Hello everyone!
I am writing from Fiji- I've been here for about 24 hours. James and I flew in and it is gorgeous! Humid, hot, and looks like mexico- or uganda according to James!We are in the process of looking for housing! ITs great! i'm going to write in this weekly to update ya'll and for a small journal!
Yay for fiji!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Second comforter
In John 15:26 to 27 It says
"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning."
In these scriptures Christ is speaking to his apostles and promising them the guidance of the Holy Ghost. It is unknown whether his apostles actually understood what Christ was saying. (I personally believe they had no clue.) They were so accustomed to being around Jesus and having the ability to ask him about their concerns that the idea of some unseen being might have seemed unreal. Yet, just like his prophesy’s of His death and betrayal came to pass, this also came to pass.
What, or shall we say who is the Comforter? The Comforter is the Holy Spirit. He is not Christ. While Christ and the Spirit have the same purpose and goal, their bodies are separate. Since the Spirit has no body his mission is special. He can touch spirits. Through this ability he is able to comfort us when we are sad, guide us when we feel lost, and tell us what we ought to do.
What an amazing reality. While Christ had to leave this earth, he sent the other part of the God- head to stay with us. The spirit can be felt by everyone as they do good things. It is the good feeling that one gets when one serves another, prays, or sacrifices. Yet, if we want to have the spirit guide us every day there is a requirement. We must accept baptism and live according to the laws of God.
I am grateful for the spirit. I have called upon its comfort daily and have become stronger through its promptings.
"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning."
In these scriptures Christ is speaking to his apostles and promising them the guidance of the Holy Ghost. It is unknown whether his apostles actually understood what Christ was saying. (I personally believe they had no clue.) They were so accustomed to being around Jesus and having the ability to ask him about their concerns that the idea of some unseen being might have seemed unreal. Yet, just like his prophesy’s of His death and betrayal came to pass, this also came to pass.
What, or shall we say who is the Comforter? The Comforter is the Holy Spirit. He is not Christ. While Christ and the Spirit have the same purpose and goal, their bodies are separate. Since the Spirit has no body his mission is special. He can touch spirits. Through this ability he is able to comfort us when we are sad, guide us when we feel lost, and tell us what we ought to do.
What an amazing reality. While Christ had to leave this earth, he sent the other part of the God- head to stay with us. The spirit can be felt by everyone as they do good things. It is the good feeling that one gets when one serves another, prays, or sacrifices. Yet, if we want to have the spirit guide us every day there is a requirement. We must accept baptism and live according to the laws of God.
I am grateful for the spirit. I have called upon its comfort daily and have become stronger through its promptings.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Art Museum: identity found
Recently our class participated in a inspiring tour of BYU's Museum of Art. Our "tour guide" was a wonderful woman by the name of Rita Wright. I was very impressed with the way that she used questions, ideas, and stories to enlarge our vision. I found that as she helped us enlarge our vision, personal revelation came.... and this art began not just a work of art nailed to a wall ... but instead it was a glimpse into the soul of man.
Questions!
As we moved from painting to painting Rita would continue to ask us questions such as "what emotion does this art evoke, how does this represent Christ, etc." As she asked these questions I was given direction to begin pondering and exploring my mind and feelings. As I did so thoughts and feelings came that I had not thought of before. I started seeing myself in the paintings. For example, there was one painting that was a woman holding a perfectly baked bread loaf. At first glance I thought it was a nice painting but had the desire to pass it by because it did not strike my first glance. Yet, As she kept us in front of this art piece I found myself in the woman. This woman was noticeably tired from her days work, yet with great posture and presentation bestows the bread to the audience. This is perhaps how I/we are everyday. Every day I personally strive and work for an goal, a person, or a desire. Most of the time I am tired, a little stressed, but persistent. I want so badly to do my best, give my all, and present it well. I strongly believe in sacrificing for what we desire most. This painting became a representation of that ideal to me.
As we moved on through the Art museum we were also stopped in front of a wall sculpture. The scene it portrayed was of a man in the crucifix position ( undoubtedly Christ himself) , who has a rod exuding from his finger. Connected to the rod was the hand of another man. Our tour guide gave us some ideas of what this could represent. Yet, we cannot be sure if the man is jumping up to hold on to the rod, or letting go and falling. As I looked at this sculpture I yet again found myself inside of it. The rod spoken of vanishes as it gets closer to the finger of Christ. This I interpreted as follows. We must hold on to the rod in order to be led to Christ. Yet, as we get closer to Christ the rod disappears ( kind of a walk in the dark , faith idea) and then we see Christ himself. Therefore this man who is on the rod I see as me. A person who has been trying to faithfully hold on to the rod, yet feels the rod disappearing and feels fear because of the unknown. Yet just like the sculpture…all I need to do is look towards the Savior and he will catch us.
