Guess what, friends? I'm in Brother Griffin's class again for the second half of the Book of Mormon! And you know what that means - WEEKLY BOM! I'm so excited! Here's week one!
Something I really liked from Brother Griffin's lesson on Thursday was his comment about taking something into the scriptures. Each time we study the scriptures, we should have something on our mind that we need help with. I especially liked how he said that this 'thing' you take with you could be the thing you find yourself distracted by as you read. Because that thing is something pressing (you know this because you're being distracted by it) it's probably something you could use the Lord's help with. So, read with it in mind, and see what you get! I really like this concept, and I'm going to start applying it more as I read.
Alma 37: 6 - "small and simple things.."
This is a familiar scripture to many, but something new about it came to me as I read it this time. Alma is talking to his son, Helaman, about keeping a record before he says this. I then thought about how keeping a history of one's life seems mundane or simple, but because the prophet's did it, we have this record that is a huge part of our lives today. I'm very grateful for it. Then I got to thinking about journals and how they can serve this same purpose for our future generations. :)
Alma 37: 11
Alma predicts why the record, the BoM, is important, and is astonishingly accurate and in line with what the title page illustrates. He then says: "Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear." This was a reminder and testimony to me that prophets are full of the spirit and see things very clearly. Therefore, we should pay close attention to their words. Because they are right.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Belated Christmas
RAWR!! hahaha. SO! Today was belated Christmas for the WBP family. (That's us.) It's been really fun!! We got Just Dance 3 for Dangerous D's Wii, and us kids have been playing it for.. a while now haha. Just Dance is the greatest thing ever invented. True story.
I got a GPS! Haha.. those who know me know why this is funny.. :)
Wheat. Thins. Favorite cracker ever! And my mom got me a family box of it. ^_^ Happy.
Yaker's present was really cute. Of course. :) He's an amazing gift giver. :) He gave me a journal with an adorable note in it, and a framed picture of us. I Love it.
Er.. baby food. Family tradition for Christmas breakfast.
Chocolate oranges, DUH. :D
Other stuff.. :P haha I don't really want to list all the gift's people got, that's lame.
Last night we played 'fill in the blank' for the Christmas story with D and the boys. It's so fun to have Christmas with young children. They are so excited about everything.
I Love having a VACATION. I've had lost of reading time and lots of just.. playtime. It's been great. Tomorrow? Shopping day with grandma!! Super excited.
I know today's post is small and random.. BUT! Oh well. Vacation posts usually aren't themed.. ok that's a lie. I usually theme them. And I guess this one has a loose theme.. :P
Maybe I'm not in a creative blogging mood right now. But still happy, definitely.
<3 K
I got a GPS! Haha.. those who know me know why this is funny.. :)
Wheat. Thins. Favorite cracker ever! And my mom got me a family box of it. ^_^ Happy.
Yaker's present was really cute. Of course. :) He's an amazing gift giver. :) He gave me a journal with an adorable note in it, and a framed picture of us. I Love it.
Er.. baby food. Family tradition for Christmas breakfast.
Chocolate oranges, DUH. :D
Other stuff.. :P haha I don't really want to list all the gift's people got, that's lame.
Last night we played 'fill in the blank' for the Christmas story with D and the boys. It's so fun to have Christmas with young children. They are so excited about everything.
I Love having a VACATION. I've had lost of reading time and lots of just.. playtime. It's been great. Tomorrow? Shopping day with grandma!! Super excited.
I know today's post is small and random.. BUT! Oh well. Vacation posts usually aren't themed.. ok that's a lie. I usually theme them. And I guess this one has a loose theme.. :P
Maybe I'm not in a creative blogging mood right now. But still happy, definitely.
