Showing posts with label Christlike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christlike. Show all posts
Monday, November 2, 2015
Sunday, March 8, 2015
I Was Just Thinking.....
I was thinking last week that I needed to write a blog entitled
"Mormon Dictionary" Because although we as Mormons share with other
Christian faiths a vocabulary of biblical terms, we also have a diverse
language of our own and sometimes even those who are members don't fully
understand some meanings. I would include those words and phrases
that are very and most times uniquely Latter-Day Saint that sometimes
have a more in-depth meaning such as free agency, foreordination, plan
of salvation, patriarchal blessing, and my personal favorite eternal
perspective.
I chose eternal perspective as my favorite "Mormon word" because even the flow of it from the mouth seems to ring out a sound of hope and escape from a world of death and pain. We are taught, as we come to baptism and membership in the church to think not worldly, or presently, but eternally; that we might develop an eternal perspective to comfort and strengthen us in our daily living until our work upon this earth is done. How peaceful the thought.... life is not just today or tomorrow, it is, forever....
After thinking about that, and how those two words seem to flow into one, I googled the word perspective just to see what came up and this is what particularly struck me of the several definitions: "Perspective, a true understanding of the relative importance of things..." Then I googled the word eternal and got " valid for all time; essentially unchanging..." If we put the two meanings together to fit our word we have, "eternal perspective: a true understanding of the relative importance of things that are unchanging, and valid for all time." Next I "Mormoniszed it and this is what wI came up with: "eternal perspective: a true understanding and knowledge of the relative importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ which is unchanging and valid for all time." I say then that this is not only a beautiful Mormon word, but indeed a very important one, one that stems from our core.
As Latter-day saints we belive in forever, and as we grow in our knowledge of the gospel, it should be our goal to conduct our lives on earth in a forever manner. Eternal life, when considering an eternal perspective is the greatest of all gifts from God. It is reserved for those who believe and obey. It is our hope of a better life to come that enables us to stand against the trials and temptations of the world. When we gain an eternal perspective of where we come from, why we are here and what lies ahead, we are able to better govern our choices while here on earth.
After pondering these things and this word I'd chosen as my favorite, I thought about myself. When Sunday comes I am in that thinking mode. Its time to keep the day holy, to make good choices, to ready myself for spiritual enlightenment. I gear up for a day of service and love and make my choices based on the eternal principles that I know to be true. But, what about the rest of the week. What is it like when I walk out of this building following the meetings and go out into the world to make preparing ourselves to return to Heavenly Father. What are my thoughts like when faced with decision-making throughout the work week. When faced with big challenges and choices I always remember what I've learned. I call upon the Lord and fast and pray and find a way with the help of the Savior to make the right decision, one that will have a positive impact not only in this life but the life to come. My question for myself then was what about the other choices, how do I react in my day-to-day interactions, are the choices I make, even the little ones, in keeping with that eternal perspective? It as while thinking about this and searching and studying that I found a story.....
A certain man, having lived a long and productive life, was getting ready to meet his Maker. One night he had a dream during which he was told that because he had been generous with his considerable worldly wealth he would be permitted to take his most valued possession with him when he passed on to the other world. The next morning, the old man set out to put his affairs in order. He liquidated his assets and gave half of all he had to charities and other good purposes. The other half he had converted into gold bars. Upon his death, Saint Peter met him and welcomed him to his new home. But when he noticed the large and heavy bag that the man was carrying, Saint Peter reminded him that no one could bring any earthly goods with them to this place. The old man described his dream and indicated that he had been given special permission to bring this treasure with him. “Okay,” said Saint Peter, “if you have permission. But may I see what you chose as your greatest treasure?” When Saint Peter looked into the bag, he stepped back in amazement and questioned, “For your treasure you brought pavement?”
This story is all about how things can be seen while here on earth. And when thinking about it are we at many times not unlike this man waiting at the pearly gates with his bags of gold. As humans, we tend sometimes, to cling to things and ideas that seem so valuable and important, yet in the end, may really be quite worthless. It is very important that we not assume the perspectives of mortality in making decisions that bear our eternity. We need to understand that we cannot do the Lord's work in the worlds way. If we really believe that God is real, it should begin to change, or determine all of our thinking, and even the small choices can begin to be made with an eternal perspective.
The scriptures can teach us so much about keeping an eternal perspective in our day-to-day interactions and one story that sticks out in my mind is that of Esau in Genesis Chapter 25. When reading about him, we learn that arriving home one day from a hunting expedition, a famished Esau longed for his brother’s food. “Feed me, I pray thee,” Esau pled (Gen. 25:30). Jacob agreed, but for a price: his brother’s birthright. The scripture says, “Esau despised his birthright” (Gen. 25:34). and he says, upon request to sell it, "Behold I am at the point to die, what profit shall this birthright do to me?" If by this Esau saw his birth right as pertaining only to this life, he did not have an eternal perspective which then influenced his choice most negatively. So let us then ask ourselves daily, are we too selling our birthright with our choices? Do we have an eternal perspective and does it influence all of our choices, or do we fall for the things of the world forgetting the Lord?
