Episode 62

full
Published on:

30th Apr 2025

TO RECEIVE- YAY MORE!

How are you at receiving complaints, help, corrections, advice, or gifts? How are you at receiving the Holy Ghost as your teacher, comforter and guide? How are you at giving? Join Judy as she talks about her journey in South Africa and the lessons of giving and receiving with gratitude.

"And he who receives all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious, and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yay more!" D&C 78:19

Transcript
Yeti X:

Welcome friends to the creative, spiritual journey podcast.

2

:

Sunny Bonanni from the

motherland of South Africa.

3

:

It's here that my husband and I are

serving a mission for the church of

4

:

Jesus Christ of latter day saints.

5

:

My name is Judy Cooley, along

with my sister-in-law Ghia Cooley.

6

:

We are your host.

7

:

But we'd rather you consider us more

like your hiking buddies together.

8

:

We'll step out the front door and onto the

path that leads through the wilderness.

9

:

Beyond the horizon to

stand on mountain tops.

10

:

We'll share what's in our

hearts, our love for the savior

11

:

and his beautiful creations.

12

:

As well as the joys and the lessons

were discovering along the way.

13

:

So will you rise up, shake off

the dust, pick up your packs

14

:

and join us on the trail.

15

:

Today is day 484.

16

:

Yay.

17

:

Yeti X: I have been numbering

nd,:

18

:

And I wanna share with you something

that I have received the lessons and

19

:

the blessings of being on a mission.

20

:

So we just got through, I think we're

through the rainy season, saw some

21

:

spectacular thunder and lightning

storms, and it was just a delight, but

22

:

it got to the point where it rained

and rained and rained that the storm.

23

:

Grates, is that what you call it?

24

:

On the roads were overflowing the

rivers and the little streams and

25

:

the ground, everything so saturated

that it got to be a problem.

26

:

there was not enough room to receive.

27

:

All this rain.

28

:

It reminded me of the promised

blessings of tithing that we preach

29

:

and teach here to the Saints.

30

:

Malachi three 10, and I'm gonna

read this in the new international

31

:

version ' cause It's more fitting.

32

:

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse.

33

:

Uh, that there may be food in my house.

34

:

Test me in this sayeth the Lord

Almighty and see if I will not throw

35

:

open the floodgates of heaven and

pour out so much blessings that there

36

:

will not be room enough to store it.

37

:

so this question has been on my mind.

38

:

That I wanna ask you,

how are you at receiving?

39

:

How are you at receiving help?

40

:

Compliments, how are you

receiving correction or advice?

41

:

How are you at receiving the Holy Ghost

and the spirit to always be with you?

42

:

How are you at receiving

gifts and abundance?

43

:

So I want you to picture in

your mind the Sea of Galilee.

44

:

It is beautiful and it has rivers

and water inlets that flow into the

45

:

Sea of Galilee It also has outlets

and rivers that it gives away.

46

:

What it has received, so

the water moves freely.

47

:

You know very well that a water source,

whether it's a pond or a sea, or a lake,

48

:

if it has an inlet, it needs an outlet.

49

:

Otherwise, the pool

becomes stagnant and dead.

50

:

That's the example of the Dead Sea.

51

:

It receives the water from the

Sea of Galilee, and there it dies.

52

:

there's not a living thing

anywhere that that water touches.

53

:

So think of this, see a Galilee as an

open heart, an open vessel receiving

54

:

and giving in a beautiful flow.

55

:

So I've been thinking about this giving

and receiving because here on mission.

56

:

When we first arrived, we

were received with open arms.

57

:

In fact, every Sunday as one of my

highlights of the mission is to receive

58

:

hugs from the people, uh, handshakes

from the men, but hugs from the children.

59

:

And my sisters each

Sunday, and I love it now.

60

:

If you walk around the neighborhoods

here, this was another thing that

61

:

took me some time to get used to.

62

:

I live in New Castle, which is a

city, and around the homes are big

63

:

walls, mostly covered with either

electrical fences or crazy barb wire.

64

:

You cannot see front doors, and most

of the time you cannot see people.

