Abraham 4:18

"And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed."
Abraham 4:18


This strikes me as sort of funny, actually.  I get this mental picture of this stern group of Gods with their arms crossed, tapping their feet, waiting for the expected obedience. :)  Of course, I'm sure it wasn't like that... it was probably more like a gardener, who organizes and plants, and then watches and waits for the growth of his plants.  One thing about the book of Abraham that makes so much sense to me is that it refers to Gods as a plural.  ... I think it would be so much more fun to make a world with other people involved than to try to do it all myself. :)  And, it certainly makes it easier to watch it all... I mean, I know that God can see everything, but you know... just so that they can all participate together. :)  More like a community than an individual effort.  God makes the plan, and then the whole community gets into the effort of making it happen... something like that.  Fascinating. :)  Anyway, today... when we feel God's eyes on us, let's make sure we obey. ;)

Isaiah 30:9-10

"That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits."
Isaiah 30:9-10


Sometimes, no matter how much we say "thy will be done," we don't really like God's will in our lives.  We want our lives to go smoothly, without a lot of complications and problems.  We want our plans to work out and when our lives twist in a different direction, even for a short amount of time, then we question God's wisdom. :)  Even though we don't like to relate to this scripture, I think all of us are like this at times.  We don't want revelation that messes up our lives.  We want God's will, but only if it doesn't interfere too much with what we're doing right now.  We don't want the Prophet to come out with something that will make us change our lifestyles.  From the simplest things to the most complex, God is in control.  Even when things are devastating to us personally, we have to remember that God is in charge, and that He knows what He is doing. :)  Things will still work out for the best... whatever the best is, according to God.  And, since God's best is probably at least twenty million times better than my best, it's probably something to look forward to. :)

Jeremiah 29:11-13

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."
Jeremiah 29:11-13


This scripture is about the gathering of the Jews after they have been scattered... but Nephi says we should liken all scriptures unto ourselves, and this one seems pretty appropriate to me today.  I think that we've all been scattered in some ways... whether the Lord did it to give us time to think, or whether we've taken ourselves apart and can't quite get all the pieces back together yet. :)  God loves us, and isn't out to get us.  He wants to give us the happy, unexpected ending... not the one that we've seen for ourselves when we are at our worst.  God will listen to us, and we will be able to find him... but we have to give it everything we have.  We can't search for him, expecting nothing, or search for him half-heartedly while planning our lives around something else.  When we come to God, we have to give him our full attention and our full effort.  When we get our full, undivided heart into it, then we'll be able to find God.  What kinds of things divide our hearts?  When we try to be different people on different days... or change who we are for our audience.  We can't be Christians at home and not at work.  It doesn't work to be good only for people you want to make a good impression on.  When we divide up our lives like that, we are guaranteeing that none of the parts receives our whole heart.  When we can be the same person at home and at school... when we can talk to people openly without hiding the spiritual part of ourselves... then our whole heart will be God's.  Today, let's think of what parts of our hearts we are holding back from God, and try to reunite those parts with the whole... it's very tempting to justify our division instead, but let's not.  Instead, let's work on finding God.

2 Corinthians 3:2

"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men."
2 Corinthians 3:2


This is interesting to me this evening because I got a great email from a good friend of mine in Arizona today, telling me how one of my scripture of the day messages helped her see something a different way.  I think one of the things that this scripture is saying is that what we do and the way that we treat other people is what matters, and what will precede us in life.  Letters of recommendation and glowing resumes won't matter in the face of a bad word from someone you used to work with... like that.  And I know that I have set a bad example numerous times in my life... and sometimes I worry that I have done more harm than good.  So, I suppose that today's email helped me to remember the other side, and hopefully I will keep trying to sway the balance towards the positive.  We do make a difference in each other's lives, and the more we can bring about good in others' lives, the better off we'll be. :)  Let's be a force for good today, and send out good letters. :)

