The plan is TOGETHER not ALONE
Good Morning All -
I hope you week has been productive. Have you learned anything new this week? I know I have. It has been week filled with love and enlightenment. I am so very grateful that I am able to see the hand of my Lord and King in my life. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me. He knows me. He is never far away. I have once again received this witness this week. I hope that you have been able to see His influence in your lives as well.
Where do I begin. Pondering verses have been amazing this week in so many ways. D&C 76:66-69. Revelation of the Celestial Kingdom continues to be revealed, but through my adventures this week, my eyes and mind were opened to a different view of them.
"These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God...to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and the Firstborn..."
The key words here for me are "come unto". These people are doing what they can to "come unto" Zion(becoming one in heart and mind). They are seeking God in their lives even though they are burdened down with trials, hardship, addiction, weakness, and poundings of the adversary.
I was also reminded of through these verses that they do not do it alone. They "come unto" God, to an innumerable company of angels, the general assembly and church of Enoch, and most importantly, Jesus Christ. Sometimes I think we fail to see that part of the path. We are not sent to this earth with our individual weaknesses and challenges to overcome them alone. Our challenges may be individual, but God sends us with His angels, the church, our forefathers, and Jesus Christ. We are supposed to make it back to Him with them and their assistance. We are to work together in this mortal existence.
Now that does not mean that we are not accountable for our own salvation, but together we can lift, carry, correct, and overcome our individual challenges. Where one of us is weak, another may be strong. Where another is weak, we may be strong. Yolked together, moving towards the same goal, we will be able to overcome the weakness.
Then jump down to verse 69, "...they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood."
1 - We are not perfect, but we can made perfect through Jesus. Through the covenants we make with Him. I was reading an article in the Ensign this week about the path of perfection and repentance to make it there. I liked the thoughts that were shared. I learned that we did not come to this world as "Perfect" beings. We are imperfect. On a scale of 1 to 10 we are more than likely running around the 1 to 3 range. However, we often compare ourselves to so many others around us and think that they are running around 8 to 9 range and almost perfect and don't think we will ever get there, but it is not true. We are all on the same path. It is that comparison that holds us back. It is pride of thinking we have to do it alone that prevents us for achieving.
When Adam was placed in the garden, he was given a companion, a "help meet". Together they were able to accomplish so much more, again lifting one in weakness and being lifted in our own weakness. Then they had children and the community of assistance grew. WE WERE NOT SENT TO DO IT ALONE.
2 - It is through Jesus and the covenants we make with Him that makes us perfect. As I think about covenants and the assistance to keep them, my mind was taken to the Old Testament this week. As I pondered so many things, I thought of the children of Israel. They were in Egypt. Often we think of the bondage they were in as workers, but they were also in bondage of apostasy. We learn from their words that they were comfortable in a sin laden life. They had been living that way for years. Moses came as an angel to help guide them through covenants.
What did they do? What did God do to help them? He led them to the wilderness. He removed them from the sin laden life. He restricted their access to those activities that would be hard to resist and help them keep their covenants. It was not easy for them. They struggled with it. They had to be come meek and humble.
How many times did they fall in the wilderness? Was it an overnight camp out? How long did it take them? When they came out of the wilderness were they free from the temptations of sin? So, why were they in the wilderness?
I see the exodus in a whole new light this week. God was restricting their access to help them form new habits and routines, better habits and routines. He gave commandments and made promises. He fed them on a daily basis. (thoughts of feasting on His word comes to mind). He gave them water. (Jesus Christ comes to mind as the living water).
In their exodus, they had small changes to their routines. They encountered different peoples. They had to practice what they had been learning and then learn more. There were times when they came upon people who did not want them to continue learning. God commanded them to remove the obstacles from their lives. They were to destroy all things, because whatever was left would tempt them to return to their old habits and remove them from covenants they had made.
