Check it out!

I just posted something on 'theferreros' blog, but I then realized it's more of a scripture study-y post. So I am cross referencing it to this blog too! Check it out. It's some thoughts about love and friendship.

http://theferreros.blogspot.com/2011/06/love-everyone.html

Choose the Good Part

How easy it would be if our choices were between things like robbing a bank or doing our visiting teaching:



But, tricky for us, our choices are far more subtle. (Parkin, 2003...)

The Joseph Smith Translation of 1 Corinthians 10:23 reads,

"All things are not lawful for me, for all things are not expedient; all things are not lawful, for all things edify not."

I like this verse because it reminds me that all things are not necessary. We can get a long to do list sometimes but it's important to know what's important. After church on Sunday Spence and I were discussing one of the Sacrament talks we heard. Speaking about Mothers, one of the Bishopric members mentioned that it’s important to keep in mind our priorities and the essential things in life. Sometimes Moms can overwhelm themselves. There are so many responsibilities and then the feeling of falling short if your expectations are high. I know I am my own worst critic and even though I am not a Mom, as I have started housekeeping for the first time (living with roommates was kind of like ‘anything goes,’) I've had a learning curve. It's SO fun to have ownership with Spence of our space, but I also occassionaly overwhelm myself if I get too ambitious. It's a job I can take too far: with decorating and cooking and baking and shopping.... if I don't check myself I find occasionally that I get carried away. I start to notice dust in a corner instead of taking care of more important tasks. Moving in and setting up was a bigger job than the average daily maintenance, and that's officially complete. Spencer is a huge help so the odds are with me, I think it will be fine, but I came across this verse and connected it with the comment in church, so I figured I still have room to improve. I can start to be a perfectionist sometimes and it was a nice reminder that Spence happened to mention this comment as we talked about what we learned in church, I mean, if I stress myself out now what will happen once we have kids!? Haha. There are priorities in my life and I need to consider them when I decide how to spend my time.

I loved the talk entitled 'Choosing Charity: That Good Part,' given by Bonnie Parkin at a General Relief Society Meeting in 2003. (I mentioned it above.) She seems to drive home the point brought up in the story of Mary and Martha, of meeting spiritual and temporal needs for ourselves and our families. We need to choose the best option at given points in our day and life.
http://lds.org/general-conference/2003/10/choosing-charity-that-good-part?lang=eng&query=good+part

How do you choose whether something would be nice to do or is essential and must happen as soon as possible?

Miracles of Light and Happy Birthday to King James Version

I was reading in Acts 12 today how after Christ's resurrection, when the church was still very young, that Herod arrested Peter and locked him in prison. Then

"prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him."

As a result of those prayers a miracle occurred

And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

And, behold, the ^aangel of the Lord came upon him and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands."

The angel of light then led him out of the prison.

This was a miracle that was a direct result of prayer - Heavenly Father sent a light that shined in the prison where Peter was. Sometimes our fervent prayers for help our answered in a way we don't expect and sometimes don't recognize as a miracle. Sometimes they're answered with a light that illuminates our minds and frees them from misconceptions and misunderstandings. We can then move forward in ways we never thought possible, in the same way that the angel of light led Peter out of the prison. That is a miracle.

And speaking of light - Today is the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture Power

Our Primary president has chosen the song for the primary children to learn this month - "Scripture Power". Here's a link to it if you want to listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOvkLfobHgc. When I first heard it I really hated it. I hated the tune (I still kinda hate the tune) and I hated the way the song was written...and I even hated the title. I'm the music person in primary and this song says:

Because I want to be like the Savior, and I can

I'm reading His instructions, I'm following His plan

Because I want the power His word will give to me

I'm changing how I live, I'm changing what I'll be

I'll find the sword of truth in each scripture that I learn.

I'll take the shield of faith from these pages that I turn.

I'll wear each vital part of the armor of the Lord

And fight my daily battles, and win a great reward

CHORUS

Scripture power keeps me safe from sin

Scripture power is the power to win!

Scripture power, everyday I need

The power that I get each time I read.

