Not sure what to write bt something always comes...

This is a blessing I need to show thankfulness for.

Many times in my life, especially as of recent I've been priviledged to suddenly notice or feel or been given what to say or do in a moments notice. I don't know the path, I didn't know the way but I put in the work, exercised my faith and the right thing came about and the best thing came to be.

Lives and hearts are saved when we follow the Spirit and just trust in it's influence.

I just want to make today simple:

- I'm grateful that things change. I have no words to express this...

I'm in awe how God helps all things come to be and if we follow and don't resist, even the most trying and painful of experiences can produce miracles not only in our lives but the lives of others and in ourselves.

-I'm grateful that God really can and does change our very nature if we are willing and ask, so much so that we truly become a different person:

One of my greatest sadnesses I carry is for the way I once was and yet I am grateful fo this because it stays as a constant reminder of who I never want to be again. It kills me that that ones I love most where hurt by such a person but he is no more and for this I am ever grateful to the Lord.

"The gift of the Holy Spirit adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, invigorates and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.

In the presence of such persons one feels to enjoy the light of their countenances, as the genial rays of a sunbeam. Their very atmosphere diffuse and thrill, a warm glow of pure gladness and sympathy, to the heart and nerves of others who have kindred feelings, or sympathy of spirit…”
(Parley P. Pratt, p. 101-102 “Key to the Science of Theology”)

This is one of my faovrite quotes and one that I now treasure more and understand and hafv a testimony of more than I ever did before.

There is no deeper and greater joy then to connect and know God. Our very eyes, minds, eyes and lives and hearts open up. We can see more, feel more, understand more and grow more when we come to not only undersatnd him but to listen to Him and recognize His voice and presence throughout our lives.


It's amazing how doubt and fear create this tunnel vision in our hearts so that we can feel all this God is doing for us and when our hearts open up, everything around us becomes this beautiful gift that we can clearly see was created just for us.


I believe I understand even more greatly why the Lord says to love your enemies...

It's so that you can see that you have no enemies. Love will change you and change the way you see and feel for others.


-Vision:

How my life has opened up:

Lately I've been pondering about having vision in my life based on certain particular apsects of my patriarchal blessing and this recently has come into my mind and helped me a great deal.

First off, one cannot maintain commitments and have true vision until they have truly learned to apply and use the Atonement in their life. TYhe faith and experience of the power to the Lord's ability to change things is one of the only things that can help us to have and maintain a trust and faith to not only produce the changes we require in our lives but without that change of heart, our hearts and minds will seek things with the wrong intent or direction.

I experineced this fully before. Things I wanted so badly to change but I felt helpless to do them or believe they could occur. Now it's a different story: if God approves, it can and will happen if I just put in my best efforts and faith.

Anyways, here's something that truly opened my heart and even instigated the process of repentance in my heart and life:

One night the sudden impression came to me as I was pouring my heart in prayer (always pour your heart, otherwise in my opinion it's not prayer) to the Lord concerining the kind of mna I need to be and suddenly this came to my mind:

What kind of men and women do you want your children to like? Then be the kind of man that will help them and show them that kind of example.

Ever since then I've been striving to be and have the qualities and live my testimony to the degree and change my life to the degree that I know my children will see and impress upon them the kind of men and women they can be and ought to seek.

This has changed me in so many ways: from the kinds of goals I seek, the work I sought to do, manner in which I interact with others.

At the end of everyday, I ask myself: how did I do? how did I measure up to the vision of the kind of man I need to be for my children?

This impression has blessed me to no end. I hope it blesses yours.

Go to bed this night and pray for guidance and ask the Lord to help reveal to your the kind of man or women the Lord would like for you to be for your children. Write each quality down and then set goals, even patterns of the kind of person you want and seek to be and ask consistently to always be the best husband/ father or wife/ mother that you could be each day, even if you don't have children inyour life.

You may not see them but you have them regardless. I promise you this.

I have little to say today.

Let me know what you think.

I hope you are having a wonderful day!

Live with purpose and live for God!