Building the Temple of the Lord
It has been a week of Adventure, well for the most part. If you ask the Professor, she will tell you it has been a lousy week of feeling sick. She thought that getting away from it all would help, but she seems to be getting worse, even with all the extra sleep. We haven't done a great deal of relaxing the past few days. She has been a trooper.
SnackPack feels like he is catching up on all that he has missed this past quarter and is excited to start the final quarter of high school. He only has few things to do before graduation.
The Queen and I have been on vacation this week. It has been filled with little projects around the house, shopping, a funeral, more shopping, a couple other projects, and more shopping. Then we all packed up and headed out for a new adventure.
Tall Man has been busy with school, work, and more school. We get updates every once in a while, but that is about all we hear. We were lucky enough to have dinner with him after the funeral, but it was only for a short period of time.
That is our week in a nut shell. When we have not been vacationing, I have done my best to make time to ponder. My scripture for the week has been Ephesians 2:19-20. This verse is addressing those who have or are joining themselves to the Church of Christ. Paul is telling them that they are no more strangers or foreigners. They are fellow citizens in this community/household of God.
When we read this, it makes it sound so simple. "Yep, you heard the messages, accepted it, got baptized, and now you are in." Ok, then what? Is that all we have to do? Think about it. Becoming a follower of Christ not always easy. Especially when we are accustomed to giving in to the natural man. It is easy to be called a fellow citizen, harder to live as one. But this is what Paul is saying.
The verse says, that in order to do so, we much build upon a foundation. The foundation is putting our trust in the words of apostles and prophets who have been chosen to lead us in the ways of the kingdom of God on Earth. We must have faith that they, like us, are centered around the chief corner stone, Jesus Christ.
As I pondered this set of verses this week, I was also turned to Alma 24:12. To become stain free, we must put away the swords of sin that fill our lives. We completely give up all that we once were, to become something bright and new, washed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It does not happen overnight. It takes time and commitment. If we continue reading in Alma, go to verse 18. We promise to never use the weapons of sin again. We covenant with God, that rather than sin we would be willing to give up our lives. Rather than take away from our brothers and sisters, we would find ways to give or serve them. Rather than spend our days in idleness, we would labor abundantly with our hands to build the kingdom of God.
What is it we are building? Let's go back to Ephesians 2:21. If we build upon this foundation, the corner stone will fitly frame our walls of faith together that we may grow into an Holy Temple in the Lord. We are building, ourselves, into houses of the Lord.
One step at a time, one covenant, one commitment, one buried weapon of sin at a time.
On with our adventure. We decided to visit a corner of the world we have yet to explore. We headed South East, crossed 4 or 5 borders, saw some incredible creations of nature, and enjoyed each other company. We learned the true meaning of switchback and how to drive with sweaty palms while hugging the wall of a cliff. We also had confirmed to us that pizza does require some flavor, spice, or pinch of goodness. We got our pins handed to us by SnackPack in a bowling alley, and enjoy a hometown diner type meal or two.
This world is a beautiful place. It is filled with wonder, oddity, and love. I hope that all of you are able to take time to enjoy them all at some point, especially this Easter weekend.
Until next week. Walla-Walla
SnackPack feels like he is catching up on all that he has missed this past quarter and is excited to start the final quarter of high school. He only has few things to do before graduation.
The Queen and I have been on vacation this week. It has been filled with little projects around the house, shopping, a funeral, more shopping, a couple other projects, and more shopping. Then we all packed up and headed out for a new adventure.
Tall Man has been busy with school, work, and more school. We get updates every once in a while, but that is about all we hear. We were lucky enough to have dinner with him after the funeral, but it was only for a short period of time.
That is our week in a nut shell. When we have not been vacationing, I have done my best to make time to ponder. My scripture for the week has been Ephesians 2:19-20. This verse is addressing those who have or are joining themselves to the Church of Christ. Paul is telling them that they are no more strangers or foreigners. They are fellow citizens in this community/household of God.
When we read this, it makes it sound so simple. "Yep, you heard the messages, accepted it, got baptized, and now you are in." Ok, then what? Is that all we have to do? Think about it. Becoming a follower of Christ not always easy. Especially when we are accustomed to giving in to the natural man. It is easy to be called a fellow citizen, harder to live as one. But this is what Paul is saying.
The verse says, that in order to do so, we much build upon a foundation. The foundation is putting our trust in the words of apostles and prophets who have been chosen to lead us in the ways of the kingdom of God on Earth. We must have faith that they, like us, are centered around the chief corner stone, Jesus Christ.
As I pondered this set of verses this week, I was also turned to Alma 24:12. To become stain free, we must put away the swords of sin that fill our lives. We completely give up all that we once were, to become something bright and new, washed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It does not happen overnight. It takes time and commitment. If we continue reading in Alma, go to verse 18. We promise to never use the weapons of sin again. We covenant with God, that rather than sin we would be willing to give up our lives. Rather than take away from our brothers and sisters, we would find ways to give or serve them. Rather than spend our days in idleness, we would labor abundantly with our hands to build the kingdom of God.
What is it we are building? Let's go back to Ephesians 2:21. If we build upon this foundation, the corner stone will fitly frame our walls of faith together that we may grow into an Holy Temple in the Lord. We are building, ourselves, into houses of the Lord.
One step at a time, one covenant, one commitment, one buried weapon of sin at a time.
On with our adventure. We decided to visit a corner of the world we have yet to explore. We headed South East, crossed 4 or 5 borders, saw some incredible creations of nature, and enjoyed each other company. We learned the true meaning of switchback and how to drive with sweaty palms while hugging the wall of a cliff. We also had confirmed to us that pizza does require some flavor, spice, or pinch of goodness. We got our pins handed to us by SnackPack in a bowling alley, and enjoy a hometown diner type meal or two.
This world is a beautiful place. It is filled with wonder, oddity, and love. I hope that all of you are able to take time to enjoy them all at some point, especially this Easter weekend.
Until next week. Walla-Walla
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