Day 30

Thanksgiving is almost over. There is so much to be grateful for these days. A dear friend of mine just received her call with her husband to Sinapore. If it wasn't such a sin, I would admit that I am jealous. Bonnie and I certainly hope that a mission or two, or six are some of the things in store for us in the near future. But we shall see, for the Master Director of our lives is busy teaching us other things currently. When you are in the middle of an exam, or a test, often you do not know when you have completed it, nor when it is time to think it should be over, but the Master Teacher is the one who is calling the shots. He decides when to turn on the lights, who should be on stage, turn off the lights, interject something in a certain act of the mortality play that will cause additional lessons or be a redeeming event.

Anyway, we are plugging along.

You can see by my photo I am including, it is the fateful, once a year day when the two rivals of the state gather together to play a crazy game of football. It doesn't mean much this year, they both have the same record, and both will go to bowl games, this is just for bragging rights, but oh the bragging rights that will suddenly appear after the final gun...

Father has chosen not to direct us yet into our coming, new stewardship. I certainly hope that we are moldable clay as He puts His teaching into our soul, hopefully never to be lost.

I have been reading a book that explains the value of listening to the promptings of the Spirit, the "enticings" or whispers. It certainly is helping direct my thoughts and feelings.

Where is my/your mind today? Dwelling on the thorns or the roses? Good thought to keep in my mind all the time.

Day 29

I have heard many people explain how thanksgiving started many years ago. It is wonderful to know, but for me, I am just grateful for the time, the challenge for forget the things I do not have and dwell upon the things I do have.

I challenged a group of young adults the other day to dwell upon gratitude, and quit worry so much about what we don't have. This morning, I decided that I better practice what I preach. Thus I am going to express gratitude for what I have, and express gratitude for the trials and challenges I have been blessed with. For are they not just opportunities to learn, to grow, and become more like my Father?

I feel bad, for yesterday I lost sight of that. I was so concerned about life, what I do not have, what I feel I need, and what is not coming to me, that I was depressed. Those who know me know that my depression is not at all like the depression of the world. It is just that in my quiet moments, I was not dwelling upon the Eternal Nature of things, I was dwelling upon my failures and why I was not blessed as I THOUGHT I SHOULD BE. Sin, Sin, Sin.

So, I have eliminated that self defeating thought from my soul, and today, and for at least the rest of the Thanksgiving week, I am going to dwell upon blessings, even blessings of hardship, for they are truly blessings.

I love my Father, for He knows what is best for me, and especially the timing of when, how and what. I am sure He is frustrated with me when I try to superimpose my timing onto His, when I try to tell Him what is best for me.

So, here's to having me behave better this week, and onward. My moment of depressiong or losing sight of the things that matter was very short, but it was awful, for I listened to the wrong whispers, and chose to ignore those from my Father. REPENTANCE is mine today. Those who happen to read this, please know that I wish you the best of Thankgivings with those you love close at hand, even eating turkey with you. (Save me a piece)

Day 28

If I am not concentrating on Building the Kingdom, it is totally my fault. When things of mortality get in the way, which they do almost every day, every hour, why can't I shed them, for in the Eternal View, they are insignificant.

"The natural man is an enemy to God....; unless he yields to the enticing of the Spirit, putteth off the natural man..."

I have been pondering about this phrase lately. Am I a natural man? Do I listen to the enticings? The promptings? That is what makes me different from the animal kingdom. Thus, how close am I to an animal today?

I would hope that I can continue to change, to perfect myself so I can listen more closely to those enticings, those promptings, for that is how Father directs me.

When I ignore them, when I pass them by as something other than what they are, the next time they are harder to hear. I am afraid that I am not listening as closely as I should thus those promptings still come, but because of me, they come in a different language and I cannot hear them.

How can I pursue His goals for me and mine if I don't listen? That is my goal.

As I write this post, I assume this blog is nothing more than just my journal, a way to share with myself what I am feeling, for it goes out to the world through this blog thing, and who knows what happens. Perhaps there is someone on Kolob, or a closer star that is reading the meanderings of this crazy person and either laughing, or wondering what is in my mind, what I am made of, and perhaps I should assume I am writing to a kindred spirit in another realm, or another Phase of existence. Who knows. Anyway this is enough for day 28.

Day 27

I just finished reading some of Moroni's last words. "God has not ceased to be a God of miracles..." "He changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles." The only reason we imagine that he ceaseth to be a God of miracles is because man or we... "...dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way and know not the God in whom we trust..."