Then my thoughts turned to a talk from Elder Christofferson in 2016 that I was reading this week. These commandments, not restrictions, but disciplines are not to punish us as much as they are about helping us, helping loved ones, along the path of self-mastery. That is what God was/is trying to do. He is trying to help us learn self-mastery, one step at a time, together as family, friends, community, and a people.
3 - Even after all of this, we do not make it to that 10 without the Atonement of Jesus Christ!
Come unto this place, this people, this God!
Ok, I know there is so much more I could ramble about, but I will stop there. I hope you are able to glean something for your own learning.
Our week -
The Queen continued her adventures in India. It was not always a fun adventure, but she did her best to make it through. Even though she was assigned a schedule that would match the time zone she would have been working here, her body was confused because of the 11.5 hour difference. Her eyes were seeing night, but her shift required her to work, then when her eyes and mind were seeing day, she had to try and sleep. The 23 hours of travel to and from did not help. I do have it on good report that she has arrived back to the US and is a few hours from home as I type this. I look forward to hearing more about the adventure.
The Professor enjoyed a week of work. She has one more to go before tracking off. However, she also starts a new/final semester of this program on Monday.
It sounds like Tall Man and Ehl-Bo have been busy preparing for different events lately. The most recent being a Renaissance Fair. They dropped in late the other night, tired bordering on exhausted, but said they were having fun. Now they are preparing for the next event. More to come.
Puddin and Lady Hawkins have been busy. Lady Hawkins spent the week traveling. She has a retreat in preparation of the new school year, and then she flew East to spend time with some of her closest friends. It has been exhausting among other things. Puddin just struggled through being alone. It has not been easy. He has learned from it and continues growing at the same time.
SnackPack completed his first week of college. From what we have gathered, it was not what he expected, but good at the same time. Between classes, homework, nerdy roommates, and a heavy work schedule, he too is bordering on exhaustion. Sounds like a time of adjustment to a new routine.
Me? I just sat here in my office most of the week. When I wasn't here, I was out there somewhere trying to do some good. I hope I am succeeding.
I hope you week has been productive. Have you learned anything new this week? I know I have. It has been week filled with love and enlightenment. I am so very grateful that I am able to see the hand of my Lord and King in my life. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me. He knows me. He is never far away. I have once again received this witness this week. I hope that you have been able to see His influence in your lives as well.
Where do I begin. Pondering verses have been amazing this week in so many ways. D&C 76:66-69. Revelation of the Celestial Kingdom continues to be revealed, but through my adventures this week, my eyes and mind were opened to a different view of them.
"These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God...to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and the Firstborn..."
The key words here for me are "come unto". These people are doing what they can to "come unto" Zion(becoming one in heart and mind). They are seeking God in their lives even though they are burdened down with trials, hardship, addiction, weakness, and poundings of the adversary.
I was also reminded of through these verses that they do not do it alone. They "come unto" God, to an innumerable company of angels, the general assembly and church of Enoch, and most importantly, Jesus Christ. Sometimes I think we fail to see that part of the path. We are not sent to this earth with our individual weaknesses and challenges to overcome them alone. Our challenges may be individual, but God sends us with His angels, the church, our forefathers, and Jesus Christ. We are supposed to make it back to Him with them and their assistance. We are to work together in this mortal existence.
Now that does not mean that we are not accountable for our own salvation, but together we can lift, carry, correct, and overcome our individual challenges. Where one of us is weak, another may be strong. Where another is weak, we may be strong. Yolked together, moving towards the same goal, we will be able to overcome the weakness.
Then jump down to verse 69, "...they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood."
1 - We are not perfect, but we can made perfect through Jesus. Through the covenants we make with Him. I was reading an article in the Ensign this week about the path of perfection and repentance to make it there. I liked the thoughts that were shared. I learned that we did not come to this world as "Perfect" beings. We are imperfect. On a scale of 1 to 10 we are more than likely running around the 1 to 3 range. However, we often compare ourselves to so many others around us and think that they are running around 8 to 9 range and almost perfect and don't think we will ever get there, but it is not true. We are all on the same path. It is that comparison that holds us back. It is pride of thinking we have to do it alone that prevents us for achieving.
