Mosiah 9:18 "And God did hear our cries, and did answer our prayers, and we did go forth in His might." Whenever we are in great need, we can call upon the Lord and His Might will be with us as we push through. This is a very important principle to me, that the Lord will make us strong if we only ask. I need this more often than I know how to say, and I'm so grateful for it.
Something that comes from living with His might is the ability to see things from a different perspective. I know some of this is because of me, but I can't deny that the Lord is helping a lot. In Mosiah, after Zeniff finishes explaining the sin his people are in, he says: (Mosiah 7:28) "Therefore, who wondereth that they are in bondage, and that they are smitten with sore afflictions?" This brings up an interesting point. If you feel like things are unfairly bad, think of what YOU can do better. We are more in charge of our lives than we sometimes like to admit.
I'm so glad for teachers and prophets that give me insight so I know how to receive more on my own. Mosiah 8:19 says: "and these interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men." All of our prophets and teachers are 'interpreters' of a sort, and unfold mysteries and bring us great understanding. Amen, amen.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
"Except it were for the help of these plates"
I know I say this every week, but I'm every so grateful for the scriptures, and the power of the spirit that is magnified as I read them. It brings so much truth and insight into my life.
Mosiah 1:4 "except if were for the help of these plates"
Just like the people in Mosiah's time, we cannot learn the things the prophets of old wanted to teach us, except through the scriptures. And, as stated in verse 6: "these sayings are true... records are true... also the plates of Nephi... they are true, and we can know of a surety because we have them before our eyes." The scriptures are a gift of truth to us in the confusing world. If we use them properly, not only will we know of their surety, but we will be more sure and confident about the truth in our own lives.
Something I really like about Mosiah is that he never forgets to mention that the Lord has given us everything, and is behind everything in our lives. He is a great example to me, and I want to follow him and learn to NEVER forget the Lord in anything and everything I do.
Mosiah 2:8: Mosiah had his words recorded, so that all could learn from them. Today, we follow that pattern. Through church magazines and other literature, we have the words of the prophets recorded so we can be taught from them. Just like Mosiah, our prophets want us to hear their words.
These insights in Mosiah have really helped my appreciation for prophets, old and new, grow. They care about us, and they have guidance for us that will help us in ways we usually can't see. I now have a new resolve to listen more intently to their words (or read them more carefully) and learn to apply them in my life.
Mosiah 1:4 "except if were for the help of these plates"
Just like the people in Mosiah's time, we cannot learn the things the prophets of old wanted to teach us, except through the scriptures. And, as stated in verse 6: "these sayings are true... records are true... also the plates of Nephi... they are true, and we can know of a surety because we have them before our eyes." The scriptures are a gift of truth to us in the confusing world. If we use them properly, not only will we know of their surety, but we will be more sure and confident about the truth in our own lives.
Something I really like about Mosiah is that he never forgets to mention that the Lord has given us everything, and is behind everything in our lives. He is a great example to me, and I want to follow him and learn to NEVER forget the Lord in anything and everything I do.
Mosiah 2:8: Mosiah had his words recorded, so that all could learn from them. Today, we follow that pattern. Through church magazines and other literature, we have the words of the prophets recorded so we can be taught from them. Just like Mosiah, our prophets want us to hear their words.
These insights in Mosiah have really helped my appreciation for prophets, old and new, grow. They care about us, and they have guidance for us that will help us in ways we usually can't see. I now have a new resolve to listen more intently to their words (or read them more carefully) and learn to apply them in my life.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Rely on Him
In reading this week, I found a string of scriptures that relate to each other very well. It amazes me how this seems to work out. One thought leads to another and then you have a whole list of cross references to help you out in your life. The power of the Holy Ghost is amazing!
2 Nephi 32:3: "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."
It's comforting to know that Christ has all the answers, and that whenever we have a tough decision, if we rely on Him, he'll help us find the answer.
