Last week I had the chance to get to talk to and get to know a guy in my business class, Ken, (he knows about my blog and this post so all is good ;), a little better and can I tell you something? He is pretty amazing. Not in the sense that I know that much about him or that many details about how he has become who he is. Confused? Let me esplain. I should define why I think he is amazing huh? I say he is amazing because he has a desire to seek for truth and has been able to find some of it on his own. He is actively searching for knowledge which always impresses me. Still confused? Read on, hopefully it will clear itself up *grin*
I'll first have to tell ya more about me before I tell you more about him.
I have been actively living the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for almost 9 years or so. Again, I grew up in the church, but in my youth being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was more a habit than testimony. Going to church because it was expected, not because I wanted to. As a child I loved going to church though and I don't discredit my lack of pursuing truth and knowledge then, I was a kid and didn't know how. However, I feel after my baptism, where I had made covenants with God, I was old enough to know how to seek out what I wanted and the Gospel sadly wasn't always in my view. I don't count it as an active time of living the Gospel. Active to me includes pursuing truth and knowledge and I wasn't doing that until my early 20's.
Since then however I feel differently about myself. I know I am doing better, hence my previous knowledge post about recognizing I need to study and search The Book of Mormon to increase my knowledge and understanding of God more. I have seen my progression over the last 8 years as moving upward not just standing still. I realized from the previous post that even though I know I need to increase my study of the BOM to gain further knowledge, I have been really blessed to have more resources than most people to gain knowledge about God and Eternal perspective.
I not only have The Holy Bible (If you would like a free copy of the KJV, click here) to learn about Christ and the Plan of Salvation, but I have many many other sources to glean that knowledge from. I have The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ (If you would like a copy of the BoM, click here), I have modern scripture through the current and past Prophets of this dispensation (aka General Conference twice a year). I have the written revelations of Joseph Smith in The Doctrine and Covenants, along with the revelation and translation of the words of Moses, Abraham, and Matthew in The Pearl of Great Price. I even have the footnotes in my scriptures that connect different passages that are related. I have the Bible Dictionary that defines historical things and even beautifully and simply defines such things as charity; the pure love of Christ. I have had Institute classes and the manuals created for them: Old and New Testament, Doctrine and Covenants, Eternal Marriage, etc.
I have church manuals that are put out for my learning during Sunday School and Relief Society classes. I have teachers’ manuals that have lessons which have been designed especially for little children to understand the doctrine of Christ which means that I have had the chance to learn how to be a teacher of His doctrine. We have The Family: A Proclamation to the World and many other resources to help us gain deeper understanding and knowledge of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
I have my own Patriarchal Blessing that is revelation given to me about my own life, about where I came from, what I can accomplish in this life through faithfulness. It also tells me how to prepare for this journey through mortality. Most importantly I have had the Temple, The House of God to learn in for almost 5 years now, a place where uninterrupted learning from on high can take place.
We truly do have UNLIMITED resources to the Gospel of Jesus Christ if we choose to use them!(Which I have even more humbly realized are at our fingertips as I've linked all of these resources to this post)
Here is the tie in with Ken.
He has had only The Bible to study (don’t worry, I've tried to remedy that ;) That man however, knows so much about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! He is not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but in our conversations he knew things that I had been studying for years through all of the above mentioned sources. He only has had the Bible! How sweet it is to know that those who seek knowledge truly do find it and that Christ will give us the light we need, His light as we search diligently to find the answers we have searched for. He is an amazing example of 'the believer".
I know I wouldn’t have as much knowledge (which I humbly realize isn't that much) without having read and studied The Book of Mormon and other resources over and over and again, I know I need to study harder to learn more. I am thankful however for all of the resources we have to learn more of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for the Holy Bible and that the truth contained in it can be felt by everyone if they but diligently seek. I truly wonder if I would even know a part of what I know now if I only had The Bible though? I am thankful the Lord knows each of us and what we need to know and how we are able to learn it.
I just realized that even though life can sometimes seem harder because we choose to follow Jesus Christ, because of the great responsibility placed on us and all of the opposition that comes from Satan. I am so thankful for that responsibility because it means I am CHOOSING to be chosen. Heavenly Father hasn't asked us to do any of this alone though. He hasn't asked us to face mortality without His guidance and instruction being available to us. How sweet it is to know that no matter where I am, I have the resources around me I need to be the best me. I hope that by being the best me I can help to better this world by testifying and by being a representative and a disciple of Jesus Christ.