<3 K
Sunday, December 25, 2011
California Day One: R and R
R and R. Rest. Relaxation. That was the day of yesterday. After traveling for about 13 hours on Friday, (yucky) I had the most part of the next day to just.. be. I absolutely LOVE days when I can just be. So, what did I do with my day? Something I haven't been able to do for what seems like an eternity (or.. just a really long time, because I have SOME understanding of what eternity is, and it didn't seem quite as long as I imagine that will be)... I read. A novel that *I* really wanted to read, not something that was an assignment. I'm a little over halfway through this amazing book. One of my best friends, Twin, recommended it to me a while back. And by a while back, I mean a LONG time. I read about 20 pages of it and then got too busy. I just had other things occupying my time.. and read a couple other books that found their way to the top of my priority list. But I remembered really liking the first part of this book from my friend, and I kept seeing it by my bed, waiting for me. So a couple days ago I picked it up again. This book is called
Shiver
It's fabulously written. Really. It's kind of a chick book.. ok, really a chick book. As so many of them are, but hey, I like it. Maybe because I'm a chick? Hm. I dunno, it's possible ;)
So, what's it about? If you want to know that is. And if you're reading my blog anyway.. it's probably cause you like my thoughts for some reason or another, so.. here we go? (I question because I think I say that a lot.)
It's one of those mythological Love stories. Yes, with mythological creatures. Namely.. werewolves. BUT!! Before you roll your eyes at me too much, it is SO NOT a Twilight kind of thing all over. So not. I very much enjoy the writing style. It's beautifully written (I think I've said that three or four times now..) and the imagery and feeling created by that writing is fantastic. The author, Maggie Stiefvater (guess she's German), uses those kinds of phrases that perfectly describe a.. moment. Like, when you say there aren't words to describe just how something went? Ya. She knows how to find those words. I find myself stopping and re-reading these phrases, just to take in the beauty of them. Ah. It's amazing. I Love it.
So, yesterday, I buried myself in it. Read for a few hours, think I got over 100 pages in. Which for some of you isn't much, 'cause ya read fast. But I do not. So I was pretty satisfied. Plus, I'm not thinking about the length I read, I'm just enjoying the book. Which is something I don't get to do very often, unfortunately.
After a few hours of this pure bliss, we met my uncle's family and my grandma at this cool Chinese place, Chef Chu's. Apparently it's rather popular over here, but I don't live here so I didn't know. We walked in and it was CROWDED. But it had this happy and fun feel to it. They sit you down on cool round tables with a turn-table in the middle, because the way the serve is "family style" and everyone just kinda takes off the same entrees. The food is quite good, though some of it was too mushroomy or peppery for me. Or tofu-y, but I don't mind that too much, it doesn't have any flavor so it's kind of a filler. We had various flavors of chicken, including manderine and pineapple. Oh so good. .. and various other things. Soups and wanton-like things and such. Mmhmmm! Yummy yummy. :)
After that, we went to watch the Glad Tidings special. You know, the one with Motab and David Archuletta. It was fun, full of music and dancing and the spirit of Christmas. I was tired and missed the majority of the cool story about how Motab started.. but I'm not too concerned. I came for the music, and that's what I got out of it. Funny how that works out. You get what you come for. Or what you put into it.. or something like that. Nevermind that thought was connected but now sounds splintery.
So that was yesterday. And today is Christmas, but it's.. not yet. Not for us. Dangerous D's kids are with their mother right now, so we're doing our Christmas with them in a couple days when they get back. BUT! We ARE having dinner with some sister missionaries tonight, which I'm excited for. My grandma is coming, too.
At church today, Tiki and I decided to sing with the choir. It was a spontaneous decision, kind of. Grandma asked us if we would, and she really wanted us to, so we decided to make her Christmas just a little better and participate. It was fun! A little 'woah' at times, because it was the first time Tiki and Kiki had gone through the music. BUT! We did sing one of my mom's arrangements, Here by the Lamb and Oxen Mild. It's beautiful. Love it. :) Grandma told us she really appreciated us singing with her, and was glad we got the chance to do so. I'm glad, too. It was a good experience and singing with grandma is fun.