Jacob 5:7: "It grieveth me that I should lose this tree;"
Not only CAN Christ help us through everything, he really really wants to. He is sad when He is losing us. He cares about EACH ONE of us greatly, and wants to help.
Jacob 5:12: "watch the tree, and nourish it"
Because God cares about each of us so much, he wants us to be happy and looked after. It is our responsibility to help Him carry some of this out. We need to watch and e there for our ward members and other around us. They need our strength, friendship, and knowledge.
And this one isn't necessarily connected to the above string of thought, but I though it was cool anyway. :)
Jacob 5:36: "evil fruit"
Evil is not a word one would normally use to describe fruit. It's probably used that way here so we recognize the fact that this is a metaphor. In helping Joseph Smith translate the BoM, God knew what wording would be needed. All of these little miracles are always amazing to me. (And the farm boy does it again!)
Inspiration-ally enough, my Sunday school lesson today followed the same type of message as my scripture reading this week. I Love this gospel, and how much each aspect in it relates to the rest. Here's the jist of today's SS lesson:
By the way, Sunday School today was taught be Steve Robinson. He is great!
We started out by talking about Faith. In the modern, English interpretations of this word, we put meanings on it that the people who wrote it didn't mean. When we think of Faith, most people think of something related to belief. Faith is not a belief word. It is a behavior word. :) When we think of a"faithful husband" (or wife) we think of someone who is loyal and committed. Coincidentally, the interpretation of the ancient language's term for Faith means things like loyal, pillar (steadfast, sure, certain), and being committed to a covenant.
He connected this with the concept of the Lord's law. Merely following a list of do's and don'ts (however good they are) does now necessarily show Faith, or 'save' you. When we merely follow a list of things to do, we are always striving to be perfect in doing them. We try and try to make ourselves perfect, and are constantly discouraged because we never make it up to par. How do we get Home? By being FAITHFUL to Him. Be loyal. Be committed to the covenants you have with Him. We do need to follow the commandments, but the law alone will not save us. (This is said throughout scripture a lot, but today we were talking specifically of Paul's teachings.) We need not focus on doing every little thing and being a quote on quote 'perfect person'. That is not the point of us being here, nor will it bring us where we need to be in the long run. The point of us being here is to learn to rely *wholly* on Christ. To be faithful. And by that, Paul (and other teachers) doesn't just mean believe. Belief alone also will not save us.
"Believing is not sufficient. The devil believes, he knows God exists. Belief isn't what divides us, it is *behavior*." --Brother Robinson
I Loved today's lesson, and how Brother Robinson taught us that the most important thing is to rely on Christ always, and not be so worried about being completely perfect. Through relying on Christ, we will become the people we need to be, step by step. I Love Love LOVE this concept. And I Love this gospel!
2 Nephi 32:3: "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."
It's comforting to know that Christ has all the answers, and that whenever we have a tough decision, if we rely on Him, he'll help us find the answer.
Jacob 5:7: "It grieveth me that I should lose this tree;"
Not only CAN Christ help us through everything, he really really wants to. He is sad when He is losing us. He cares about EACH ONE of us greatly, and wants to help.
Jacob 5:12: "watch the tree, and nourish it"
Because God cares about each of us so much, he wants us to be happy and looked after. It is our responsibility to help Him carry some of this out. We need to watch and e there for our ward members and other around us. They need our strength, friendship, and knowledge.
And this one isn't necessarily connected to the above string of thought, but I though it was cool anyway. :)
Jacob 5:36: "evil fruit"
Evil is not a word one would normally use to describe fruit. It's probably used that way here so we recognize the fact that this is a metaphor. In helping Joseph Smith translate the BoM, God knew what wording would be needed. All of these little miracles are always amazing to me. (And the farm boy does it again!)
Inspiration-ally enough, my Sunday school lesson today followed the same type of message as my scripture reading this week. I Love this gospel, and how much each aspect in it relates to the rest. Here's the jist of today's SS lesson:
By the way, Sunday School today was taught be Steve Robinson. He is great!