How truly thankful I am for good people and good examples in my life. Thank you Ken for the amazing insight and amazing conversations!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Knowledge is Power!
I have recently realized that I am on a knowledge KICK! I can't seem to get enough of it. I am reading, talking to people and trying to get as much info from them that I don't know about as I can to watching documentaries, etc. I am a sponge at the moment. It's kinda weird, but oh soooo cool! I have been doing these things as much as I can. For example, in my possession right now (besides my school books and thanks to the library) I have books on robots, calligraphy, and two fictions that have been awesome on perspective. I have a couple dvds on influential scientists, a documentary on becoming a member of one of the military's special forces units. I also have a Charles Dickens book that has been turned into a movie, Little Dorrit and the BBC car show Top Gear complete season 15.
This obsession might have to do with starting school and having the thought process of being a student? I don't know for sure, but seriously it's been like this rotating library and new information obsession for a couple months. I just hadn't realized it until the below thought process occurred.
Humbling moment time! A very humbling thought did cross my mind... The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”
Than by ANY other book! or... person or... documentary...
The knowledge I have searching for, the knowledge I have been striving for has been "of the world" to a point. I don't think it is bad to seek that knowledge, but in my case, I was seeking more knowledge from the world than from God. The scale of where my knowledge is being gained has been off balance.
I know that if I put as much effort into searching knowledge out from The Book of Mormon and abiding by it, I would be nearer to God! He who KNOWS ALL!
Yeah, how amazing is it to know that we have a source, The Book of Mormon, to be nearer to God and His knowledge?
I've been slacking.
Initiating change is now commencing.
Delving, searching, praying about, and pondering The Book of Mormon, here I come!
If you want a Prophet of Gods testimony about The Book of Mormon, look here
This obsession might have to do with starting school and having the thought process of being a student? I don't know for sure, but seriously it's been like this rotating library and new information obsession for a couple months. I just hadn't realized it until the below thought process occurred.
Humbling moment time! A very humbling thought did cross my mind... The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”
Than by ANY other book! or... person or... documentary...
The knowledge I have searching for, the knowledge I have been striving for has been "of the world" to a point. I don't think it is bad to seek that knowledge, but in my case, I was seeking more knowledge from the world than from God. The scale of where my knowledge is being gained has been off balance.
I know that if I put as much effort into searching knowledge out from The Book of Mormon and abiding by it, I would be nearer to God! He who KNOWS ALL!
Yeah, how amazing is it to know that we have a source, The Book of Mormon, to be nearer to God and His knowledge?
I've been slacking.
Initiating change is now commencing.
Delving, searching, praying about, and pondering The Book of Mormon, here I come!
If you want a Prophet of Gods testimony about The Book of Mormon, look here
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Choosing to be Chosen!
WE CHOOSE TO BE CHOSEN! For this thought process credit can be attributed to the Holy Ghost AND my friend Megan and her sweet insight on a scripture in 1Nephi! (She commented on this post a few months ago with that exact phrase give or take the capitalization and boldness. I also talk a little about it in this blog post) Even though I had read it when she wrote it, the realization of it has only recently hit me, and thankfully, it has hit me hard! The Holy Ghost has reaffirmed this truth to me over and over again these past few weeks.
I have had amazing conversations after amazing conversation about this subject with multiple people. I even brought it up in my Institute class the week before last when we were in the Book of Abraham where we were reading about fore-ordination. I feel this realization is one of those tender mercies the Lord is letting me continually see in my life. Maybe so my testimony of being chosen will be firm and on a solid foundation.
The knowledge of being chosen is truly powerful; it allows us to recognize or divine parentage and that there is a divine work for us to accomplish on earth. Our Father in Heaven is loving and still allows for us to choose though. He allows us our agency. We can choose what we do or what we don't do, but we cannot always choose the consequences of our actions.