Speaking of grandma, she's taking us shopping. Because that's what she does on the few occasions that she's sees us. Which is very nice. And always exciting. :) I may finally find the perfect pea-coat. One with a hood would be fabulous, but I'll settle for one I really like without one, too. We shall see what I can find.
So far, this trip has been full of much.... well, that about sums it up. It's been full of much. There have been some cool bonding moments between Mastermind and myself, and some times where things haven't gone so well on the agreement level. But that's how families go. And I Love them, as always.
I'm very excited for Dangerous D's boy's to get here tomorrow night. I miss them dearly. They are so adorable. Beyond words. Love them too.
That's all for now! Merry Christmas all! :)
Kiki
Shiver
It's fabulously written. Really. It's kind of a chick book.. ok, really a chick book. As so many of them are, but hey, I like it. Maybe because I'm a chick? Hm. I dunno, it's possible ;)
So, what's it about? If you want to know that is. And if you're reading my blog anyway.. it's probably cause you like my thoughts for some reason or another, so.. here we go? (I question because I think I say that a lot.)
It's one of those mythological Love stories. Yes, with mythological creatures. Namely.. werewolves. BUT!! Before you roll your eyes at me too much, it is SO NOT a Twilight kind of thing all over. So not. I very much enjoy the writing style. It's beautifully written (I think I've said that three or four times now..) and the imagery and feeling created by that writing is fantastic. The author, Maggie Stiefvater (guess she's German), uses those kinds of phrases that perfectly describe a.. moment. Like, when you say there aren't words to describe just how something went? Ya. She knows how to find those words. I find myself stopping and re-reading these phrases, just to take in the beauty of them. Ah. It's amazing. I Love it.
So, yesterday, I buried myself in it. Read for a few hours, think I got over 100 pages in. Which for some of you isn't much, 'cause ya read fast. But I do not. So I was pretty satisfied. Plus, I'm not thinking about the length I read, I'm just enjoying the book. Which is something I don't get to do very often, unfortunately.
After a few hours of this pure bliss, we met my uncle's family and my grandma at this cool Chinese place, Chef Chu's. Apparently it's rather popular over here, but I don't live here so I didn't know. We walked in and it was CROWDED. But it had this happy and fun feel to it. They sit you down on cool round tables with a turn-table in the middle, because the way the serve is "family style" and everyone just kinda takes off the same entrees. The food is quite good, though some of it was too mushroomy or peppery for me. Or tofu-y, but I don't mind that too much, it doesn't have any flavor so it's kind of a filler. We had various flavors of chicken, including manderine and pineapple. Oh so good. .. and various other things. Soups and wanton-like things and such. Mmhmmm! Yummy yummy. :)
After that, we went to watch the Glad Tidings special. You know, the one with Motab and David Archuletta. It was fun, full of music and dancing and the spirit of Christmas. I was tired and missed the majority of the cool story about how Motab started.. but I'm not too concerned. I came for the music, and that's what I got out of it. Funny how that works out. You get what you come for. Or what you put into it.. or something like that. Nevermind that thought was connected but now sounds splintery.
So that was yesterday. And today is Christmas, but it's.. not yet. Not for us. Dangerous D's kids are with their mother right now, so we're doing our Christmas with them in a couple days when they get back. BUT! We ARE having dinner with some sister missionaries tonight, which I'm excited for. My grandma is coming, too.
At church today, Tiki and I decided to sing with the choir. It was a spontaneous decision, kind of. Grandma asked us if we would, and she really wanted us to, so we decided to make her Christmas just a little better and participate. It was fun! A little 'woah' at times, because it was the first time Tiki and Kiki had gone through the music. BUT! We did sing one of my mom's arrangements, Here by the Lamb and Oxen Mild. It's beautiful. Love it. :) Grandma told us she really appreciated us singing with her, and was glad we got the chance to do so. I'm glad, too. It was a good experience and singing with grandma is fun.