We started out by talking about Faith. In the modern, English interpretations of this word, we put meanings on it that the people who wrote it didn't mean. When we think of Faith, most people think of something related to belief. Faith is not a belief word. It is a behavior word. :) When we think of a"faithful husband" (or wife) we think of someone who is loyal and committed. Coincidentally, the interpretation of the ancient language's term for Faith means things like loyal, pillar (steadfast, sure, certain), and being committed to a covenant.
He connected this with the concept of the Lord's law. Merely following a list of do's and don'ts (however good they are) does now necessarily show Faith, or 'save' you. When we merely follow a list of things to do, we are always striving to be perfect in doing them. We try and try to make ourselves perfect, and are constantly discouraged because we never make it up to par. How do we get Home? By being FAITHFUL to Him. Be loyal. Be committed to the covenants you have with Him. We do need to follow the commandments, but the law alone will not save us. (This is said throughout scripture a lot, but today we were talking specifically of Paul's teachings.) We need not focus on doing every little thing and being a quote on quote 'perfect person'. That is not the point of us being here, nor will it bring us where we need to be in the long run. The point of us being here is to learn to rely *wholly* on Christ. To be faithful. And by that, Paul (and other teachers) doesn't just mean believe. Belief alone also will not save us.
"Believing is not sufficient. The devil believes, he knows God exists. Belief isn't what divides us, it is *behavior*." --Brother Robinson
I Loved today's lesson, and how Brother Robinson taught us that the most important thing is to rely on Christ always, and not be so worried about being completely perfect. Through relying on Christ, we will become the people we need to be, step by step. I Love Love LOVE this concept. And I Love this gospel!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
My Soul Delighteth
2 Nephi 25:13: "Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning Him, for I have seen His day, and my heart doth magnify His holy name." Nephi's testimony burns so brigthly that he delights to speak of Christ. I'm developing that same kind of testimony, and I'm so thankful for the Joy His gospel brings!
2 Nephi 26:24: "He doth nothing save it be for the benefit of the world." And for me. He/His prophets will not do or say anything unless it will benefit us. This is very good motivation to follow them, because it's for our own good. After reading this scripture, I found this one: (verse 33, same chapter) "He doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men." This was a great follow up scripture to confirm my previous insight. His law is simple and direct, follow it!
2 Nephi 28: 21 + 30: The devil "leads carefully down to hell"; step by step and little by little. Across the column from this is the concept that Christ leads us "line upon line, precept upon precept". I'm finding that the devil has many counterfeits to the Lord's way of doing things. This is one of them, they both lead us the way they wish us to go little by little. The devil works with the same kind of methods that the Lord does. Don't fall for it.
ISAIAH TIPS! Actually, just one. Isaiah is a poet, and his words are MUCH better understood when read like poetry. However, his poetry does not follow the same criteria that most of our poetry does today. Isaiah is a Hebrew poet. They don't necessarily rhyme or have a specific rhythm scheme, but something my professor told us is that Hebrew poets *repeat themselves*. Isaiah follows suit to this rule. He makes a habit of saying something, then saying it again a different way. For example: "red as scarlet... white as snow" followed by "red as crimson... white as wool." I'm seeing this repetition all over the place now. It helps me really get Isaiah and I'm ever so grateful for that. I can now join Nephi in saying "My soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah." :) Thanks Brother Griffin!
2 Nephi 26:24: "He doth nothing save it be for the benefit of the world." And for me. He/His prophets will not do or say anything unless it will benefit us. This is very good motivation to follow them, because it's for our own good. After reading this scripture, I found this one: (verse 33, same chapter) "He doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men." This was a great follow up scripture to confirm my previous insight. His law is simple and direct, follow it!
2 Nephi 28: 21 + 30: The devil "leads carefully down to hell"; step by step and little by little. Across the column from this is the concept that Christ leads us "line upon line, precept upon precept". I'm finding that the devil has many counterfeits to the Lord's way of doing things. This is one of them, they both lead us the way they wish us to go little by little. The devil works with the same kind of methods that the Lord does. Don't fall for it.