Psalms 4:5

"Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord."
Psalms 4:5


This is interesting... I think that a lot of the times we think that if we are being righteous, that we shouldn't have to sacrifice anything... that being good should make life easy.  Not so, however.  This almost makes it sound like being righteous IS a sacrifice... which it could be depending on your perspective because there are a lot of things that we have to sacrifice in order to be righteous.  But even beyond that, I think that we all have tests in life where we have to sacrifice things that aren't bad.  We have to learn to deal with loss, and learn to put God's will before our own, and those lessons come no matter how righteous we're being. :)  The key is the second part of the verse... put our trust in the Lord.  He always has a reason, and even if we can't figure it out, he is wiser than we are. :)

Jeremiah 17:14

"Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise."
Jeremiah 17:14


This is cool because it just lays out the difference between God and any other object of worship. :)  God actually CAN save us and heal us.  We could go to the hospital to be healed, and it might not work.  When in danger anyone could try to save us, and that might not work either.  But when God does it, we are always healed, and always saved.  Plus, he can heal us and save us more than physically.  There are no idols that can do that... no heroes that can do that... nothing else comes close.  Pretty cool, I'd say. :)

Proverbs 3:27

"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it."
Proverbs 3:27


This was interesting to me today... not to disclose all of my weaknesses, but sometimes I have a hard time praising a student's writing when they have behavior problems in class... things like that.  And it's one of the worst things that I could do if I were to withhold that praise, because no matter whether they cause me headaches or not, the point is, they are writing, and I should be encouraging that, and complimenting them on a job well done.  Sometimes I think that we are mad at someone or disappointed or jealous or whatever, and it keeps us from being nice... from being good to people, and offering deserved compliments or help.  So, something to think about and work on today. :)

Psalms 69:1

"Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul."
Psalms 69:1


This is interesting imagery, and seriously I think that every one of us has felt like this at some point.  Thankfully God is there to throw us a spiritual lifesaver when our souls are in peril.  Sometimes when we're out there trying to discover new lands, we lose our boat or try to swim too far, too quickly.  When that happens, as quickly as possible, call upon God... he's always there to save us, and help us get back on the path to the promised land. :)

1 Nephi 2:2-4

"And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness.
And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him.
And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness.  And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness."
1 Nephi 2:2-4


I wonder if any of us are this brave and faithful.  To leave everything that you own, everything that it familiar to you... to give up your home and your friends, to risk the wrath and doubting of your own family... and to travel into the unfamiliar... that seems difficult to me, to say the least.  But Lehi didn't flinch.  He gathered the things that he needed, and left everything else behind.  I don't even think that the Lord had told him where he was going yet... just told him to leave.  That's amazing.  And what it makes me think of today is the path that we take to repentance.  Usually those tough, habitual sins are familiar to us.  They are the known, and they seem valuable and friendly when compared to the unknown.    And we don't know up front where we're headed, only that we have to get out of where we are.  It's difficult... and it takes bravery and faithfulness to commit to a change that is new and uncomfortable.  We go out into the wilderness or sail out on the ocean, and we're tempted to complain, as some of Lehi's family did, that it's insane to wander out here with no knowledge of our destination... that it's crazy to give up comfort and familiarity for the rough and unknown.
However... just as Lehi eventually made it to the promised land, so we will make it to our final destination.  We have the same guide and the same hope, and the same promise.  If we are obedient to God, and we leave the familiar at his bidding, the journey may be rough, but we will discover a new land.  Something glorious and beautiful... and something that we will never know if we rest in the familiar.  Today, let's take those first few steps into the wilderness, trusting God to show us the way.

