Preparing for the race
Happy Sabbath to all who are reading this today. It was a good day at church. I was instructed and inspired. I hope you were as well.
There seemed to be a common theme in the testimonies that were born. "Grateful for the support they have received through current and past trials.", "Crying seems to be my new hobby.", "Promises of joy through the Atonement of Spring.", "Life is not easy and was not intended to be."
Then as our meetings progressed, I received nothing but answers to the soul searching expressed in testimony meeting.
We were in lesson 16 for Sunday School. Over and over again I heard testimony that Jesus is the Light. If we will be seek him, he will heal us of blindness and open the path we should follow. In Priesthood, the lesson was centered around a recent talk give in conference by Elder Kevin W. Pearson, Stay by the Tree...
What touched me was fact we were talking about enduring to the end. The quote that stood out to me the most in the lesson was that "Hanging in There" is not a gospel principle. We are asked to endure. In order to endure, we have to build up endurance. We must constantly be exercising our spiritual muscles so that we have the endurance to endure to the end.
We cannot stop exercising or exercise in a causal manner and then one day put on brand new running shoes and run a marathon, don a speedo and expect to swim a 500, or pick up a helmet and complete a triathlon. Everything we do must be preparing for that performance. We are preparing now in this life to race of eternity, though it is not a competition.
Elder Pearson shared 6 great exercises we need to be doing to build our endurance:
1 - Prayer
2 - Come unto Christ - Be perfected in Him and through Him
3 - Press Forward in Faith
4 - Read the Book of Mormon - Not Rude, but Blunt
5 - Don't be Distracted or Deceived by the world around us
6 - Stay by the Tree - Tree of Life
These are great topics to add to your individual study plan. Work on each of them a little each day, make them part of your day, and build your spiritual endurance.
There you go. Now on to the week.
It has been one of those crazy ones, for me anyway. It is was the last week of the month, I was feeling the pressure of work (distraction/deceived by the world). It really messed me up and I felt it. Though was able to accomplish most of my work goals, there were things that suffered in the home and calling. I continue to seek balance.
The Queen has been facing completely different challenges, yet her ability to endure allows her to way out perform me. I don't know how she does it from day to day. Yesterday, she pretty much became the Aaronic Priesthood team Mom. The youth got up early and did baptisms for the dead. She had one counselor and one young woman show up. There were 3 young men leaders and 7 young men. After the visit, they all came to our house for breakfast. The Queen prepared and fed them all pancakes. I think they would still be here eating if she had not stopped making the batter.
The Professor is on sabbatical. She spent the week off track, but filling her days with doctors, dentist, ward visits, bridal showers, and weddings. In between it all she runs and reads.
Tall Man came home this week with a brand new bike. It looks good. He is planning on building up those temporal muscles to do a triathlon. I admire his desire to do so. Though remembering how to ride a bike is easy, it is not always easy on the body.
SnackPack is preparing for AP testing, tour fundraising, and taking on the adventure of student government. We have not been in that boat since the Professor was in Jr. High. It looks to be a busy one.
Have a happy week. Hold to the Rod - with all your might. Set your eyes on the Light of the Tree.
There seemed to be a common theme in the testimonies that were born. "Grateful for the support they have received through current and past trials.", "Crying seems to be my new hobby.", "Promises of joy through the Atonement of Spring.", "Life is not easy and was not intended to be."
Then as our meetings progressed, I received nothing but answers to the soul searching expressed in testimony meeting.
We were in lesson 16 for Sunday School. Over and over again I heard testimony that Jesus is the Light. If we will be seek him, he will heal us of blindness and open the path we should follow. In Priesthood, the lesson was centered around a recent talk give in conference by Elder Kevin W. Pearson, Stay by the Tree...
What touched me was fact we were talking about enduring to the end. The quote that stood out to me the most in the lesson was that "Hanging in There" is not a gospel principle. We are asked to endure. In order to endure, we have to build up endurance. We must constantly be exercising our spiritual muscles so that we have the endurance to endure to the end.
We cannot stop exercising or exercise in a causal manner and then one day put on brand new running shoes and run a marathon, don a speedo and expect to swim a 500, or pick up a helmet and complete a triathlon. Everything we do must be preparing for that performance. We are preparing now in this life to race of eternity, though it is not a competition.
Elder Pearson shared 6 great exercises we need to be doing to build our endurance:
1 - Prayer
2 - Come unto Christ - Be perfected in Him and through Him
3 - Press Forward in Faith
4 - Read the Book of Mormon - Not Rude, but Blunt
5 - Don't be Distracted or Deceived by the world around us
6 - Stay by the Tree - Tree of Life
These are great topics to add to your individual study plan. Work on each of them a little each day, make them part of your day, and build your spiritual endurance.
There you go. Now on to the week.
It has been one of those crazy ones, for me anyway. It is was the last week of the month, I was feeling the pressure of work (distraction/deceived by the world). It really messed me up and I felt it. Though was able to accomplish most of my work goals, there were things that suffered in the home and calling. I continue to seek balance.
The Queen has been facing completely different challenges, yet her ability to endure allows her to way out perform me. I don't know how she does it from day to day. Yesterday, she pretty much became the Aaronic Priesthood team Mom. The youth got up early and did baptisms for the dead. She had one counselor and one young woman show up. There were 3 young men leaders and 7 young men. After the visit, they all came to our house for breakfast. The Queen prepared and fed them all pancakes. I think they would still be here eating if she had not stopped making the batter.
The Professor is on sabbatical. She spent the week off track, but filling her days with doctors, dentist, ward visits, bridal showers, and weddings. In between it all she runs and reads.
Tall Man came home this week with a brand new bike. It looks good. He is planning on building up those temporal muscles to do a triathlon. I admire his desire to do so. Though remembering how to ride a bike is easy, it is not always easy on the body.
SnackPack is preparing for AP testing, tour fundraising, and taking on the adventure of student government. We have not been in that boat since the Professor was in Jr. High. It looks to be a busy one.
Have a happy week. Hold to the Rod - with all your might. Set your eyes on the Light of the Tree.
Comments