ISAIAH TIPS! Actually, just one. Isaiah is a poet, and his words are MUCH better understood when read like poetry. However, his poetry does not follow the same criteria that most of our poetry does today. Isaiah is a Hebrew poet. They don't necessarily rhyme or have a specific rhythm scheme, but something my professor told us is that Hebrew poets *repeat themselves*. Isaiah follows suit to this rule. He makes a habit of saying something, then saying it again a different way. For example: "red as scarlet... white as snow" followed by "red as crimson... white as wool." I'm seeing this repetition all over the place now. It helps me really get Isaiah and I'm ever so grateful for that. I can now join Nephi in saying "My soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah." :) Thanks Brother Griffin!
Monday, October 3, 2011
His Claim
I have reached a lot of really cool insights in my scripture study this week. I'm so very grateful we have the spirit to give us insight, it brings me much Joy. :)
2 Neph 9:25: "the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon [us]." We are in debt to the law, because we all have sinned. Christ and His Atonement payed the price for us, and that's very much the same as buying us out of captivity or slavery. We are now His servants, and must begin to repay the debt through doing His will. I say "begin" because we cannot ever fully repay it. when we do His will, He blesses us even more, leaving us forever in His debt, which He is more than willing to do. We talked about this is Gospel Doctrine a little while ago, and it's cool to be able to pick out again throughout scripture.
2 Neph 9:51-52: "Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and *let your soul delight in fatness*" I take from this to focus on the important things. God gives us an unlimited supply of the joy of the Gospel to feast on, and we should take advantage of it and let our souls delight in fatness. :)
2 Neph 10: 2: "That which will give them true knowledge" We don't always have *immediate* knowledge, but the Lord gives us that which will GIVE us knowledge, after application of Faith.
2 Neph 10:20 "We have been led to a better land" Because we came to this earth, the Land of our Eternity will be that much better. :)
2 Neph 19:4 : "But His hand is stretched out still." Even after we have discouraged Him by making mistakes, He is REACHING out for us. This is AMAZING to me.
Again, I'm very very grateful I've been learning so much about how to receive insight from the spirit. The Gospel is true!
2 Neph 9:25: "the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon [us]." We are in debt to the law, because we all have sinned. Christ and His Atonement payed the price for us, and that's very much the same as buying us out of captivity or slavery. We are now His servants, and must begin to repay the debt through doing His will. I say "begin" because we cannot ever fully repay it. when we do His will, He blesses us even more, leaving us forever in His debt, which He is more than willing to do. We talked about this is Gospel Doctrine a little while ago, and it's cool to be able to pick out again throughout scripture.
2 Neph 9:51-52: "Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and *let your soul delight in fatness*" I take from this to focus on the important things. God gives us an unlimited supply of the joy of the Gospel to feast on, and we should take advantage of it and let our souls delight in fatness. :)
2 Neph 10: 2: "That which will give them true knowledge" We don't always have *immediate* knowledge, but the Lord gives us that which will GIVE us knowledge, after application of Faith.
2 Neph 10:20 "We have been led to a better land" Because we came to this earth, the Land of our Eternity will be that much better. :)
2 Neph 19:4 : "But His hand is stretched out still." Even after we have discouraged Him by making mistakes, He is REACHING out for us. This is AMAZING to me.
Again, I'm very very grateful I've been learning so much about how to receive insight from the spirit. The Gospel is true!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Be Like Nephi - a thermostat
Brother Griffin made a really good analogy in class this week. In comparing Laman and Lemuel to Nephi. How they are thermometers (reactors) and he is a thermostat (actor). A thermometer tells you when it's too cold or too hot, while a thermostat will say "It's too cold, I'll make it warmer." To be a thermostat, you need to exercise faith in the Lord and *take the next step*, even if you don't know what the outcome will be. These steps related to receiving revelation. When we receive guidance from the Lord, we need to act on it in order to receive the next step in the plan, or the next bit of revelation. What is even MORE amazing, is that, this plan is the "blueprint" that's designed to make us into temples, or an extension of Heaven. I absolutely Love how well all of these concepts connect, and it gives me *huge* motivation to be better, to be like Nephi. Or, as Brother Griffin has said before:
"Try a little harder to be a little better, take another step of faith today."