Two weeks ago I was talking to someone I love very much that has chosen a different course in life than what I would hope for them. They have chosen to go their own way and I am finding it very hard to accept. I see them struggle in ways that are not necessary, but I cannot change their minds. They have their agency. I did however have a very sweet conversation with them that I hope affected them as much as it affected me. It went something like this (these may not be the exact words, but the main theme of the conversation will be recognized and hopefully the sweet spirit of it too)...
Me: "you know how you get mad at me because you say I hold you to a different standard than I do other people?'
Them: "yeah"
Me: "I figured out why."
Them: "why?"
Me: "because you are different! You are AMAZING! You are SPECIAL! You are a CHOICE SPIRIT of GOD! You are one of His CHOSEN! You were meant to be different!"
Them: "Why?! I don't want to be different! I want to be like other people."
Me: "WHY?!"
Them: "because it is easier."
Me: "I see the difference... You are chosen, but you are not choosing to be chosen. I want to throw it out there that life has a lot more meaning when you chose to be chosen. It makes decision making easier when you don't have rely on yourself, it makes everything have purpose. You recognize your worth in this world, you recognize your worth in the eternal perspective when you see that you are chosen. When you see that Heavenly Father trusts you with His children it should help to solidify the love He has for you. He wants to help us, but we have to recognize when the time comes to ask for help or in other words when we choose to be chosen."
I was in awe of the spirit that filled our conversation that day. I am in awe the Lord has seen fit to have me learn this specific lesson over and over the past few weeks. I was in my institute class last week and we were reading, Joseph Smith Matthew. The tie in with this lesson was that we talked about the word elect (v. 22).
We as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, those of us who try each and every day to obey His commandments, listen to and heed His prophets, communicate with Him through prayer and scripture study are, His elect. To be His elect, we have to choose to be chosen. We have to live a life very different from the worlds standards. We have to live a life where Jesus Christ is the center of our universe. He should be at the center of every choice, every decision, every thought because we will be making them with Him in view.
I pray that I will always recognize my worth and choose to be chosen! I pray that you too may choose to be chosen. Be His Elect!
I. Love. The Gospel of Jesus Christ!
I have had amazing conversations after amazing conversation about this subject with multiple people. I even brought it up in my Institute class the week before last when we were in the Book of Abraham where we were reading about fore-ordination. I feel this realization is one of those tender mercies the Lord is letting me continually see in my life. Maybe so my testimony of being chosen will be firm and on a solid foundation.
The knowledge of being chosen is truly powerful; it allows us to recognize or divine parentage and that there is a divine work for us to accomplish on earth. Our Father in Heaven is loving and still allows for us to choose though. He allows us our agency. We can choose what we do or what we don't do, but we cannot always choose the consequences of our actions.
Two weeks ago I was talking to someone I love very much that has chosen a different course in life than what I would hope for them. They have chosen to go their own way and I am finding it very hard to accept. I see them struggle in ways that are not necessary, but I cannot change their minds. They have their agency. I did however have a very sweet conversation with them that I hope affected them as much as it affected me. It went something like this (these may not be the exact words, but the main theme of the conversation will be recognized and hopefully the sweet spirit of it too)...
Me: "you know how you get mad at me because you say I hold you to a different standard than I do other people?'
Them: "yeah"
Me: "I figured out why."
Them: "why?"
Me: "because you are different! You are AMAZING! You are SPECIAL! You are a CHOICE SPIRIT of GOD! You are one of His CHOSEN! You were meant to be different!"
Them: "Why?! I don't want to be different! I want to be like other people."
Me: "WHY?!"
Them: "because it is easier."
Me: "I see the difference... You are chosen, but you are not choosing to be chosen. I want to throw it out there that life has a lot more meaning when you chose to be chosen. It makes decision making easier when you don't have rely on yourself, it makes everything have purpose. You recognize your worth in this world, you recognize your worth in the eternal perspective when you see that you are chosen. When you see that Heavenly Father trusts you with His children it should help to solidify the love He has for you. He wants to help us, but we have to recognize when the time comes to ask for help or in other words when we choose to be chosen."
I was in awe of the spirit that filled our conversation that day. I am in awe the Lord has seen fit to have me learn this specific lesson over and over the past few weeks. I was in my institute class last week and we were reading, Joseph Smith Matthew. The tie in with this lesson was that we talked about the word elect (v. 22).