When we remember the Lord and keep the end goal im mind we gain great blessings, gifts and strength. Daily as we choose with an eternal perspective, we will be blessed and comforted. We will gain respect for the integrity of our steadfastness in gospel center choices such as not cursing, choosing our activities with care, and watching our temper. We will have better health in living the word of wisdom, we will gain a personal peace in making and keeping sacred covenants with temple attendance, Our homes will be a haven as we make them a place where the Lord can dwell. The service we give to others through magnifying our church callings or otherwise will bring us knowledge and healing. And Temporal trials, set backs or struggles become an opportunity to develop soul power. In keeping an eternal perspective with our choices we gain great strength and forge through adversity developing faith that is life changing, that is strong and forever.
As most of you know I have identified myself as a connoisseur of trials. I have personally lived through struggles that I belive no one should have to go through, and that I thought I would never survive but when keeping my thoughts upon eternity my choices through these times became different from that of the world and I did survive, in fact I am a new person today because of them. I really don't want to live through those trials again, but I am truly grateful for the teaching they gave me on keeping my eyes upon eternity always. Now, my goal is to make my everyday choices even better and to treat them as I do the big things and make a choice based upon eternalness. When I get cut off in Dallas traffic, when I work with someone who is difficult, when I am aggravated with things at home, when I am faced with temptations of being lax or lazy, when I am depressed and broken-hearted over the challenges of life, It will be my goal to remember to make the choices for the day, for the moment, with an eternal perspective; to choose the right, to choose for eternity and not the world.
It is my desire today, that your favorite Mormon word might to become eternal perspective. That we may all become more determined to live by Heavenly Father's plan using our moral agency to make decisions based on truth and not on worldly standards. That as we all draw farther from worldliness we will feel closer to Father in Heaven and more able to be guided by his spirit.
President Spencer W Kimball said, : If we live in such a way that the considerations of eternity press upon us, we will make better decisions."
My prayer is that not one of us will show up with pavement....
With Love, Dixie
I chose eternal perspective as my favorite "Mormon word" because even the flow of it from the mouth seems to ring out a sound of hope and escape from a world of death and pain. We are taught, as we come to baptism and membership in the church to think not worldly, or presently, but eternally; that we might develop an eternal perspective to comfort and strengthen us in our daily living until our work upon this earth is done. How peaceful the thought.... life is not just today or tomorrow, it is, forever....
After thinking about that, and how those two words seem to flow into one, I googled the word perspective just to see what came up and this is what particularly struck me of the several definitions: "Perspective, a true understanding of the relative importance of things..." Then I googled the word eternal and got " valid for all time; essentially unchanging..." If we put the two meanings together to fit our word we have, "eternal perspective: a true understanding of the relative importance of things that are unchanging, and valid for all time." Next I "Mormoniszed it and this is what wI came up with: "eternal perspective: a true understanding and knowledge of the relative importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ which is unchanging and valid for all time." I say then that this is not only a beautiful Mormon word, but indeed a very important one, one that stems from our core.
As Latter-day saints we belive in forever, and as we grow in our knowledge of the gospel, it should be our goal to conduct our lives on earth in a forever manner. Eternal life, when considering an eternal perspective is the greatest of all gifts from God. It is reserved for those who believe and obey. It is our hope of a better life to come that enables us to stand against the trials and temptations of the world. When we gain an eternal perspective of where we come from, why we are here and what lies ahead, we are able to better govern our choices while here on earth.
After pondering these things and this word I'd chosen as my favorite, I thought about myself. When Sunday comes I am in that thinking mode. Its time to keep the day holy, to make good choices, to ready myself for spiritual enlightenment. I gear up for a day of service and love and make my choices based on the eternal principles that I know to be true. But, what about the rest of the week. What is it like when I walk out of this building following the meetings and go out into the world to make preparing ourselves to return to Heavenly Father. What are my thoughts like when faced with decision-making throughout the work week. When faced with big challenges and choices I always remember what I've learned. I call upon the Lord and fast and pray and find a way with the help of the Savior to make the right decision, one that will have a positive impact not only in this life but the life to come. My question for myself then was what about the other choices, how do I react in my day-to-day interactions, are the choices I make, even the little ones, in keeping with that eternal perspective? It as while thinking about this and searching and studying that I found a story.....
