Attentive.

Maybe it's because of my new favorite movie.  Maybe it's because of the name of my blog.  Maybe it's because I have found that life can spin so fast it almost feels out of order as we all try to live our lives to the fullest in some way or another - most of the time missing the point as to what that really means.

But mostly, it's because I've been learning a lot more about genuinely appreciating everything and everyone around me.  Every day, every breath, every taste, every person I meet can be so magic - and I want to be enchanted by it all; to feel the tingle, the sparkle of light in every moment as it falls into any given day.

Is it impossible to do a little movie magic on life?  To mentally slow down the most precious parts, add some music, and make the glow of the people and things you see so perfect that it is near impossible to mistake their importance to your own personal plot?

I think not.

Ruins

something about times of old
the magic of a story told
enchantment, wonder, and romance
the seeming fool's errand of taking a chance

unsaid until the very phrase
the perfect coupling of clarity and haze
unknowing of what the future holds
so long as together it folds

the charm of a broken palace
of all it's past hearts housed
to enter in without malice
praise and awe upon it dowsed

if we know better now
than they knew in the stories
it is only because of how
in their ruins, we see the glories

marvel every broken piece
every cobbled floor
fingers tingle at each parchment's crease
every dent adore

Ruin, you see
makes enchantment.
The wonder and romance enhancement.

Beauty, to me
is when he or she
embraces and learns how to dance it.

but in order to be
something naturally
another must the ruin see
and know to chance it

something about the times of old
the magic of a story told
each crack, dent, pebble, and break
the reason for your wonder make.

Eye to Eye

I read something hopeful in my study today.

18 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. (3 Nephi 16:18)

The world is full of so much confusion and disagreement.  Everyone is constantly coming up with arguments and trying to prove their way right and other ways wrong.  It's hard to know what sides to take sometimes - and it's very confusing when you want your personal beliefs to coincide with everything else you think about, be it morality, modesty, equality, etc.

Besides making me think of this song, which is happy in and of itself, this scriptural promise is comforting.  First off, it is comforting in a sense of a future perspective, looking toward when the Lord will come again, rule, and the world will simply make more sense.

It's also hopeful in another way, though.  The chapter summary says this will happen "when the Lord brings again Zion," which could very well be referring to what happens when people are close the the Lord.  When we seek Him, He helps guide minds and hearts, and people tend to agree more. The Lord, through both His infinite wisdom and His astounding love for all of us, makes things match up.

Maybe love is the reason why

For the first time ever,

We're seeing it eye-to eye

Guided.

From the Thoughts of Life blog

Therefore, thus saith the Lord: Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of the Nephites, except they repent I will take away my word from them, and I will withdraw my Spirit from them, and I will suffer them no longer, and I will turn the hearts of their brethren against them. - Helaman 13:8

I've been thinking a lot lately about how the Spirit works and what it does for us.  Whenever the Nephites win a battle in the Book of Mormon, the prophet who is writing acknowledges that it is because they had the Spirit of the Lord with them, which gave them strength.  I think this can be interpreted in various ways, one being that the Spirit can literally give us strength when we are fighting our battles, because the Lord fights alongside us.  Sometimes, the strength of the Lord even keeps enemies away instead of letting them attack in the first place.

Another way that rings true to me is this: when we have the Spirit, we are more in tune with God's will, and we are thus guided through our battles to an end that He wants for us.  The truth is, we do have battles to fight, and often our enemies are stronger than we are.  The Lord doesn't always take these battles away or fight them for us, usually because He needs us to gain something from them.  However, the Spirit gives us guidance, and because that is Heavenly guidance, it is another kind of strength - a strength in divine knowledge - that cannot be gained any other way.

I am so grateful for the guidance of His Spirit in my life. It really does help me through my battles.