Our mortal lives are a constant struggle between choosing a oneness with God and a oneness with the world.
Elder Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement
Read that quote yesterday while reading Elder Callister's book. Loved it. I love looking at our choices in that light. Will this bring me towards a oneness with God? or a oneness with the world? Kinda puts things in a different perspective for me.
Come participate in the gospel of Jesus Christ
Bishop Crosland
Our bishop welcomed all those who were in attendance for the first time and invited them to come and participate in the ward. But not only in the activities and the family nights and the ward prayers, but also in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was something that I really liked. Shows what all those things are really there for--all those activities and everything else we do in the church. The whole purpose of our activity in the church is to bring us to activity within the Gospel.
Be patient and continue forward
Aaron Burt
Aaron gave a really incredible lesson in priesthood and talked about hope and the gospel. He based it off of Elder Maxwell's talk called Hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Really liked when he talked about moving forward. It is something I have been finally learning to do in my life. It is so easy to tell Heavenly Father to make our decisions under the pretense of "seeking guidance." I had an institute teacher this spring who talked about that. He said how sometimes we ask Heavenly Father to let us know that we are making the right decision (i.e. marrying the right person, choosing the right job/major) but what we are really asking is that He promise us that things will work out or that we wont have any problems, etc. We talked about how that it isn't really right. Heavenly Father wants us to learn and grow. So we have to go through challenges. And sometimes that also means making our own decisions. I have been coming to learning in my own life that when I seek to move forward everything just kinda falls into place. But only when I am trying to move forward and make decisions. When I wait for Heavenly Father to give His stamp of approval, well then I just kinda sit there for awhile. I am realizing that Heavenly Father does guide my life, but He also leaves me to make my own decisions and work things out for myself. And I have also seen that as long as I follow the commandments and the counsels of my leaders, He wont let me go astray. Sometimes I feel like I am just making a million unimportant decisions. That I'm taking unimportant baby steps towards no where. But one day those baby steps will carry be a long ways. So we can't hesitate to take them thinking that it is too unimportant or insignificant.
Lately life for me has been pretty good. I can't say it has been free of challenges, but I am starting to see the way that trials don't always have to come in the form of something bad happening to us. Sometimes our trials can be to see if we will faithfully fulfill our callings or if we will place other things first. Our trial can be to see if we will follow the prompting of the Holy Ghost to reach out to a friend. I never understood that before. I always thought a trial had to be something bad that happened to you to see if your faith would be shaken like a friend or family member passing away. Or those seminary videos where you got offered a drink or things of that nature. Maybe those are two extreme examples. But what I am trying to get at is the idea of something bad being involved. I see now that really a trial can be whether or not we will live up to the potential within us or succumb to our own complacency in thinking that we are good enough, that we have done enough. That we have plenty of time in front of us to worry more about things of a more spiritual nature.
So those are my thoughts of the day. Life really has been good. I just finished my first week out of training at work. It was good. Rough, but good. It really has been a fantastic learning/growing experience for me. Dan and Anthony are both home. Another awesome happening of the last few weeks. Yes, all three of us stood up at the same time yesterday to bear our testimonies. I don't what was a bigger coincidence, that or our entire bishopric wearing identical gray suits. Excited for the date we are planning for the weekend. I am going to take one of the Kelseys from volleyball. Extra excited about that. Volleyball of course continues to be awesome. I feel like I am even getting a little better. Hopefully that is true. What else to say? Life is just fantastic really. I have been loving summer so far. Definitely has been a memorable one in many ways. Went biking this morning (today is my day off). First time in two and a half years. Needless to say, I am broken. But it feels so great. Hope all of you are doing awesome!
