#LIGHTtheWORLD Dec 10

I did not follow the program to its fullest today.  It was just one of those days.  We had a plan, it did not fall into place as envisioned, so we punted and took it one step at a time.

Did I serve?  Yes

The Professor was up late/early cleaning the conference center.  The Queen was up late working on neighbor gifts.  I was trying to figure out things I should do to get a room re-created in our home.  Needless to say, we did not get up and go as early as we had planned.

My service, our service was in the temple.  It was simple, but full of LIGHT.  The spiritual LIGHT was so bright.  I was enLIGHTened in so many way.  I hope that George Travis Oviatt was able to find the same enLIGHTenment.  

Have you ever thought about how blessed we are to have the windows of heaven open to us through the temples?  I spent some time pondering this.  I have loved ones who have passed from this life to the next.  Many of them had been slowed down in this life due to physical ailments and such.  But it is my belief, my hope, my faith that once their spirits has been freed from those mortal barriers, they were free again to walk, run, and work.  What joy that must have been for them.  Yet, they were still restricted from reaching their full potential.

Through the service I was able to render yesterday, one more brother was able to move closer to that full potential.  He was given the opportunity to move into a brighter LIGHT.  But what does that mean?  Does it mean he moved from a dark shadow to a brightly lit room?  I don't think so.  I believe it was an opportunity for him to commit to living a different life style.  He was able to make covenants/commitments to have a different attitude, outlook, hope, faith, and direction in his eternal life.  Something he did not have the opportunity to do here in mortality or that he did not choose to do here in mortality.

We can start living in that LIGHT now.  We can choose to make covenants.  We can commit to doing all that is in our power to follow that LIGHT.  The difference between here and there?  I believe that here, we still have to deal with dark, distracting, temptations in mortality.  For those who have passed to the next, don't have the same temptations, but may long for the same weak addictions they had in mortality.  I feel that the change that takes place in them is a power or ability to overcome those weakness of mortality through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  They realize that they can do what they did not think they could do here.

Does that make sense?  The power to do so is here.  It just requires the effort on our part.  It is not an easy effort.  It requires work. It requires focus.  At times it requires all that we have.  And when we have given all that we have, He steps in and makes up for that which we lack.