Art is one of the most powerful tools that can bring us to Christ. How wonderful!:)
Questions!
As we moved from painting to painting Rita would continue to ask us questions such as "what emotion does this art evoke, how does this represent Christ, etc." As she asked these questions I was given direction to begin pondering and exploring my mind and feelings. As I did so thoughts and feelings came that I had not thought of before. I started seeing myself in the paintings. For example, there was one painting that was a woman holding a perfectly baked bread loaf. At first glance I thought it was a nice painting but had the desire to pass it by because it did not strike my first glance. Yet, As she kept us in front of this art piece I found myself in the woman. This woman was noticeably tired from her days work, yet with great posture and presentation bestows the bread to the audience. This is perhaps how I/we are everyday. Every day I personally strive and work for an goal, a person, or a desire. Most of the time I am tired, a little stressed, but persistent. I want so badly to do my best, give my all, and present it well. I strongly believe in sacrificing for what we desire most. This painting became a representation of that ideal to me.
As we moved on through the Art museum we were also stopped in front of a wall sculpture. The scene it portrayed was of a man in the crucifix position ( undoubtedly Christ himself) , who has a rod exuding from his finger. Connected to the rod was the hand of another man. Our tour guide gave us some ideas of what this could represent. Yet, we cannot be sure if the man is jumping up to hold on to the rod, or letting go and falling. As I looked at this sculpture I yet again found myself inside of it. The rod spoken of vanishes as it gets closer to the finger of Christ. This I interpreted as follows. We must hold on to the rod in order to be led to Christ. Yet, as we get closer to Christ the rod disappears ( kind of a walk in the dark , faith idea) and then we see Christ himself. Therefore this man who is on the rod I see as me. A person who has been trying to faithfully hold on to the rod, yet feels the rod disappearing and feels fear because of the unknown. Yet just like the sculpture…all I need to do is look towards the Savior and he will catch us.
Art is one of the most powerful tools that can bring us to Christ. How wonderful!:)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Words: the carrier of our faith
John 1:1-5
1 IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
This scripture is perhaps one of the most famous scriptures in the Bible. It is so famous that it has been arranged into many different songs. In fact it was one of the earliest Christian songs to be sung. There are more verses/words, yet, I would like to focus on the first five. It is interesting to see that the Word is referring to a being, or in other words, Christ. Why would Christ be referred to as the Word? While pondering this I reflected on the purpose and use of words in our lives today. In the dictionary it defines words as the following, “Words are a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning.” As I read this I was hit by the words representation and carrier of meaning. We cannot see God, yet Christ can. Christ is our representative to the Father. His very body is the vehicle by which we have been made free from our sins IF we will repent and change. Everybody’s life has meaning. We determine everyday what our individual meaning and purpose is. Every time we repent and change this meaning changes because we are changing our vision, our thoughts, our wants, and our perspective to that of Christ’s. He then “carries” all of who we are, makes us perfect, and presents us to the Father. He literally is our form of communication with Heavenly Father.
A common old phrase goes like this, “my word is my bond.” This implies that whatever one chooses to say, they are choosing to do. If I say I will be somewhere at a certain time, I will. If I say I like something, I do. Basically anything we say is true and thereby turns into action. Today this principle has been disregarded and therefore there are liars, cheaters, back stabbers, and a lot of people who speak a lot and do very little. Anything that our Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ says is true and therefore is cultivated or acted upon. This is why “all things were made by him and without him was nothing made.” He said create earth, and it happened, he said let there be light, and there was. I hope that perhaps I may be so true to my word that I make life happen instead of watch it.
1 IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
This scripture is perhaps one of the most famous scriptures in the Bible. It is so famous that it has been arranged into many different songs. In fact it was one of the earliest Christian songs to be sung. There are more verses/words, yet, I would like to focus on the first five. It is interesting to see that the Word is referring to a being, or in other words, Christ. Why would Christ be referred to as the Word? While pondering this I reflected on the purpose and use of words in our lives today. In the dictionary it defines words as the following, “Words are a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning.” As I read this I was hit by the words representation and carrier of meaning. We cannot see God, yet Christ can. Christ is our representative to the Father. His very body is the vehicle by which we have been made free from our sins IF we will repent and change. Everybody’s life has meaning. We determine everyday what our individual meaning and purpose is. Every time we repent and change this meaning changes because we are changing our vision, our thoughts, our wants, and our perspective to that of Christ’s. He then “carries” all of who we are, makes us perfect, and presents us to the Father. He literally is our form of communication with Heavenly Father.