We as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, those of us who try each and every day to obey His commandments, listen to and heed His prophets, communicate with Him through prayer and scripture study are, His elect. To be His elect, we have to choose to be chosen. We have to live a life very different from the worlds standards. We have to live a life where Jesus Christ is the center of our universe. He should be at the center of every choice, every decision, every thought because we will be making them with Him in view.
I pray that I will always recognize my worth and choose to be chosen! I pray that you too may choose to be chosen. Be His Elect!
I. Love. The Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Reflection from the good ole G.C. part 2
Sunday Morning and Afternoon Sessions of the 181st Semi Annual General Conference were fabulous!
President Henry B. Eyring
We promised to rise to "it", now it's time for me to RISE! How? see below *grin*
Be charitable, Be a Witness of God, Endure! (Think of Moroni, he encouraged charity and faith in Jesus Christ, even when being faced with death all the way to the end.)
Elder Robert D. Hales
We may weepeth for a night, but JOY will come in the morning!
Let us be kinder to one another and kinder to ourselves.
Elder Tad R. Callister
The genius of the Book of Mormon is that it has no gray; it is either black or white. True or false. We must make the choice; it's either God or the devil.
Feast upon the words of Christ
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism and the Book of Mormon confirms or clarifies all that is in the Holy Bible, or all that had been changed.
Sister Elaine S. Dalton
*** This was one of my favorite talks this G.C., and maybe one of my favorite talks EVER! It just made me feel good inside to know that I am looking for the right guy. Someone who will love me enough, and by his words and his deeds be setting an example for our children on how they should be loved ***
How can a father raise a daughter in THIS world?
~SHOW LOVE TO HER MOTHER!
Your daughters won't settle for anything less is she recognizes her worth!
Be the guardian of virtue (clean thoughts and pure actions.)
Abish's strength of conversion came through her father! Through Abish's conversion came the Stripling Warriors.
Elder M. Russel Ballard
Names are important, they distinguish each of us.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! and this is the name that the Lord will call us at the Last day.
Remember to retain the name of Christ always in my heart.
President Thomas S. Monson
"We love ya Bob" How sweet that was to hear!
We DO NOT ring our hands in despair! We have the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
The laws of men have changed, but the Laws of God have not and will not.
God is unchangeable, His constancy is something we can rely on!
"There is nothing else that can bring joy and peace to our souls than following and keeping the commandments of our Savior!" What a promise!
COMMUNICATE with the Lord
This is where I felt the most amazing peace. I really felt that President Monson's talk was an answer to my own personal prayers and was being said for my own learning. I know I had to write the post on communication before I went to bed on Saturday and how sweet it was to hear it talked about by the Prophet!
All will be well. Be worthy of it. Trust it. Do it with the communication of our Father in Heaven!
"Fear not, I am with thee..."
Elder Russel M. Nelson
Make, Keep, and Honor the covenants I have made to the Lord!
We are "children of the covenant" and we have the right to receive the blessings of Abraham because we have been adopted in.
Patriarchal Blessings bring a view of the future and a connection to the past.
Missionary work, the ancient promise of "Gathering Israel".
Gather His children of COVENANT Israel.
When we realize we are the committed children of the covenant, we know our potential and where we came from.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
What do I really believe about Jesus Christ? What am I doing about it in my life?
Remember what Christ taught... who He was and why He came into this world!
FOCUS ON CHRIST NOT THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD!
Seek ye first the Kingdom on God.
I must desire and obey so that I may have the same knowledge of Christ of who He was, and why He came into this world.
Brother Matthew O. Richardson
Becoming "real". Real learning is from real teaching.
We are all teachers, but we have to recognize that the Holy Ghost is the ultimate teacher!
Teach BY the Spirit!
There are 2 fundamental ways the Spirit teaches... line upon line, here a little and there a little and by prompting/inspiring us to act. He cannon learn/act for us, but can invite opportunities to do so.
Learn values, not just about values.
Turn around and see how far you've come, then take one step at a time to move forward and upward!
Real Parents Real Teachers Real Leaders Real Learners
Elder Kazuniko Yamashita
Stand on the Mountains!
Through our love toward others, we impart the love of God.
Continue to be missionaries and act as Disciples of Jesus Christ!
