John 14:15

Except for a short period of time in my teenage years, I have always wanted to be a “good girl”. I don’t like to get into trouble.  I like the feeling of being reliable and someone that someone can rely on and trust.  I hate feeling like I let someone down, I hate the feeling of being wrong or doing wrong, whether on purpose or by accident.  Sometimes I wonder if I feel like this because I don’t like the negative consequences that come from doing wrong.  Sometimes I think about the blessing I want or need so I choose the right.  More often than not it is because I want to be seen and known as a “good girl”.  Either way, I hope my ultimate feeling for being obedient is because I love my Savior and all that he as done for me. And I want people to know I am trying to be good because I am trying to be like Him.  

The Savior taught in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”  One of my favorite quotes from reading and studying this week came from Carol M Stephens.  She said, “His commandments are a manifestation of his love for us and obedience to His commandments is an expression of our love for Him.” Thinking about His commandments, I consider what they really do for us.  They are our protection.  They are given to us so we can be safe from harm, both temporal and spiritual.  They are directions to have pure happiness and joy in our life.  They keep us close to our Savior.  When we forgo the importance of keeping His commandments, we are forgoing the safety and peace that He promises us.  When we pick and choose which commandments we want to keep, we are forgoing blessings that can only be obtained from obedience to certain commandments.  

As we look to our Savior as the perfect example we can see that He was perfectly obedient to the Father. We should have that same type of obedience, doing are very best to follow all that we are commanded showing Our Father and His Son our true love for them.

Clean the Inside of Your Cup And You'll Shine on the Outside

This week when I cam across Matthew 23:26, “…cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also,” I couldn’t help but think of the scripture from Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  

Though these two scripture verses are from different settings and circumstances in the Bible. The relationship between the two is significant to me.  

In order for our light to shine for others to see, we must be doing those things to have that light with us.  We must be clean and righteous.  The light is a reflection of our Savior, who’s light it is that is shining within us. 

By repenting and turning our ways to the Lords ways, we are cleaning the inside of our cups.  Our spirits our renewed.  The renewal helps us change our ways to act as the Savior would have us act and others see that; the outside of our cups.  

This pondering reminded me of a moment I had in the Seattle Temple a few years ago.  I was sitting in the Celestial room pondering the videos from Elder Bednar about Patterns of Light.  I looked up to the chandelier and felt that Christ is the light, and we can all be the crystals of that chandelier reflecting his light in a beautiful and impressive way.  I believe I had heard this chandelier metaphor from someone, somewhere, and I wanted to experience it myself.  And I did that day in the temple.  I received light, love and understanding from Him and I hope I can do my part to reflect that love and light to others by doing what I need to cleanse my inner vessel often by repenting and living the way Christ asks.  

Thoughts of the Week

This week our instructor posed a thoughtful question to our class: If I were going on a journey with my close friends and love ones, knowing when I got there my life would end, “What would you say to them? What might you warn them about? Any encouragement you’d want to leave with them? Overall, what would you want them to remember about you?”

I thought about those people in my life that I love so dearly.  And the first thing I would want them to know is how much I love them. Then I would want them to know how wonderful they are.  I thought about different people in my life, and their unique and special qualities. I would want them to know how important they are and how much potential they have because they are divine children of our Heavenly Father.  

This week we also read the parable of the lost son. Luke 15:11-32.  

In the past, this is a story that I had a hard time with because I felt as the son who had stayed had. I thought the situation was unfair and unjust to the son that stayed home.  I am so grateful that as I try to come closer to the Lord, keep His commandment, change my life and will to align with His, my feelings of judgment and jealousy have diminished about this situation.  I can feel as the father in the story feels; compassionate and happy about the return.

The New Testament student manual says, “The parable of the prodigal son teaches us much about the nature and attributes of our Father in Heaven. Like the father in the parable, God will not control us, keep us from straying, or keep us from making selfish, foolish errors. Yet His love never diminishes. He is so anxious to have us return that He will run to us when we are still “a great way off”.  He knows us so well that He can recognize our better selves when no one else can. Each of us, male or female, will be able to recognize something of ourselves in each of the sons in the parable.”(pg 171)

I know I am far from perfect, and my life falls short too many times to think that I am close to it. But I do know, that because of my Savior, my efforts to try to follow and be more like Him, bring peace and hope to my soul.  I also believe that because I am sincerely trying to be more like him, my heart has changed to be more like the father in the story. 

 So on my journey with my close friends and all children of the earth, I want you to know of your divine worth.  I want you to jump on or continue on the path back to Heavenly Father. I want you to know that through Jesus Christ’s teachings, commandments, covenants and atonement that it is possible.    

"If thy hand offend thee, cut it off"

One of the blessings that come from studying scriptures, is the enlightenment and learning that happens.  When we come across something, even though we have read it before, it means something more this time around.  These enlightenments bring us to a place of understanding and hopefully to a place where we are willing to change and do something about what it is we are being taught.