Today. Nephi always acted right away, and that's one of the reasons I look up to him as an example of how to be. Taking a step of faith sooner, rather than later, brings up more revelation and more blessings. Something else Brother Griffin said that I really liked was: "Don't stand there paralyzed for too long." Act. Take a step of faith. These concepts are so amazing to me, and I'm incredibly grateful they are accessible to us in the scriptures.
"Try a little harder to be a little better, take another step of faith today."
Today. Nephi always acted right away, and that's one of the reasons I look up to him as an example of how to be. Taking a step of faith sooner, rather than later, brings up more revelation and more blessings. Something else Brother Griffin said that I really liked was: "Don't stand there paralyzed for too long." Act. Take a step of faith. These concepts are so amazing to me, and I'm incredibly grateful they are accessible to us in the scriptures.
Monday, September 19, 2011
I Be
I don't always see things clear
And you don't like when my words give you fear
There's no such thing as perfect Love
So I may ask you: "What counts as close enough?"
You don't always treat me right
(But we all make mistakes)
And we seem to have the tendency to fight
(Forgive if that's what it takes)
When it looks like we can't get along
We hash it out and come back looking strong
Oh, where would I be without you
To keep me, build me?
Where would I be to let go
If you dropped me, spilled me?
How would I feel
If what's real-lost it's zeal-and it wouldn't
Heal?
It forces me to think
Where would I be?
If my Love for you
Is too broad or ill-defined
Or it seems the same
As others in my mind
Just know I don't always have the cure
I can't always give a strong and firm for sure
So please let me be who I be
One still building, learning
Just let me be, who I be
Know that I am yearning
To just be me
Who I be.
Oh, where would I be without you
To keep me, build me?
Where would I be to let go
Because you spilled me
Onto the floor
But then you -picked me up-and gave me
More
I can't just be me
A new girl you helped me see
Yes, you helped to build
Who I be.
And you don't like when my words give you fear
There's no such thing as perfect Love
So I may ask you: "What counts as close enough?"
You don't always treat me right
(But we all make mistakes)
And we seem to have the tendency to fight
(Forgive if that's what it takes)
When it looks like we can't get along
We hash it out and come back looking strong
Oh, where would I be without you
To keep me, build me?
Where would I be to let go
If you dropped me, spilled me?
How would I feel
If what's real-lost it's zeal-and it wouldn't
Heal?
It forces me to think
Where would I be?
If my Love for you
Is too broad or ill-defined
Or it seems the same
As others in my mind
Just know I don't always have the cure
I can't always give a strong and firm for sure
So please let me be who I be
One still building, learning
Just let me be, who I be
Know that I am yearning
To just be me
Who I be.
Oh, where would I be without you
To keep me, build me?
Where would I be to let go
Because you spilled me
Onto the floor
But then you -picked me up-and gave me
More
I can't just be me
A new girl you helped me see
Yes, you helped to build
Who I be.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Shape
1 Nephi 17 gave me many insights, and I'm very glad I had the Spirit with me so I could focus enough to have the thoughts that I did.