A certain man, having lived a long and productive life, was getting ready to meet his Maker. One night he had a dream during which he was told that because he had been generous with his considerable worldly wealth he would be permitted to take his most valued possession with him when he passed on to the other world. The next morning, the old man set out to put his affairs in order. He liquidated his assets and gave half of all he had to charities and other good purposes. The other half he had converted into gold bars. Upon his death, Saint Peter met him and welcomed him to his new home. But when he noticed the large and heavy bag that the man was carrying, Saint Peter reminded him that no one could bring any earthly goods with them to this place. The old man described his dream and indicated that he had been given special permission to bring this treasure with him. “Okay,” said Saint Peter, “if you have permission. But may I see what you chose as your greatest treasure?” When Saint Peter looked into the bag, he stepped back in amazement and questioned, “For your treasure you brought pavement?”
This story is all about how things can be seen while here on earth. And when thinking about it are we at many times not unlike this man waiting at the pearly gates with his bags of gold. As humans, we tend sometimes, to cling to things and ideas that seem so valuable and important, yet in the end, may really be quite worthless. It is very important that we not assume the perspectives of mortality in making decisions that bear our eternity. We need to understand that we cannot do the Lord's work in the worlds way. If we really believe that God is real, it should begin to change, or determine all of our thinking, and even the small choices can begin to be made with an eternal perspective.
The scriptures can teach us so much about keeping an eternal perspective in our day-to-day interactions and one story that sticks out in my mind is that of Esau in Genesis Chapter 25. When reading about him, we learn that arriving home one day from a hunting expedition, a famished Esau longed for his brother’s food. “Feed me, I pray thee,” Esau pled (Gen. 25:30). Jacob agreed, but for a price: his brother’s birthright. The scripture says, “Esau despised his birthright” (Gen. 25:34). and he says, upon request to sell it, "Behold I am at the point to die, what profit shall this birthright do to me?" If by this Esau saw his birth right as pertaining only to this life, he did not have an eternal perspective which then influenced his choice most negatively. So let us then ask ourselves daily, are we too selling our birthright with our choices? Do we have an eternal perspective and does it influence all of our choices, or do we fall for the things of the world forgetting the Lord?
When we remember the Lord and keep the end goal im mind we gain great blessings, gifts and strength. Daily as we choose with an eternal perspective, we will be blessed and comforted. We will gain respect for the integrity of our steadfastness in gospel center choices such as not cursing, choosing our activities with care, and watching our temper. We will have better health in living the word of wisdom, we will gain a personal peace in making and keeping sacred covenants with temple attendance, Our homes will be a haven as we make them a place where the Lord can dwell. The service we give to others through magnifying our church callings or otherwise will bring us knowledge and healing. And Temporal trials, set backs or struggles become an opportunity to develop soul power. In keeping an eternal perspective with our choices we gain great strength and forge through adversity developing faith that is life changing, that is strong and forever.
As most of you know I have identified myself as a connoisseur of trials. I have personally lived through struggles that I belive no one should have to go through, and that I thought I would never survive but when keeping my thoughts upon eternity my choices through these times became different from that of the world and I did survive, in fact I am a new person today because of them. I really don't want to live through those trials again, but I am truly grateful for the teaching they gave me on keeping my eyes upon eternity always. Now, my goal is to make my everyday choices even better and to treat them as I do the big things and make a choice based upon eternalness. When I get cut off in Dallas traffic, when I work with someone who is difficult, when I am aggravated with things at home, when I am faced with temptations of being lax or lazy, when I am depressed and broken-hearted over the challenges of life, It will be my goal to remember to make the choices for the day, for the moment, with an eternal perspective; to choose the right, to choose for eternity and not the world.
It is my desire today, that your favorite Mormon word might to become eternal perspective. That we may all become more determined to live by Heavenly Father's plan using our moral agency to make decisions based on truth and not on worldly standards. That as we all draw farther from worldliness we will feel closer to Father in Heaven and more able to be guided by his spirit.
President Spencer W Kimball said, : If we live in such a way that the considerations of eternity press upon us, we will make better decisions."
My prayer is that not one of us will show up with pavement....
With Love, Dixie
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Not as Bad as You Think
Repentance, that is always a scary word it seems. People fear it,
others, in place of fear become angry with it. Some accusingly see it
as a religious control tactic, and others believe that if there is a
real punishment for sin its through a simple confession or prayer and
then God will simply beat us with a few stripes after which we will be
saved in the kingdom forever. I believe however, that when a person
develops true faith, faith in Jesus Christ;
they begin to see things in a different light. I believe real sincere
faith in a person will bring them to a point where they want to be
different, where they want to be like Christ; so repentance then,
becomes viewed differently. It becomes seen not as a scary thing or
matter of a checklist and Sunday confession after a party weekend. It
becomes rather an opportunity of choice, a gift, and that is what it
became for me.