Mark 9:4-48 JST, 
"40 Therefore, if thy hand offend thee, cut it off; or if thy brother offend thee and confess not and forsake not, he shall be cut off. It is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands, to go into hell.41 For it is better for thee to enter into life without thy brother, than for thee and thy brother to be cast into hell; into the fire that never shall be quenched, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.42 And again, if thy foot offend thee, cut it off; for he that is thy standard, by whom thou walkest, if he become a transgressor, he shall be cut off.43 It is better for thee, to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell; into the fire that never shall be quenched.44 Therefore, let every man stand or fall, by himself, and not for another; or not trusting another.45 Seek unto my Father, and it shall be done in that very moment what ye shall ask, if ye ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive. 46 And if thine eye which seeth for thee, him that is appointed to watch over thee to show thee light, become a transgressor and offend thee, pluck him out.47 It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God, with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
48 For it is better that thyself should be saved, than to be cast into hell with thy brother, where their worm dieth not, and where the fire is not quenched."

After reading and studying these scriptures I am more aware and want to keep an eye out for those things I need to dismiss in my life so I am not offending God. In the November 2007 Ensign it teaches, "...such cutting off refers not only to friends but to every bad influence, such as inappropriate television shows, Internet sites, movies, literature, games, or music." I feel grateful that the Holy Ghost has influenced me at certain times with when and how I need to dismiss something from my life.  It has usually been in the form of movies and tv shows.  I am sure there are plenty of other things that I will be made aware of that I will need to "cut off"  as time goes on.  Again, I am thankful that Heavenly Father works with us line upon line, little by little.

Faith

I have heard and read the story of the woman with the issue of blood many times.  (Mark 5:25-34) When I read it this week, and even now thinking and writing about it, I am overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude for the spirit and knowledge I was able to gain from this story this time. Coincidentally, two days later, I was reading in Ether about the brother of Jared bringing stones to the Lord to light. 

These stories made me consider my own faith, and as little as it may be sometimes, the great things that happen line upon line, little by little.  It really is by the small things great things come to pass.  For me there have been the tiniest prayers answered, and the big, weighted questions on my mind answered, and things that happened which I never thought they could.  I believe it is because of God's mercy and my faith; my willingness to do something about what I believe.    

One of the hard parts in faith is thinking that I don’t have enough of it because the miracles I am hoping for haven’t happened or questions remain unanswered.  There are even things that seem to indicate that they will never happen which causes more frustrations.  Though I may slack in my efforts and faith in some of these moments, I am truly grateful I have not let my my faith die.  
Despite those hard, frustrating times when faith is tried; we can still feel the peace and understanding that comes from the mercy and grace of the Atonement.  I do not know what kind of faith the woman with the blood sickness had, or the faith that the brother of Jared had.  It might've been their first time ever experiencing any action of faith in their life, or might've been their millionth  step on the faith ladder.  Either way, they did something about their faith.  They reached out to Him.  They asked of Him.  They sought Him.  

"And they straightway left their nets, and followed him" - Matt 4:20

This week as I read Matthew 4:18-22 for a class assignment, I was impressed with the way those Jesus called had "straightway left their nets, and followed him." I pondered my own life and what I am doing to be the same kind of disciple. I came across these words of Elder Joseph B Wirthlin which continued my pondering.
“… We might define a net as anything that entices or prevents us from following the call of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. Nets in this context can be our work, our hobbies, our pleasures, and, above all else, our temptations and sins. In short, a net can be anything that pulls us away from our relationship with our Heavenly Father or from His restored Church.
...“It is impossible to list the many nets that can ensnare us and keep us from following the Savior. But if we are sincere in our desire to follow Him, we must straightway leave the world’s entangling nets and follow Him” (“Follow Me,” Ensign, May 2002, 15)."

The list of my own nets started flowing through my mind after I read this. There are so many things that keep my focus and and attention away from my Heavenly Father. To be honest, it is not easy to "straightway" and leave them. Even when I am trying to put the important things first in my day (ie scriptures, prayers, studies, family history work, etc.) Sometimes I seem to do those things first so I don't feel guilty when I want to play silly video games later on. So where is my desire? Is it the time to play video games without guilt? Or is it a true desire to follow Christ and spend my time searching him and his ways? Asking this questions helps me understand where I am at, and what my true desires are. Questioning helps me see a perspective or receive an understanding of why I am doing things.

I believe my desire is true to do these things to learn and follow my Savior more. I need and want His peace with me. I am so thankful to feel that as I spend each day trying to deepen my knowledge of Him and His ways. I am thankful for opportunities that come to implement His ways in my own dealings of life. (Maybe not perfectly, but trying) I am also super glad that I still have time to play games some days. I just need to remember not to let silly, worldly things "entice or prevent [me] from following the call of Jesus Christ."