65

:

They're very closed off.

66

:

I think of this as a closed heart.

67

:

Then you go out to the townships.

68

:

Sure there are some walls in barb wire,

but for the most part, the doors are open,

69

:

the people are out, and the feeling is

more open and receiving an open heart.

70

:

So have you ever given someone

a compliment or maybe have you

71

:

ever received a compliment and

it may go something like this?

72

:

Oh, that's such a beautiful dress.

73

:

And they respond.

74

:

This is how they received this compliment.

75

:

Oh, this ugly thing.

76

:

I hate it.

77

:

Oh, it just makes me look fat.

78

:

Or, oh, I love that dress.

79

:

Oh, thank you.

80

:

I don't know which one

feels better to you.

81

:

How about how are you at receiving?

82

:

correction or advice?

83

:

Yeah, we have this driveway that in

order to get in, it's very tricky.

84

:

There's not much room to maneuver, and

Erica course has his way of doing it,

85

:

and he feels like he's figured out the

process and it works really well for him.

86

:

He's become an expert at

backing up into a small space.

87

:

I, on the other hand.

88

:

Um, it's a challenge and so when I'm

backing up, he's giving me advice

89

:

and the times it goes well is when

I receive the advice with an open,

90

:

humble heart opposed to prideful heart

that doesn't wanna be told what to do.

91

:

So how do you receive

correction or advice?

92

:

Especially from your spouse,

that can be a little harder.

93

:

How do you receive the Holy Ghost,

his promptings, maybe even his

94

:

advice or guidance when it's.

95

:

Might be opposite of what you think this

came to mind when I noticed how many

96

:

times the word receive came into my study.

97

:

to receive is to take.

98

:

To embrace, to allow, to

hold, to admit, to welcome, to

99

:

continue to be endowed with.

100

:

That's interesting to bear

with and to believe in.

101

:

Think about when you receive

the gift of the Holy Ghost.

102

:

in the Joseph Smith

translation of Matthew:

103

:

For whosoever receives to him shall

be given, and he shall have more.

104

:

Abundance But whosoever, continuous not

to receive from him shall be taken away.

105

:

Even that he has,

106

:

I like to show my yoga class this.

107

:

Open your hands, and then when you have

an open palm, it's easy for things to

108

:

flow in and receive and flow out and give.

109

:

But as soon as you close that fist,

just like closing that heart, nothing

110

:

can come in and nothing can come out.

111

:

In my patriarchal blessing, I counted

and there's over five times it talks

112

:

about receiving, receiving the blessings

of the priesthood, receiving the sweet

113

:

and beautiful things of this life,

receiving the gospel in my youth that I

114

:

may receive good friends and associates

receiving direction and answers to my

115

:

problems, and receiving discernment

to recognize the adversary in my life.

116

:

Those are all blessings just

pouring out on me if I will.

117

:

Just make sure I have that open

heart, that open hand to receive.

118

:

Another scripture that came up

on my studies in receive is found

119

:

in doctrine Covenants 39 10.

120

:

If thou will harken to my voice,

which I say unto thee, arise and be

121

:

baptized and wash away your sins.

122

:

Calling on my name, you

shall receive my spirit.

123

:

Kind of sounds like the

sacrament prayer, right?

124

:

And a blessing.

125

:

So great.

126

:

As you have never known,

it's like the rains here.

127

:

So great that it's overflowing.

128

:

So much to take in.

129

:

But to me, I think that is the kind

of heavenly father is the kind of God

130

:

I know as he is a God of abundance.

131

:

He wants to give us yay more.

132

:

If you read in doctrine covenants 78 19.

133

:

Let's see if I can find that here.

134

:

and he who receiveth all things with

thankfulness shall be made glorious

135

:

and the things that this earth shall be

added unto him, even a hundred fold, yay.

136

:

More is that celebration.

137

:

Receiving with thankfulness, with

celebration, with a full, open heart.

138

:

So this God that we know that is giving

us abundantly, opening up the windows

139

:

of heaven, pouring out blessing,

so much that we cannot receive.

