Food Trucks and Pool Boys
It has been another busy week. I am looking forward to spending the coming week around the house or at least in town. I feel like I have been out of contact with everything that has been happening. Maybe that is normal and I am just now realizing it.
Through my travels, I have taken the time to listen and read the words of the Lord and his servants. It is such a wonderful way to spend time driving. Then when I have the chance, I go back and read them over just to make sure I am getting the right message. We also had stake conference this weekend that help solidify everything I have been feeling or impressed with.
There are a couple things that have stuck in my head.
3 Nephi 2:1-2 - what an amazing message! Here the Nephites are just rounding out the 5th year since they witnessed the signs of Christ's birth. (A day and a night and a day without darkness) Even after this great sign there were many more miraculous events that bore witness of the Savior and that his power was on the earth as long as the people exercised faith.
Then it starts to happen. "...the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts..."
This goes right along with the message given by Elder Oaks in conference a just a few weeks ago. Their hearts became stony ground in which the word of God could not take root. Elder Oaks reminds in his talk that we cannot blame that on anyone but ourselves. We all have a choice. It is not the world we live in, the conditions of our lives, work, or family, the amount of money we make, the status of our government, or an other excuse we can think of. It is our responsibility to prepare our hearts to be fertile ground for the seed (word of God) to land in. Then we must seek out the word. It is not going to get there on its own. We have to be willing to plant it. We have to be willing to see the hand of God in our lives. We need to take the time to recognize his hand for what it is and give credit where credit is due.
If we don't, we will become as those in the time of 3rd Nephi, "...blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen - Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people..."
It is pretty clear. We are either choosing to move forward with God or we are remaining stagnate or moving backwards with Satan. Satan, who is so jealous of who we are, the potential we have because of our choices before coming to this earth, and the fact that because of his choices, he will never be able to be enjoy a small portion of what we have in this mortal existence.
I was also reminded that sometimes moving forward is just going from one ordinance to the next. Each day, we wake up and look forward to Sunday, when we can participate in that next ordinance, the Sacrament. We prepare ourselves each day for that ordinance through prayer, scripture study, and doing the will of God. As we establish our foundation upon the principles we learn through study, we fortify ourselves, our families, our communities, our nation, and our brothers and sisters against the powers of Satan who does all he can to destroy our fortresses.
All of these things came together as I listened to the words of inspired men this weekend. Reminding me to be like Moroni. I was taken back to the lessons taught to us by Tall Man and how we follow Moroni's example and build our fortresses against the fiery darts of the adversary. Then today, Pres. R. likened our fortresses to Helm's Deep in Lord of the Rings. We must build the fortress, maintain the strength of the fortress, and know where there are weaknesses in the walls. We cannot become over confident in our own abilities, but ever humble in remembering that it is the Lord who will make up for those weaknesses in time of need, if we will turn to him and the atonement.
I know it is just a little bit of rambles, but it is what I have this week.
Where should we start?
SnackPack and I spent the weekend at Summer Games. They did not go the way we would have liked, but it was a great learning tool. We learned that Korny Dogs does not have you begging for more, Brody's was good, popular vote does not carry enough weight in the world, and that atomic wedgies are grounds for sexual harassment charges. Ask him about it.
Tall Man continues to work hard and look forward to advancement. Sometimes it does not happen the way we envision it in our minds. However, the power of the priesthood is real, you can be called upon in a moments notice, and rest will work it way out.
The Professor is being kept just as busy being President as she is in the classroom. She is now referring to the calling as the sinking ship. There have been a large influx of marriages and move outs as of late. She knows how to swim and just keeps paddling.
The Queen just continues to amaze me. I don't know what I did to deserve her. Everyday is a new adventure and filled with inspiration by all she does. I am grateful to have her as a companion.
We look forward to hearing from Puddin tomorrow. We heard rumor it was a wet week filled with bolts of lightning. We will see what the report brings.
Through my travels, I have taken the time to listen and read the words of the Lord and his servants. It is such a wonderful way to spend time driving. Then when I have the chance, I go back and read them over just to make sure I am getting the right message. We also had stake conference this weekend that help solidify everything I have been feeling or impressed with.
There are a couple things that have stuck in my head.
3 Nephi 2:1-2 - what an amazing message! Here the Nephites are just rounding out the 5th year since they witnessed the signs of Christ's birth. (A day and a night and a day without darkness) Even after this great sign there were many more miraculous events that bore witness of the Savior and that his power was on the earth as long as the people exercised faith.
Then it starts to happen. "...the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts..."
This goes right along with the message given by Elder Oaks in conference a just a few weeks ago. Their hearts became stony ground in which the word of God could not take root. Elder Oaks reminds in his talk that we cannot blame that on anyone but ourselves. We all have a choice. It is not the world we live in, the conditions of our lives, work, or family, the amount of money we make, the status of our government, or an other excuse we can think of. It is our responsibility to prepare our hearts to be fertile ground for the seed (word of God) to land in. Then we must seek out the word. It is not going to get there on its own. We have to be willing to plant it. We have to be willing to see the hand of God in our lives. We need to take the time to recognize his hand for what it is and give credit where credit is due.
If we don't, we will become as those in the time of 3rd Nephi, "...blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen - Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people..."
It is pretty clear. We are either choosing to move forward with God or we are remaining stagnate or moving backwards with Satan. Satan, who is so jealous of who we are, the potential we have because of our choices before coming to this earth, and the fact that because of his choices, he will never be able to be enjoy a small portion of what we have in this mortal existence.
I was also reminded that sometimes moving forward is just going from one ordinance to the next. Each day, we wake up and look forward to Sunday, when we can participate in that next ordinance, the Sacrament. We prepare ourselves each day for that ordinance through prayer, scripture study, and doing the will of God. As we establish our foundation upon the principles we learn through study, we fortify ourselves, our families, our communities, our nation, and our brothers and sisters against the powers of Satan who does all he can to destroy our fortresses.
All of these things came together as I listened to the words of inspired men this weekend. Reminding me to be like Moroni. I was taken back to the lessons taught to us by Tall Man and how we follow Moroni's example and build our fortresses against the fiery darts of the adversary. Then today, Pres. R. likened our fortresses to Helm's Deep in Lord of the Rings. We must build the fortress, maintain the strength of the fortress, and know where there are weaknesses in the walls. We cannot become over confident in our own abilities, but ever humble in remembering that it is the Lord who will make up for those weaknesses in time of need, if we will turn to him and the atonement.
I know it is just a little bit of rambles, but it is what I have this week.
Where should we start?
SnackPack and I spent the weekend at Summer Games. They did not go the way we would have liked, but it was a great learning tool. We learned that Korny Dogs does not have you begging for more, Brody's was good, popular vote does not carry enough weight in the world, and that atomic wedgies are grounds for sexual harassment charges. Ask him about it.
Tall Man continues to work hard and look forward to advancement. Sometimes it does not happen the way we envision it in our minds. However, the power of the priesthood is real, you can be called upon in a moments notice, and rest will work it way out.
The Professor is being kept just as busy being President as she is in the classroom. She is now referring to the calling as the sinking ship. There have been a large influx of marriages and move outs as of late. She knows how to swim and just keeps paddling.
The Queen just continues to amaze me. I don't know what I did to deserve her. Everyday is a new adventure and filled with inspiration by all she does. I am grateful to have her as a companion.
We look forward to hearing from Puddin tomorrow. We heard rumor it was a wet week filled with bolts of lightning. We will see what the report brings.
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