A common old phrase goes like this, “my word is my bond.” This implies that whatever one chooses to say, they are choosing to do. If I say I will be somewhere at a certain time, I will. If I say I like something, I do. Basically anything we say is true and thereby turns into action. Today this principle has been disregarded and therefore there are liars, cheaters, back stabbers, and a lot of people who speak a lot and do very little. Anything that our Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ says is true and therefore is cultivated or acted upon. This is why “all things were made by him and without him was nothing made.” He said create earth, and it happened, he said let there be light, and there was. I hope that perhaps I may be so true to my word that I make life happen instead of watch it.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Life Lessons from His death: The Book of Matthew
When the world thinks of Jesus Christ what does it think? While many will recall his miracles and teachings, many more will remember His death. The sign of the cross has become a common symbol for those who worship and believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior. While a symbol may create mental images which cause us to reflect, it is not until we delve into the Bible accounts of His death that we really can begin to understand it. One such account is found in the book of Matthew.
The account of Matthew demonstrates the evils of money. We cannot be sure why Judas turned Christ in, yet, we know that for this devilish act of hypocrisy he received 30 silver pieces. This is the same amount that then was used to buy a field, which became known as the “field of blood.” This detail added by Matthew is one of uniqueness. This example of betrayal still continues on today. Many people will do anything for money, including selling others or oneself. How horrible! Yet, as we continue to read Matthew he does not focus on this. Instead he focuses on the fact that each hypocrisy and horrible thing that happens to Christ are all manifestations of His divine calling. Many times Matthew tells us that what happened “fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet.” Perhaps this is why He allowed himself to feel the pain that in reality through His power could have easily chosen not to feel. Perhaps this is why He endured. He knew who He was. He knew for what purpose He was living and dying. The scriptures say He “held his peace.” I believe that in reality He did hold his peace. No one could disturb Him. He was solid and determined in what He was accomplishing.
As Christ was being tortured we are not told of Him using any type of restraint. Matthew simply tells us of the treacherous things that were done to him. This I take as strength. If Christ resisted, yelled, kicked etc. I am sure they would have put this in the account. Yet, Christ was able to control Himself and His natural reactions. As I thought about this I have become more determined to become this way; to be able to control our natural reactions.
The one expression He did use and was recorded was when He was on the cross in the dark. He cried “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.” This plea exemplifies His love of the Father and His depth of pain. Christ had always had His Father there to help and guide Him. Yet, in order to feel the pain of all men God left Him alone for a little bit. As we reflect on this plea, let’s remember anytime we might have called out for our parents. Perhaps when we fell off our bike or when we were being hassled by our siblings. We call on them for support and love. Our Savior also called to His Father for support. I know that Heavenly Father lives. His son is Jesus Christ. They are 2 different and distinct individuals. Because our Heavenly Father loves us soo much He sent His son to die for us. I know this is true. I know it through reading the Book of Mormon and prayer. If you will read and pray you will also know, and have a deeper relationship with our savior Jesus Christ.
The account of Matthew demonstrates the evils of money. We cannot be sure why Judas turned Christ in, yet, we know that for this devilish act of hypocrisy he received 30 silver pieces. This is the same amount that then was used to buy a field, which became known as the “field of blood.” This detail added by Matthew is one of uniqueness. This example of betrayal still continues on today. Many people will do anything for money, including selling others or oneself. How horrible! Yet, as we continue to read Matthew he does not focus on this. Instead he focuses on the fact that each hypocrisy and horrible thing that happens to Christ are all manifestations of His divine calling. Many times Matthew tells us that what happened “fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet.” Perhaps this is why He allowed himself to feel the pain that in reality through His power could have easily chosen not to feel. Perhaps this is why He endured. He knew who He was. He knew for what purpose He was living and dying. The scriptures say He “held his peace.” I believe that in reality He did hold his peace. No one could disturb Him. He was solid and determined in what He was accomplishing.