John 14:12

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
John 14:12


It's cool to think that we will be able to do the things that Christ did during his earthly ministry.  There were a lot of amazing things that he did... the loaves and fishes, the walking on water... the casting out devils, the healing people... and even things like telling parables and teaching people.  Amazing things, and a good example to follow.  Today, let's try doing some of the works of Christ.  We might not be able to do the walking on water thing yet, but we can handle little things like treating people kindly and loving the poor just as much as the rich. :)  And, you never know.  The more we work on it, the closer we'll be to being like him in every way. :)

Alma 12:14

"For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us and hide us from his presence."
Alma 12:14


This isn't meant to depress you all this morning. :)  I picked it because it mentions three things that will condemn us... if we haven't gotten those three things into line.  Our words, our works, and our thoughts.  Those are areas where we could probably all use some work.  Today, let's try to practice in one of the areas.  For instance, our words.  No cussing or disparaging anyone.  We might be better at one of the three than the others, and if so... that is a good place to start.  Eventually, of course, we'll have to master all three... but they are so tied in together, that as we work on one, it is bound to have an effect on the others.  The less we let bad thoughts fly out of our mouths, the less we'll put them into action, and the less we will have them.  The less we commit bad actions, the less we'll have to remember, and the less we'll have to talk about.  The less bad thoughts we think, the less we'll be tempted to talk about or act on them.  As long as we are working on ourselves, we can start anywhere.  ... we just can't think that one makes up for all the others. :)  So, let's go to work... because it is obviously much better than being so depressed we want a mountain to fall on us. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 119:6

"And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law, to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my statutes and my judgements may be kept thereon, that it may be most holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you."
Doctrine and Covenants 119:6





This is interesting because that last part makes it dependent upon the people... which really makes a lot of sense.  Just like the city of Enoch became what it was when the people were perfected, Zion doesn't have any holiness just because of the tract of land that it is on... "it shall not be a land of Zion unto you" ... but it could be a land of Zion unto anyone willing to do the things necessary to make it so.  I like that emphasis on who rather than where... I think sometimes I daydream of the perfect place... maybe someplace to escape for an afternoon, or wonder what heaven will be like... but the fact is, that if I am the perfect person, then it doesn't matter where I am.  We, as a community, build Zion not by learning brickmasonry or carpentry, but by perfecting ourselves, little by little, until wherever we are is Zion... merely because we are there.  It takes effort... but not effort that is strange to us.  We've been working on ourselves for a long time. :)  And, for those particularly difficult habits, we have God and at least a few other people to help and support us.  So, let's go build Zion. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 20:33

"Therefore let the church take heed and pray always, lest they fall into temptation."
Doctrine and Covenants 20:33





You know, I like this because it is a preventative rather than a cure. :)  We don't have to stress over how to crawl out of the hole if we never dig it for ourselves in the first place. :)  If we remember to keep talking to God, and maintain that relationship... then everything will be a lot easier, because God will be there with us everywhere we go, and we can ask him before we do anything really dumb. :)  Today, let's try to prevent some of the problems. :)

Mark 14:65

"And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands."
Mark 14:65


The things in this verse are happening to Christ... and although it is horrible that this happened, I think that we do this sort of thing a lot.  We condemn others out of jealousy or envy.  We don't want other people to have more power, authority... beauty, wisdom whatever it is... than we do.  And when someone clearly excels, we sometimes feel like we want them to fail, and come back down in the dust like the rest of us.  ... why is that, I wonder?  We all have talents, and we don't all succeed at the same things, but we seem to have these power struggles all the time... even with God.  ... and although I don't think (hopefully) that we go to this extreme in battling God, we do have a hard time with humility and submissiveness, with God and with our fellow mortals. :)  Something to think about today... let's try to lose ourselves a little today.

Psalms 82:6

"I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High."
Psalms 82:6


The fact that we are God's children is something that I think I take for granted a lot.  We sing the song in primary, "I am a child of God" and mention it every once in a while, but sometimes it strikes me that being the child of God is a big deal.  It means, for one, that we have the capacity to grow up and be like him.  It means that we're meant for a lot more than this earth, this moment in time... all of those things that God can do, someday we can learn to do as well... walk on water, descend in a pillar of light... all of it. :)  Cooler things that that of course, those are just what popped into my head. :)  Today, let's take a second to think about what it really means to be God's child.  We're not "only human." :)