Speaking of grandma, she's taking us shopping. Because that's what she does on the few occasions that she's sees us. Which is very nice. And always exciting. :) I may finally find the perfect pea-coat. One with a hood would be fabulous, but I'll settle for one I really like without one, too. We shall see what I can find.
So far, this trip has been full of much.... well, that about sums it up. It's been full of much. There have been some cool bonding moments between Mastermind and myself, and some times where things haven't gone so well on the agreement level. But that's how families go. And I Love them, as always.
I'm very excited for Dangerous D's boy's to get here tomorrow night. I miss them dearly. They are so adorable. Beyond words. Love them too.
That's all for now! Merry Christmas all! :)
Kiki
Monday, December 19, 2011
Santamas
I posted a status about a leetle itty bit of my thoughts on this the other day. But, it WAS a leetle itty bit. And I want to elaborate. And, like a lot of my posts tend to be, it may not be particularly organized. Because to me, a blog is a thought bin. Where I toss in all my thoughts. You're fully welcome to organize then and put them together as you wish.. although taking things that I (or anyone else, for that matter) say out of context probably isn't the best idea and could get people hurt and in trouble with their friends. Or not friends. Whichever. DON'T TWIST PEOPLE's WORDS! It's not nice. Anywhoosen (hey, I miss random words like that. College forces me to use real ones.. lame. ;)) Here we go.
Santamas.
Doesn't this look odd to some of you? Is that even a word? It could be. And I think to a lot of people it is, though they might not admit it. Compare:
Santamas Christmas
See it now? One of these things is not like the other... It's the NAMEs. Notice the name in the more familiar word. Christ. And the other one? Santa. Sadly enough, much of the world chooses the latter over the former. Santamas. That just doesn't have the same ring and happiness to it that Christmas does. And guess what? There's a reason why.
Here's Christmas to much of the world:
Buying presents.
Organizing parties.
Stress for the hosts.
Feelings of discouragement for those who can't give as much as their heart wants to.
Silent (or not so silent) competitions between family and friends about who got, or gave, the best gift.
Getting.
Horrendous amounts of planning.
Stress.
Lots of food making.
An excuse to eat an excess amount of sweets.
Gift wrapping.
Competitions for who has the best Christmas lights and decor.
Making sure to go see Santa and tell him what you want.
Stress.
Fatigue.
Some even hate the holiday season. Because it's turned into something they can't handle. It's too stressful and some wish it would just end already!
This is very very sad to me. This is Santamas. And while not all of the things on here are bad, the spirit of Santamas isn't exactly a joyful one.
Christmas.
Joy.
Bringing families together.
Enjoying the happy faces of a Loved one when they open a present they really really like.
Laughing together.
Remembering past Christmases.
Singing Christmas music.
Cooking together.
Helping those who have taken on the huge task of being in charge of the family's holiday season.
Creating happy memories.
Encouraging family traditions.
Loving.
Letting go of grudges and fixing rifts.
Celebrating.
And, most importantly, remembering the person whom this incredibly important holiday is named after. Remembering the reason we celebrate, the reason we give, Love, and enjoy this season. Christ. It's CHRISTmas! This is why I Love it. It's a reminder, and a huge one at that, to be as Christlike as possible. Why? Because the Love of Christ creates the holiday spirit.
Woah. Epiphany.
Let me say that again.
The Love of Christ CREATES the holiday spirit.
Christ's Love is what I think of when I try to describe how I feel during the holidays. That joyful, excited, giggle-making, feeling that makes the children jump of the walls and seems to encourage people to fall in Love. It's the Love of Christ. It powers the holiday spirit. Take a minute to think about that, because I JUST pieced that together myself.. and I need a minute to process it too.
Woah.
****
Have you sufficiently thought about it? Do you get it? Isn't it amazing!?
