Well, after last weeks trip back to the hospital I have decided to go back to missionary work a little bit slower, so it has given me a lot of time to read the scriptures. Yesterday, I decided to got through and read all of the chapter headings in the Book of Mormon. I have thought about doing it a few times but have never had the free time to do it. It was pretty fun. It was definitely not the same as reading the whole book but it was interesting to see the different passages I have marked, as I went from chapter to chapter. When I read, or do most things, I distracted really easily, like when I see lots of colors on a page I usually have to stop and read a few of them. Which I am very glad I did because I was able to find quite a few scriptures that I haven't taken the time to think about, such as this one in Mosiah chapter 7 verse 33. It reads: But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.
I really liked that because of the way it talks about how the Lord deliver us out of bondage. I like how it uses the word pleasure to describe Him forgiving us. He looks forward to it. He wants to help us. I was also reading in the book of Acts today and once again, Paul amazes me. Going through so much persecution and he delights in it because he knows he is suffering for a greater cause. Paul knows that when people see him going through these hardships it will cause them to wonder why and look into why he is suffering for these things. Which lead him to many chances to share his testimony of the gospel. By sharing his testimony with King Agrippa, the kings says you almost caused me to become a Christan. There are times when our actions will speak louder than our words and there will be times when our words will help to back our actions. As we rely on our Savior and turn to Him with full purpose of heart He will deliver us from bondage.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Family, Friends, Loved Ones
I have been thinking a lot about how grateful I am for my wonderful family friends and loved ones. While we are out on our missions we have very little contact with family and friends. We email home once a week, we call home twice a year, mothers day and Christmas. We can write letters which are always fun to get, but if you are like me its tough to write people back. So not a whole lot of contact with them. I know for my parents it is very tough at times like these for them, not to be able to come and see me or even call me and find out how I am doing.
It has been pretty hard to not get to talk with my family but I think I have learned to be more grateful for them during this process. When I read their letters and emails I can truly feel their love even though I cannot see or hear them. The same can happen to each of us as we pray. We know that God hears us, but it can be tough to know this because, we can't see Him face to face and talk with Him. But, we must know that He loves and cares about us and look for the ways or the people that He brings or has brought into our lives to help us. I have been amazed at how many of these people The Lord has brought into my life. In each area I have covered on my mission, each person I have served with, and friends from home that have had a huge impact on my life and has helped me in one way or another.
The Lord loves us all and has a great purpose for each of us. We must always strive to understand what He wants us to do. So search the scriptures pray do all you can to understand how you can help yourselves and others. Also always remember the Lord doesn't expect us to do things by ourselves. In the Book of Mormon in the book of Nephi chapter 3 verse 7 Nephi shares a very good piece of knowledge. He says how the Lord will provide a way for us to accomplish every task that we have before us. God will help you!!
It has been pretty hard to not get to talk with my family but I think I have learned to be more grateful for them during this process. When I read their letters and emails I can truly feel their love even though I cannot see or hear them. The same can happen to each of us as we pray. We know that God hears us, but it can be tough to know this because, we can't see Him face to face and talk with Him. But, we must know that He loves and cares about us and look for the ways or the people that He brings or has brought into our lives to help us. I have been amazed at how many of these people The Lord has brought into my life. In each area I have covered on my mission, each person I have served with, and friends from home that have had a huge impact on my life and has helped me in one way or another.
The Lord loves us all and has a great purpose for each of us. We must always strive to understand what He wants us to do. So search the scriptures pray do all you can to understand how you can help yourselves and others. Also always remember the Lord doesn't expect us to do things by ourselves. In the Book of Mormon in the book of Nephi chapter 3 verse 7 Nephi shares a very good piece of knowledge. He says how the Lord will provide a way for us to accomplish every task that we have before us. God will help you!!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Christ, The Living Water
Today my reading has been in The New Testament, in The Gospel According to John. It was talking about how Christ is the Living Water so I decided to share my thoughts on this topic. I am sure there are many different meanings of this statement, but that is the wonderful thing about the scriptures is they mean different things on different days to us. This morning what kept sticking out to me is how Christ will always be there to fill us when we are feeling drained. The world today is full of so many things that offer to fill us or to satisfy our needs, but do these things last?
In high school I was privileged enough to play sports with a group of well talented athletes that worked well together. We worked hard we had fun and we won. We were the first team to go through our high school to win a league title and a section championship. We were all so happy to have accomplished what we did, we did something that many classes before us had come very close to doing but never quite got there. So we felt really good about ourselves for a while. Then time passed and it wasn't quite as exciting, it was special, but life moves on. We can only look back on the memories we can't go back and do it again. But the gospel is a joy that we can we relive over and over. The good feelings that we feel we don't only have to look back and remember the good feelings and not do it again. We can do it again, everyday if we want it.
Christ in this story is speaking to a Samaritan woman and asks her for a drink of water after a long journey. She asks Him, do you not realize I am different? Our people don't help each other and you want me to help you? And Jesus replies if I had a special gift would you like me to keep it from you? God is greater than all of us and He freely gives gifts to all of His children, and His gifts don't stop coming, they are there anytime we ask for them. They will follow like water from a well. God is there waiting for us to ask Him for help. His well will never run dry if we allow ourselves to seek His help. Unlike the things of the world that will bring happiness for a time, the joy we feel as God helps us in our live never has to stop. God doesn't care how long our journey has taken us away from Him, when we go looking He will be there with out stretched arms and with a buckets full of water to quench our thirst. Never let our spiritual well run dry my friends.
In high school I was privileged enough to play sports with a group of well talented athletes that worked well together. We worked hard we had fun and we won. We were the first team to go through our high school to win a league title and a section championship. We were all so happy to have accomplished what we did, we did something that many classes before us had come very close to doing but never quite got there. So we felt really good about ourselves for a while. Then time passed and it wasn't quite as exciting, it was special, but life moves on. We can only look back on the memories we can't go back and do it again. But the gospel is a joy that we can we relive over and over. The good feelings that we feel we don't only have to look back and remember the good feelings and not do it again. We can do it again, everyday if we want it.
Christ in this story is speaking to a Samaritan woman and asks her for a drink of water after a long journey. She asks Him, do you not realize I am different? Our people don't help each other and you want me to help you? And Jesus replies if I had a special gift would you like me to keep it from you? God is greater than all of us and He freely gives gifts to all of His children, and His gifts don't stop coming, they are there anytime we ask for them. They will follow like water from a well. God is there waiting for us to ask Him for help. His well will never run dry if we allow ourselves to seek His help. Unlike the things of the world that will bring happiness for a time, the joy we feel as God helps us in our live never has to stop. God doesn't care how long our journey has taken us away from Him, when we go looking He will be there with out stretched arms and with a buckets full of water to quench our thirst. Never let our spiritual well run dry my friends.
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