Elder Randall K Bennett
Evaluate the choices we are making... will there be a current that takes you far away from your loved ones and the safety of the shore?
Decisions lead to destiny... we have a divine nature and destiny as children of God.
We can inherit eternal life IF we choose to follow Christ! Hearken to God and CHOOSE eternal life!
Am self disciplined enough to be able to detect early when I am going down the wrong path?
Am I seeking divine revelation?
Am I following the world?
Am I helping to rescue others?
Elder J. Devn Cornish
Heavenly Father WANTS to bless us! Pray!
The Lords Prayer! Commit to do my part, repent, forgive, seek for leadership and guidance... "For this is Thy glory and power forever."
Secrets to a joyful life are recognizing doing things the Lords way, and not my own.
Prayer is the provider of spiritual peace! Miracles are wrought by prayer!
Elder Quentin L. Cook
Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?
~Our Father in Heaven knows and loves us and our pains
~He has a Son, Jesus Christ who FILLS ALL THE UNFAIRNESS OF LIFE
~There is Eternal Glory available
Those without knowledge of the first and second acts will not understand the play if they walk in during the third act.
Happy endings are not always possible in this life, but prayers and pristhood blessing can still be given.
THE REFINERS FIRE IS REAL- PERFECT PURIFYING TO PREPARE US TO MEET GOD!
The Titanic did not have enough life boats, but the Saviors Atonement has enough for all!
Look through the clear lens of the Gospel; don't look through the limited lens of the world.
President Thomas S. Monson
A most inspiring Conference!
Heavenly Father is mindful of us! Acknowledge His hand in all things!
We are Gods hands here on the earth.
Each position in the church is fulfilling the work of the Lord.
Do Gods will, serve Him, and serve His children
Prayers: Remember Gods servants.
Every man, woman, and child has a part to play in God's Plan!
OUR SAVIOR LIVES!
He is willing to come to us and go far to help us! He has promised Peace!
How sweet it is to partake of the goodness that is Conference. I feel a new sense of self. A new awakening in my spirit to GO TO WORK! I sense that Satan knows that about me too and that is why these last few weeks have been kinda hard. I am sorry I haven't finished this post sooner. How good it has been for my spirit! I see now the true love of my Father in Heaven! How sweet it was to re read these talks and see that the Lord really was answering my prayers and adding to the areas that I am learning right now. Was it me, or did you guys see the strong connection a lot of the speakers had with the sermons of King Benjamin? It was amazing! Time to study and I mean STUDY his words and do so with a spirit of learning and humility.
Thank you my dear kind and wise Father in Heaven for loving all of us enough to prepare us during this life by teaching us where to find the tools we will need to combat Satan so we can return to live with Thee again! Thank you Jesus Christ for taking on yourself my imperfections and mistakes. How sweet it is to KNOW Thou knowest me and Thou knowest what I need right now in my life. I, a 29 year old, single student, who is trying to learn to love people and life more and more each day. THANK YOU!
President Henry B. Eyring
We promised to rise to "it", now it's time for me to RISE! How? see below *grin*
Be charitable, Be a Witness of God, Endure! (Think of Moroni, he encouraged charity and faith in Jesus Christ, even when being faced with death all the way to the end.)
Elder Robert D. Hales
We may weepeth for a night, but JOY will come in the morning!
Let us be kinder to one another and kinder to ourselves.
Elder Tad R. Callister
The genius of the Book of Mormon is that it has no gray; it is either black or white. True or false. We must make the choice; it's either God or the devil.
Feast upon the words of Christ
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism and the Book of Mormon confirms or clarifies all that is in the Holy Bible, or all that had been changed.
Sister Elaine S. Dalton
*** This was one of my favorite talks this G.C., and maybe one of my favorite talks EVER! It just made me feel good inside to know that I am looking for the right guy. Someone who will love me enough, and by his words and his deeds be setting an example for our children on how they should be loved ***
How can a father raise a daughter in THIS world?
~SHOW LOVE TO HER MOTHER!
Your daughters won't settle for anything less is she recognizes her worth!
Be the guardian of virtue (clean thoughts and pure actions.)
Abish's strength of conversion came through her father! Through Abish's conversion came the Stripling Warriors.