:D
So, most people celebrate a combination of Christmas and Santamas. That's fine. But I personally want to focus a little more on Christmas this year, and I invite and encourage the same from all of you. Why? Because Christ's Love is the thing that makes the holiday spirit go. Try not to stress. Let the Love of Christ fuel your holidays. And for those of you who aren't in charge of the planning, try to help those who are as much as you can. Showing that Love to them will make the holiday season that much more memorable and happy for both of you. I Love this season because of the feeling it creates. Don't you? And now I know what creates that feeling.
Let's celebrate Christmas this year. Who's with me?? :)
I Love you all. Merry Christmas. Let it be full of the Loving care of Jesus Christ.
<3 Kels
Santamas.
Doesn't this look odd to some of you? Is that even a word? It could be. And I think to a lot of people it is, though they might not admit it. Compare:
Santamas Christmas
See it now? One of these things is not like the other... It's the NAMEs. Notice the name in the more familiar word. Christ. And the other one? Santa. Sadly enough, much of the world chooses the latter over the former. Santamas. That just doesn't have the same ring and happiness to it that Christmas does. And guess what? There's a reason why.
Here's Christmas to much of the world:
Buying presents.
Organizing parties.
Stress for the hosts.
Feelings of discouragement for those who can't give as much as their heart wants to.
Silent (or not so silent) competitions between family and friends about who got, or gave, the best gift.
Getting.
Horrendous amounts of planning.
Stress.
Lots of food making.
An excuse to eat an excess amount of sweets.
Gift wrapping.
Competitions for who has the best Christmas lights and decor.
Making sure to go see Santa and tell him what you want.
Stress.
Fatigue.
Some even hate the holiday season. Because it's turned into something they can't handle. It's too stressful and some wish it would just end already!
This is very very sad to me. This is Santamas. And while not all of the things on here are bad, the spirit of Santamas isn't exactly a joyful one.
Christmas.
Joy.
Bringing families together.
Enjoying the happy faces of a Loved one when they open a present they really really like.
Laughing together.
Remembering past Christmases.
Singing Christmas music.
Cooking together.
Helping those who have taken on the huge task of being in charge of the family's holiday season.
Creating happy memories.
Encouraging family traditions.
Loving.
Letting go of grudges and fixing rifts.
Celebrating.
And, most importantly, remembering the person whom this incredibly important holiday is named after. Remembering the reason we celebrate, the reason we give, Love, and enjoy this season. Christ. It's CHRISTmas! This is why I Love it. It's a reminder, and a huge one at that, to be as Christlike as possible. Why? Because the Love of Christ creates the holiday spirit.
Woah. Epiphany.
Let me say that again.
The Love of Christ CREATES the holiday spirit.
Christ's Love is what I think of when I try to describe how I feel during the holidays. That joyful, excited, giggle-making, feeling that makes the children jump of the walls and seems to encourage people to fall in Love. It's the Love of Christ. It powers the holiday spirit. Take a minute to think about that, because I JUST pieced that together myself.. and I need a minute to process it too.
Woah.
****
Have you sufficiently thought about it? Do you get it? Isn't it amazing!?
:D
So, most people celebrate a combination of Christmas and Santamas. That's fine. But I personally want to focus a little more on Christmas this year, and I invite and encourage the same from all of you. Why? Because Christ's Love is the thing that makes the holiday spirit go. Try not to stress. Let the Love of Christ fuel your holidays. And for those of you who aren't in charge of the planning, try to help those who are as much as you can. Showing that Love to them will make the holiday season that much more memorable and happy for both of you. I Love this season because of the feeling it creates. Don't you? And now I know what creates that feeling.
Let's celebrate Christmas this year. Who's with me?? :)
I Love you all. Merry Christmas. Let it be full of the Loving care of Jesus Christ.
<3 Kels
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
My lessons from Alma
Alma 20: 19 "...it is thou that has sought to destroy him"
King Lamoni finds someone to blame, just like Laman and Lemuel would have. When I read this, I had the thought: Satan puts reasons to be angry at people in our minds. That's how they come, and it's because he wants us to be contentious. Don't heed him. It doesn't lead anywhere good, ever.
