Today is Memorial Day. Hollis and I went to a celebration/fundraiser for two Marines from my unit that lost their lives in Afghanistan by hitting roadside bombs/Improvised Explosive Devices (IED's). Though, we did not know the Marines killed- they were new to the unit when they left- I still remember them and all those who serve in the United States armed forces for taking the risks that each one of us take in order to advance the cause of freedom and the protection of our own freedom at home.
It was good to talk a little bit more with those in the unit that we know and get a feel for the experiences that they had while serving in Afghanistan.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Feel good
Tonight I feel good. A sacrament hymn that we sang today had a verse in it that I really appreciated. The hymn is titled With Humble Heart (Hymns 171) and the verse said:
As I walk daily here on earth, give me Thy spirit as I seek a change of heart, another birth, and grow, dear Lord, to be like Thee.
I don't know what happened, but I felt the Spirit go through me and I felt like I was being spoken to and like I was perhaps forgiven for my shortcomings. I felt really light afterward. You know, the thing about this mortal life is that it is broken up into time. We have seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years and at any time we can decide to change. We can all say, right now, that at this moment, I'm going to stop doing this, or, I'm going to start doing this. The Lord sees this and rewards accordingly and on the spot. We don't have to wait until Sunday to stop a certain thing and we don't have to wait until Sunday to start another. We can choose now and now is acceptable to the Lord.
If we start now to make the necessary changes in our lives, then we will be okay. Then, Sunday will come, we'll take the sacrament, and we'll feel that the Lord is pleased with our effort and will also aid us in our progress.
I went home teaching this afternoon. The family that we visited is really cool. They're really open and loose. I enjoy going to these people to get to know them and maybe bring a little bit of the Spirit with me and my companion to their home. My companion is very easy to get along with and he's pretty cool, too. He suggested that after his grass grows in his yard that my wife and I get together with his wife and the two families that we teach and have a small get-together at his place. It's cool because everyone is right around the corner from us.
This evening I proceeded to lay my hands upon the head of my brother-in-law to pronounce a blessing. I feel that it went well and pray that he will heed the advice given him that he may better himself and get out of the rut that he dislikes so much. I know that the Book of Mormon will be the key to this for him. READ IT AND FEEL ITS POWER.
As I walk daily here on earth, give me Thy spirit as I seek a change of heart, another birth, and grow, dear Lord, to be like Thee.
I don't know what happened, but I felt the Spirit go through me and I felt like I was being spoken to and like I was perhaps forgiven for my shortcomings. I felt really light afterward. You know, the thing about this mortal life is that it is broken up into time. We have seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years and at any time we can decide to change. We can all say, right now, that at this moment, I'm going to stop doing this, or, I'm going to start doing this. The Lord sees this and rewards accordingly and on the spot. We don't have to wait until Sunday to stop a certain thing and we don't have to wait until Sunday to start another. We can choose now and now is acceptable to the Lord.
If we start now to make the necessary changes in our lives, then we will be okay. Then, Sunday will come, we'll take the sacrament, and we'll feel that the Lord is pleased with our effort and will also aid us in our progress.
I went home teaching this afternoon. The family that we visited is really cool. They're really open and loose. I enjoy going to these people to get to know them and maybe bring a little bit of the Spirit with me and my companion to their home. My companion is very easy to get along with and he's pretty cool, too. He suggested that after his grass grows in his yard that my wife and I get together with his wife and the two families that we teach and have a small get-together at his place. It's cool because everyone is right around the corner from us.
This evening I proceeded to lay my hands upon the head of my brother-in-law to pronounce a blessing. I feel that it went well and pray that he will heed the advice given him that he may better himself and get out of the rut that he dislikes so much. I know that the Book of Mormon will be the key to this for him. READ IT AND FEEL ITS POWER.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Priesthood Blessings
This evening I was asked by one of my brothers-in-law to give him a priesthood blessing this coming weekend. I wish to share my thoughts on this subject since it has been on my mind since he asked.
First of all, I know that the priesthood authority is valid and does bless the lives of others when used appropriately. In order to use the priesthood appropriately, it must be used to bless the life of another in someway, not your own. I believe that one must prepare to receive inspiration from the Spirit of the Lord by avoiding the things of the world that will chase its influence away, praying to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ for guidance and inspiration, thinking of the individual and their needs, and having love for the individual. One must be bold and confident so as to say what comes to your mind.