Thought for the day: “Repentance is a divine gift, and there should be a smile on our faces when we speak of it. It points us to freedom, confidence, and peace. Rather than interrupting the celebration, the gift of repentance is the cause for true celebration.” – D Todd Christofferson
What is repentance? The Guide to Scriptures gives us this definition: “A change of mind and heart that brings a fresh attitude toward God, oneself, and life in general. Repentance implies that a person turns away from evil and turns his heart and will to God, submitting to God’s commandments and desires and forsaking sin. True repentance comes from a love for God and a sincere desire to obey his commandments. All accountable persons have sinned and must repent in order to progress toward salvation. Only through the atonement of Jesus Christ can our repentance become effective and accepted by God.”
Why repentance? We come to earth for the purpose of growing and progressing. This is a lifelong process. During this time that we are here on earth, we all sin. We all have need to repent. Sometimes we sin because of ignorance, sometimes because of our weaknesses, and sometimes because of willful disobedience. In the Bible we read that “there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” and that “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” Romans 3:23 Ecclesiastes 7:20 1 John 1:8. When we die, we will be returned to the presence of God Alma 40:11. Thus we need repentance for “no unclean thing can dwell with God”.
I like to think of myself as a “just man”. I never did harm, not intentionally I only wanted to do good. Yet in my life there were times that I did sin. Sometimes it was because of ignorance, sometimes it was due to weakness, and at other times it was pure wilful disobedience. Even so, the more I developed faith, a testimony of the gospel and true love for Father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ, the more I hated my choices, and I just couldn’t live with myself knowing that even though I had a change of heart and no longer made those choices or lived that lifestyle; still they lurked in the corners of my mind and around every bend I turned. They brought upon my soul great grief and I was terribly troubled as I ministered to family members and friends sharing with them the Gospel.
I remember exactly when it began, that I knew my good intentions were not enough; it was the day my husband was baptized. As I watched him being immersed in the water, I found myself wishing it was me, wishing I could be new, that I could be rid of all that followed me, wishing that I could be the daughter of God I so desired and strived to be. I was active in the church, one hundred percent or more. I lived the lifestyle of a Latter-day saint and I encouraged and begged my children and family to do the same. I went so far as to bribe my oldest son, who was not living at home, with gas money. If he would just please come to the baptism and support my husband whom we all loved, I would give him gas money for his car. The baptism proved to be a very spiritual time for all of us but none more than my son I think, for when he came to me after the service to get his money, he was crying. I asked him what was wrong but he couldn’t talk, he just gave me a hug took his money and left. Later on that evening he came to talk to me, about church. He said he felt something that he’d never felt before and it burned within him, he believed, and he wanted to come back and start attending again and making things right. I was never more happy than at that moment, and right away put him on the path back to his roots. This is what made me think. I had testified to my husband and shared with him the gospel and he was baptised. I had testified time and again to my son and encouraged him to return and he was doing so; so how could I be a part of this newly forming eternal family if I wasn’t living the things I was teaching them. I had to make myself right. So began my journey of earnestly praying, with every fiber of my being. With the deepest Godly sorrow falling upon my knees and seeking the guidance of Heavenly Father I repented to him of the things that made me feel bad, of the things that I carried. Never before had I sought Heavenly Father in this manner. Not because I didn’t want to but until I had a true change of heart that came with strengthened faith and Godly sorrow, I didn’t understand how to repent. I discovered that it was much more than just confessing of my sins, it was about my broken heart…..
Through this time and these prayers the Lord, with such love, ministered to me and taught me the meaning of true repentance. He taught me all that I needed to do and answered all my questions by literally answering my prayers even sometimes while I was still on my knees crying. It was not a great cloud burst and visions of grandeur, it wasn’t as many preachers shout about at the pulpits of hell fire and brimstone. But is was a quiet tender burning in my heart that was sent with messages to my mind and I knew, I KNEW, that He was real, the Savior was real, and he was speaking to me and guiding me. That He loved me and would hold me up while I did all that I could to live as he wanted me to live. I did not have to be afraid……
In our journey’s here upon the earth, no one is perfect, so Christ in his infinite mercy suffered and died that we may be offered the choice of repentance. Though it is a gift, it is not an easy choice. But when the desire hits you, and that great feeling of truth coupled with an overwhelming need for change comes, and you act upon it with the help and love of the Savior; it becomes a necessary road and a life changing experience. There is no need to fear, there is no need to discredit the need for repentance, there is no need to turn away. Rather let us receive it with faith and great thanksgiving.