140

:

In Luke, the 11th chapter.

141

:

When the disciples asked Jesus

to teach them about prayer,

142

:

he taught them a parable.

143

:

Ask and it shall be given

you seek and you shall find.

144

:

Knock and it shall be opened unto you.

145

:

For everyone that asks, receives,

and he that seeks, find unto him

146

:

that knocks, it shall be opened.

147

:

If a son asks bread, if any

of you that is a father.

148

:

Will he give him a stone?

149

:

If he ask a fish, will he for

a fish give him a serpent?

150

:

Or if he shall ask an egg,

will he offer him a scorpion?

151

:

If ye then being evil, meaning being

human and imperfect, know how to

152

:

Give good gifts unto your children.

153

:

How much more shall your

heavenly Father give good things?

154

:

Now, the savior says that our

father in heaven knows what we

155

:

need before we even ask him.

156

:

And we're also told in the scriptures to

tell the Lord the desires of our heart.

157

:

Now, this may cause a problem.

158

:

I know what I desire.

159

:

And God knows what I need, and

I'm always hoping that these are

160

:

the same, but what if I need and

what I desire are not the same?

161

:

How do you receive that?

162

:

This is from S Michael Wilcox.

163

:

All things given from God are good.

164

:

And sometimes if what I desire

is different from what I need, if

165

:

what I expect is different from

what I'm given, I may, if I'm not

166

:

careful, here's where I'm gonna add.

167

:

I may if I do not receive with gratitude,

turn the given bread into a stone.

168

:

I may turn the given fish into a serpent.

169

:

I may view the given egg as a scorpion

because it is not what I anticipated,

170

:

what I asked for or what I hoped for.

171

:

Or what I desired.

172

:

What we must understand about father

in Heaven is that he only gives bread.

173

:

He never gives stones.

174

:

He only gives fish.

175

:

He never gives serpents,

and he only gives eggs.

176

:

He never gives scorpion.

177

:

The problem comes in the

receiving open heart.

178

:

Receive with gratitude.

179

:

Yay.

180

:

More closed heart.

181

:

Receive with maybe resentment or

Hard heart closed off, and even at

182

:

which you have may be taken from you.

183

:

So we have almost at every intersection,

beggars there is so much need here.

184

:

And there's one, his name is

Innocent, that we became friends with.

185

:

He followed us into, um, the grocery

store parking lot, one evening, hungry

186

:

and begged for some bread and milk.

187

:

And so we gave him the bread and milk.

188

:

I would make sandwiches.

189

:

There's times he asked for money.

190

:

There were times he asked for shoes

or a warm blanket, a coat, clothes,

191

:

taxi money to get to the hospital.

192

:

Oh, the list goes on and

we would share the gospel.

193

:

He even came to church one time.

194

:

And set up appointments with the

missionaries, which she bonked them.

195

:

And then we got to where he

would lie to us about what he

196

:

needed and what he was doing.

197

:

And, we shared with him the lesson of

giving man a fish over and over again

198

:

opposed to we need to be teaching.

199

:

The man how to fish.

200

:

And he understood.

201

:

And then he was gone for quite a while

and then he returned back to begging.

202

:

And we had made a choice not to give,

203

:

uh, like we had been.

204

:

And what's interesting is

now he won't even look at us.

205

:

And I came across this.

206

:

Thought, I'm not sure who it's from.

207

:

It goes like this.

208

:

Okay.

209

:

the first time brings

gratitude and we hear it.

210

:

May God bless you.

211

:

Thank you so much.

212

:

The second time brings.

213

:

Appreciation.

214

:

Thank you.

215

:

The third time brings expectation where

our car drives up to the intersection

216

:

and they quickly run to our window.

217

:

The fourth time expects continuation.

218

:

The fifth time brings entitlement.

219

:

One time we took.

220

:

Innocent into the grocery store

to get him bread and milk, not

221

:

the first time, a second time.

222

:

And as we walked and talked,

he put yogurt, Oreos, viennas

223

:

rolls, peanut butter into our

cart just like a little kid.

224

:

And I understand.