Elder M. Russel Ballard
Names are important, they distinguish each of us.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! and this is the name that the Lord will call us at the Last day.
Remember to retain the name of Christ always in my heart.
President Thomas S. Monson
"We love ya Bob" How sweet that was to hear!
We DO NOT ring our hands in despair! We have the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
The laws of men have changed, but the Laws of God have not and will not.
God is unchangeable, His constancy is something we can rely on!
"There is nothing else that can bring joy and peace to our souls than following and keeping the commandments of our Savior!" What a promise!
COMMUNICATE with the Lord
This is where I felt the most amazing peace. I really felt that President Monson's talk was an answer to my own personal prayers and was being said for my own learning. I know I had to write the post on communication before I went to bed on Saturday and how sweet it was to hear it talked about by the Prophet!
All will be well. Be worthy of it. Trust it. Do it with the communication of our Father in Heaven!
"Fear not, I am with thee..."
Elder Russel M. Nelson
Make, Keep, and Honor the covenants I have made to the Lord!
We are "children of the covenant" and we have the right to receive the blessings of Abraham because we have been adopted in.
Patriarchal Blessings bring a view of the future and a connection to the past.
Missionary work, the ancient promise of "Gathering Israel".
Gather His children of COVENANT Israel.
When we realize we are the committed children of the covenant, we know our potential and where we came from.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
What do I really believe about Jesus Christ? What am I doing about it in my life?
Remember what Christ taught... who He was and why He came into this world!
FOCUS ON CHRIST NOT THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD!
Seek ye first the Kingdom on God.
I must desire and obey so that I may have the same knowledge of Christ of who He was, and why He came into this world.
Brother Matthew O. Richardson
Becoming "real". Real learning is from real teaching.
We are all teachers, but we have to recognize that the Holy Ghost is the ultimate teacher!
Teach BY the Spirit!
There are 2 fundamental ways the Spirit teaches... line upon line, here a little and there a little and by prompting/inspiring us to act. He cannon learn/act for us, but can invite opportunities to do so.
Learn values, not just about values.
Turn around and see how far you've come, then take one step at a time to move forward and upward!
Real Parents Real Teachers Real Leaders Real Learners
Elder Kazuniko Yamashita
Stand on the Mountains!
Through our love toward others, we impart the love of God.
Continue to be missionaries and act as Disciples of Jesus Christ!
Elder Randall K Bennett
Evaluate the choices we are making... will there be a current that takes you far away from your loved ones and the safety of the shore?
Decisions lead to destiny... we have a divine nature and destiny as children of God.
We can inherit eternal life IF we choose to follow Christ! Hearken to God and CHOOSE eternal life!
Am self disciplined enough to be able to detect early when I am going down the wrong path?
Am I seeking divine revelation?
Am I following the world?
Am I helping to rescue others?
Elder J. Devn Cornish
Heavenly Father WANTS to bless us! Pray!
The Lords Prayer! Commit to do my part, repent, forgive, seek for leadership and guidance... "For this is Thy glory and power forever."
Secrets to a joyful life are recognizing doing things the Lords way, and not my own.
Prayer is the provider of spiritual peace! Miracles are wrought by prayer!
Elder Quentin L. Cook
Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?
~Our Father in Heaven knows and loves us and our pains
~He has a Son, Jesus Christ who FILLS ALL THE UNFAIRNESS OF LIFE
~There is Eternal Glory available
Those without knowledge of the first and second acts will not understand the play if they walk in during the third act.
Happy endings are not always possible in this life, but prayers and pristhood blessing can still be given.
THE REFINERS FIRE IS REAL- PERFECT PURIFYING TO PREPARE US TO MEET GOD!
The Titanic did not have enough life boats, but the Saviors Atonement has enough for all!
Look through the clear lens of the Gospel; don't look through the limited lens of the world.
President Thomas S. Monson
A most inspiring Conference!
Heavenly Father is mindful of us! Acknowledge His hand in all things!
We are Gods hands here on the earth.
Each position in the church is fulfilling the work of the Lord.
Do Gods will, serve Him, and serve His children
Prayers: Remember Gods servants.
Every man, woman, and child has a part to play in God's Plan!
OUR SAVIOR LIVES!
He is willing to come to us and go far to help us! He has promised Peace!