I read Ephesians 6:11 (below) and got the kids to put on a bunch of Jordan's hockey gear as we talked about how reading the scriptures gives you strength and protection. The kids loved singing this song. The words are kind of cheesy and I wouldn't be surprised if I saw Ted Flanders' kids singing this on the Simpsons - but the words are true and the message is so very important that I love this song despite it's package. I also love watching the kids belt this song, they're not snobs, they just love what is good, true and kinda fun. I think that's admirable.

11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

More thoughts on the widows mite

Linds posted some beautiful thoughts on the story of the widows mite a few weeks ago but when I was reading it today in Luke 21 I was reminded again how much I absolutely love this story. Dad and I have this Christensen print hanging in our room because its such a favorite of ours.

To me this story is about one of the founding principles of Christianity - Sacrifice. It was Christ's sacrifice for each one of us which will allow us all to return to live with God again. And sacrifice stems from one source. Christ explained this to us when he described the action

of another woman who had served him:

He said...'for she loved much' (Luke 7:47). The impetus for sacrifice - Love.

A Strong Purpose to Defend

I came across a great scripture in Alma 43 today, verse 9. I know it's not from the New Testament but I wanted to share.
"And now the design of the Nephites was to support their lands, and their houses, and their wives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies; and also that they might preserve their rights and their privileges, yea, and also their liberty, that they might worship God according to their desires." I love this verse. The Nephites were working hard to defend themselves against the Lamanites. Their reason in doing so was to uphold their homes and families, whereas the Lamanites wanted monarchy and power.

I have been thinking about protecting and upholding families in more ways than one- First of all, by being prepared for emergencies: small or big. One way to do this is to have 72 hour kits for everyone, with food, water, games and appropriate clothes for each person. By following this God given counsel we can defend our lives and homes and liberty should we find ourselves in dire straits. Spence and I are on the Emergency Prep committee in our ward & I am in charge of overseeing this aspect of preparation so it's really on my brain. Caleb pointed out the kit Puentes have the other day and I know for sure he's proud of it. Spencer and I are also continuing to build ours up.

A second way we can defend and uphold our families is through spiritual preparation. This is important too. If we have been feeding our testimonies and praying and helping others then we will be morally strong, with oil in our lamps shoudl we find ourselves in a tough setting. Anyway, can anyone think of other ways we can defend and uphold our families? Love you guys :)

The Prodigal Son

The religion class I am taking right now is the first half of the New Testament, aka The Gospels. So really I should be posting on this blog more! But anyways, last class we talked about the parable of the prodigal son. We all know it well, so I won't waste your time recounting it. But I wanted to focus on one person in particular- the brother who stayed home, did his duty, and was righteous. I've always found the situation to be a bit unfair to that brother. That he should be forced to welcome his brother who had sinned so much with open arms, and completely forgive him right away. After all, he had been working so hard while his brother frittered away his money and had fun.
I thought a lot about this after class. Of course, a lot of people in the church could probably identify with this brother. It seems unfair that those who have been so righteous should be at the exact same level of glory as those who repent near the end. However, I realized how important it really is to welcome people back from sin and be nonjudgmental. People who have sinned go through a lot of pain to arrive where they are, which is something we often forget. And we're not losing any glory by welcoming these people back, instead we will be gaining companions! Being nonjudgmental is something I always strive to do, especially since I myself am far from being perfect.
There are of course a lot of other interpretations of this parable. We could count each one of us as the prodigal son, since we all sin, while the other brother could be thought of as people like the Pharisees, who just think they are being righteous while they are also guilty of sin. Anyways, those are my thoughts on this parable, I've always thought it is an interesting one.

The Wise Man Built His House Upon a Rock

I don't know where everyone else is in their NT scripture reading but I'm happy to be reading in Luke right now - love the stories and parables.

Gramps and I have been looking at houses in the Belgravia area of Edmonton and so have spent time looking at basements. Almost all the houses there are at least 50 years old and there are more than a few of them that have cracks in the foundations. A lot of houses are purchased with the idea of remodeling so in order to do that a solid foundation is key.

I thought of this scripture in Luke 6, that I read just today -

47Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and ^adoeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

48He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

The solid foundations of prayer, scripture study and temple attendance help us to face challenges and disappointments. But that solid foundation also helps us to improve, enhance, and beautify our own lives and the lives of others.

