I am beginning to understand what that really means.

    Intro

    I’ve been thinking deeply about mothers.

    Especially now.

    There are women who bring life into this world knowing the risks. Some endure long labor, complications, and moments where their own lives are on the line.

    Some give everything… so their child can live.

    And the more I reflect on it, the more I realize:

    We owe our mothers more than we understand.

    Notes from Today

    Today, I was reminded of something simple.

    Even in the middle of my own grief, I found myself thinking about others—about their struggles, their sacrifices, and their quiet strength.

    Someone close to me once asked:

    “Why do you still care for others when you are the one who needs care?”

    I paused.

    Then I remembered something I’ve held onto for years:

    When you are down… lift others up.

    Perspective (Doctrine — Moses 6:59–60)

    In the Book of Moses, the Lord teaches something profound about how we enter this world:

    “Inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit… even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven” (Moses 6:59).

    Every life begins this way.

    Water—the amniotic fluid that surrounds and sustains the child.
    Blood—the sacrifice of the mother’s body.
    Spirit—the life that comes from God.

    I have come to see this differently now.

    A mother carries a child for nine months. Her body changes. Her strength is stretched. And at the moment of birth, there is water and blood—real sacrifice—so that the child can live.

    This is not just biology.

    This is divine symbolism.

    Just as a mother gives of her own body and blood to bring a child into physical life, Jesus Christ gave His blood so that we might be born again into spiritual life.

    Motherhood, in that moment, becomes a quiet, heaven-given reminder of the Savior’s sacrifice.

    Application (Robert J. Matthews Insight)

    I remember listening to an Education Week address by Robert J. Matthews, where he explained this connection through the Book of Moses.

    He taught that bringing life into the world has always been tied to sacrifice.

    That image has stayed with me:

    A mother giving everything she has…
    so that another life can begin.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    Honor your mother.
    Recognize her sacrifice.
    Do not take life lightly.

    And when you feel like you have nothing left—

    Lift someone anyway.

    Final Reflection

    Mothers give life.

    Not in ease, but through sacrifice.

    And sometimes, we only begin to understand that when we see how fragile life really is.

    I am beginning to understand.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    Life comes through sacrifice.

    What I Hear Now (direct quotes)

    “Inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit…”
    “When you are down… lift others up.”

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  • MIT8 – “If thou art merry, praise the Lord..”

    A fiery sky closing the day, almost as if heaven was offering its own hymn. The temple stood steady, unchanged, reminding me to praise Him not only in blessings received, but in blessings still forming.

    Excerpt

    A Thanksgiving weekend temple visit, four evening photos, quiet worship, and a lesson about gratitude that opened my heart in a new way.

    Intro

    Last night at the Syracuse Utah Temple, I watched the sky turn from warm sunset to cold moonrise. Christmas lights glowed on the temple grounds, and a waxing gibbous moon appeared just as I finished my proxy endowment session.
    It reminded me of something simple but powerful: joy is meant to be expressed. And worship, especially through music, is one of the clearest ways to do it.

    Notes from Elder Cook and Elder Soares

    Giving voice to our joy is just as important as seeking comfort in sorrow. Elder Quentin L Cook taught that lives full of praise, music, and thanksgiving are uniquely blessed.
    Moroni described worship this way:
    Preaching, exhorting, prayer, supplication, and singing — all led by the Spirit.
    Elder Ulisses Soares reminded us to tune our hearts to the Lord through sincere singing of sacred hymns.
    Singing is the one form of worship where the entire congregation participates. It is unity in real time.

    Perspective

    Last night I thought about the way music lifts the soul. A hymn is not just melody. It is prayer with a pulse.
    When we sing, we do not stand alone. Heaven joins us.
    I felt that inside the endowment room and again as I took photos outside: worship is not something we check off. It is something we become.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    Today I will worship with music. I will lift my voice, even quietly, in hymn-singing.
    I will let the words settle into my mind and soften my heart.
    I will give thanks in song, not just in thought.

