The Dream

Growing up I dreamed, slept, ate, and bled running. The more the merrier. I created schedules and entered races. I ran track and cross country.

It was my senior year in high school. Region was a week away and then state was two weeks after that. I had just achieved my fasting time. I was excited and pumped for the upcoming race. After school one day we headed out on our daily afternoon run. We headed towards a park behind the high school. I felt great! Today was going to be awesome. The concrete road we were on quickly turned into a dirt path about the same width. The trail slowly slimmed down to produce a single file line of runners. It disappeared into a group of trees on the side of a hill and turned immediately right and then down. As I started running down the hill I found myself alone with no one in sight in front of me or behind me. As I got closer to the bottom of the hill, I picked up speed. I got going faster and faster. At the bottom of the hill I planted my right foot on what I thought was the ground. The second I put all of my weight on that foot the rock, not ground which my foot was resting on, moved and my ankle with it. I felt a tear and pop. I staggered and slowed down. One of my teammates came running up behind me to see me in pain on the side of the trail. He lifted and carried me the mile back to the school. As I took off my shoe my ankle swelled up immediately. Come to find out later my tendons had been damaged and my tibia had shifted down my leg and foot. My dreams of running in Region and State disappeared.

In the following months while I recovered, I thought a lot about what had happened. I experienced frustration as I was limited from certain activities as well as missed out in playing soccer my senior year. I wondered why did this happen? Was this fare? Why now? These are question many of us have asked. As I have gone through this experience and many others, I have been blessed and guided to realize by the spirit that it is not a "bad" thing to go through trials. Good and bad people go through trials. A certain trying experience is not a punishment at all. Often it is a blessing and a complement from our Heavenly Father.

In the Book of John, Christ's apostles ask Christ a question along the lines of, "Is a trial a punishment for sinning?" Here is the story. "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man , or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (John 9:1-3)

The man was not cursed with blindness because someone had transgressed. The very opportunity of having an experience which tests and try’s us is what we need to change our very being, grow and become better individuals, and ultimately become like our Heavenly Father and Savior. It is painful but necessary to burn away the impurities.

Let us be grateful for those experiences which allow God's greatest work being the Atonement manifests itself in us and by so doing change us.

 

Living on the edge

There was once a young man who went cliff jumping with all of his friends.  As the day wore on the boys got higher and higher with each jump.  As the boys got higher they starting thinking, "I could get hurt!”, but the fear of disappointing the others kept them jumping.  One of the boys climbed up past the rest of them to make the highest jump of the day.  He jumped off but when he landed everyone could hear the smack of skin against the water.  The young man had landed sideways as he hit the water breaking a rib.  Some of the boys who were already at the bottom jumped into the water dragging their friend out. 

These boys new deep down inside if they did not stop that one of them was going to eventually get hurt.  Why did they keep going? 

Fear of disappointing  is something which has tied down many people from reaching their dreams and having experiences, but “perfect love casteth out fear."(1 john 4:18).  How does one obtain this love? 

The prophet Moroni answered this question in the Book of Mormon by saying, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ.” (Moroni 7:48)

The first step is prayer.  Not just talking but pleading with all the energy of our souls.  The gift of love will be blessed upon all those who pray and are true followers of Jesus Christ.  Obedience is what characterizes a true follower of Jesus Christ. I hope and pray that we plead for love, and then have faith in Jesus Christ to be obedient.

Christ lives and loves us.

Why Not

Why?  A word commonly used with different people in different circumstances to different peers.  Why?  A word which can invite the spirit.  Why?  A word, on the other hand, which can show contempt and disagreement?  One word which has started the domino effect to many inventions and ideas which have shaped, showed, and changed the world.

The power of one word. The power of one person.  In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control over England.  In 1776, one vote caused the American language to be English instead of German.  In 1868, one vote caused President Jackson to not be impeached.  In 1941, one vote caused Adolf Hitler to be put into power.  It was just one Samaritan which saved the man left to die in the desert in between Jerusalem and Jericho. Noah was one man commanded of God to build an ark and save his people and continue the human race.  Christ was one man who was "prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem [His] people."(Ether 3:14)  He came to earth to fulfill the law and a task which would save everyone who had come, was living, and was to be born from eternal torment.  All it takes is one lost sheep for Christ to go and save.  The Atonement is for the one. 

A fellow missionary and myself were visiting an older gentleman who had not attended church in some time.  He was complaining to us about the world in which he lived, and that he had no say or part in it.  The conversation was abruptly concluded when I was guided to say, "Christ was just one man."  The number one is not "the loneliest number" but has power to change people's lives . 

"Why" is one word that has shaped people, families, and nations.  One person has made a difference in voting politically and directing nations and people.

Christ ultimately shows to us the greatest power of impacting and changing lives; Ultimately His brothers and sisters lives on an individual level as well as collective.

