Lost and Found

Formula for Success

When you want a thing bad enough

To go out and fight for it,

To work day and night for it,

To give up your peace, your sleep and your time for it,

If only the desire of it makes you aim strong enough

Never to tire of it.

If life seems all empty and useless without it

And all that you dream and scheme is about it,

If gladly you'll sweat for it, fret for it, plan for it,

Pray with all your strength for it.

If you'll simply go after the thing you want

With all your capacity,strength and sagacity,

Faith hope and confidence, stern tenacity,

If neither poverty nor cold nor famish nor gaunt

Nor sickness nor pain of body and brain

Can turn you away from the aim that you want

If dogged and grin, you besiege and beset it,

You Get It.

Vaughn J. Featherstone

It seems that when you loose something that was a part of you, you find who you are underneath. Prior to being laid off I was all about getting home and sitting on my butt and enjoying the kids and wife with no real plan for change. Well that has changed a lot; a real lot. What I learned on the road and the life lessons that God has given me have prepared me for this and I didn’t even see it coming.

Alas learning and applying are two different things. We can learn how to drive through a training course and books all we want but until we get out there and risk it (even a little) we will never know what driving is about. The Lord knows that I talk a big game and am a great motivator but when it comes to motivating myself, I really need to listen to myself and go and DO IT. When Vaughn wrote that poem, I get the sense that he had applied the very things that he was inspired to write. He wanted to be close to God and there he was at a pulpit showing what had got him there. We should take that same spirit of go get it and become what we want. Life will get in the way but either you can use life as a crutch to pull you to your goal or complain that it is a weight to pull you down away from your goal.

Do you remember the movie Mulan? In it Mulan (now known as Ping) was asked to climb a pole to the top with two heavy weights on each hand. The Captain Shang demanded that they use those weights as a tool to get there. One represented strength and the other discipline, both were needed to get to the top.

In our lives I think that we are asked to carry the same weights and from it we will become the butterfly or swan that we were meant to be but some of us find it too hard and quit too early. We are not ugly ducklings or caterpillars for ever. The opportunity is always there, its a matter of finding who you are deep inside and pulling yourself from what you learned in training and applying it to what you want. Training is over for some of us and for others its just beginning. It is up to us to know where we are with the Lord and apply what we have learned and then go and get it!

So now back to the title that this article is written about. I think that we sometimes are lost or have lost something that we thought were a big part of us but its like a diamond in the rough, when what you thought was part of you is taken away you will see what you truly are. We have all the time in the universe but what are we doing with it? We should strive to acquire what we want and what we are so that when we show the Lord our talents at the end of our lives we will show that we doubled them. We are not lost; to the Lord we are exactly where we need to be but if you think that your life needs to change take time to assess your assets and see what you need to do to change your course and use the Lord as your compass (but that's for another time). Have a great week brothers and sisters. Oh and Merry Christmas!

Vaughn J. Featherstone's image. 

Reflecting pool

This last weekend was tough. There was cause for a lot of reflection as I was let go from my old job of eight years. As I reflected on the experience there was tears and comfort from the Spirit. As I was praying on what I should do (panicking) I was told by the Spirit that I should be still and know that my Heavenly Father has got this and has had it from the foundation of man. He knew that this was coming and that the experience would be to my benefit. But... enough about me.

This week we got the chance to study Ezekiel and the experience that he had with the Saints of ancient days. There was one particular experience that he had where he was crying repentance to the people and they just would not listen. Famine, pestilence, war and death threatened them all because they were so casual with their faith and to familiar with strange gods (I know its the Nephite cycle). They were doomed to have the scattering prophecy occur sooner than they thought.

During this time there was one experience where the prophet was able to get the waters to rise just by constantly dipping into it. This caused the Saints of those days to reflect on what was going on and who was in change. This caused me to reflect. What do we do to reflect on the success and failure that we have done for our Father in keeping his commandments? Are we so relaxed with our faith that we fail to see the constant flax cords that attempt to pull us away from those things that would be deemed holy?

