Greetings Folks!
It's that time again ... No, you can go get a cookie after you read ...
Attitude of Gratitude
1. Technology
(Recently my husband's phone decided to die. It refused to hold a charge and we were looking at a seriously hefty charge in order to replace the gadget. A tiny miracle occurred, he took it into Verizon and the girl there was able to plug it into her charger and give it a boost. Previously we'd tired all of our charges with zero luck. But hers was a mega charger or something and it restored the power. Now all I have to do is switch the plan and put his phone back on it, as we resorted to the old, tired, back-up phone).
2. Pathway
(I love my classes and I love that I'm making friends at the Gathering. It is rather amazing to think that just two months ago, these people were complete strangers to me. Now, I really care about them. I'm emotionally invested, and I continue to pray for their welfare).
3. My VT
(My Visiting Teacher came and picked me up and we went shopping for some things for her new home. I don't think I have ever set foot in 'Home Goods' ... not since it was Aimes and that was twenty years ago, at least. Found some fun items. There is a throw I'd like to get for our bed. Also found some crazy things: I swear there is a blanket that is covered in fur and if I attach eyeballs to it, it will make the perfect large Muppet! I'd totally buy it, even if it is an orange I'm not thrilled with (though that makes it all the more Muppety), if it were on sale! It was good to just hang out and talk of life and not feel stressed for a little bit).
4. Writing
(Some days it is therapy and other days it is solace. Always it is useful. We've spun up some new characters that have seized me with a strange obsession. I want to write this story from start to finish and see where it goes. I want people to read this story. I'd love to see it on the big screen someday. I have music for it tripping through my brain. It's a whole new dimension of storytelling for me).
5. My Guardian Angel
(He or She was working overtime about a week ago. I was in Walmart and we needed a bottle of Coke. All of the bottles were lined up on the back wall of the top shelf in the soda aisle. There was an employee stocking items not four feet away but I honestly felt it was a bad idea to ask this little old gentleman, who was a foot shorter than myself, to go get a ladder and hand me a soda. Instead, I did what any youngblooded person would do, and I stepped on the bottom shelf, to get that extra two inches of leverage to reach the soda that was an arm's length away against the back of the shelf. To my utter surprise and humiliation, the bottom shelf SHIFTED and I fell backwards. What should have been a metal shelf bolted into some sort of bracketing, was instead a metal shelf LAYING on the bracketing with no securing features whatsoever. The shelf tilted up at a 75 degree angle when I put my weight on it, causing the two cases of soda on it to slide off onto the floor and causing me to slip and fall backward. I was able to land on my feet (thank you God and my Guardian Angel) and I kept from dropping the bottle of soda I had nabbed. However, my armpit and the underside of my arm was cut and bruised by the metal shelf edging of the top shelf. I am glad to be all in one piece with no broken bones but I seriously feel Walmart has an issue waiting to happen. Had I not been there, my Mom may have tried the exact same type of logic, assuming that the bottom shelf was bolted in, and she could have broken her hip or injured her back. Don't climb on shelves, kids, it's a bad idea!)
Now for the Putting It Together part of our program! If you've read this blog for a few weeks, you know that I participate in a program run by BYU-Idaho, called Pathway. This program consists of several classes and we meet once a week to discuss what we are learning in those classes (that primarily take place online). This week's meeting (referred to as a 'gathering') we discussed several academic topics and a few religious ones. The academic topics consisted of the proper way to sort through information and determine if a source is worthy of being used in a research paper. (This is done by evaluating the author, their credentials, the audience, the publication, the timeliness/relevancy, and the cited references). We also talked a bit about all of the wonderful opportunities for support and continued learning that can be found through the BYU-I Academic Support Center. There are a host of videos, information, tutors, and other things located on the website itself (and it is something that I plan to take advantage of, in the future, when dealing with the dreaded demon known as 'Math').
We also talked about things we have learned from the scriptures this week. (The reading for this week included 2 Nephi Chapters 28-33). I find it really amazing and cool, that in these last chapters, it talks about the tribes and how people will all gather to their homelands. I love that we get Nephi's last words, and that he focuses on Christ and how he really wants his people to remember the message of Christ and to look unto him for their salvation. One of the big things that we touched on, when we broke down into small groups, was the need for the Book of Mormon, not as a replacement to the Bible but as a companion to the Bible. It really is 'another testament of Jesus Christ'. In 2 Nephi chapter 29 verses 7-14, there are a list of reasons why the Book of Mormon is important. It stands as a second testimony of Christ, and bears witness unto him. It proves that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It, along with the Bible, are literally the testimony of two nations (that have run together into one testimony, by being collected standard works). The Lord never said His work was finished. He never said He would not speak anymore to man or not add to His own words. The tribes will be judged out of the words of the Lord that are in their records. And each tribe will someday have all the records of the others (as right now the Jewish people have the record of the Book of Mormon, and the Nephites have the record of the Bible or of the Jews). Sometime in the future, we will have the records of the Lord's dealings with all of the tribes ... and that will be a thing of great worth to see and to read! I find it amazingly exciting to think that whenever I read about the last days, about the tribes of Israel and people coming unto Christ, that I'm reading about our time, specifically. That we are living in a time when prophecy is being fulfilled. It's rather awesome.
Another thing I found very cool about the Gathering was that when we talked about the records, we talked about the fact that the Holy Ghost and the Lord speak to people through the scriptures. Your interactions with the Lord and His words to you help to build your testimony. Building that testimony leads you to share the gospel and live it more fully in your own life and this catches the attention of people, who come to know Christ because of how you live His teachings. This changes their lives and it moves ever outward, like a giant ripple effect, in a giant pond. The power of faith and the power of one person to make a difference, as they let God work in their lives. It's beautiful.
One last cool tidbit, one of the guys in class brought up something, that the word Hosanna actually means "save us now" ... It is a request for help. A cry for aid. A plea for nurture and mercy. I never knew the definition of the word before and it takes on new and deeper meaning because of that.
I hope you all have enjoyed reading about the Gathering and the things I have been learning. I encourage you to work on having God close to you, making Him an integral part of your daily lives! Keep the Spirit near you, and do not do anything that pushes the Holy Ghost away. Whatever things will push him away are fleeting and not really important in the long run. Staying close to Heavenly Father is what matters the most, always keep that in mind.
Until next time! Count your blessings!
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