An individual with the priesthood can have the power to say the words given him by the Lord to change in some way the lives of another. Fasting before giving the blessing shows faith in the Lord and shows that the occasion is of great importance to you or that you truly desire to know the Lord's will or are desiring the strength of the Spirit. Either way, faith must be had by you in order to say what it is that the Lord will have you say.
Often people are looking for some sort of direction from the Lord. As a priesthood holder, you are able to be the avenue through which the Lord blesses and guides His children. The priesthood is not for you, it's for others. You must think like the Savior, act like the Savior, and speak like the Savior to prepare to use the priesthood for another's benefit.
First of all, I know that the priesthood authority is valid and does bless the lives of others when used appropriately. In order to use the priesthood appropriately, it must be used to bless the life of another in someway, not your own. I believe that one must prepare to receive inspiration from the Spirit of the Lord by avoiding the things of the world that will chase its influence away, praying to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ for guidance and inspiration, thinking of the individual and their needs, and having love for the individual. One must be bold and confident so as to say what comes to your mind.
An individual with the priesthood can have the power to say the words given him by the Lord to change in some way the lives of another. Fasting before giving the blessing shows faith in the Lord and shows that the occasion is of great importance to you or that you truly desire to know the Lord's will or are desiring the strength of the Spirit. Either way, faith must be had by you in order to say what it is that the Lord will have you say.
Often people are looking for some sort of direction from the Lord. As a priesthood holder, you are able to be the avenue through which the Lord blesses and guides His children. The priesthood is not for you, it's for others. You must think like the Savior, act like the Savior, and speak like the Savior to prepare to use the priesthood for another's benefit.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
FIRST BLOG
I want to keep sort of a journal. This is public, I know, but I'd like to write this blog for everyone that I know and love and for those that want to know more about me. Today was the last lamaze class that my wife, Hollis, and I will be attending before the birth of our daughter, Swayze Elle, next month. She's due to be born on my birthday, June 27th. We are both excited about her. Tonight we were asked by the instructor what we were most excited about being a parent. For whatever reason, and this seems to happen quite often, I managed to get skipped over, which isn't always a bad thing. I'd like to take the time to answer the question now and Hollis can read over the answer, which she was looking forward to hearing at the moment the question was asked, later, either when I tell her of this blog or when she finds out on her own that I'm keeping one.
The thing that excites me the most about being a parent, and this will be our first child, is just having something so sweet and innocent in my life that will motivate me to be the best person that I am able to be. I feel that I want to be the best father ever for Swayze Elle so that she can grow up knowing that she is loved and that I cared for her and her mother so well. Desiring that Swayze grows to be the best person that she can be, I want to make sure that I'm doing the best that I can to be a good example to her and show her that I love her, therefore; I desire to keep the commands of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
My thoughts are scattered here, but I think that every parent must understand what I'm feeling. I'm sure that every parent starts out with this mode of thought- that they're going to be the best ever. That they're going to make sure that there is little heartache for their child, especially heartache that is caused by them- the parent. Am I right to assume this?
I'm sure that my parents started out thinking this way, even though it didn't end up working out quite the way that they had hoped. I hope they both know that I still love them. I hope my brothers- all four of them, that I still love them as well. I think about every member of my family often. I hope that they all think about each other often. I hope that we will all one day be together forever. How that might work out, I don't know. But I know someone who does know how this can be and I want to be like Him.
The thing that excites me the most about being a parent, and this will be our first child, is just having something so sweet and innocent in my life that will motivate me to be the best person that I am able to be. I feel that I want to be the best father ever for Swayze Elle so that she can grow up knowing that she is loved and that I cared for her and her mother so well. Desiring that Swayze grows to be the best person that she can be, I want to make sure that I'm doing the best that I can to be a good example to her and show her that I love her, therefore; I desire to keep the commands of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
My thoughts are scattered here, but I think that every parent must understand what I'm feeling. I'm sure that every parent starts out with this mode of thought- that they're going to be the best ever. That they're going to make sure that there is little heartache for their child, especially heartache that is caused by them- the parent. Am I right to assume this?
I'm sure that my parents started out thinking this way, even though it didn't end up working out quite the way that they had hoped. I hope they both know that I still love them. I hope my brothers- all four of them, that I still love them as well. I think about every member of my family often. I hope that they all think about each other often. I hope that we will all one day be together forever. How that might work out, I don't know. But I know someone who does know how this can be and I want to be like Him.
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