In some of the early days of the Saints, we were asked to keep a journal and that was supposed to be our reflection pool so that we could look at ourselves as we were and once was. When I turned over my company phone, I failed to realize that this was the way that I was keeping a journal (silly me) so now I find that those photos and words of reflection are gone and its time to start over. The chapter that I am starting is such that I don’t know where I am going but I look forward to where it will land. I have God before me and behind me; to my left and to my right. If anything this will be a short chapter and I will be back to my old self with a new perspective. I have to say that this has been the most invigorating experience that I can ever say that I have had (and I have had brain surgery... eight times). This is my second firing from a job and this time (unlike the first) will have the Lord as a companion to the experience. I will not be alone. I'm so excited.

Reflection Pool

This last weekend was tough. There was cause for a lot of reflection as I was let go from my old job of eight years. As I reflected on the experience there was tears and comfort from the Spirit. As I was praying on what I should do (panicking) I was told by the Spirit that I should be still and know that my Heavenly Father has got this and has had it from the foundation of man. He knew that this was coming and that the experience would be to my benefit. But... enough about me.

This week we got the chance to study Ezekiel and the experience that he had with the Saints of ancient days. There was one particular experience that he had where he was crying repentance to the people and they just would not listen. Famine, pestilence, war and death threatened them all because they were so casual with their faith and to familiar with strange gods (I know its the Nephite cycle). They were doomed to have the scattering prophecy occur sooner than they thought.

During this time there was one experience where the prophet was able to get the waters to rise just by constantly dipping into it. This caused the Saints of those days to reflect on what was going on and who was in change. This caused me to reflect. What do we do to reflect on the success and failure that we have done for our Father in keeping his commandments? Are we so relaxed with our faith that we fail to see the constant flax cords that attempt to pull us away from those things that would be deemed holy?

In some of the early days of the Saints, we were asked to keep a journal and that was supposed to be our reflection pool so that we could look at ourselves as we were and once was. When I turned over my company phone, I failed to realize that this was the way that I was keeping a journal (silly me) so now I find that those photos and words of reflection are gone and its time to start over. The chapter that I am starting is such that I don’t know where I am going but I look forward to where it will land. I have God before me and behind me; to my left and to my right. If anything this will be a short chapter and I will be back to my old self with a new perspective. I have to say that this has been the most invigorating experience that I can ever say that I have had (and I have had brain surgery... eight times). This is my second firing from a job and this time (unlike the first) will have the Lord as a companion to the experience. I will not be alone. I'm so excited.

P.S. For those accustom to me posting an image, I apologize. I was going to use the Lincoln Memorial reflection pool but the image would not come up. Image I wanted is here.

Stains of the Mind

I was struggling on what to write about and it was in my priesthood meeting that I learned the most fascinating thing; one day you will have to stand before God naked. 

Let that soak in a little. Oh sure you will not be nude. I didn’t write nude; I said naked. There will be nothing you have done that you can hide and either you will go into judgment with your head held high or wish that you could hide under a rock and disappear. And what will determine that? You!

 

We are asked to daily repent of our sins and rise above what we were yesterday. We are asked to correct our course and ride down a strait and narrow path riddled with trials that will truly test the skills of navigation that our Father gave us before we left our heavenly home. At times we will make mistakes that will tarnish our spiritual apparel and we need to keep it clean. 

Here’s the real kicker. Will we forgive ourselves or will we let our stains get us because we will not let it out of our minds after the Savior has removed them? When we look at ourselves are we looking at stains that do not exist? Are we bound to put the stains back because we cannot move on beyond the experience that we have repented of? Do we insist on letting out past experience define how pure we are? Have we not forgiven ourselves when we went through the repentance process?

Do you think that perhaps the noble and great ones have not also been though the experiences that we think that they have not? Think of the great names, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Brigham, Peter, Paul Alma…. The list goes on and on. All of these brethren have been through a mighty change, a crucible if you will that asked them to be better men (and that’s just the men; think of the sisters that have gone through it too). Either sin can define us or refine us. Father has taught us correct principles so that we can govern ourselves and part of that governance is repentance. 

