Mormon 5:17-18

"They were once a delightsome people, and they had Christ for their shepherd; yea, they were led even by God the Father.
But now, behold, they are led about by Satan, even as chaff is driven before the wind, or as a vessel is tossed about upon the waves, without sail or anchor, or without anything wherewith to steer her; and even as she is, so are they."
Mormon 5:17-18


I think this is what happens to all of us when we wander away from God, even the tiniest bit.  We start losing our way, losing direction in our lives, and getting blown about.  We don't have that solid foundation in our lives anymore, and we don't know even how to stand still and get our bearings, without God.  We *need* him... we're these oceanic explorers, looking for the promised land, and when we don't have God, then we're not going to find any land, except maybe the little island of Hell that we're already very familiar with. :)  As we work on making sure that God is our first priority, then we'll be led to the promised land, whatever that is for each of us individually on this earth... and we'll be led to the promised blessings after this earth, where we'll be able to rejoice together. :)

Doctrine and Covenants 98:40

"And so on unto the second and third time; and as oft as thine enemy repenteth of the trespass wherewith he has trespassed against thee, thou shalt forgive him, until seventy times seven."
Doctrine and Covenants 98:40


This is definitely difficult, to forgive someone who makes the same mistake over and over and over again, especially when it directly affects or harms us.  However, that is what God asks of us, AND it is what God *does* for us, when we make mistakes over and over and over again, as long as we are truly repentant.  Let's try today to give other people the same opportunities for repentance and forgiveness that we would like to have.

Acts 13:28

"And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain."
Acts 13:28


I think this is interesting.  There was no reason at all to kill Christ. He hadn't done anything wrong... but we are offended by people who are doing good sometimes.  We're jealous, or just selfish.  They are in our way... they have the lives that we want... whatever it is.  We project our own feelings or thoughts onto them, and figure that they are self-righteous, or looking down on us, or whatever.  Maybe it is just paranoia, but it is easy to want to drag people that you see as better than you down, rather than trying to aspire to their level.  Today, let's try to do the absolute best we can, and honor those people who are following the commandments.  Those are the people we should be gathering around ourselves, not only to have a good example, but also because righteous friendships are one of the greatest blessings that God can give us. :)

Genesis 6:5-6

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
Genesis 6:5-6


These verses are sad.  God loves us and he does all of what he does so that we can be happy.  And then, we imagine and do so much evil.  Luckily, in our days, there are a lot of good people as well as a lot of evil people, and it isn't so one-sided.  Today, let's make sure that we stay on the good side... use our imaginations for GOOD things, and encourage only the good in others. :)

Alma 17:13

"And it came to pass when they had arrived in the borders of the land of the Lamanites, that they separated themselves and departed one from another, trusting in the Lord that they should meet again at the close of their harvest; for they supposed that great was the work which they had undertaken."
Alma 17:13


This scripture is another one that emphasizes our trust in the Lord.  I think that is something that I need to work on in my life.  I give up too easily, thinking that I can't accomplish whatever it is.  What I forget, too often, is that with God's help, I can do anything that he wants me to do.  Miracles happen every day, and as we trust in God, we find ourselves experiencing those miracles, participating in them... discovering that we are capable of more than we dreamed, especially of being faithful to God and his commandments.  Life can seem overwhelming at times, and we can come to feel as though we can't possibly do all that is expected of us... but as we focus on the present, on just what we have to do in this particular hour of the day, and as we trust God, we find that even the largest and scariest obstacles can be overcome.
The other part of this scripture that I like is the part about trusting in the Lord that they would meet again at the close of their harvest... I think that is something that we often do.  People come into and out of our lives, and sometimes we feel the absence strongly... and the way to ensure that we don't lose anyone at all is the same thing that the sons of Mosiah trusted in... in God, and in doing his will.  Someday, whether in this life or in the next, we will be reunited with all the people that we care about, and I can't even imagine having that much happiness at once... but I am definitely looking forward to it. :)

Jude 1:24-25

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."
Jude 1:24-25


I was reading this morning, and this struck me... who else but God can keep us from falling? Who can present us faultless? ... we definitely can't do these things for ourselves. We fall... and get dirty, and there we are, lying on the ground, with a skinned knee, dirty clothes, and gravel in our hair... and at those times it is easy to lose hope. It is easy to realize that we are clumsy, we fall a lot... that maybe we aren't coordinated enough to make it home. :)  But no matter how bad the fall, God is the one who can clean us up and set us back on our feet to try again. ... That doesn't mean that we don't have a responsibility to learn to walk, but it is nice to know that it is possible to get home, at times when it seems unlikely. As the scriptures continually tell us, if we put God first in our lives, then the rest will work out.  We get it wrong, a lot, and try to figure everything else out before worrying about God... it doesn't work that way.  We can't become perfect and then go to God. The truth is, we need him if we are to have ANY dream of perfection... and we need him every day, to guide us, to show us the way to happiness... sometimes we need him just to remember to breathe in and out.  Today, let's work on putting him first.  Work on THAT relationship... and retain some hope, because with HIM, everything good is possible. :)