Attitude of Gratitude & The Cycle of Pride

Greetings and Salutations!

As usual, here is my Attitude of Gratitude list:

1. Medical Technology
(With my Mom's hip surgery, I am really very grateful for the techniques that have been developed in modern medicine. First, being able to get a new hip. Second, having the surgeon who pioneered a safer procedure, with quicker recovery time, be able to perform that particular surgery. Third, all of the minor medical supplies that are offered to aid in the healing/recovery period ... ice gel packs, a collapsible walker, etc.)

2. My Husband
(I am really glad for his presence. He takes care of me, makes sure I eat, get some sleep, etc. This enables me to take care of Mom. I may not take decent care of myself when he's not around, but I do get watched over during the few days that he is here! I appreciate him trying to lighten my load a bit!)

3. BBC & Hulu
(Having a small bit of time to spend with my love, we were able to enjoy a program that was a miniseries on the BBC a few years ago. It was called 'Lost in Austen' and it followed the adventures of a woman who walks through a door from her bathroom and into Jane Austen's novel of Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennett is now in the modern world, as Amanda Price attempts to navigate the events of the novel, posing as Lizzy's friend. A lot of crazy mayhem ensues and, of course, she falls for Mr. Darcy. You'll have to look it up to see how it all ends, but it was fun to get lost in something that poked fun at Austen's characters and still managed to follow in her classic style).

4. (Re)Generation Who
(Seriously looking forward to going to the Convention next month! It is marked on our calendar and, we have the added treat of being able to offer tickets to some wonderful people who are new to the fandom! It is so fun seeing the universe of Who through the eyes of someone who has never experienced it before! I cannot wait!)

5. Writing with Aimee
(This proved to be some decent therapy for me, after a particularly trying day. I was able to work out some frustrations by penning some scenes where Stone got to knock in some heads and defend his wife from kidnappers!)

Moving on to The Gathering ...

I attended the gathering this Thursday, after several attempts, I managed to snag a ride to class. Having missed class on the week prior, I really was looking forward to seeing everyone again. Thankfully, Sharee brought donuts! (Valentine's heart-shaped ones, at that!) The one I chose was filled with cookie dough! (I seriously had no idea they made such things!) I snagged some of the refreshments and sat down, explaining to several people why I had missed the prior Gathering (My Mom had her hip replaced! I discovered I could not 'do it all' as well as I thought I could).
Sister Read shared a thought with us. She pointed out that 211 degrees is the temperature at which water is hot, while 212 is the temperature at which water boils. She spoke about the significance of a change in one little degree and how such a change can work in our own lives. That if we are able to jump up by one degree in our covenant keeping, our academics, our church callings, that it can make a major difference in our lives (and the lives of those around us). I thought this was a really neat idea.
Next, we talked about the Study Skill for the week. The Study Skill that was presented in class this week was Principles. These are defined by Elder Richard G. Scott as "concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances." Principles are unchanging truths, eternal laws, and fundamental beliefs. They are portable. (If you cannot lift a principle from a story, or if it is only applicable in one type of story or situation, then it is not truly a principle and does not meet the standard of portability). The Study Skill was presented with colorful definitions which were placed on the chalk board and read out loud by members of the class. I anticipate using this skill often in the coming week. The scriptures are loaded with principles for us to study and learn from. (One example is Helaman 12:1, where it states, "yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.")
For the Directed Study activity, we broke up into groups and my group worked on Option 1, parts B and C. For part B, we read Helaman 10:1-4, Joshua 1:7-9, and 1 Nephi 11:1 and we discussed the role that pondering plays in receiving revelation. Pondering serves to open your mind and clear away the distractions of the world. It helps you to focus inwardly and to seek God's will, instead of your own. It centers you in a state of mind that is prepared to receive revelation and divine inspiration. In short, pondering puts you in the right frame of mind to listen to what Heavenly Father wants to teach you and to take that knowledge and light and move forward with it, to guide your actions. For part C, we were asked to select a challenge we are currently facing, and set aside some time during this coming week to ponder this challenge and record any impressions that come to mind. I did not share my challenge, as we were not required to share it with the class, but I will share it here. My current challenge is finding a way to take care of everyone's needs and still find a way to meet my own. I find myself constantly in a crunch for time, exhausted from lack of sleep, and not always clear headed, as I try to take care of the needs around me. I tend to neglect my own needs (such as meals, etc.) in order to get every task done, and I do recognize that I cannot keep going like this. I will ponder and pray on things this week and hope that the Lord will help guide me in what steps to take, in order to accomplish all of my goals and care for the household (myself included).
We went around the room and presented our learning to the class, as a whole. We talked extensively about the Cycle of Pride that exists, and was currently being experienced at this point in the Book of Mormon. We concluded that there are steps you can take to avoid participating in this cycle. One of them is to retain your humility. We need to remember that we are 'less than the dust of the earth' because even the earth obeys the commandments of God. All of the creatures and the elements obey Him, their Creator, and it is only man who chooses to be puffed up in his own pride and not be obedient to Heavenly Father. If we work hard to 'retain a remembrance of the goodness of God', we will be better able to stay humble and to not fall into the trap of lifting ourselves above our fellow brothers and sisters. Another step to avoid pride is to educate yourself, read the scriptures and learn the words of the Prophets. Take them to heart, cherish what you learn and share it with others. This helps to prevent you from becoming wayward and following in the footsteps of the mistakes made by others who have come before you. A third step to bypass pride involves knowing of God's love for us and utilizing the Atonement in our own lives, seeking and receiving a remission of our sins. If we follow Christ's example, and constantly try to uplift our brothers and sisters, we will be less likely to succumb to the cycle of pride (and, therefore, less likely to face the punishments that befall those who are lifted up in the pride of their own hearts).
One of the statements that struck me during this class period was this: "We should pray only for the things that are in accordance to the will of the Lord." I am not sure who said it (or if they were quoting someone else) but I really liked the statement itself. That we need to pray and be mindful (and ponder on) the things that align with the Lord's will for us. (I have not always done this in the past but I will be more open in the future to look for such opportunities and to embrace them as they come my way!)