Verses 7, 9, 10, 11 and 16: When Nephi was commanded to go and build a ship, he went right away. He was quick to obey. Not only that, but he didn't ask the Lord to GIVE him tools. He asked Him where he could find the means to make them himself. Nephi will do all he can, and *then* ask for Divine assistance. Nephi is a do-er! I want to try to be more like Nephi and work on DOing more, and asking less. I get the feeling that, the more we DO, the more the Lord blesses us. And His blessings help us, so: The more we try on our own, the more help God will give us. What a cool thought. :)
Verse 41: There were a couple of things that struck me in this verse. One was the word 'straiten'. We talked a bit about the word 'strait' in context of the Strait and Narrow earlier this week. Basically, it means a narrow or rigorous path. It's interesting to me that it's used here, and I think what Nephi means by it is that God SHAPED, or molded, them in the wilderness; He helped them be the people He needed them to be. Thinking this brought up a couple questions: "Where or what is my wilderness?" and "How is the Lord shaping me?"
Another thing I picked up from this verse is the simplicity of the healing serpent. Often, the Lord gives us very simple help. Sometimes so simple that we don't think we can believe in it. **Do it anyway.** You will benefit.
Very strong impressions as I read this week. I'm so grateful for the Spirit and His ability to bring us divine thought. :)
I Love this Gospel!
I may write a poem with the same title as this blog post. Because it feels like it should be one. We shall see.
Much Love!
Kiki :)
Verses 7, 9, 10, 11 and 16: When Nephi was commanded to go and build a ship, he went right away. He was quick to obey. Not only that, but he didn't ask the Lord to GIVE him tools. He asked Him where he could find the means to make them himself. Nephi will do all he can, and *then* ask for Divine assistance. Nephi is a do-er! I want to try to be more like Nephi and work on DOing more, and asking less. I get the feeling that, the more we DO, the more the Lord blesses us. And His blessings help us, so: The more we try on our own, the more help God will give us. What a cool thought. :)
Verse 41: There were a couple of things that struck me in this verse. One was the word 'straiten'. We talked a bit about the word 'strait' in context of the Strait and Narrow earlier this week. Basically, it means a narrow or rigorous path. It's interesting to me that it's used here, and I think what Nephi means by it is that God SHAPED, or molded, them in the wilderness; He helped them be the people He needed them to be. Thinking this brought up a couple questions: "Where or what is my wilderness?" and "How is the Lord shaping me?"
Another thing I picked up from this verse is the simplicity of the healing serpent. Often, the Lord gives us very simple help. Sometimes so simple that we don't think we can believe in it. **Do it anyway.** You will benefit.
Very strong impressions as I read this week. I'm so grateful for the Spirit and His ability to bring us divine thought. :)
I Love this Gospel!
I may write a poem with the same title as this blog post. Because it feels like it should be one. We shall see.
Much Love!
Kiki :)
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Thoughts
Disclaimer: This post has the potential to be very, very random.
Why? Because I'm writing about thoughts, which also have the potential to be very, very random. Right now, I'm going to write about some specific thoughts that I've been having very recently. Actually, pieces of these thoughts have been entering my mind over the past year and a half or so, but I think they've finally come together. The thing is, I thought they had come together already, a few months ago. BUT now they have been added on to, and they're coming-togetherness makes more sense and, actually, gives me great pleasure. It gives me much joy to present: MY THOUGHTS. (Which is what I normally do on here anyway, so this shouldn't come as much of a surprise.)
So what HAVE I been thinking about as of late? Well, I just finished reading a section in my Humanities book that talked about writing about the arts. I won't go into detail about that, because what I want to say pertains to more than just that.. and I don't feel like writing about those thoughts. Also, yesterday, I read a chapter in my Drawing 101 class about Art Appreciation. Or understanding art, or something like that. In reading these two texts, it came to me, once again, how much I enjoy studying Humanities type subjects, especially when it comes to the meaning and beauty of art. Something about it just invigorates my mind and soul and makes me SO happy to learn about. So happy. I want to just keep learning about it, and learning about it, and learning about it.