Every time we sin, we die a little spiritually. With each act that we let go on, the light falls away, little by little, until finally there is nothing but heaviness and darkness. What a gift Christ has given us through his Atoning sacrifice that we may not die fully but yet live.
Repentance is a different experience for each individual, and only God knows the hearts and minds of “men”. But we should not be afraid or procrastinate. Some, like I had; may have serious transgressions to work through, but all of us, everyone, are in need of a constant life long procession that includes making ourselves right before God through the Atoning Sacrifice of the Savior. Daily.
There is much to understand in the repentance process and I hope as I take this time in sharing with you my personal journey it will touch your heart. Please join me for my next blog that will continue with the principle and story of my road through repentance, for what you’ve read, was just the beginning, yet even now, I am a new woman…..
With Love
Dixie
Thought for the day: “Repentance is a divine gift, and there should be a smile on our faces when we speak of it. It points us to freedom, confidence, and peace. Rather than interrupting the celebration, the gift of repentance is the cause for true celebration.” – D Todd Christofferson
What is repentance? The Guide to Scriptures gives us this definition: “A change of mind and heart that brings a fresh attitude toward God, oneself, and life in general. Repentance implies that a person turns away from evil and turns his heart and will to God, submitting to God’s commandments and desires and forsaking sin. True repentance comes from a love for God and a sincere desire to obey his commandments. All accountable persons have sinned and must repent in order to progress toward salvation. Only through the atonement of Jesus Christ can our repentance become effective and accepted by God.”
Why repentance? We come to earth for the purpose of growing and progressing. This is a lifelong process. During this time that we are here on earth, we all sin. We all have need to repent. Sometimes we sin because of ignorance, sometimes because of our weaknesses, and sometimes because of willful disobedience. In the Bible we read that “there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” and that “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” Romans 3:23 Ecclesiastes 7:20 1 John 1:8. When we die, we will be returned to the presence of God Alma 40:11. Thus we need repentance for “no unclean thing can dwell with God”.
I like to think of myself as a “just man”. I never did harm, not intentionally I only wanted to do good. Yet in my life there were times that I did sin. Sometimes it was because of ignorance, sometimes it was due to weakness, and at other times it was pure wilful disobedience. Even so, the more I developed faith, a testimony of the gospel and true love for Father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ, the more I hated my choices, and I just couldn’t live with myself knowing that even though I had a change of heart and no longer made those choices or lived that lifestyle; still they lurked in the corners of my mind and around every bend I turned. They brought upon my soul great grief and I was terribly troubled as I ministered to family members and friends sharing with them the Gospel.
I remember exactly when it began, that I knew my good intentions were not enough; it was the day my husband was baptized. As I watched him being immersed in the water, I found myself wishing it was me, wishing I could be new, that I could be rid of all that followed me, wishing that I could be the daughter of God I so desired and strived to be. I was active in the church, one hundred percent or more. I lived the lifestyle of a Latter-day saint and I encouraged and begged my children and family to do the same. I went so far as to bribe my oldest son, who was not living at home, with gas money. If he would just please come to the baptism and support my husband whom we all loved, I would give him gas money for his car. The baptism proved to be a very spiritual time for all of us but none more than my son I think, for when he came to me after the service to get his money, he was crying. I asked him what was wrong but he couldn’t talk, he just gave me a hug took his money and left. Later on that evening he came to talk to me, about church. He said he felt something that he’d never felt before and it burned within him, he believed, and he wanted to come back and start attending again and making things right. I was never more happy than at that moment, and right away put him on the path back to his roots. This is what made me think. I had testified to my husband and shared with him the gospel and he was baptised. I had testified time and again to my son and encouraged him to return and he was doing so; so how could I be a part of this newly forming eternal family if I wasn’t living the things I was teaching them. I had to make myself right. So began my journey of earnestly praying, with every fiber of my being. With the deepest Godly sorrow falling upon my knees and seeking the guidance of Heavenly Father I repented to him of the things that made me feel bad, of the things that I carried. Never before had I sought Heavenly Father in this manner. Not because I didn’t want to but until I had a true change of heart that came with strengthened faith and Godly sorrow, I didn’t understand how to repent. I discovered that it was much more than just confessing of my sins, it was about my broken heart…..
Through this time and these prayers the Lord, with such love, ministered to me and taught me the meaning of true repentance. He taught me all that I needed to do and answered all my questions by literally answering my prayers even sometimes while I was still on my knees crying. It was not a great cloud burst and visions of grandeur, it wasn’t as many preachers shout about at the pulpits of hell fire and brimstone. But is was a quiet tender burning in my heart that was sent with messages to my mind and I knew, I KNEW, that He was real, the Savior was real, and he was speaking to me and guiding me. That He loved me and would hold me up while I did all that I could to live as he wanted me to live. I did not have to be afraid……
In our journey’s here upon the earth, no one is perfect, so Christ in his infinite mercy suffered and died that we may be offered the choice of repentance. Though it is a gift, it is not an easy choice. But when the desire hits you, and that great feeling of truth coupled with an overwhelming need for change comes, and you act upon it with the help and love of the Savior; it becomes a necessary road and a life changing experience. There is no need to fear, there is no need to discredit the need for repentance, there is no need to turn away. Rather let us receive it with faith and great thanksgiving.
