Gospel Living

Gospel living should not be like spiritual jerry-rigging, but be more like spiritual chalktalk.

Victory

The greatest victory of life is living and finding ways to overcome. 

Scripture Man

Learned At Church

A sister described how she was thankful that she was inspired to be in tune with her living because little did she know of a future time that she needed the strength.  

It began with a morning jog when her earbud was needing adjustment; after fixing it near the intersection, an errand truck barreled through just when and where she was going to run without the adjustment. Yet, the future held something different that she could never have imagined.

Are we in tune for when or where we need to be?

Easy List

Reset, Regroup, Reenergize.
Richard G. Scott

Then I'll add...Repeat.

Redemption

12 Behold, he created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.

13 And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death.
Mormon 9:12-13

http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/morm/9?lang=eng

"eth"

28    For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens. Moroni 7:

Learned At Church

A young man voiced concerns over his faith in God, and fate of man in the earth. He said that the reading of the scriptures helped him to overcome them, and found comfort from his reading, "For I, Nephi, have seen it, and it well nigh consumeth me before the presence of the Lord; but I must cry unto my God: Thy ways are just." 2 Nephi 26:7- And he "trusteth in thee"- Isaiah 26:3. We need to recognize his ways, and trust in, of, and from him.

Pondering

A wonderful habit to acquire is to ponder.  Select a quiet place. Sit. Read a verse of scripture. When you have finished. Answer these questions in your mind.  Why was it written? How can it help me or someone else? And where is another scripture like it?

Try it with this one:

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Old Testament, Isaiah 26)

Learned At Church

I am still pondering the conversion story from yesterday.  I found these thoughts that defined perhaps her understanding of the hummingbird within nature.

"In many traditional cultures of the Western world, the hummingbird has powerful religious and spiritual significance. In the high Andes of South America, it is a symbol of resurrection. Hopi and Zuni legends tell of hummingbirds’ intervening on behalf of humans, convincing the gods to bring rain. Other mystical traditions hold that it represents the past and the future and opens up the heart’s center, bringing joy, happiness, and love into the world. One thing was certain: Any way I looked at it, having a hummer on my front porch was a good thing." New Jersey Jewish Times 

Amy Lederman, a syndicated columnist, Jewish educator, and the author of To Life! Jewish Reflections on Everyday Living

1. "The essence of ethnographic analysis is the study of people in their own setting and environment. As I had shared prior,  The Jewish Home physical environment  has many  artistic interpretations and representations of the Tree of Life.   The trees are signs, and they signify  life, nurturing, their significance According to online site titled My Jewish Learning, the Hebrew creation myth speaks about the significance of the tree to Jewish culture and faith. The tree is a sign that symbolizes “life giving source that sustains and nourishes…” They continue to disclose the following: “Yahweh planted a garden in Eden, and caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the Tree of Life in the middle of the garden. Its beauty of gold and crimson transcends all other things created; it’s crown covers the entire garden and four streams – of milk, honey, wine and oil – issue from its roots.”"

Works Cited Madison, D. Soyini. Critical Ethnography: Method, Ethics, and Performance. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 2012.

Resource Site: My Jewish Learning http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Tu_Bishvat/Ideas_and_Beliefs/Trees_in_Jewish_Thought.shtml

Kitchen Window

A recent convert gave a compelling talk at stake conference of her families journey to baptism. I like when she talked about an appearing hummingbird out her kitchen window.  She described the magical creature it was, sent from heaven, seldom seen. A memory of the meaning of a hummingbird from her childhood.

In her prayer she sought for guidance; an answer of her doubt or question that she was having-perhaps a message. 

Another time looking out the window she saw the hummingbird reappear- "an answer, a lightning bolt, the humming bird from my Heavenly Father, opening my eyes in my journey."

Hint

When I study the sunday school lesson, a scripture chapter or priesthood lesson, I add/mark one of my "scriptions" (15 quotes I memorize from the past LDS general Conference) to a scripture within the lesson, or to the relevant message or material. By doing this it adds the information in the tab section. It broadens, personalizes, and contemporizes the knowledge being reviewed.

Example:

TETB, chapter 4, paragraph 1, heading one "...disappointments and discouragements-that is part of life..."

then note or tag it with:

Scription, Thomas S. Monson, "...look heavenward for that unfailing sense of direction..." October LDS Conference, 2014.

Learned At Church

"Is being a saint today different by living a latter-day gospel?"

We move from point a to b; spiritually curving, swerelinh, getting there-

Yet one, tapped into Infinity in all directions; horizontal and vertical; understanding eternity beyond what we mortals can- then blessing all of us. (freely ye have received, freely give, Matthew 10:8)

http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/10?lang=eng

32 And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation.

33 For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy;

D&C 93:32-33

Are we using or applying our agency beyond "something we are not now"?

We cannot love unless we our free to choose; it is our choice.

Today those spiritually alert look at the objectives, check the guidelines laid down by the Lord and his prophets, and then prayerfully act--without having to be commanded “in all things.” This attitude prepares men for godhood. …

Ezra Taft Benson