Maybe this is what it feels like when you find something that you think is 'what you're supposed to do' or 'the thing that's right for you'. There are a few ways I could go with this desire that I have found. I could major in Art History, minor in Humanities, and get a teaching degree so I could teach Art History! This career choice is actually something I think I would ENJOY doing, because I would have the opportunity to share my Love and appreciation for art and the reasoning of great artists. (And not so great artists, because oftentimes they have beautiful thoughts and works, too.) I would LOVE that! However, I know teaching isn't the most secure career to go into, by any means. But I'm beginning to think that's a career I would really like. AND I would Love to be an art critic. Though building a reputation for that is probably quite difficult, and I don't know if I'd ever be able to make a name for myself in so doing.. in this life. But, frankly, it's worth a shot. When there's a will, there's a way. And my will is to make my career something I really enjoy. And guess whhaaaatt? I enjoy art. I enjoy studying it, analyzing it, and the excitement that comes when I feel like I know something about a work or genre of works. I don't know how to explain how amazing all of this is to me. I Love art! I'm so glad I took that AP Art History class, even though it was very time consuming. It helped me develop the appreciation for art that I've always had, but never really focused on.
That Art History class.. hm. Maybe one of the reason I Love it so much is because of all the work I put into it. My wise instructor, adopted older brother, and one of my best friends said to me recently: "When you put that much dedication, work, and energy into something, you become passionate about it; it will never leave your heart. If you stop it, there will be a lingering void, and you will want to come back to it." (That may not be EXACTLY what he said, word for word, but it's close enough and portrays what me meant pretty dang well.) I find this entirely true. So, maybe, anything I put that much effort into I will come to Love.
To a certain extent.
The reason I specify with the above comment is... in order to put enough effort into something for Passion to happen, you have to have some sort of liking of it in the first place. There are things I've worked hard on that I don't necessarily feel connected to. I think this whole Passion thing is a continual process.. like this:
Desire: No matter how small or seemingly insignificant, one must have the desire to do something before they are willing to put TRUE EFFORT into it.
Work: The hard stuff. Practicing. Fixing mistakes until you can not only get it right, but no longer get it wrong. (That is advice from another one of my instructors, who I also admire.)
Passion: Like my wise friend told me, this passion is a result of real effort. After desire, the more effort one puts into it, the more passion they will develop for it.
More work.
Increased passion.
More work.
More increased passion.
More work.
More increased passion.
Get the picture?
Anyway, those were.. my thoughts! And they took up a lot of space. Well, thank you for your time. Much Love! :)
--Kiki
Why? Because I'm writing about thoughts, which also have the potential to be very, very random. Right now, I'm going to write about some specific thoughts that I've been having very recently. Actually, pieces of these thoughts have been entering my mind over the past year and a half or so, but I think they've finally come together. The thing is, I thought they had come together already, a few months ago. BUT now they have been added on to, and they're coming-togetherness makes more sense and, actually, gives me great pleasure. It gives me much joy to present: MY THOUGHTS. (Which is what I normally do on here anyway, so this shouldn't come as much of a surprise.)
So what HAVE I been thinking about as of late? Well, I just finished reading a section in my Humanities book that talked about writing about the arts. I won't go into detail about that, because what I want to say pertains to more than just that.. and I don't feel like writing about those thoughts. Also, yesterday, I read a chapter in my Drawing 101 class about Art Appreciation. Or understanding art, or something like that. In reading these two texts, it came to me, once again, how much I enjoy studying Humanities type subjects, especially when it comes to the meaning and beauty of art. Something about it just invigorates my mind and soul and makes me SO happy to learn about. So happy. I want to just keep learning about it, and learning about it, and learning about it.