Every time we sin, we die a little spiritually. With each act that we let go on, the light falls away, little by little, until finally there is nothing but heaviness and darkness. What a gift Christ has given us through his Atoning sacrifice that we may not die fully but yet live.
Repentance is a different experience for each individual, and only God knows the hearts and minds of “men”. But we should not be afraid or procrastinate. Some, like I had; may have serious transgressions to work through, but all of us, everyone, are in need of a constant life long procession that includes making ourselves right before God through the Atoning Sacrifice of the Savior. Daily.
There is much to understand in the repentance process and I hope as I take this time in sharing with you my personal journey it will touch your heart. Please join me for my next blog that will continue with the principle and story of my road through repentance, for what you’ve read, was just the beginning, yet even now, I am a new woman…..
With Love
Dixie
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Warmth of Light
Here we are at day 14, the last day of our
challenge the last day of our walk with Jesus, but is it really? Is it
really our last day? It doesn’t have to be, for everyday he walks with
us. So then, let us acknowledge His presence and welcome His company.
Let us continue this journey that we may gain greater light and
knowledge, that we may live everyday with peace, with comfort, with
hope……
If your just joining this series, this is a continuation of The Invitation, a previously posted blog challenge to walk with Jesus. Please feel free to read the other days and start at anytime! Incorporate this challenge to fit you! Weekly, monthly, daily however it will work for you! All material is original blog material written by Dixie. ( I just borrowed the idea ;) Scripture suggestions are from my personal study, all thoughts and challenges are from my personal history and my future as I too continue to strive for more closeness to Christ.
Thought for the day: As we acknowledge the presence of Christ in our life, let us realize that the light of Christ resides in all, in everyone that has ever been born. It is an unconditional gift that is given to us freely, that we may endure this test of life, that we may know good from evil, that we may never be alone.
“The scriptures tell us that the Light of Christ, which “proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space,” is “the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God.” It is manifested in the light of the sun, moon, and stars and is the power by which they and the earth were made. It is also the light that quickens our understanding. the Light of Christ “is the agency of God’s power; it is the means and way whereby ‘he comprehendeth all things,’ so that ‘all things are before him, and all things are round about him.’ It is the way whereby ‘he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things. – Bruce R McConkie
One manifestation of the light of Christ is conscience, which helps us choose between right and wrong, and as we learn more about the gospel, our consciences becomes more sensitive; giving us a desire to do good. This will help us understand truth and help to put us on that gospel path which leads to salvation. Greater understanding about the Light of Christ will come to us as we obey the Lord and seek knowledge with pure intent. While we are growing in such knowledge, our greatest concern and effort should be to listen to and follow the voice of the Spirit that we might do the will of our Father in Heaven, to accomplish what he would have us do.
Penny in the shoe: today, when you feel the penny in
your shoe remember that no matter what you are struggling with, there
is always hope, there is always hope if we come unto Christ….
Challenge for the day: Choose Ye therefore Christ the Lord. Live today so that anyone who sees you, who knows you, but doesn’t know him, will want to know him because they know you……
Suggested Scripture Reading: (reading made easy click to view) John 1:4–9 John 8:12 Ps. 27:1 Isa. 2:5 Isa. 60:19 John 3:19–21; Alma 38:9
Journaling Thought: How has the last 14 days affected my life, have I been more aware of His love?
PATTERNS OF LIGHT….
With Love,
Dixie.....
If your just joining this series, this is a continuation of The Invitation, a previously posted blog challenge to walk with Jesus. Please feel free to read the other days and start at anytime! Incorporate this challenge to fit you! Weekly, monthly, daily however it will work for you! All material is original blog material written by Dixie. ( I just borrowed the idea ;) Scripture suggestions are from my personal study, all thoughts and challenges are from my personal history and my future as I too continue to strive for more closeness to Christ.
Thought for the day: As we acknowledge the presence of Christ in our life, let us realize that the light of Christ resides in all, in everyone that has ever been born. It is an unconditional gift that is given to us freely, that we may endure this test of life, that we may know good from evil, that we may never be alone.