1 Corinthians 3:19 "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."

I've been thinking lately how some common ways of life nowadays have gone far off from God's ways... Mothers hiring someone else to raise their kids when they really don't need to work, people living on credit so they can have the latest trendy clothes, lots of people working way way too much and not spending time with family... I'm not saying that work or fashion in themselves are bad, but I am saying that I've seen people lose balance and that it's easy to go along with what's right in front of you instead of seeking out what God thinks about it.

I was at the Doctor's and read this quote from the bulletin board at reception:

“Good Morning, this is God. I will be handling all your problems today and I won’t need your help.” I liked it, was also inspired by Dad's post, and connected this in with my New Testament reading about how man’s ways are not God’s ways.

James 4:4 ...know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

I thought about how so many times in my life I think I know what's best for me. In reality, I discover each time that by putting my faith and trust in God, He'll make my life better than I ever can. He knows the best timing and manner in which to deliver blessings. Look at my recent marriage, for example. If I had not held out for a little while, I wouldn't have met Spence! God knows what I should do and has a plan for me. This still requires doing everything in my power to make these things happen, but it’s a matter of letting Him take charge.

I also recently reread a short story by Tolstoy. It's a good one and really highlights that it's tragic when someone just 'follows the crowd' as opposed to listening to the 'little voice' that's God: 'The Death of Ivan Ilych:'

http://books.google.com/books?id=49qJW9M8O0wC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+death+of+ ivan+ilych,+tolstoy&hl=en&ei=955ITfPvEIGesQOgsNGfAg&sa= X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAQ#v= onepage&q&f=false

Anyway, I think God knows more than man so why not listen to Him?

Fish Oil Might Work

I've been keeping up with the NT reading schedule, so I've spent the last few weeks in the epistles.

I don't know how it is for anyone else, but for me the verses in the epistles are the hardest ones to focus on. My mind is always wandering and sometimes by the end of the chapter I think 'what was it I just read?' I know when I taught the NT in seminary that I was always struggling for ways to make the epistles interesting.

I've tried different methods to keep my mind focused - one being that after each verse I pause and ask - how does this apply to me? Sometimes that helps - but in today's reading of II Peter 2, the first 10 verses or so were all so interconnected that I found that method didn't help much.

Sometimes I read out loud, very theatrically. Or sometimes I just try to find one verse that I think would be wonderful enough to cross stitch and hang on the wall - like the one in I Peter 5:14 - 'Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity'

We'll soon we'll be reading Luke - I always do better with stories.

Or maybe I just need to up my daily dosage of fish oil - when you get to be my vintage that's required stuff for the brain.

I'm enjoying reading the NT with you and also the insights some of you have posted. My comments in this post are from today's Priesthood lesson. Our class looked at two related NT scriptures about signs. The following scriptures are probably 2 different writers reporting on the same incident. In both the Savior uses the physical world to help us understand the spiritual world:

Matthew 16:1-4

1The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from ^aheaven.

2He ^aanswered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.3And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and ^alowring, O ye ^bhypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the ^csigns of the ^dtimes?4A wicked and ^aadulterous generation seeketh after a ^bsign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the ^csign of the prophet ^dJonas.

Luke 12:54-57

54¶And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

55And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

56Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

In these two scriptures the Savior says that the Pharisees and Sadducees can discern the signs in the skies but they cannot discern the signs of the times, or in other words the fulfillment of prophecy that he is the Messiah.

Seeking after a sign is a form of relying on the arm of flesh or the physical senses, and not having faith to rely on Heavenly Father and the spiritual senses. The Lord says it is a sign of hypocrisy. He has disdain for the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They led the covenant people astray and perverted the true gospel and law of Moses.

One form of hypocrisy is to look for an easily recognizable sign that obedience to a commandment brings immediate blessings. How often do we look for an instant reward to obedience? What we need to do instead is to recognize that the hand of the Savior is not always transparent in our lives, but if we have faith that he is the Messiah we know that obedience to his teaching will bring us to the greatest blessing of all and that is eternal life.

Putting our faith in him and not in a physical sign is what will guide us on our way home.

Love to all, Gramps