Maybe this is what it feels like when you find something that you think is 'what you're supposed to do' or 'the thing that's right for you'. There are a few ways I could go with this desire that I have found. I could major in Art History, minor in Humanities, and get a teaching degree so I could teach Art History! This career choice is actually something I think I would ENJOY doing, because I would have the opportunity to share my Love and appreciation for art and the reasoning of great artists. (And not so great artists, because oftentimes they have beautiful thoughts and works, too.) I would LOVE that! However, I know teaching isn't the most secure career to go into, by any means. But I'm beginning to think that's a career I would really like. AND I would Love to be an art critic. Though building a reputation for that is probably quite difficult, and I don't know if I'd ever be able to make a name for myself in so doing.. in this life. But, frankly, it's worth a shot. When there's a will, there's a way. And my will is to make my career something I really enjoy. And guess whhaaaatt? I enjoy art. I enjoy studying it, analyzing it, and the excitement that comes when I feel like I know something about a work or genre of works. I don't know how to explain how amazing all of this is to me. I Love art! I'm so glad I took that AP Art History class, even though it was very time consuming. It helped me develop the appreciation for art that I've always had, but never really focused on.
That Art History class.. hm. Maybe one of the reason I Love it so much is because of all the work I put into it. My wise instructor, adopted older brother, and one of my best friends said to me recently: "When you put that much dedication, work, and energy into something, you become passionate about it; it will never leave your heart. If you stop it, there will be a lingering void, and you will want to come back to it." (That may not be EXACTLY what he said, word for word, but it's close enough and portrays what me meant pretty dang well.) I find this entirely true. So, maybe, anything I put that much effort into I will come to Love.
To a certain extent.
The reason I specify with the above comment is... in order to put enough effort into something for Passion to happen, you have to have some sort of liking of it in the first place. There are things I've worked hard on that I don't necessarily feel connected to. I think this whole Passion thing is a continual process.. like this:
Desire: No matter how small or seemingly insignificant, one must have the desire to do something before they are willing to put TRUE EFFORT into it.
Work: The hard stuff. Practicing. Fixing mistakes until you can not only get it right, but no longer get it wrong. (That is advice from another one of my instructors, who I also admire.)
Passion: Like my wise friend told me, this passion is a result of real effort. After desire, the more effort one puts into it, the more passion they will develop for it.
More work.
Increased passion.
More work.
More increased passion.
More work.
More increased passion.
Get the picture?
Anyway, those were.. my thoughts! And they took up a lot of space. Well, thank you for your time. Much Love! :)
--Kiki
Sunday, September 11, 2011
And The Farmboy Does It Again!
Brother Griffin said that about five times this week. I like it, because it is an expression of how wonderful the Book of Mormon is, and how grateful we are that Joseph Smith (the farmboy) helped give it to us.
1 Nephi 10: 8. "...prepare ye the way of the Lord." I don't know about the rest of you, but reading that instantly reminded me of those cartoon-church-movies I watched as a kid. I think they were a series called "The Miracles of Love" or something like that. In my house, we called them "Jesus movies". As I read this verse, it came to me how such profound teachings are put into church media, like those kid movies. Also, I knew what prophet Nephi was referring to because of those movies. I remember the song with those words in it, and how they played it while showing the John the Baptist portion of the movie. We are taught of the Prophets, through these movies and other church media, from a very young age. This is amazing, and tells me that Heavenly Father really does inspire those in charge of church functions in order to help his saints progress. The church is true! :)
Oh, and a special thanks to Momma S. for cheering me up the other night.
Sorry for the short post. I have many a thought but they're not even close to organized yet. More to come later. :)
<3 Stripes
1 Nephi 10: 8. "...prepare ye the way of the Lord." I don't know about the rest of you, but reading that instantly reminded me of those cartoon-church-movies I watched as a kid. I think they were a series called "The Miracles of Love" or something like that. In my house, we called them "Jesus movies". As I read this verse, it came to me how such profound teachings are put into church media, like those kid movies. Also, I knew what prophet Nephi was referring to because of those movies. I remember the song with those words in it, and how they played it while showing the John the Baptist portion of the movie. We are taught of the Prophets, through these movies and other church media, from a very young age. This is amazing, and tells me that Heavenly Father really does inspire those in charge of church functions in order to help his saints progress. The church is true! :)
Oh, and a special thanks to Momma S. for cheering me up the other night.
Sorry for the short post. I have many a thought but they're not even close to organized yet. More to come later. :)
<3 Stripes
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