    Final Reflection

    Tonight a single scripture opened in a new way for me: D&C 59:21.
    The Lord did not say to thank Him for all things.
    He said to acknowledge His hand “in” all things.

    There is a difference.
    For is gratitude for what God has already done.
    In is gratitude for what God is about to do.

    “For” looks back.
    “In” looks forward.
    For celebrates what arrived.
    In trusts what is still forming.

    Being thankful for blessings is remembering.
    Being thankful in blessings is faith — the kind that walks forward without seeing the whole path.
    Last night I learned that gratitude is not only a reaction to the past. It is trust in the present.
    It is the courage to say, even before the blessing is visible, I know God is working in this.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    Gratitude is not only looking back at what God has done.
    It is looking forward with faith at what He is shaping next.

    What I Hear Now (direct quotes)

    Moroni 6:6
    Their meetings were conducted after the manner of the workings of the Spirit.
    Elder Cook
    Lives full of praise, music, and thanksgiving are uniquely blessed.
    Elder Soares
    Tune your heart to the Lord through sincere singing.

    Link to the talk

    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10/43cook
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/04/14soares

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Soul-Stretching Days: Learning to Let God Shape Me

    Night setup: Nikon 14–24mm f/2.8G on tripod • Manual/Bulb • 30-second exposure • f/2.8 • ISO 2400

    Excerpt
    It struck on a day I never expected—like the day I lost my father, on my birthday. The same jolt ⚡️ twice. Bitter and sweet at once.

    Intro
    Some experiences arrive unannounced and unforgettable. The day held joy—time with loved ones, a wonderful dinner, thoughtful gifts 🎁 (I treasure shirts and cologne and keep them for years). Yet the soul-stretching overshadowed the sweetness, and the ache still lingers.

    Notes from Elder Neal A. Maxwell
    • “It takes time to prepare for eternity.”
    • God customizes our curriculum—He gives what we need, not always what we like.
    • Discipleship is daily; steady choosing matters more than dramatic moments.
    • Meekness is strength under control.
    • Cheerfully submit: trust His timing and tutoring.
    • Be grounded and settled in Christ to endure well, not just long.

    Perspective
    The lingering pain doesn’t mean I failed; it means the lesson matters. Like completed IT projects etched in memory, some days don’t fade—they shape.

    Practice (today, not someday)
    • Pause to breathe and pray before I speak.
    • Trade rumination for one small act of service.
    • Write three lines of gratitude (including a gift I’ll lovingly keep).
    • Use meek words with firm boundaries.

    Final Reflection
    Bitter because it hurt. Sweet because love showed up. Both can be true while God stretches my capacity for trust and kindness.

    Pocket I’m keeping
    “Customized by a loving Father.” Not random storms—tailored tutoring.

    What I hear now
    Be still. Do the next right thing. Let Me do the shaping.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Marked in Time Sep 10, 2025 — Finding Joy in the Journey

    San Diego California Temple — made on an early iPhone. Daylight reminds me it’s less about the lens and more about the eye and the feeling. This house is family to me—my firstborn was sealed here on 12/12/12 at 12:00 PM.

    Excerpt
    President Thomas S. Monson teaches that joy is not in the distant future but in the daily moments we cherish with gratitude and love.

    Intro
    Life changes—sometimes suddenly, often gradually. President Thomas S. Monson reminds us that we cannot pile up tomorrows and expect joy to wait. Joy is in the journey now—in gratitude, in kindness, in cherishing those around us before it is too late.

    Straight line (what he’s saying)
    • Change is constant; the key is learning what matters most.
    • Childhood, family time, and simple daily joys vanish if we postpone them.
    • Don’t wait for tomorrows that never come; love must be shown today.
    • Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
    • Gratitude transforms lack into abundance; ingratitude blinds us to God’s gifts.
    • Challenges will come, but we choose whether to cherish or neglect the people we love.
    • Christ’s example—serving, forgiving, and loving to the end—shows us how to live joyfully.

