What a Rush!!

So this post comes from abyss of my minds' twisting nether.  Mostly I have a mental 'filing cabinet' where everything to do with gaming or movies and TV shows gets dumped.  It's probably the biggest filing cabinet in my brain.  But, once upon a time I was watching a movie called "Stargate", where a group of US Air Force guys use an alien device which creates a stable wormhole to another location, usually a planet, and when you pass through the event horizon it transports you almost instantly, (about .2 seconds or something), to the other side.  No one had ever recorded being able to turn it on before.  So when they go through the first time it has a cool Computer Generated visual sequence with some intense sound effects.  You then see one of the characters standing on the other side and he says, "What a rush."  After a few minutes go by everyone calms down and they go about securing the area and doing their military thing.

Well, I'm not military, but that is kinda the best way to describe how i feel right now.  I am doing something i have never done before as a missionary, and my first time in bringing someone to the waters of baptism really was a rush!!  I was nervous, I didn't want to mess anything up, I was happy, I was scared, and I felt like I was going to pass out for a few moments.  However just like in the movie, a few minutes go by, or for me it was a few days, and then everything is normal again.  Nice and pleasant where I know what I need to be doing and can do so with confidence.  This is one way that the Lord prepares us for future trials in life.  He gives us a taste and when we handle it well we prove that He can trust us.  He then trusts us with a little more next the time.

 "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept;
line upon line, line upon line;
here a little, and there a little"
-- Isaiah 28:10

"For behold, thus saith the Lord God:
I will give unto the children of men line upon line,
precept upon precept,
here a little and there a little;
and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts,
and lend an ear unto my counsel,
for they shall learn wisdom;
for unto him that receiveth
I will give more"
-- 2 Nephi 28:30

I know that as we follow the lord, we will be able to have that RUSH of adrenaline, that EXCITEMENT within our soul, so that we will be sustained in our trials and carried through all our afflictions.

What Happens When You do the Work of the Lord??...GREAT THINGS

Well Howdy.  Today was a ....well lets say it was a day.  We had district meeting...district meetings are usually pretty good.  We talked a lot about people that each area in our district is teaching.  Each one is different.  Each one has their individual personalities, but today, they all had the same name!!  We went to Wendy's for lunch and I ate much less than I normally do.  MISSIONARY WORK IS MORE EXCITING THAN VIDEO GAMES.  And if my mom saw me say that she would have a heart attack.  I play Starcraft with my dad all the time when I am home.  But the thing is, video games only get frustrating when you lose, and they make you prideful when your winning.  Again my family is probably hyperventilating now. :) 

But since coming out on my mission back in August of 2010, I have realized that even though gaming is fun, especially with my dad, it's not what makes the world go round.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed what binds us together.  We are children of our Heavenly Father, who loves each of us very dearly.  I know that understanding God is not an easy adventure.  But i also know from experience that reading the Bible and the Book of Mormon will make us happier than we could possibly imagine!!!

Preach of Christ, and Serve Him

"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake." 
-- 2 Corinthians 4:5

I found this scripture this morning as I was studying for the day.  I figured what better explanation for what I do as a missionary now, then what Paul told those he taught almost 2000 years ago.  I am not that important of myself, and so I am as a servant to those I teach.  But I serve the Lord, and He it is of whom I preach, not of myself.  I use my own words because they are familiar to me.  But I teach the words of Jesus Christ to all who will hear them.  I know that the Lord has revealed the Book of Mormon for us, so that we may be able to understand His word, and be ever more converted in following Him and His teachings.

Well Done, Thou Good and Faithful Servant

Sometimes we make mistakes.  Sometimes the greatest dancer can fall down.  Sometimes the best carpenter cuts a few too many inches of wood.  But that is ok, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Without Him everything would be pointless.  Through His suffering for our sins, and our weakness, and our shortcomings, we are able to turn to Him and to repent of our mistakes.  He will pick us up when we fall down.  He can even find a way to repair an otherwise ruined Grandfather Clock. 

We have each been given talents and abilities.  To some dancing, and others carpentry. Talents come in many different forms, but everyone has one.  These gifts from our Heavenly Father are there to help us through mortality, as well as to bless others.  If we help others by using our talents, we will also be blessed.

"And so he that had received five talents came 
and brought other five talents, saying, 
Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: 
behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

His lord said unto him, 
Well done, thou good and faithful servant: 
thou hast been faithful over a few things,
I will make thee ruler over many things: 
enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
-- Matthew 25:20-21

 Even though we will never be perfect in this life, we can strive each day to do our best to turn to Him and look for His guidance.  I love my Savior and if I do good by Him, I am more happy than I would be otherwise.  May we all be true and faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Doing what He has asked of us.