Why Not?  Why not live up to our potential?  Why not see ourselves as our Heavenly Father and Christ see us?  We are children of God.  We have the power to impact individual’s lives.  In my high school there was a saying which greatly impacted me which said.  "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."  I love this saying but I want to change it.  To Christ we are worth the world, and to one person we may be the world if we point them to Christ.

Let us never think we are not talented, gifted, or pretty enough to make a difference.   We all have the light of Christ and a body.  When Enoch was called to be a prophet he felt very inadequate.  He said, "Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech."  The Lord then so lovingly replies, "Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good...Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me."(Moses 6:31-34)  Let us "walk with [Christ]".  For that is where the power is.  

The power of one is in comprehendable when Christ is on one's side.  Don't ever think you can not make a difference.  For you can!

Where are you going?

Optimism v. Pessimism.  Two polar opposites which we face daily.  The world throws many different views on this.  Like the one shown just to the left in this picture.  Why be optimistic? 

Optimism shows faith.  Optimism shows a hope in the futures and what one cannot see.  Optimism shows a faith and hope in the Savior of the world.  

Moroni, in the Book of Mormon says," And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith(Ether 12:6).

Being optimistic or having a hope for the future and a faith in Christ shows that faith and hope in the unseen.  As we show our faith and hope in Christ we will be able to dance in the rains and storms of life.  We will see the eternal perspective and have the dirt and mud scraped away from our windshield. 

Let us not see and focus on the couple of dark clouds in the sky and miss the gorgeous sunset on the horizon.

To speak or not to speak. That is the question?

Have you ever had one of those experiences when you say something and the second you say it you wish you could take back.  Many embarrassing and hurtful experiences start just that way.  The power of what we say seems to penetrate to the very core of one’s soul.  You might say it does not affect them?  Think again!  Russell Wilcox in an article called Is Anyone Laughing said, "People might put up with put-downs and manage a chuckle for the sake of saving face, but deep down, negative humor hurts. No matter how perfect the timing or how smoothly executed the joke, usually the only ones laughing are those who are afraid they may be your next targets."

Let us follow the savior's words by being "holy in all manner of conversation" (1 Peter 1:15) and having our "words tend to edifying one another" (Doctrine and Covenants 136:24).

Why is it important to always uplift those around us through our words?  Christ said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:40)

This scr. tells us that when we put down and say something negative to one of Christ's children we are saying it to him.  Let us uplift our language and in the process come closer to our Savior, Heavenly Father, Spirit, and be a greater instrument in the hands of the Master.

 

Let your light so shine

In Christ's Sermon on the Mount He says, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16 ).

Light is wonderful.  It gets brighter the closer to the source one gets.  Light when not prohibited will light up the area it is into different degrees.  When a "bushel" for example covers it the light is blocked from lighting up its surroundings. 

What bushels do we put over our light?  It could be the fear of rejection, popularity, acceptance, or something being too hard.  Might I suggest we remove those things which keep the light of Christ from spreading to every heart, people, family, city, and country.

Marianne Williamson in her poem Our Greatest Fear I think says it best.  

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,

talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of

God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other people

permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  As we do we give others permission to do the same.  Christ lives and wants us to shine forth the light of Christ that is in each of us.

Faith without works

One Sunday afternoon my companion and I were tracting.  We knocked on a door and a man in his 40's answered the door.  He invited us in and sat us down at his kitchen table.  He proceeded to explain he was reformed Lutheran, and then jumped right into asking us questions and explaining to us what he found wrong in the "Mormon" church.  Over the discussion we talked a lot about the plan of salvation.  He explained to us that he does not believe in a pre-earth life and that works do not matter.  We are automatically saved. 

I have thought a lot about this.  I testify there is a loving Heavenly Father, and because he loves us he provided a way that we can be like him.  Before we came to earth we were spirit children of our Heavenly Father.  One of the major differences between us and Him was that He had a body of flesh and bones.  The Lord wanted us to have bodies like him so he provided a way that such could happen.  The Plan of Salvation was presented and Christ was chosen as our Savior (Abraham 3:27).  The plan included us coming to earth and being tried and tested.  A test is given to see if you will choose the right answer.  This test we are a part of is all on the job.  We are here to see if we will choose Christ and liberty or Satan and destruction (2 Nephi 2:27).  Christ said this on faith unto works in his Sermon on the Mount, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matt. 7:21). 

Let us do the will of the father.  Let us do what he has commanded us, and we shall find our Savior and eternal happiness. 

 How grateful I am for the opportunity we have to come to earth and experience the good and the bad.  The Lord truly does love us and that is why we are here.  We are saved by grace after we try our hardest through faith and works (2 Nephi 25:23).  This is done through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Christ lives and loves us.  We are here to gain our salvation.  Let us follow our Savior and King.