    Final reflection
    Time never stands still. My regrets are not about things I did, but things I left undone—words unsaid, kindness unshown. President Monson’s reminder echoes: joy is not about someday; it is about today.

    Pocket I’m keeping
    • Hug my family more, speak my love more.
    • Write the note, send the message, make the call—today.
    • Guard against letting stress eclipse people.
    • Give thanks deliberately, even for the small, ordinary blessings.
    • Joy = gratitude in motion.

    What I hear now
    Joy is a daily decision, not a future destination. If I train my heart to see God’s gifts in every moment, life itself becomes the journey worth rejoicing in.

    Link to the talk
    “Finding Joy in the Journey – President Thomas S. Monson

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Marked in Time — “Consecrate Thy Performance” (Neal A. Maxwell)

    “Heart, soul, and mind.” When we offer all, He consecrates our performanc. Saratoga Springs Temple · waxing gibbous moon

    Excerpt
    Consecration isn’t giving things as much as yielding self. When heart, soul, and mind align with God, He consecrates our efforts for lasting good.

    Intro
    Elder Neal A. Maxwell teaches that ultimate consecration is our will swallowed up in the Father’s. Step by step, His grace is sufficient, and our performances are consecrated “for the lasting welfare of [our] souls.”

    Straight line (what he’s saying)
    • Consecration = yielding will to the Father—one stepping-stone at a time.
    • We often “keep back part” (skills, status, habits); partial surrender still diverts.
    • Worth is fixed; assignments change—He must increase, we decrease.
    • Good things can crowd out the first commandment; beware lesser gods.
    • Acknowledge His hand; avoid the “my power, my hand” trap.
    • Discipleship polishes us (rough stone rolling): contact, friction, meekness.
    • Surrendering the mind is victory; God teaches higher ways.
    • Jesus is the pattern—never lost focus; Gethsemane above all other miracles.

    Final reflection
    My hardest “part” isn’t money—it’s control. God wants a consecrated person more than a perfect portfolio. Yielded work beats impressive work.

    Pocket I’m keeping
    • Ask daily: “Lord, is it this?”—take the next small stone.
    • Worship before work; name His hand first.
    • Hold assignments lightly; hold Jesus tightly.
    • Trade applause for alignment.
    • Measure by love, patience, meekness.

    What I hear now
    I’ll hand Him today’s schedule, camera, and keyboard—and let Him aim them. Consecration is hourly trust; even detours can be consecrated.

    Link to the talk
    “Consecrate Thy Performance” — Neal A. Maxwell.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Marked in Time — “If Thou Endure Well” (Neal A. Maxwell)

    Saratoga Springs Utah Temple with a rising waxing gibbous moon.

    Excerpt
    None of us is immune from trial. Elder Neal A. Maxwell teaches that if we endure well, today’s struggles are shaped into tomorrow’s blessings. Here’s my mark-in-time takeaway and how I’m applying it.

    Intro
    I listened again to Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s devotional “If Thou Endure Well.” The sentence that stayed with me: None of us can or will be immune from the trials of life. However, if we learn to endure our struggles well, they will be turned into blessings in eternity. That’s both bracing and kind—God doesn’t waste pain when we place it in His hands.

    Straight line (what he’s saying)
    • Mortality guarantees opposition; surprise is optional.
    • Enduring well ≠ grim hanging-on; it’s faithful submission, patience, and continuing to choose light.
    • Timing is part of God’s tutoring—deliverance sometimes tarries so discipleship can deepen.
    • Gratitude and meekness change how trials shape us. They don’t shorten the storm, but they change the sailor.
    • The Lord consecrates affliction to our gain when we refuse cynicism and keep covenant routines (scripture, prayer, sacrament, service).

