Thursday, June 14, 2012

Lesson Two: Personal Journal

Devoting my Time in a Better, More Uplifting Way

This week has been very uplifting for me. I feel like I have learned a lot about Peter, Paul and Barnabas, just to name a few. I have loved reading their stories and understanding more about them. I feel like I have been able to get a small glimpse of what it might have been like to live when they did. I love how they exemplified what it means to obey the promptings of the Holy Ghost; for they just didn’t obey, but they did so swiftly. I love the story of Peter receiving a vision to go to Macedonia, he does not question why or complain about the distance. He just straight way goes. Because of that obedience, he is then led to bless the life of Lydia by baptizing her and bring her into the gospel. Some may think that is a long way to go and a lot to give up at home just to for one. But we know that it is worth all the traveling and searching if you can bring even one into the fold.  As it states in Luke 15:4, “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he findeth it?” I love that. No one is lost or ever to far for God to find. He knows our hearts. He knows our trials. He blesses us with such trials that we may grow and become more Christ-like. It reminds me of the song, “Stones in a River” by Doug Walker: “Like stones in the river
we are tossed and turned/when the current moves so strong/but stones in living waters over time/are shaped until the edges are gone/polished and smooth, that's what we will be/if we put ourselves in god's hands/each day of our lives is a gift from the giver/to smooth all the edges/like stones in the river. I love that song, there is such truth in it. 

Furthermore, this class has helped me become more in tune with the spirit because I am spending a lot of time—probably ten times the amount—reading my scriptures now as compared to before. I find that I am not just surface reading either, but really striving to deepen my understanding. I have been asking questions and seeking answers. I have been teaching others and also learning from others. It has been a lot of work, but I do feel myself growing. This course is causing me to go beyond what I normally would do. And I like it.  

No comments:

Post a Comment