1 Thessalonians 5:16

"Rejoice evermore."
1 Thessalonians 5:16


Sincerely, doesn't this just sum it up?  God wants us to be happy... and gives us every reason to do so.  So, hey... let's get rid of all the shadows, and get to some serious rejoicing. :)

Romans 5:7-8

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:7-8


This is a cool thing to think about this morning... that Christ died for the possibility of our deliverance.  He saw, and sees, the goodness in us even when we have rolled in the mud of sin, and when we can't even see the good in ourselves.  He didn't die for us after he had picked us up and washed us off and found us worthy... he died despite our unworthiness, on the off chance that we would take advantage of his gift and choose eternal life.  He loved us enough to die for the possibility, not the guarantee.  So, now that we have this priceless gift, let's wash off the mud, and choose eternal life.

Luke 17:23-25

"And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, not follow them.
For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation."
Luke 17:23-25


This scripture is a couple of things... first a warning.  :)  We shouldn't be following anyone who says, oh, Christ came, and he is here or this other place... because at his second coming it won't be like that at all.  It will be like lightning, and everyone, everywhere, will know it.  The way I resolve this with the "thief in the night" scripture is that we probably won't be able to predict it, but we'll definitely know that it happened. :)  The other thing is that Christ had to suffer a lot of things and a lot of rejection before he achieved his glory, and so do we.  Christ's suffering had a purpose, and so does ours.  We have a lot to learn, and unlike Christ, a lot to unlearn in our lives.  Sometimes it won't be very fun learning some of the more difficult lessons, and unlearning some of the more ingrained habits... but it IS worth it, because just like Christ, after the hard parts (suffering, rejection) come the good parts (acceptance, joy...) and fortunately for us, it isn't all bad and then all good... we just get the bad sprinkled around so that we don't have to deal with it all at once.  So, let’s work on learning (and unlearning), so we can get past the bad parts as soon as possible. :)

Moses 1:4

"And behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease."
Moses 1:4


The whole concept of eternity is hard to grasp (at least for me)... and so everything like this I think is amazing.  That God's work could go on without end.  I think here on earth we grow up with almost a sense of helplessness, knowing that nothing ever lasts... that you can build and build, but there will come a time when you can build no more, and so achievements and dreams are limited to the span of a lifetime.  ... with God, and with ourselves too although it is harder to see, there are no boundaries to dreams and achievements.  God showed Moses only a portion of his work, not because he was hiding anything, but just because it had yet to happen.  We can't see a snapshot of God's creations, because they continue and are infinite.  Words too... which is weird and cool at the same time.  Weird because I get this mental picture of this dictionary that just keeps growing and growing until it is the size of a planet... the language expanding.  But perhaps we shouldn't go that far, and just see that God's communication with his children never ends.  If we ever think that we have enough revelation or knowledge, we're crazy, because as long as God keeps talking there is more to be had... and as it says, they never cease. :)

Acts 5:40-41

"And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name."
Acts 5:40-41


Yesterday we were speaking of joy, and here is some more mind-boggling joy... the apostles got thrown into jail, let out by an angel and told to go to the temple and preach... which they did.  Then the people who threw them into jail go and get them from the temple after they miss them in jail, think about killing them, decide not to, and beat them instead.  Now these men come out from being beaten and are *happy* about it... that they are worthy to suffer in Christ's name. :)  They have so much purpose and joy going on that they can't be distracted from it by little things like jail and beatings... they live for the joy, and want to give that same joy to other people.  Any kind of suffering pales before the depth of that inner confidence and happiness that they have... because of Christ, and because of the Holy Ghost, which they carry with them everywhere.   If we want to be protected from sadness and depression, we can find our happiness in the same places.  We're not perfect, and there will be little bubbles of despair that get to us sometimes... but we, because we know absolutely that God is there, and because we are working on keeping the Holy Ghost as our constant companion... we can look at those moments of despair and know that we are so close to goodness and light that Satan must be panicking, trying to get us off-track.  If we wait it out, and make no mistakes that will prolong those black moments, we soon surface again and can see more clearly the oceans of joy that are there for the swimming. :)  And someday there will be no black moments, because we'll be eating and breathing joy every moment, and they won't have any room to come into our lives. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 93:33-34