    Final reflection
    Enduring well is a decision repeated—quietly—over and over. It’s choosing not to narrate my trial as abandonment, but as apprenticeship. It’s trusting that God is doing more with my life than I can see from the shoreline.

    Pocket I’m keeping
    • Expect opposition; practice patience on purpose.
    • Pair prayers with small, durable acts (keep the next covenant, serve the next person, take the next right step).
    • Measure “progress” by faithfulness, not by ease.

    What I hear now
    Tonight’s images—reflections, a quiet bench, a waxing gibbous over the spire—feel like a lesson in waiting. I can’t rush the moon to its mark, but I can keep framing, steady my hands, and choose light again. If I endure well, God will finish the alignment.

    Link to the talk
    Full devotional: “If Thou Endure Well” — Neal A. Maxwell (BYU Speeches).

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Marked In Time – “I’m Glad I’m Me”

    Manila Philippines Temple — first light through the palms. When I joined the Church there were 4 missions in the Philippines; today there are 26. From 1 temple then to 13 now (3 operating, 10 under construction). Truly, “miracles of knowledge” — and truth can grow and thrive.

    Excerpt

    A quiet temple night—and a Seminary song—reminded me that “miracles of knowledge” are all around us, and that I can be glad to be me while still becoming better.

    Intro

    Some moments stay because they’re loud and unforgettable. Others stay because they’re quiet—so quiet you almost miss them. My August 9 visit to the Taylorsville Utah Temple was one of those moments. It was an only whisper kind of day that made me pause and take in where I am in life. In that stillness, the Seminary song “I’m Glad I’m Me” (from Gates of Zion) returned and reframed where I am—technically, spiritually, and personally.

    Notes from the “Seminary Song, Gates of Zion Album, 1979″

    I’m glad I’m me

    Today is warm and wonderful, it’s my day
    What a time to be alive
    There’s miracles of knowledge all around me
    And man can soar, truth can grow and thrive

    The world has waited breathlessly for this day
    And I’m part of what they waited for
    With those who before I share the blessing
    Opportunity not dreamed about people

    I’m glad I’m me
    and yes I’m glad I know the answers
    Know why I’m here and what I’m living for
    I want to be the best I can be I want to do
    What I was sent here for

    I have work to do while it’s still my day
    There’s so much love and happiness to gie
    I’m glad to think that I was counted worthy
    That I was saved for this great day to live

    I’m glad I’m me
    And Yes I’m glad I know the answers
    Know why I’m here, and what I’m living for
    I wan to be the best I can be I want to do
    What I sent here for

    Perspective (direct quotes) — aligned to the song

    • “I must work the works… while it is day.” — John 9:4
    • “Seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” — D&C 88:118
    • “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” — Mosiah 2:17

    Practice (today, not someday) — phrased from the lyrics

    • Know why I’m here: write one sentence of purpose for today and read it before you start.
    • Be the best I can be: choose one skill to sharpen (document the “miracle of knowledge” you used).
    • Do what I was sent here for: finish one task that directly blesses a person/team.
    • Share the blessing: teach one thing you learned (short note, screenshot, or 2-minute huddle).

    Final Reflection

    When I first started in IT, “miracles of knowledge” looked very different—no Azure, AWS, or GCP; the Internet for a few universities; rooms of hardware; Google not yet a verb; AI still fiction. Today we carry more compute in our pockets than those machines ever dreamed of. That’s not just progress—it’s an everyday miracle.
    Knowing why I’m here, I want to be the best I can be and do what I was sent here for: stay curious, be ready for the unexpected, show up prepared, learn from every storm, and find meaning in the work and relationships along the way. I’m grateful for this moment—where heaven’s whisper meets technology’s light. And yes, I’m glad I’m me.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    Know why I’m here; do what I was sent here for.

    What I Hear Now

    “Be the best you can be—today.” • “Use knowledge to lift.”

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

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