Alma 20:27
Later, Lamoni is desirous to learn from Ammon. This shows us that once anger subsides, we can see truth, and are often drawn to it. Wouldn't it be great if we could all just skip the anger part? :)
Alma 20-21
As O read the stories of Ammon and his brother's missions, I noticed that the 'failure' writings are shorter and less detailed than the 'success' writings. Did you notice that? :) This shows us to learn from the negative times, but not focus on them. Move on. This is a great application to life.
In the same record, a lt of people fall down 'as if they were dead' after being converted. I got to thinking why this happens, and this is what I got: God needs us to give Him our full attention in order to help convert us. So, when converting those people, He caused them to sleep and then ave them testimonies. Their full attention was given. And, as WE are being re-converted all the time, WE need to give Him our full attention always. :)
This semester has been so great. :)
King Lamoni finds someone to blame, just like Laman and Lemuel would have. When I read this, I had the thought: Satan puts reasons to be angry at people in our minds. That's how they come, and it's because he wants us to be contentious. Don't heed him. It doesn't lead anywhere good, ever.
Alma 20:27
Later, Lamoni is desirous to learn from Ammon. This shows us that once anger subsides, we can see truth, and are often drawn to it. Wouldn't it be great if we could all just skip the anger part? :)
Alma 20-21
As O read the stories of Ammon and his brother's missions, I noticed that the 'failure' writings are shorter and less detailed than the 'success' writings. Did you notice that? :) This shows us to learn from the negative times, but not focus on them. Move on. This is a great application to life.
In the same record, a lt of people fall down 'as if they were dead' after being converted. I got to thinking why this happens, and this is what I got: God needs us to give Him our full attention in order to help convert us. So, when converting those people, He caused them to sleep and then ave them testimonies. Their full attention was given. And, as WE are being re-converted all the time, WE need to give Him our full attention always. :)
This semester has been so great. :)
Monday, November 14, 2011
Thinner
One of my first weekly BoMs was about how I really liked what Brother Griffin said about 'making the veil a little thinner'. I had an experience on Sunday that really showed me how that has happened for me this semester. On Sunday, I had recently found something out that was going to make things potentially very hard. I was sitting in relief society, having a difficult time with it and feeling really sad. At the end of the meeting, we sang "The Spirit of God", a very powerful song anyway, but it really hit me that time.
"The Lord is extending, the saints understanding"
I started crying and had this overwhelming feeling of "whatever happens, I (the Lord) will help you through it and it will be ok." and I was also reminded of the fact that I'm learning a lot of new stuff/insights because of this class and my new ways of studying scriptures.
"The veil ore the earth is beginning to burst"
This reminded me of what Brother Griffin said the first day of class, when he talked about how "the veil" is what keeps us from remembering how well we know God. And when that is removed, (aka when we see Him again), we will be SHOCKED by how well we know him. He then said that he hopes that, in this class, he can help us "make the veil a little thinner" (aka know God more and come closer to Him). As we sang that line, I was having trouble singing because I was in tears. MY VEIL is beginning to burst. I know I have come so much closer to God in the course of this semester, and that feeling of "it's gonna be ok" was really true and that the Lord CAN AND WILL help me through whatever happens. I felt the spirit so strongly in this moment, it was absolutely amazing.
"as Jesus descends with His chariot of fire!"
Now I audibly sobbed. (But I was in relief society so it's ok ;)) I didn't sing most of the chorus. I imagined a Glorious being in a chariot coming to ME. My testimony of Christ and how close He is to me (and how close I've become to Him) grew so much in that moment. And while I was still sad about the difficult thing coming up, I felt very full of the spirit and very close to and grateful for the Lord. I feel that way again as I write about it.
This experience was AMAZING. And I will always feel differently about that song now. I'm so, so grateful that Brother Griffin has taught us so much, especially this thing about 'thinning the veil'. Without this class, I wouldn't have had this experience, any many other little mini miracles that have happened this semester.