I’m not going to dwell on the rules of the church but stick to the principles of the gospel. When we repent we are made whole. Period. It is not like having a tattoo removed or removing a piercing where there is a scar or blemish left behind. We are made whole. Sin will change us, that’s true but you must use that experience to your advantage. You have a painful teaching tool as Alma (both of them) does. You have been asked to do great things and make sacrifices so that you could be the person that you are today. Now that you know this, can you ask yourself am I ready to meet God? Will I hold my head high? Will I wonder what I could have done more? Will I say that I was prepared with what I had at the time that the conflict occurred? 

It was said of Captain Moroni that if all were like Captain Moroni that the very gates of hell would shudder. I am certain that sometimes you scream at heaven saying that you are not Moroni but really are you? He was just a man and our brother who learned just like you and I line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little and there a little. His experiences didn’t define him but he created a definition through his experience; he was a child of God and God had sent him in his time and place to be a noble and great one in his moment. 

Ours is the moment to be the noble and great ones of our time. Do not let sin define you; do not let your experiences define you. Sure you will not be all prophets, seers or revelators but great home teachers or visiting teachers are needed. Define yourself based on your experience. Were you better yesterday? No? Well get up and get to work; build the kingdom! God has a work for you today! Hold your head high! You are a child of God; the maker of heaven and earth! Show it! Be it!

Image is here.

Our personal Phantom Menace

During our own personal tempering there are moments where the heat of temptation becomes unbearable (so we think) we can at times believe that we cannot endure the power of addiction or seduction. During these times is when we are truly being tested to show our true strength. I recall where there were moments where I was told by others (and perhaps myself too) that if the Lord asked for our lives we would give it but when the powers of hell rise against us and we are asked to live for Christ we falter.

Why?

There is an old Indian parable. In it, it talks about two wolves that are constantly wrestling inside us all. One is evil (natural man) and the other is good (our truly spiritual selves) and it was up to us to decide who was in charge; who was going to win. I am brought back to my earlier days of struggle and repentance. I was there when I sinned. I was there when I repented. I will be there when I have to choose the course that I am going to take daily to do good or evil; to serve God or manna (my hunger and desires).

For some of us we are on a clear and direct course of righteousness. We check with our compass every morning, during the day and every night. We avoid the rocks that would dash our lives to pieces and insure that we are in tip top shape for our journey. Some of us would say that this is only the example of prophets and apostles. Not so, brothers and sisters, we all have endured much and hope to endure all things so why not allow our personal example be our own Northern star. The prophet taught that ‘man are, that they might have joy’. If you are not having joy in your struggles in the name of Christ, you’re doing it wrong. We all have our personal devils that are constantly banging at our door but we must be strong against the winds and waves that beat at us and not let them beat us up.

I think sometimes of the movie Star Wars: Phantom Menace (personal feelings aside of the movie).  Here was a story where good men and women let their pride get to them that they ignored prophecy, were blinded by their own ‘righteousness’ to miss a building threat within and without their world of peace and (within the span of two more films) watch as their lives become destroyed and friends die because they were not watchful of evil. I know that for my personal experience I think of my own government here in the States but also in a microcosm I should reflect on my own life. The Prophets have said that if the watchmen failed to watch that thieves would come into the town at night and lay ruin the town and its people. Likewise if we do not keep our guard in check and are ever mindful of the slings and arrows (of sin) thrown at us daily we will succumb to the temptations of the adversary. 

We are good and for those that are ‘hoping’ to be good, you’re on the right path. Siblings, this life is hard but remember we chose it. We shouted from the rafters in heaven how excited that we were to be here in this moment. I know that for some of us spirits who were told of what was to come there was a question will it be harder than when we kicked Satan from heaven and the answer was 'yea'. We then smiled and said 'bring it on; I am ready'. Now that we are here we have come to realize how tough it is.

 For some our tempering is really tough and our spirits have screamed from the heat. Our cries have gone straight to our Father and like the teacher who is silent during the test, He only pats us on the shoulder and whispers that we can do it. When we do accomplish it, we thank our teacher for teaching us the way to go so that we could keep our course straight and our spirits strong. Sure there are things that are ahead that will be hard but we are the children of the God of heaven. We can do it and we have great parents and brother who are with us all the way. We were taught in heaven, reminded here on Earth and we can return home. We just need faith and endurance (2 Timothy 2:10; 13^th Article of Faith). 