"For man is spirit.  The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy;
And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy."
Doctrine and Covenants 93:33-34


Thinking about joy this evening... always a good topic. :)  And I like this scripture, talking about how we need each part of ourselves in order to have complete joy.  We can't hate parts of ourselves... can't let our spirit self and our element self be at war, because they need each other for perfect joy... and wow, what is a cooler idea than perfect joy?  Sometimes I am so happy I can't stop grinning, or there are just times when I want to go up and hug every person I see... I don't, of course, because someone would probably commit me... but it FEELS like that, you know?  And that is imperfect joy... :)  I can't even imagine... perfect joy must be utterly amazing.  ... and on that note, then isn't all of this earth-stuff totally worth it?  If we could be only partly happy without our bodies, and if it is ourselves in unity that is going to make it so we can't stop grinning for eternity... then it's all worth it.  All the learning to deal with a body... talking, walking, learning some control and fine tuning the language... even the overcoming bad habits part.  Because it is part of learning to be happier than we were... I don't know, I think that I have heard all this happiness stuff before, but tonight it is hitting me.  Why did we come to earth?  Because we wanted to be happier... and that is why we are still here, why we live every day, why we get up in the morning and why we breathe in and out every minute.  So we can find, learn, and drink in happiness.  Seems like an excellent motivation to me, and a great eternal goal for God to help us achieve. :)  (Nice of me to agree with God like that, eh?) ... anyway, so, even if you have heard it before as well... go for the happiness factor today.  Stick with God, he is leading you straight to happiness perfection. :)

John 14:16-17

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
John 14:16-17


I like the idea of having the spirit of truth in us.  That we can recognize it wherever it is during our daily walk.  I think one thing that gets to me is when things don't seem to make sense.  You can't tell if someone is sincere, or whether they are just blowing smoke... when things don't seem to fit together, but you aren't sure why.  You know something is wrong, but you don't know why, or how to fix it.  I think that the spirit of truth, if we can keep it with us, will help us with those things.  It will help us find the answers we lack, and the truth about life and love and ... everything. :)  And, as for comfort... I think we could all use some. :)  Knowing the truth is comforting in itself, I think.  It gives you some confidence... something to trust in, even when the rest of the world is a cyclone of uncertainty.

Matthew 20:9-12

"And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day."
Matthew 20:9-12


This is an interesting scripture, I think because we can relate to it from both sides.  We can understand the resentment of the people who worked for the entire day and who got paid exactly the same as the people who had only worked an hour.  It seems unfair somehow, even though they got the salary they had agreed on.  And we can relate to the people who only worked for an hour.  they didn't agree to any salary, they just went to work knowing that the man who hired them would be fair... but they still need to live, just the same as the people who were hired earlier. ... this is part of the parable of the laborers in the vineyard and to me, it seems to show how much we don't want to be equal. :)  We get upset if Joe gets hired at the company after we've already worked there 10 years, and he gets promoted before us.  We've got a lot of selfishness going on, and we find it difficult to be happy for others.  ... The thing that I wonder though, is whether *any* of us are the ones who worked in the field all day.  ... I'm inclined to think of myself in the other category, of those who have worked only part of the day.  If salvation is the penny here, do I really deserve salvation compared to say, Enoch? King Benjamin? The Three Nephites? ... any prophet at all?  ... I could dive into more detail, but it just gets more depressing.  From my perspective, if I get that penny for my work during my short time on earth, I'll be lucky. ... and perhaps one of the things that makes those prophets the incredible men that they are is that they go in knowing that they are going to be working the whole day in order to help some of us who sign on at the last minute... and they are happy for us, and want us to have what they have.  God hasn't set up a system like we have in the world, which is hierarchical and sets one person above another for whatever random reasons work at the moment.  We don't achieve heaven by being stronger or faster than the next person.  We don't even achieve heaven by being more spiritual than the next person, actually.  We are all worthy of heaven because we are children of God, and our divinity is inborn... none of us are more or less divine.  The question has never been how hard we will work or how long we will work... the question is only, will we work?  And whenever we decide to do that, whether it is the beginning or the ending of the day... no matter how long "enduring to the end" is for each of us personally... we achieve our reward not by beating out someone else, but just by being there, doing what we should do.  God doesn't grade on a curve, and our salvation isn't cheapened by the number of people who are saved.  It isn't about who can get more spirituality, knowledge, tithing receipts... children... whatever.  God isn't grading us on some point scale where we lose points for everything we do bad, and gain points for stuff we do good.  The thing that matters is who we are.  How have our earthly experiences shaped us... what have we chosen?  In the end, we're not going to be looking at some scorecard, we're only going to be looking at ourselves.  What have we done with what we were given, and who have we become?  Have we become better?  Have we helped each other?  Have we managed to get to work in the vineyard?  If so, we'll gain our salvation.  And that is all that matters... not who else got what, or what time we started. :)

