What are you sowing?

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

(Galatians 6:7-9)

Our minds are like a field and our thoughts are like the seeds we can sow, or plant, in that field. Thoughts lead to actions is what I get from this scripture. If our thoughts are centered in anger, lust, envy, or any other things that are of the "flesh" we will reap more and more of those things until we ourselves become an outward expression of our inner negative thoughts. However, if our thoughts are full of charity, love, giving, and other qualities that come from the Spirit of God we will grow greater in knowledge and in Spirit giving us the ability to grow virtues in the field of our mind. We will not weary in well doing as we cultivate the crops of humility and patience as well as those of sympathy and self-control. May the Lord help us to sow good seeds so that we may find His attributes and fruits becoming evident in our lives. In His name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

"My soul did long to be there"

Repentance is a change in how we act, think, and feel about ourselves, the world, and our Savior. I wanted to show one of my favorite accounts about repentance and the amazing changes it can bring to our lives. The whole story is found in The Book of Mormon to be brief I will only share two small parts of the whole story beginning with how Alma felt before repentance and then how he felt after coming unto Christ. (See Alma 36)

"...in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror." (Verse 14)

"...I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there." (Verse 22)

I know that as we turn ourselves to Christ and change our lives to fit in with His will that we will be able to always be filled with that hope and longing to be with Him. "Remember, repentance is not punishment. It is the hope-filled path to a more glorious future" (Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ -Elder Richard G. Scott). I know that repentance is the path to happiness and peace. May we all become better in our lives so that we can always be on that upward path!

"Good tidings of great joy"

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
(Luke 2:8-11 KJV)

This is the wonderful time of year when we celebrate the birth of Christ. I love how we are told to "fear not" but to rejoice because of the birth of Christ. I know that Christ was born all those years ago. I am grateful for His life, His death, and His resurrection which make it so that all of us can grow and become more like Him. I know that He lives today. Merry Christmas!

Mormon.org/Christmas

Small and Simple things

"Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls." (Alma 37:6-7)

 In life we are surrounded with many many loud, bright, exciting, and inviting things, but the Lord many times is not found in any of those. He works through the voice of the Holy Ghost which is often called the "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12). I have learned that while life is full of many good things, many of the better things come in small and simple ways. Whether it be a kind word, a hug, or someone to listen to our sorrows. The Lord is there for us and if we will look, we will find His hand in our lives. What small and simple things does the Lord do for you? Did you realize that you were so blessed? I know God lives and guides our lives. He loves all of us. Keep your eye out for His blessings and you will find them!

"Ponder the path of thy feet"

"Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil."

(Proverbs 4: 25-27)

The Lord has asked of us to look forward, not to look back. We must be ever vigilant in our search for righteousness and truth. We must let our eyes be forward and our minds on our goal of returning to our Heavenly home to live with our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. Planning our life and pursuits may seem like a bore or something that will keep us from having all that we want out of life, but in reality the more we plan, the better we will be. The addict who refuses to plan how to be free of his addiction is rarely freed just because he wills it to be. The student who won't study or prepare for exams is ultimately bound to fail. So it is with our lives. As we ponder the path that God would have us go, we will be better able to follow it into the future He would have us have. It is my testimony that God will lead us as we strive to be more like His son Jesus Christ. These things I testify of in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.