So often we/I do not recognize miracles. They surround us every day. Ninety percent of the people on earth walk around in a blind stupor, not "seeing" (having eyes but not seeing) the daily miracles and wonders that surround them all day long. The other ten percent walk around in amazement watching and recognizing the miracles of the day.

He is a God of miracles. There are miracles happening every day in my life. We just don't often note them, and pause to give thanks for them. But they are there daily.

When I put on my Eternal Perspective glasses, I can see these miracles happening daily. These glasses filter out the hazards of the day, the commonly accepted sins of the world in this day, and help me be a thankful person, honoring the creator of miracles daily in my life.

As I do this, my aching returns about how I can best Build the Kingdom today, as well as strive to work toward that glorious day when we all shall be taught the principles of the City of Enoch.

There are miracles surrounding me daily.

Day 26

Elder Eyring quoted in a talk given in November 1989 the following: "Not long ago a man asked me, "does your church still believe that when Christ comes you will be living as one, the way they did in the city of Enoch?" He put a spin on the word still as if we might not believe such a thing anymore. I said, Yes we do. And then he said, "you are the people who could do it."

If Elder Eyring is telling others that we, and I believe that included me and you, we STILL believe that when Christ comes, we will be living as one, the way they did in the city of Enoch, then I have to conclude that there better be a people who believe as he does, a people who have been prepared, a people who know what Elder Eyring was talking about well before Christ comes, to be able to live in that kind of society.

So when we commit to give all that we have to building up the Kingdom and establishing Zion, at least the kind of Zion that Enoch built, I guess I have much to do, for I want to be included in that group of people he was referring to.

The small stuff of life, of mortality too often get in the way of that goal. Money, food, employment, house payments, gas prices, Christmas, and other things seem to replace the thoughts of Zion and I subconsciouly place Zion, and building Zion behind these other things, when in reality I perhaps should place them first, and then let "all these things" take care of themselves.

I am sure many would not agree with that point, but I must consider it a bit myself, at least for me and my house, my thoughts, and my feelings.

Day 25

We are all in mortality. Why? Abraham says it is to prove ourselves. Christ says many times that we are to endure to the end. We are also taught to serve others, as in seeking FIRST the Kingdom. Then of course, Father needs someone to work toward building Zion, first within the hearts of brothers and sisters, and then within families, then communities.

So as I look at my life (and I suggest you do the same), I try to figure out what I should be concentrating on. I mean, am I in the middle of proving myself worthy of the Highest degree? Or am I striving to just endure all the opportunities of growth, or trials I have? Then maybe I need to concentrate on serving my fellow man, thus building the Kingdom.

Since I am a bit older these days, since my body keeps yelling in a different region each time I try to use it, I would imagine that perhaps each of us have different parts of that mortality. Are there different periods of our life when we should be just concentrating on enduring? It takes all we have just to endure through trials and learn lessons?

Or should we concentrated on serving others? Do we wake each day trying to think of someone to serve, someone who needs a smile, a cheery joke, a plate of cookies, or what?

Or should I spend my waking time in trying to fulfill my stewardship in a more efficient manner, thus serving better, longer hours, doing more than I have done?

Or should our lives be a compilation of all these things? And if we concentrate on all these things, will we not be able to give each one it's due?

Just pondering, since I seem to have time while waiting for the mirarcles that Father is sending to me one of these days.

Day 24

It certainly is exciting to wait and anticipate what our Father has in store for us this time. We have finished our stewardship in Brigham City and awaiat our next assignment. We know that He brought us up here to do what we have done in the work field. It has benefittted the community, and it was building the Kingdom, but so much more important than that we have learn so many valuable lessons, eternal principles about this stewardship as well as our Eternal Companionship. So, the miracles have been abundant surrounding our stewardship in Brigham City.

But as we continue to analyze our lessons being taught through our time in Northern Utah, I still feel an urge to be Building up the Kingdom. As I have prayed and pondered this, and as I have heard Elder Eyring teach, it is something that should be in our minds constantly.

We can, and should be concerned constantly about ways to keep that idea paramount in our minds. Yes, we have other duties surrounding us, but there should always be time, a mental part of our mind with that concept being generated, so that at any time, day or night, any place, there will be opportunities to build the Kingdom.

Yes, we should be doing that with our families constantly, with each other, with neighbors, and with those in our personal stewardship in our wards and stakes, but there is more to do, if we are listening to the Spirit tell us.

Anyway, that is my "take" on the subject, and perhaps that is only my personal feelings, and no one else feels that.

But since this is my blog, that is my view of this wonderful challenge we have, to constantly daily, and all the time BUILD THE KINGDOM.