Alma 19:8-10

"And he said unto the queen: He is not dead, but he sleepeth in God, and on the morrow he shall rise again; therefore bury him not.
And Ammon said unto her: Believest thou this? And she said unto him: I have had no witness save thy word, and the word of our servants; nevertheless I believe that it shall be according as thou hast said.
And Ammon said unto her: Blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith; I say unto thee, woman, there has not been such great faith among all the people of the Nephites."
Alma 19:8-10


You know, this woman's desire to believe is what strikes me this morning... and I think about the scripture in Alma 32 that compares the word to a seed... "even if you can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you..." and this woman had desire.  I don't even know her name, but this is one of my favorite figures in the scriptures.  She allowed herself to believe, despite all the apparent evidence to the contrary.  Instead of giving in to cynicism and doubt, she allowed herself to be vulnerable, and she took that step into the unknown, and trusted God, who she had never known before.  In our lives I think we all come up against moments like this, where we want to believe really strongly.  ... and usually we push the thought away, worried about appearing to be overly religious, or worried that we'll be disappointed and thought a fool for believing in the first place... there are so many many things that get in the way of giving in to that pure desire to believe.  ... but, just as with love, it takes a little vulnerability to learn faith.  We'll never see the miracles unless we can suspend our disbelief a little, take the step... trust, as a little child, that God will come through.  The cynicism and doubt are normal... expected.  We're human.  We throw up protective barriers every time we are exposed to even the slight possibility of pain or disappointment.  But to truly become better than we are... to truly taste those things that are beyond our current knowledge... we have to let go of some of that protection.  We have to risk ourselves, our thoughts, our feelings, our hearts... risk everything on the desire to believe.  The possibility of miracles. :)  And when we do, that's when we find out that it is all real... that the door to the universe stands open, and when we believe we can become anything, do anything... including reaching heaven.  including erasing the most anchored addictions.  including salvaging the most broken relationship... anything worth doing, we can do.  I'm looking forward to the walking on water class myself. :)

2 Peter 3:15

"And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you."
2 Peter 3:15


I really don't know where Paul offers this same message... but the message itself is an excellent one.  The longsuffering of God is salvation. :)  ... because of his longsuffering and patience, we have the opportunity to pick up the pieces and try again... as many times as it takes.  For us, there is always another chance as long as we are willing to continue to try.... and with all of those chances, as long as our desire and effort hold out, we're practically guaranteed success. :)  We have these chances at life and success because of God.  His educational philosophy has never been to try to weed people out of the program.  He wants us to succeed, not by offering an easy A, but by giving us practically unlimited chances to learn the material, even if we didn't do our homework the first time.  He offers study sessions weekly, and is always available for teacher conferences, even at the last second.  He loves us.  Let's put some more effort into our salvation.