Image is provided by popcornmonster.com and Lucus Films (now owned by Disney)

I want to be like Alma II

When I was a child I thought that being the translated Alma must have been awesome. Here this guy was that had converted thousands and seen angels and finally when his life was over was translated and given the chance to be with the Lord. I had forgotten that this man had been through his own Gethsemane. He had to go through a change that I cannot fathom.

Alma grew up under a father who was on the run from a tumultuous king who thrived on women wealth and perhaps the death of those that opposed him. When the government was openly attacked after his father had left with him and his family, the king’s priests through rape victims, gained the trust of the Lamanites. Some years later found Alma and his family and I supposed that the young Alma II who had only known the gospel and running was quite relieved of the chance to stop running. Satan had a good hold of those wicked priests and had taught them a thing or two about seducing children and Alma II bought into their narrative hook, line and sinker.

Some years later when they all escape the turmoil, Alma II hooks up with some roughnecks who are the king’s sons. Finally he thinks he has freedom.  I can’t blame him. For years he had been taught to pray in his heart for fear of death by Noah’s priests and their legion of dark bare skin warriors. He turned to the gods of the Lamanites over the God of his father. 

Today I had the opportunity to talk about Israel and the prophet Hosea. It seems that Israel is so easily seduced by the coolness when it offers relief from pain and suffering and as much as we hear our parents tell us no we fail to listen to their warning. We become like Gomer (Hosea’s wife) or Alma II and think that we are going to be ok because either we believe that God will not punish us because we are the chosen ones of Abraham or that beat us with only a few stripes and tell us to go on our way. Some of the saints here in Medford OR tell a different story. They remind us that God doesn’t change and that should you be drowning in your own gull of bitterness, it is you that needs to call out and reach out to the Lord because you have turned your back on Him and not the other way around. 

When Alma II went though his change he was like many other prophets that have that experience that asks them to be a man over a childish destroyer. Alma II was shown his own personal hell. The scriptures say that for days he was in that gull and it took three days before he either believed what he was calling out to or that he was eager finally to be something better. The sons of Mosiah didn’t need that but apparently he did. Jonah went through it when he was in the belly of the whale so I am not surprised when someone is in a coma for three days suffering his own guilt and anguish. 

I love the Living Scriptures depiction of what he went through after as he attempted to convert those that he had seduced away from the church. It was not enough to say that he had repented until he had attempted to restore the faith of those that he had convinced to turn from their God. He had to go through more pain of rejection and it didn’t end there because later in his life he would go with the sons of Mosiah and attempt to convert the Lamanites for the next fourteen years risking life and limb so that someone could hear the word of the Lord. 

Times like those I stop my envy of the prophet and reflect inward on the things that I have done in my life. Have I converted the righteous to wickedness through my actions or lack of action? Have I been a good husband and father to my family and attempted to bring them closer to God as Alma attempted for his son (and perhaps whole family). Have I hidden my sins? Have I gone through a Gethsemane as Jesus has so that I could progress to my next level? Am I ready for my cross? Could I die for my religion or convictions? 

I am not sure that I am ready for such commitment. Sure as Gomer hit rock bottom in her life, so have I (I think) but I am as young Alma II climbing back up so that I can come to God with clean hands and a smile on my face. I look forward to my Father saying that I have done well and that he is well pleased with what I have done. I hope that no man’s blood is on me because of what I neglected to do or from the things I showed a lack of remorse for. 

My time will come one day and I am glad that Heavenly Father continues to show his mercy and miracles to me so that I can testify that He lives and so does His Son. I may have never beheld their faces but I don’t have to, to know that they live.  I am a son of God the Eternal Father and have been reborn though Christ my Savior. Could I ask for anything more? That is the greatest knowledge I could ever know or share. My life, as hard as it is, is awesome.

Image comes from Living Scriptures

Push Along

Lord, give me the ability to fit the task and forgive me for asking the task to fit my ability.

I am certain that this is a simple prayer that could be given by every saint if they knew what we were going to be asked to do. Reflecting on that phrase or proverb I have come to realize today that I have been asking for a career that fit my ability and not the other way around. Not because I am prideful (though I am sure that I am) or that I was not suited for other jobs. I just had slipped into a shallow pool of thinking fearing that I could not swim or that the sharks of my mind would kill me in the water. I realize that for a moment I have become as Peter and have begun to sink into the water because I relied too much on the strong arm of others and my faith was not sufficient.