“The scriptures tell us that the Light of Christ, which “proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space,” is “the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God.” It is manifested in the light of the sun, moon, and stars and is the power by which they and the earth were made. It is also the light that quickens our understanding. the Light of Christ “is the agency of God’s power; it is the means and way whereby ‘he comprehendeth all things,’ so that ‘all things are before him, and all things are round about him.’ It is the way whereby ‘he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things. – Bruce R McConkie
One manifestation of the light of Christ is conscience, which helps us choose between right and wrong, and as we learn more about the gospel, our consciences becomes more sensitive; giving us a desire to do good. This will help us understand truth and help to put us on that gospel path which leads to salvation. Greater understanding about the Light of Christ will come to us as we obey the Lord and seek knowledge with pure intent. While we are growing in such knowledge, our greatest concern and effort should be to listen to and follow the voice of the Spirit that we might do the will of our Father in Heaven, to accomplish what he would have us do.
So then let us come unto Christ, let us live so
that we invite always his light to reside with us. As we live daily and
struggle daily, let our goal be to keep our hearts open to the
promptings of his spirit and choose the right which will strengthen us;
and let our minds be filled with knowledge that we may never forget that
we are not alone. No matter what we struggle we are not alone, if we
allow him, he will walk with us continually….
15 “For
behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know
good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a
perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.
16 For
behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know
good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every
thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ,
is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know
with a perfect knowledge it is of God.
17 But
whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ,
and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect
knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work,
for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his
angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.
18 And
now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge,
which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully;
for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.
19 Wherefore,
I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the
light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold
upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child
of Christ.” – Moro. 7:15–19
Challenge for the day: Choose Ye therefore Christ the Lord. Live today so that anyone who sees you, who knows you, but doesn’t know him, will want to know him because they know you……
Suggested Scripture Reading: (reading made easy click to view) John 1:4–9 John 8:12 Ps. 27:1 Isa. 2:5 Isa. 60:19 John 3:19–21; Alma 38:9
Journaling Thought: How has the last 14 days affected my life, have I been more aware of His love?
PATTERNS OF LIGHT….
With Love,
Dixie.....
Friday, February 13, 2015
Beside Me.....
We are now on Day 12, only two more challenge days to go.
Has your heart been touched, has this been of benefit to you, did you
find it interesting, has it helped in scripture study? These are
questions I ask myself and would like also to ask you. Anything you
would like to share would be wonderful. At the end of the 14 days I
will do a summary of my thoughts throughout the challenge and what it
has done for me, but I can tell you that just the study and preparation
I’ve done so that I can post these for you, has been fulfilling for me
and I have greatly benefited, I hope it is and will be the same for you
as you read and ponder, and thank you for reading! May the Spirit of the Lord be with us all!
Thought for the day: The process of conversion is not an overnight change. It is an ongoing continual process with peaks and valleys and as we continue to strive to be closer to the Lord, our desires become different, our thoughts change and we become more like him. But the question is today, is this our thinking at all times, in all places and in all things. I chose about 5 years ago to stop watching certain tv shows and movies. I chose not to watch movies that are rated R, and am very careful about PG13 as that can be just as bad. I also stopped watching tv shows that don’t have my value system, that contain strong language, sexual scenes, violence and so on. I did this because one day out of the blue, while watching the Sopranos, I looked up at the picture of Christ on the wall staring at me. I could feel a presence with me and suddenly I could no longer watch the show, it wasn’t right and I thought, if the Lord were here right now would he be watching this show??? No, no he wouldn’t, it’s not the kind of show that is conducive to the spirit. And then I thought, ” I bet Thomas S Monson doesn’t watch this either ” ;) so my life changed. I stopped watching tv basically at all except for a less than a handful of decent shows. I went through my movie collection and got rid of “beloved” classics like Grease, Saturday Night Fever, anything rated R that wasn’t of a historical nature, (some historical war movies are rated R because they are of war, I have some but they are not bad, but let it be said I am quite picky :) I also started watching my language. And even words like Sucks and Freakin left my vocabulary. I often wonder if people really thought about what the word sucks means, would they be using it knowing that the Savior could appear at any minute standing next to them. If the Savior were physically beside you on a daily basis would he be accepting and approving of your choices, in music, tv, movies, talk, actions and it’s not just these things, it also includes gossip, back biting, rudeness, selfishness and so on and so on…..I said one night to my husband as he watched a show that I really didn’t want to be a part of, “Do you think we ought to be watching this, the language is very bad not to mention the other aspects.” He said to me, “if we stop watching things that have bad language in it we might as well not watch tv.” that made me very sad. Why should I lower my standards just to watch tv, tv should bring their standards up to meet ours. It also made me sad to think of how many of us, are just moving along accepting political correctness just to fit in or to have something to do. We are taught that we are to lead our lives so that the spirit will want to dwell with us and so that if the Lord came tonight, he would dwell in our homes. We must try to be less worldy and selfish in our desires and actions. As Christians we need to try harder to be Christians and stand with the values Christ has taught us.
