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

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…..