When Adam was placed in the garden, he was given a companion, a "help meet". Together they were able to accomplish so much more, again lifting one in weakness and being lifted in our own weakness. Then they had children and the community of assistance grew. WE WERE NOT SENT TO DO IT ALONE.
2 - It is through Jesus and the covenants we make with Him that makes us perfect. As I think about covenants and the assistance to keep them, my mind was taken to the Old Testament this week. As I pondered so many things, I thought of the children of Israel. They were in Egypt. Often we think of the bondage they were in as workers, but they were also in bondage of apostasy. We learn from their words that they were comfortable in a sin laden life. They had been living that way for years. Moses came as an angel to help guide them through covenants.
What did they do? What did God do to help them? He led them to the wilderness. He removed them from the sin laden life. He restricted their access to those activities that would be hard to resist and help them keep their covenants. It was not easy for them. They struggled with it. They had to be come meek and humble.
How many times did they fall in the wilderness? Was it an overnight camp out? How long did it take them? When they came out of the wilderness were they free from the temptations of sin? So, why were they in the wilderness?
I see the exodus in a whole new light this week. God was restricting their access to help them form new habits and routines, better habits and routines. He gave commandments and made promises. He fed them on a daily basis. (thoughts of feasting on His word comes to mind). He gave them water. (Jesus Christ comes to mind as the living water).
In their exodus, they had small changes to their routines. They encountered different peoples. They had to practice what they had been learning and then learn more. There were times when they came upon people who did not want them to continue learning. God commanded them to remove the obstacles from their lives. They were to destroy all things, because whatever was left would tempt them to return to their old habits and remove them from covenants they had made.
Then my thoughts turned to a talk from Elder Christofferson in 2016 that I was reading this week. These commandments, not restrictions, but disciplines are not to punish us as much as they are about helping us, helping loved ones, along the path of self-mastery. That is what God was/is trying to do. He is trying to help us learn self-mastery, one step at a time, together as family, friends, community, and a people.
3 - Even after all of this, we do not make it to that 10 without the Atonement of Jesus Christ!
Come unto this place, this people, this God!
Ok, I know there is so much more I could ramble about, but I will stop there. I hope you are able to glean something for your own learning.
Our week -
The Queen continued her adventures in India. It was not always a fun adventure, but she did her best to make it through. Even though she was assigned a schedule that would match the time zone she would have been working here, her body was confused because of the 11.5 hour difference. Her eyes were seeing night, but her shift required her to work, then when her eyes and mind were seeing day, she had to try and sleep. The 23 hours of travel to and from did not help. I do have it on good report that she has arrived back to the US and is a few hours from home as I type this. I look forward to hearing more about the adventure.
The Professor enjoyed a week of work. She has one more to go before tracking off. However, she also starts a new/final semester of this program on Monday.
It sounds like Tall Man and Ehl-Bo have been busy preparing for different events lately. The most recent being a Renaissance Fair. They dropped in late the other night, tired bordering on exhausted, but said they were having fun. Now they are preparing for the next event. More to come.
Puddin and Lady Hawkins have been busy. Lady Hawkins spent the week traveling. She has a retreat in preparation of the new school year, and then she flew East to spend time with some of her closest friends. It has been exhausting among other things. Puddin just struggled through being alone. It has not been easy. He has learned from it and continues growing at the same time.
SnackPack completed his first week of college. From what we have gathered, it was not what he expected, but good at the same time. Between classes, homework, nerdy roommates, and a heavy work schedule, he too is bordering on exhaustion. Sounds like a time of adjustment to a new routine.
Me? I just sat here in my office most of the week. When I wasn't here, I was out there somewhere trying to do some good. I hope I am succeeding.
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