Greetings Folks!
It has been a crazy past few weeks. There have been
decisions about work and play and all the fun things in between! Without
further ado, the gratitude list:
1. Chicken Broth
(I know it sounds gross, but you pour it in a mug, heat it
up, and drink it straight. Does wonders for soothing the throat and draining
the lymph nodes. Don't know Grandma's advice, she knew what she was talking
about!)
2. Tiny Space Heater
(My room is the coldest room in the house. I think there are
air leaks in the windows, as tested by a match/candle flame. The cold air finds
its way inside and I end up freezing so I am very grateful for my tiny little
sunbeam space heater that makes my room nice and toasty! It makes me feel like
a lizard, sunning myself on a rock, all my limbs feel warm and cozy, and I am
so grateful for modern technology!)
3. Free Software
(For the bulk of the semester, I have been juggling two
laptops. My laptop had an expired word program on it and the update Pathway
originally had me download was not one my system could handle. This comp is
five years old, it's not great with new code. Much to my relief, I discovered
there was a version of Office that was offered through the online store, as a
student software selection, that was free! The 2010 version of Office runs
nicely on my dinosaur computer and may mean that I don't have to pony up
several hundred dollars to get a new(er) laptop.)
4. Human Kindness
(Chores and things were allowed to slide today in favor of
much needed rest and regular doses of tylenol and an antibiotic for my ear.
Help was given without being asked and I really appreciate that my health was
placed above the weekly list of 'to-do' items.)
5. The Grace of God
(I had to have an eye exam to renew my license this year. I
was very much afraid that the exam would turn out badly and I would be told I
no longer meet the vision requirements for driving in this state. Two things
happened: One, I put up a note on Facebook asking for some prayers, good vibes,
and well wishes from my friends. They all vary in faith and creed and I think
any positivity sent my way is very much welcome, regardless of denomination or
belief system. In the matter of a few hours, more than 30 people had responded,
most of them with comments. I cannot explain how grateful I felt for those kind
words, and that these people took time out of their day to offer prayers on my
behalf, or send me kind words and well wishes. (Being bullied as a child makes
you have a very disproportionate view of yourself, to say the least. I often
feel like I matter very little to people ... and this experience slaps that
thought upside the head and tosses it out the window!) Two, I had the exam and
while the results were not optimal, they were decent. I am no longer allowed to
drive at night, as I do not meet the restrictions for such a qualification.
While not overjoyed with that, it is still a better outcome than I had feared
at the start. I'll take what AI can get, and be happy and grateful and thank
the Lord for putting all of these amazing people in my path and in my life!)
Moving on to the Gathering ... This week was far more
subdued than last. Last Thursday was very jovial and filled with laughter and
fun. This week was more centered and filled with insights and a quiet sort of
love. Several people were unable to attend and they were greatly missed (and
not just the class clowns!) As the class began, I offered the opening prayer,
asking for Heavenly Father to let us have the Spirit with us as we learned, to
guide the lead student teacher, and to bless those that were, for whatever
reason, unable to attend. Sitting down, I opened my notebook and was thrilled
to learn that our professor of the evening had brought cupcakes! (Sugar is
always welcome! Especially on rainy days where everyone is sluggish and feeling
sleepy!) We started the lesson by reviewing the study skill from last week:
cause and effect. What was interesting was that the lead student pointed out
something she had noticed that she hadn’t picked up on before. When Enos went
into the woods to hunt and ended up praying for the welfare of his soul, he had
a lot on his mind. His father was about to die and he would be given the
leadership over the kingdom. He was going to be entrusted with the plates and
record keeping. He was responsible to preach to the population. That is one
tall order! So it was natural that he’d be questioning himself and his standing
before God. So, the cause and effect, in that instance, was the things going on
in Enos’ life that he had very little control over and how those things led him
to kneel in prayer and seek out the Lord.
We then moved on and learned about the study skill of
substitution. This skill involves the insertion of names into a scripture
passage (either your own name, if you are likening the scripture to yourself,
or the names of the subjects to whom the sentence is referring). It can also
involve substituting the definition of a word that you are unfamiliar with. As
the use of the chalk board presents some difficulty for some students, the lead
student simply had us read the supplied paper, containing the in depth
definition of the word and presenting some examples of how the skill can be
applied. We focused on the example of D&C 121:43, where it mentions
"reproving betimes with sharpness" and we dissected and replaced the
words. The surmised definition of the text is along the lines of reprimanding
with boldness but that is not the actual definition of words used in this
scripture. When you break the words down, the sentence turns into "correct
in a humble manner, early on, with clearness or offering clarity" and that
completely changes the way you look at the scripture itself.