How sweet it is to partake of the goodness that is Conference. I feel a new sense of self. A new awakening in my spirit to GO TO WORK! I sense that Satan knows that about me too and that is why these last few weeks have been kinda hard. I am sorry I haven't finished this post sooner. How good it has been for my spirit! I see now the true love of my Father in Heaven! How sweet it was to re read these talks and see that the Lord really was answering my prayers and adding to the areas that I am learning right now. Was it me, or did you guys see the strong connection a lot of the speakers had with the sermons of King Benjamin? It was amazing! Time to study and I mean STUDY his words and do so with a spirit of learning and humility.
Thank you my dear kind and wise Father in Heaven for loving all of us enough to prepare us during this life by teaching us where to find the tools we will need to combat Satan so we can return to live with Thee again! Thank you Jesus Christ for taking on yourself my imperfections and mistakes. How sweet it is to KNOW Thou knowest me and Thou knowest what I need right now in my life. I, a 29 year old, single student, who is trying to learn to love people and life more and more each day. THANK YOU!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
I'm proud of myself for this one...
So, it's not the coolest drawing, but by golley, I am proud of it. It's the first graphite drawing I have ever done and I don't think it's to shabby. The assignment for art was to take 3 black and white images and make a 4x4 collage of them and then take that image and use pencil to increase it to an 8x8. We are learning about shading at the moment. Have I mentioned how much I love my art class? Have I? No? Well, I DO!!!
Somehow my art work has been about the Gospel and food; Which is pretty funny to know that is a lot of what I think about. lol.
This is the final draft, I darkened my shadows and tried to remove all the lines by using shading instead. I listened to my teacher and it looked way better, it's like he's been teaching art for 30 years or something? lol.
This is the pic that I was going to turn in and then my professor recommended what I did to the above pic. I like what I turned in a lot better. Yay for art and learning and the B pencils!
This image is a of bubbles in glass, with a ship and the obvious plate with an oyster and lemon *grin*
Here is the original 4x4 with my grid lines on it
Somehow my art work has been about the Gospel and food; Which is pretty funny to know that is a lot of what I think about. lol.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Christ is the LIGHT!
I happened to be re reading "Explanation of Findin' My Ore" tab above and had an amazing and sweet realization. Not that I haven't known that Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, but in applying that knowledge to Findin' My Ore, the thought came:
CHRIST IS THE LIGHT! He is the LIGHT I need in the mountain to see the ore! He is the LIGHT that will make things visible!
EVERYTHING truly does testify of Jesus Christ! I know He Lives! I know He Loves us! I know if I trust Him, I can live eternally with He and our Father in Heaven again!
How sweet it is!
CHRIST IS THE LIGHT! He is the LIGHT I need in the mountain to see the ore! He is the LIGHT that will make things visible!
EVERYTHING truly does testify of Jesus Christ! I know He Lives! I know He Loves us! I know if I trust Him, I can live eternally with He and our Father in Heaven again!
How sweet it is!
Thinkin' a lot... About a lot of things.
Disclaimer: This is a super old post! It's from August 28; I didn't realize I hadn't posted it, so here I go, posting it 2 months later :)
Where my head has been.
Utah! Oh how I miss you! I miss my family and friends! I miss the weather! I miss the pretty mountains! I miss the fact that it takes less than 15minutes to get to 2 Temples from my brothers house and make it a 30 minute drive and you just added 3 more! How I love the Temple! Well, I don't always miss everything about Utah... the construction on I-15, so not my favorite! I don't miss the gas prices either. It's like 20cents more a gallon up there. And wait, I found out that the community college up there is waaaaay more expensive than down here.
OK, I'll keep livin' it up down in Tucson. I have family and friends here too! And I have facebook (unless of course the threat from the hackers for a take down on Nov. 5 is real, then I'll at least have it til Nov ;) The weather is heading to the cooler side of things, I do have a "set" Temple trip once a month where I get to meet new friends and catch up with old ones. Along with trying a new restaurant all in the same day. Construction is at a minimum down here right now, and gas prices are some of the cheapest on the west coast. Plus, Pima CC is waaaaay cheaper!
Speaking of Pima, school started! I know, I know. I already posted my art homework, but I wanted to catch you up with the other classes too.