All too often we saints have been brought to a new learning and understanding of the gospel and the way that we approach the new knowledge can be much like a primitive man approaches fire; either it’s with faith and courage or fear and anger. The examples that we go through in our lives reflect that in our willingness to go forward with faith or run like hell away from it. David faced his Goliath upfront and direct because he had faith and not with a sword or battle tactics swimming in his head. Our jobs or responsibilities should be faced with the same faith of David. Instead of saying why, say why not? Moses led with a speech impediment; I can work in communications (or whatever my job is in the moment) with my lack because the Lord will lead the way and direct me (and my career) in the way that I should go.

Nephi liked the scriptures a lot and would often apply them to himself. He wanted to use the example in such a way that he could do the Lords will and do it as others had done it. For those that fail to see how the Lord could help us in our jobs and careers, we must remember that God inspired men to create the world that we enjoy. There is no technical data or complex skill that he doesn't already have a full and complete understanding and He likes sharing. Sometimes my prayer would be ‘Lord, help me help my stupid self.’ I need to change that to ‘Lord, teach me to meet and exceed the needs of my task so that I can do it in the future and remember the experience’. Brigham lead saints across a country untamed and established a territory; Joseph read and translated a book when he didn’t know how to read it; 

I am certain that the Lord can help each and every one of us in our own personal struggles. Just have to have faith, pray and apply yourself to the task. ‘Put your shoulder to the wheel, push along’, says the song. We get nowhere if we sit and ask the Lord direction but are not willing to get a compass and our shoes dirty. We must remember also that they that are with us outnumber those that are against us; just do your best and the Lord will help you fill the gaps.

Image is from here.

I find your lack of faith disturbing

Today there was several talks that by themselves were just impressive but together in my mind were a great teaching lesson on what I needed to do next with my faith. In sacrament meeting the one talk that stood out was on the words that we use and how to use them as a teaching mechanism and the means to create great roads of dialog with those that we associate with. In gospel doctrine we talked about Joshua and his struggle to gain courage to lead Israel and take Canaan. Finally, the topic in priesthood we talked about gaining wisdom and applying it to our knowledge, also gaining knowledge so that we can go beyond our faith. All of the lessons were by themselves unrelated. It was at the end of the lesson of priesthood that I realized what I had been sent there to learn (as I was curious this morning).

The lesson was that despite what the Lord attempts to say to me and the need to exercise faith that I had not seemed to stretch and the fact that my faith had not grown much these past few weeks had been both disturbing to the Lord and, when I opened my eyes, to myself. This was not to say that I had not grown in wisdom and knowledge but my faith had not really improved. I realized that I had become as Luke of Star Wars who after seeing all these miracles of the Force could only mutter "I don't believe it." This has been why I have failed to get a new job or change my circumstance is because, though like the children of Israel, have seen the Red Sea parted still struggle with belief that I was there.

There are times in life especially for the Saints when we read the stories of crossing the Mississippi on ice, or causing the great walls of Jericho to fall, that we falter in our faith thinking that we are not sufficient to witness those miracles. I then think of the home teacher of young Howard W. Hunter who came from an inactive family. He (the home teacher) perhaps didn't think hat he would witness a future prophet come from one of the homes that he visited. He was glad that he got the Hunter family to attend church. I think that we need to continually remember that 'size maters not' and that is especially true in our roll in the church. Those with a fervent desire to do good will witness the miracles because their faith will increase. The callings that we are called to do with faith and diligence will increase our understanding. Above all, our faith will increase when we make an effort to seek for wisdom in all things.

Let us make a better effort to 'do or do not' and not just 'try'; clearly define our roll in the Lords church. We need to search, ponder and pray that might be given the opportunity to expand our mind and faith. God is not attempting to block us and cut us off from crossing the street, but as a parent seeks to teach us and lead us by the hand, so by showing us the way, we cross the street on our own. As it was with Israel so it should be with us, let the Lord guide us by day with a pillar of smoke and a pillar of fire by night. We may not know where we are going in life but if we have faith we will get there.