As we spent a great deal of time on the class activity
(which the lead student pulled from the student manual), we did not have much
time to spend on the Directed Study. However, I will share them both here. We
paired off into partners, each set of people being given two slips of paper
which contained a set of scripture verses and some follow up questions. I was
working with Karen, and we tackled Enos 1:9-12. We were asked about what Enos
did after he'd obtained forgiveness for himself and the answer to that was that
he then sought to gain that same forgiveness from the Lord for, first, his
family and loved ones (the Nephites), and, then, his enemies (the Lamanites).
He thought of other people because that is a natural outgrowth of having
applied the atonement and the gospel into your life. When you accept and live
the gospel, you are highly motivated to share it with those around you, to aid
them in improving their own lives, in the same manner yours has been improved
upon. We discussed that Enos' pattern of action was good because it set an
example for the rest of us, of the steps we should follow in our own lives.
That we should apply the atonement to ourselves, and then reach out to our
family and the world, as well as gain a thorough understanding of the gospel to
be able to accurately share it. The second scripture we tackled was Mosiah
2:9-18. We were asked why King Benjamin served the people and we concluded that
he did so for a number of reasons: First, he did not seek to gain riches, nor
to oppress the people with taxes and burdens. Second, he wanted them to learn
wisdom and to teach them, so that he could meet God with a clear conscience.
Third, he had a desire to serve his fellow man and to serve God with all of his
might, mind, and strength. We discussed that when you perform acts of service,
you are acting as instruments in the Lord's hands, by serving His children, in
a manner that He would serve them, were He physically here to do so. After this, we went around the room and
everyone shared the scripture passages and the answers to their respective
questions.
For the Directed Study, we did Option 3, as a class (because
we basically had literally about four minutes in which to accomplish it!) We
answered the question of why prayer was necessary to enjoy the blessings of the
atonement. Prayer is important because it creates and enhances your connection
with Heavenly Father. It puts you in a state of mind to be open to personal
revelation and to be motivated to make those changes in your life that will
more fully align yourself with Christ. The other questions related to how the
people of Zarahemla suffered by not having any records. They literally 'dwelt
in unbelief' and had no rules to which they could be held accountable. By
having no records, they had no source from which to build their testimonies.
When they were joined by Mosiah, he brought with him the records of his people,
the testimonies of the prophets of his time, and the guidelines and
commandments that the people needed to learn and live by. He blessed the people
of Zarahemla with new information and new (to them) knowledge, which shed light
on their lives, and gave them a way to measure how they were living, what
precepts they needed to alter in order to be better disciples. We talked about
journal entries and how they can be a blessing to our future generations (as
those of our grandparents are to us) and how, by writing of trials and
testimony building experiences, we show our future children the path that they
should follow, the source they should look to for guidance and divine aid. We
also discussed how prayer is a cycle, that morning prayer leads to preparation
for the day ahead and evening prayer leads to gratitude for the day's events
and blessings and preparation for the following day. (This was also discussed
in one of the Digging Deeper talks). The last thing we talked about was how the
foreknowledge of God was demonstrated in our own lives. I know, I have seen it
in my life, during certain events. The largest example I have of this is my
husband. When I was in college and broke up with my boyfriend, I got a blessing
that said my decision would lead to "more happiness than [I can] ever
dream". A few years later, I ended another relationship and was told in
another blessing that the Lord was preparing someone specifically for me. Two
years after that, I met the man I married and found out something else: when he
was set apart for his mission, Steve was told that his decision to serve the
Lord would bless his future spouse, and her family - not his own family - but
hers. The same month he left on his mission, my parents’ house sold, we moved
into a new home, with a brand new ward, who embraced us and treated us with
immeasurable kindness. Were it not for the love we found in our new ward, we
may, my Mom and I, have struggled to remain members of the church. (Our
previous ward ... was filled with a lot of busy people ... we were not
fellowshipped and the adjustments of a new religion, new schedule of meetings,
and few friends, was a seriously hard transition for us to make). So, the Lord
was mindful, of a fourteen year old girl, and the boy who would grow into the
man she would marry. He was mindful of her family and the love they needed in
order to grow and thrive, and He sent them where they needed to be to grow and
thrive and flourish. I am grateful that He knows all and that He guides us if
we will but stop and listen.
That’s about all I have time for today! I hope you enjoy my
adventures and I encourage you to look up the website: www.pathway.lds.org and consider seeking
out some adventures of your own!
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