225

:

There is hunger and there is poor.

226

:

The fifth time brings entitlement.

227

:

The first no brings resentment.

228

:

The second no brings amnesia.

229

:

They no longer remember the first

five times, so receiving and giving,

230

:

this has not stopped our giving.

231

:

Because I believe that we will

be held accountable for how

232

:

we treat the poor among us.

233

:

when I was in hunger, you

fed me when I was in thirst.

234

:

You gave me drink when I was naked.

235

:

You clothed me when I was sick.

236

:

You visit me when I was in prison.

237

:

You visited me also, however that goes.

238

:

But I weighs heavy on

our mind, this giving.

239

:

Abundantly.

240

:

So we'll give with the open hand.

241

:

And my experience has always been that

God gives more, yay more when we do this.

242

:

When we give abundantly,

we receive abundantly.

243

:

I want to finish off with one more

scripture that I came across on my study

244

:

of receive, and this one I shared at

our mission Farewell because it just

245

:

to me brings so much light doctrine

covenants 50 24 that wishes is of God

246

:

is light, and he that receives light

and continues in God, receives more

247

:

light and that light goes brighter

and brighter until the perfect day.

248

:

We live with that open heart.

249

:

Receiving with gratitude and giving

abundantly will receive the mysteries of

250

:

the kingdom of God will receive eternal

life and all that the Lord has to give us.

251

:

I find this is a law.

252

:

Just as much as gravity is a law

that in receiving with an open heart,

253

:

giving thanks in all things, even

the things we're not praying for, the

254

:

things that are kind of upside down

and broken, if we receive it all with

255

:

gratitude, ' cause are we all not beggars?

256

:

And when the Lord blesses us once, yay.

257

:

We say Thank you.

258

:

But what about the fifth time?

259

:

Do we receive with entitlement.

260

:

And then what about the first?

261

:

No.

262

:

What about the first?

263

:

No.

264

:

Do we receive with resentment?

265

:

Do we receive with amnesia of the

other blessings he's given us?

266

:

So my invitation, check out

this week how you're receiving.

267

:

How are you receiving the compliments,

the help, the advice, and the correction?

268

:

How are you receiving

answers to your prayers?

269

:

How are you receiving the abundance

that is raining down on you?

270

:

Does it overflow?

271

:

Yay.

272

:

More?

273

:

And are you giving?

274

:

How are you giving?

275

:

Just do a little self check.

276

:

I have to do it daily, and I

promise you, you'll see the

277

:

heavens open up and his glory and

blessings and love pour out on you.

278

:

Something pretty exciting

happening in our world.

279

:

We are getting ready to receive company.

280

:

Yay Gia and her fabulous man and a

cousin are all coming to visit us.

281

:

So we're getting the house

ready to receive and my.

282

:

Arms are wide open, ready to receive.

283

:

It's so exciting and we're hoping to give

them the time of their life as we show off

284

:

our homes of South Africa and our friends

and the people here, some adventures.

285

:

It's gonna be grand.

286

:

So next time you hear this podcast,

GI and I will be together in

287

:

South Africa and we'll bring you.

288

:

Some more joys and lessons that we

are learning along this journey.

289

:

Yay more, and I will see you on the trail.

290

:

Thanks, Fran.

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Creative Spiritual Journey

About the Podcast

Creative Spiritual Journey
one small, deliberate step at a time
We are all on a journey—a journey home to our heavenly parents. Any experienced traveler knows there are days you laugh and days you cry.

We aren’t here to tell you how to live—we are here to share how we live—how we survive, thrive, and even find joy!

The journey gets messy with rainstorms and sleepless flights but the hard times—the miserable times—those make the best stories.

And the vistas, the sunsets, the little birds outside the window—those are the reminders that God is in the details, he is aware of us, he has trod the path before.

The Creative Spiritual Journey Podcast is hosted by Judy and Ghia Cooley—two sisters in their wisdom years—who love the savior and are dedicated to making this journey one small, deliberate step at a time.

Join us!

About your host

Profile picture for Ghia Cooley

Ghia Cooley