As Christ was being tortured we are not told of Him using any type of restraint. Matthew simply tells us of the treacherous things that were done to him. This I take as strength. If Christ resisted, yelled, kicked etc. I am sure they would have put this in the account. Yet, Christ was able to control Himself and His natural reactions. As I thought about this I have become more determined to become this way; to be able to control our natural reactions.
The one expression He did use and was recorded was when He was on the cross in the dark. He cried “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.” This plea exemplifies His love of the Father and His depth of pain. Christ had always had His Father there to help and guide Him. Yet, in order to feel the pain of all men God left Him alone for a little bit. As we reflect on this plea, let’s remember anytime we might have called out for our parents. Perhaps when we fell off our bike or when we were being hassled by our siblings. We call on them for support and love. Our Savior also called to His Father for support. I know that Heavenly Father lives. His son is Jesus Christ. They are 2 different and distinct individuals. Because our Heavenly Father loves us soo much He sent His son to die for us. I know this is true. I know it through reading the Book of Mormon and prayer. If you will read and pray you will also know, and have a deeper relationship with our savior Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Eternal Progression: Power of Communication
There are many things in life that help us grow and improve. Some, ofcourse, are bigger than others. While we all strive to do good and make a difference, we also are aware that once we are gone, much of it will only be remembered by a few…or will it. Do we really understand the difference we are making? While at the printing museum I was struck by the reality and impact that one person can have.
At the printing museum I was impressed with the feeling of awe that one gets from someone who has succeeded to do something great. Gutenberg spent 20 years figuring out how to make a move-able type printer. I can imagine after 10 years I would get a little discouraged. Yet, his determination and perhaps spiritual drive to create this world-changing method drove him to keep going. This printer that he created was used for more than 60 years. Think of how fast it takes for someone to come up with a new addition of anything these days. It seems that once we buy a computer it is already outdated. This invention not only helped with faster printing, but through the sources printed it inspired others to think of new ideas. Benjamin Franklin is perhaps the greatest example of this. From a young age he loved to read, his reading caused him to imagine. Then he began working at a printing shop with his brother. At age 17 he became known as the youngest head printer. I strongly believe that it was due to the written word and the ability to print that he had so many great inventions.
Also from the printing press Gutenberg was able to print the Bible. The word of God was able to be in the hands of the people. This was definatly inspired by God.
While at the museum I was struck how everything that God inspires us to do has 1 purpose, and 1 purpose only. This purpose is that of helping and loving us. If Gutenberg had not invented the first printing press think of where we would be right now. We would still be stuck in the middle ages. Few books, high illiteracy rates, and no indoor plumbing. That is what I call a nightmare! Yet, due to this one invention alone we have developed into a nation where we can communicate and know about the issues of the whole world. More importantly we can know the truth. This came about in the 1820’s when a young boy name Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ. They then directed him to a book which holds all the truth we need to know about where we came from, why we are on this earth, and where we are going. It tells us of our true relationship with God and how we can progress so that we may become like Him. This book is called the Book of Mormon. It is true. I know it is true. I’ve read it and prayed to know if it is true. I promise anyone that if they will read it and pray, they will know it is truth.
At the printing museum I was impressed with the feeling of awe that one gets from someone who has succeeded to do something great. Gutenberg spent 20 years figuring out how to make a move-able type printer. I can imagine after 10 years I would get a little discouraged. Yet, his determination and perhaps spiritual drive to create this world-changing method drove him to keep going. This printer that he created was used for more than 60 years. Think of how fast it takes for someone to come up with a new addition of anything these days. It seems that once we buy a computer it is already outdated. This invention not only helped with faster printing, but through the sources printed it inspired others to think of new ideas. Benjamin Franklin is perhaps the greatest example of this. From a young age he loved to read, his reading caused him to imagine. Then he began working at a printing shop with his brother. At age 17 he became known as the youngest head printer. I strongly believe that it was due to the written word and the ability to print that he had so many great inventions.
Also from the printing press Gutenberg was able to print the Bible. The word of God was able to be in the hands of the people. This was definatly inspired by God.