Well today was a great day.  The sun was shining, the air was clean, and we got a whole lot accomplished.  I love how everything always works out, but never according to plan.  But I know that even when things dont go according to plan, and even when it seems that something which should have happened didn't, it is for the benefit of those who are involved.

"And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." 
-- Doctrine & Covenants 122:7

I have found that several times in my life, when I calm myself and look to the Lord, everything truly does end up being good for me.  All we have to do is keep His commandments.

1st BAPTISM

So......We just had a Baptism.  His name is Bill.  He is awesome.  Right now I feel so happy, I can't even begin to explain the sensation.  I know that there is no other way to find this happiness than doing what is right, because I have searched for this feeling many years, and only now do I understand it.  But it is so powerful I can only describe it as awesome, and that's not even half way to what it really feels like.  I feel like I could just drop into my bed right now and not wake up for quite some time.  I am reminded of the missionary in the Book of Mormon named Ammon, who when he saw one of his close friends after returning from his mission and seeing that he also had many who had become true followers of Jesus Christ, he basically passed out.

"Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; 
yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, 
even to the exhausting of his strength; 
and he fell again to the earth." 
-- Alma 27:17

I hope all of us can some day feel this spirit.  That we will be able to love other and bring them into the waters of baptism, that they may more fully follow our Savior, Jesus Christ.
 

 

The POWER of PRAYER

O WOW.....what a day.  Last night I realized that even though I have had a busy week, I havn't got a whole lot done.  I hadn't reached the goals I wanted to, and we were not where we wanted to be for the week.  So I knelt in prayer last night and asked my Heavenly Father to provide a way to find those who needed the gospel.  Well, today we found them.  I knew before hand that today was going to be equally busy as the rest of the week had been.  The difference was that I was more calm, knowing that I had asked for something from my Father in Heaven.  I know that as we "un-clutter" our lives we will be able to slow down and find what truly matters to us, and what will help us the most in our life.

Good, Better, Best

"We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."

 --Elder Dallin H. Oaks , of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

 

  I loved this talk by Elder Oaks.  I was always wondering if what I was doing was the right choice.  Sometimes I knew that it was a good choice to do either one thing or the other....but I didnt know which one I should do and had to choose one.  I often felt like I wasn't doing anything right, but that's not the case.  In fact I was doing everything right.  I just had a few other options that would have helped me to grow even more.  I hope that you will enjoy his talk as much as I did.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/good-better-best?lang=eng

The Inspiration of My Blog, and My Life.

Well howdy there everyone, how ya'll doin' today?  This here is probably one of the most inspiring songs I have ever heard.

My favorite line is "What more can He say, than to YOU He hath said"(emphasis added), because to me He has given the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Modern Day Prophets.

I don't think there is much that He is holding back from us, but I also know that He has many great things to teach His children.

I know my foundation is indeed the Redeemer of Israel, and that the Book of Mormon is a second witness given to us to confirm our faith in Jesus Christ.

I love this song.

How Great is that Still Small Voice

Hey everyone.....I was just thinking about everything....no I mean literally everything!!!


So there I was, sitting down to lunch, and the phone rings.  O wow...we are having a baptism on Saturday!!  It was planned for April 3rd but the blessings of heaven are way too important to wait around.  Then I must call President Hutchings, he says go. Actually he says "and away we go" but  they both work.  It turns into a day of meticulous planning on how we are going to work it all out.  Then an hour later we realize we have to go to Fulton, KY on Friday.  Find a way to plan that in there.  Make some more phone calls to coordinate with everyone else and get to where we are needed most.  Then make it here to the computer so i can tell you all about this great day.


You might wonder what made the day so great.


It wasn't the intense actions we were involved in.  It wasn't the Baptism being moved up ahead of schedule (although that was really exciting).  It wasn't even eating lunch with the other missionaries. 


It was that fact that we were doing the work of the Lord.  The Spirit will always make us feel good when we do what is right.


In the words of Elijah,

   "And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. 

And, behold, the Lord passed by, 

and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, 

and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord;  

but the Lord was not in the wind: 

and after the wind an earthquake;  

but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

And after the earthquake a fire; 

but the Lord was not in the fire: 

and after the fire a still small voice." 

-- 1 Kings 19:11-12

I know that when we listen to the Still, Small Voice we will be blessed by the Lord.  We will be able to find Peace, and build ever stronger Foundations.

My Redeemer Lives

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth" Job 19:25
I know that Christ lives.  He is the one sure Foundation.  I have come to know and love Him as my personal saviour.  I may not have lost it all as job did, but I have lost enough, and He came and comforted me.  I declare hundreds of years after His death as Job did hundreds of years before His birth, that He lives.