Christ LOVES us! He really can help us through absolutely everything, and he wants to, so badly. He is all powerful and knows exactly what to do to guide us through any difficult time. I'm so glad I've grown closer to Him in just the past few months. This is an experience I will never ever forget. :)
"The Lord is extending, the saints understanding"
I started crying and had this overwhelming feeling of "whatever happens, I (the Lord) will help you through it and it will be ok." and I was also reminded of the fact that I'm learning a lot of new stuff/insights because of this class and my new ways of studying scriptures.
"The veil ore the earth is beginning to burst"
This reminded me of what Brother Griffin said the first day of class, when he talked about how "the veil" is what keeps us from remembering how well we know God. And when that is removed, (aka when we see Him again), we will be SHOCKED by how well we know him. He then said that he hopes that, in this class, he can help us "make the veil a little thinner" (aka know God more and come closer to Him). As we sang that line, I was having trouble singing because I was in tears. MY VEIL is beginning to burst. I know I have come so much closer to God in the course of this semester, and that feeling of "it's gonna be ok" was really true and that the Lord CAN AND WILL help me through whatever happens. I felt the spirit so strongly in this moment, it was absolutely amazing.
"as Jesus descends with His chariot of fire!"
Now I audibly sobbed. (But I was in relief society so it's ok ;)) I didn't sing most of the chorus. I imagined a Glorious being in a chariot coming to ME. My testimony of Christ and how close He is to me (and how close I've become to Him) grew so much in that moment. And while I was still sad about the difficult thing coming up, I felt very full of the spirit and very close to and grateful for the Lord. I feel that way again as I write about it.
This experience was AMAZING. And I will always feel differently about that song now. I'm so, so grateful that Brother Griffin has taught us so much, especially this thing about 'thinning the veil'. Without this class, I wouldn't have had this experience, any many other little mini miracles that have happened this semester.
Christ LOVES us! He really can help us through absolutely everything, and he wants to, so badly. He is all powerful and knows exactly what to do to guide us through any difficult time. I'm so glad I've grown closer to Him in just the past few months. This is an experience I will never ever forget. :)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
He Strengthens
Just as a pre-note, I've really recognized the significance of scripture study this past week or so. Unfortunately, I haven't been as focused in my scripture study as I usually am. And it's made a notice-able difference. When I don't read scriptures, or just don't focus on them very much, my day tends to go bad. When I do, good things happen. It's amazing to me. :)
Mosiah 17: 13-15 Abinadi was whipped with sticks and THEN burned. And he still preached to the people. This is a great example to me of perseverance. If the Lord can help him accomplish *that*, he can help us get through our challenges, no problem.
Mosiah 24: 15 "yeah, the Lord did strangthen them that they could bear their burdens with ease"
Sometimes when we ask for the Lord's help, rather than take the trial away, He strengthens us so we can pull through it. Sometimes we need the trial, for whatever reason, but we don't have to do it alone. I find great comfort in this, and I know the Lord is always willing to help me.
P.S. I'm incredibly tired. I got my weekly BoM in just before the deadline, as you can see...And that's why it is short today. I apologize. Goodnight!
Mosiah 17: 13-15 Abinadi was whipped with sticks and THEN burned. And he still preached to the people. This is a great example to me of perseverance. If the Lord can help him accomplish *that*, he can help us get through our challenges, no problem.
Mosiah 24: 15 "yeah, the Lord did strangthen them that they could bear their burdens with ease"
Sometimes when we ask for the Lord's help, rather than take the trial away, He strengthens us so we can pull through it. Sometimes we need the trial, for whatever reason, but we don't have to do it alone. I find great comfort in this, and I know the Lord is always willing to help me.
P.S. I'm incredibly tired. I got my weekly BoM in just before the deadline, as you can see...And that's why it is short today. I apologize. Goodnight!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Living with His Might
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.
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.
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!
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