It's all kinds of cool. I feel really good about my classes, about my ability to succeed in them, and all of the teachers this round teach in a very structured manner. Which is sooooo what I need! I don't do well when things are not organized. I can do it, it is just way harder!
I thought it would be weird because of the age thing, me being grown up ya know, but first day, it wasn't bad. All of my classes, except intro business, I am one of the oldest students in class. All the professors are older than me thankfully though. lol. My Sign Language class is going to be fun. My teacher is deaf and we are not allowed to use our voices during the 2 1/2hrs in the classroom. Hopefully I catch on quick with Sign, otherwise, it's going to be really hard for me to stay quiet for that long. haha.
I am still really thankful to the Lord for being patient with me going to school. I love how it just feels right. I don't want to set myself up for failure. So, I have a plan. I'm challenging myself to do homework the same day, or by the end of the next day and to absolutely keep up on all reading! I feel that if I don't keep up on it, it could overwhelm me. I also gave myself time between my classes, so I can actually do some stuff during them too.
I do however see the probability of adding in an afternoon nap now. My ASL teacher told us how tired we are going to get because we are taking in so much visually. Weird huh?
Anywho. Other thoughts...
I have finally decorated my living room and dining room/kitchen! I'm in a small little apartment, but it's cute now! I went with browns, reds, yellows, teals, tans, and black. It works really well together. I got the inspiration from a really cute apron, that I got as a gift last year. I even have stuff on the walls! It's been really fun! I feel like I am "nesting" and have this freaky, FREAKY desire to have everything in order. I guess it comes with age. haha
The End.
Where my head has been.
Utah! Oh how I miss you! I miss my family and friends! I miss the weather! I miss the pretty mountains! I miss the fact that it takes less than 15minutes to get to 2 Temples from my brothers house and make it a 30 minute drive and you just added 3 more! How I love the Temple! Well, I don't always miss everything about Utah... the construction on I-15, so not my favorite! I don't miss the gas prices either. It's like 20cents more a gallon up there. And wait, I found out that the community college up there is waaaaay more expensive than down here.
OK, I'll keep livin' it up down in Tucson. I have family and friends here too! And I have facebook (unless of course the threat from the hackers for a take down on Nov. 5 is real, then I'll at least have it til Nov ;) The weather is heading to the cooler side of things, I do have a "set" Temple trip once a month where I get to meet new friends and catch up with old ones. Along with trying a new restaurant all in the same day. Construction is at a minimum down here right now, and gas prices are some of the cheapest on the west coast. Plus, Pima CC is waaaaay cheaper!
Speaking of Pima, school started! I know, I know. I already posted my art homework, but I wanted to catch you up with the other classes too.
It's all kinds of cool. I feel really good about my classes, about my ability to succeed in them, and all of the teachers this round teach in a very structured manner. Which is sooooo what I need! I don't do well when things are not organized. I can do it, it is just way harder!
I thought it would be weird because of the age thing, me being grown up ya know, but first day, it wasn't bad. All of my classes, except intro business, I am one of the oldest students in class. All the professors are older than me thankfully though. lol. My Sign Language class is going to be fun. My teacher is deaf and we are not allowed to use our voices during the 2 1/2hrs in the classroom. Hopefully I catch on quick with Sign, otherwise, it's going to be really hard for me to stay quiet for that long. haha.
I am still really thankful to the Lord for being patient with me going to school. I love how it just feels right. I don't want to set myself up for failure. So, I have a plan. I'm challenging myself to do homework the same day, or by the end of the next day and to absolutely keep up on all reading! I feel that if I don't keep up on it, it could overwhelm me. I also gave myself time between my classes, so I can actually do some stuff during them too.
I do however see the probability of adding in an afternoon nap now. My ASL teacher told us how tired we are going to get because we are taking in so much visually. Weird huh?
Anywho. Other thoughts...
I have finally decorated my living room and dining room/kitchen! I'm in a small little apartment, but it's cute now! I went with browns, reds, yellows, teals, tans, and black. It works really well together. I got the inspiration from a really cute apron, that I got as a gift last year. I even have stuff on the walls! It's been really fun! I feel like I am "nesting" and have this freaky, FREAKY desire to have everything in order. I guess it comes with age. haha
The End.
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