Penny in the shoe: When you feel the Penny in your shoe, imagine Him next to you, because he is…. are your thoughts, actions and words appropriate for His presence…..
Challenge for the day: Make a change, you can’t do it all at once, so pick one area, and make that change even for one day. Choose to clean your language, choose not to gossip, choose to change the channel, choose to walk with Christ…..you’ll feel the difference immediately…..
Suggested Scripture Reading: (reading made easy, click a link to view) Matthew 25:1–13 Matthew 5:14–16
Journaling Thought: How will developing Christlike attributes help me fulfill my purpose in this life…..
If The Savior Stood Beside Me
Thought for the day: The process of conversion is not an overnight change. It is an ongoing continual process with peaks and valleys and as we continue to strive to be closer to the Lord, our desires become different, our thoughts change and we become more like him. But the question is today, is this our thinking at all times, in all places and in all things. I chose about 5 years ago to stop watching certain tv shows and movies. I chose not to watch movies that are rated R, and am very careful about PG13 as that can be just as bad. I also stopped watching tv shows that don’t have my value system, that contain strong language, sexual scenes, violence and so on. I did this because one day out of the blue, while watching the Sopranos, I looked up at the picture of Christ on the wall staring at me. I could feel a presence with me and suddenly I could no longer watch the show, it wasn’t right and I thought, if the Lord were here right now would he be watching this show??? No, no he wouldn’t, it’s not the kind of show that is conducive to the spirit. And then I thought, ” I bet Thomas S Monson doesn’t watch this either ” ;) so my life changed. I stopped watching tv basically at all except for a less than a handful of decent shows. I went through my movie collection and got rid of “beloved” classics like Grease, Saturday Night Fever, anything rated R that wasn’t of a historical nature, (some historical war movies are rated R because they are of war, I have some but they are not bad, but let it be said I am quite picky :) I also started watching my language. And even words like Sucks and Freakin left my vocabulary. I often wonder if people really thought about what the word sucks means, would they be using it knowing that the Savior could appear at any minute standing next to them. If the Savior were physically beside you on a daily basis would he be accepting and approving of your choices, in music, tv, movies, talk, actions and it’s not just these things, it also includes gossip, back biting, rudeness, selfishness and so on and so on…..I said one night to my husband as he watched a show that I really didn’t want to be a part of, “Do you think we ought to be watching this, the language is very bad not to mention the other aspects.” He said to me, “if we stop watching things that have bad language in it we might as well not watch tv.” that made me very sad. Why should I lower my standards just to watch tv, tv should bring their standards up to meet ours. It also made me sad to think of how many of us, are just moving along accepting political correctness just to fit in or to have something to do. We are taught that we are to lead our lives so that the spirit will want to dwell with us and so that if the Lord came tonight, he would dwell in our homes. We must try to be less worldy and selfish in our desires and actions. As Christians we need to try harder to be Christians and stand with the values Christ has taught us.
Penny in the shoe: When you feel the Penny in your shoe, imagine Him next to you, because he is…. are your thoughts, actions and words appropriate for His presence…..
Challenge for the day: Make a change, you can’t do it all at once, so pick one area, and make that change even for one day. Choose to clean your language, choose not to gossip, choose to change the channel, choose to walk with Christ…..you’ll feel the difference immediately…..
Suggested Scripture Reading: (reading made easy, click a link to view) Matthew 25:1–13 Matthew 5:14–16
Journaling Thought: How will developing Christlike attributes help me fulfill my purpose in this life…..
If The Savior Stood Beside Me
If the Savior stood beside me,
Would I do the things I do?
Would I think of His commandments and try harder to be true?
Would I follow His example?
Would I live more righteously if I could see the Savior standing nigh,
watching over me?
If the Savior stood beside me,
Would I say the things I say?
Would my words be true and kind if He were never far away?
Would I try to share the gospel?
Would I speak more rev’rently if I could see the Savior standing nigh,
watching over me?
If the Savior stood beside me, would my thoughts be clean and pure?
Would His presence give me strength and hope and courage to endure?
Would His counsel guide my actions?
Would I choose more worthily if I could see the Savior standing nigh
watching over me?
Watching over me, watching over me,
He is always near me, though I do not see Him there,
And because He loves me dearly,
I am in His watchful care,
So I’ll be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be
if I could see the Savior standing nigh watching over me.
I will be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be
if I could see the Savior standing nigh watching over me.
Copyright © 2007 by Sally DeFord. All rights
reserved. This song may be copied for incidental, noncommercial home and
church use. This notice must be included on each copy made.
Love From Dixie…..
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