While at the museum I was struck how everything that God inspires us to do has 1 purpose, and 1 purpose only. This purpose is that of helping and loving us. If Gutenberg had not invented the first printing press think of where we would be right now. We would still be stuck in the middle ages. Few books, high illiteracy rates, and no indoor plumbing. That is what I call a nightmare! Yet, due to this one invention alone we have developed into a nation where we can communicate and know about the issues of the whole world. More importantly we can know the truth. This came about in the 1820’s when a young boy name Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ. They then directed him to a book which holds all the truth we need to know about where we came from, why we are on this earth, and where we are going. It tells us of our true relationship with God and how we can progress so that we may become like Him. This book is called the Book of Mormon. It is true. I know it is true. I’ve read it and prayed to know if it is true. I promise anyone that if they will read it and pray, they will know it is truth.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Truths of Differing Communication
Communication! Isn’t it interesting how two people can see the same thing, experience the same thing, and hear the same thing- yet they can share two completely opposite stories?! This is how I feel when I read the Matthew and Luke accounts of Christ’s birth. They have the same core, yet they are very different.
In the book of Matthew he speaks brief and to the point. Before getting to the point of Christ’s birth he writes the list of who begat who. I used to think that this was rather annoying. Yet, as I’ve matured I’ve realized the importance of our familial lineage. If it were not for our ancestors we would not even be here. Christ is just like us, He came through a lineage. It is also interesting to look at the people in his ancestry. Many of them were sinners in a variety of ways. Yet, Christ came. In my opinion He came from such a messed up line because he was sent on earth to save. This fact that his ancestry was less than perfect reminds me that no matter what I do or how I may mess up, Christ was sent to save and He will if I let Him.
In contrast, Luke did not bring up lineage. Instead he started with the story of Zacharias and the birth of John the Baptist. As he writes this he is setting up for the grand moment of Christ’s birth by comparing it to that of his cousin John. He then ties the story into that of Mary. Instead of just stating her name like Matthew, Luke introduces her by her attributes- “favored among woman,” a panderer, young, etc. This explanation is important because the reader understands just what a miracle Christ’s birth really was. We see how Heavenly Father will take those who are less than adequate to fulfill His purposes. Mary than receives the information about her Son such as His name and holy calling. Luke than adds a very important part. He shows the doubt of Mary. She states, “How shall this be seeing I know not a man?” This question is familiar to us all. We all have times when we are told to do the impossible. To this impossible plea the angel told Mary, “For with God nothing is impossible.” Will our response be as humble as Mary’s was when she humbly accepted this answer and replied, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.”
While Luke is using detail, Matthew begins with Mary being found with child. No Zacharias, no angel, no talk of doubt etc. He simply wrote the solid facts of her becoming pregnant, the issues with Joseph, him having a dream and the baby being born. I was shocked by the lack of detail. Yet, the basic facts were given. I much rather prefer the details which Luke writes in his narrative because it helps me to better understand Christ and His life, which in turn help me understand myself.
In the book of Matthew he speaks brief and to the point. Before getting to the point of Christ’s birth he writes the list of who begat who. I used to think that this was rather annoying. Yet, as I’ve matured I’ve realized the importance of our familial lineage. If it were not for our ancestors we would not even be here. Christ is just like us, He came through a lineage. It is also interesting to look at the people in his ancestry. Many of them were sinners in a variety of ways. Yet, Christ came. In my opinion He came from such a messed up line because he was sent on earth to save. This fact that his ancestry was less than perfect reminds me that no matter what I do or how I may mess up, Christ was sent to save and He will if I let Him.
In contrast, Luke did not bring up lineage. Instead he started with the story of Zacharias and the birth of John the Baptist. As he writes this he is setting up for the grand moment of Christ’s birth by comparing it to that of his cousin John. He then ties the story into that of Mary. Instead of just stating her name like Matthew, Luke introduces her by her attributes- “favored among woman,” a panderer, young, etc. This explanation is important because the reader understands just what a miracle Christ’s birth really was. We see how Heavenly Father will take those who are less than adequate to fulfill His purposes. Mary than receives the information about her Son such as His name and holy calling. Luke than adds a very important part. He shows the doubt of Mary. She states, “How shall this be seeing I know not a man?” This question is familiar to us all. We all have times when we are told to do the impossible. To this impossible plea the angel told Mary, “For with God nothing is impossible.” Will our response be as humble as Mary’s was when she humbly accepted this answer and replied, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.”
While Luke is using detail, Matthew begins with Mary being found with child. No Zacharias, no angel, no talk of doubt etc. He simply wrote the solid facts of her becoming pregnant, the issues with Joseph, him having a dream and the baby being born. I was shocked by the lack of detail. Yet, the basic facts were given. I much rather prefer the details which Luke writes in his narrative because it helps me to better understand Christ and His life, which in turn help me understand myself.
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