Sunday, January 3, 2016

Spiritual Habits



The Lord will make us equal to the task. (breaking bad habits).

Self mastery, self control, self discipline are essential.

Be so involved in good habit creation and character building that there is no time to do evil.

Habit-reading the scriptures

 “Are my usual thoughts and present actions worthy of eternal life? Am I setting my sights on eternal goals and working to obtain them?” 

Anything short of our best isn’t good enough, especially in the service of the Lord.

Goodness either in a person or in a nation is not simply the absence of wrongdoing. It is a love of and practice of all things that are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.

Decide we can do it. 
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1974/10/good-habits-develop-good-character?lang=eng

Monday, November 2, 2015

Moroni 6:28



“And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.” (Moro. 8:26.)

Talks-


Remembrance is the seed of gratitude which is the seed of generosity. Gratitude for the remission of sins is the seed of charity, the pure love of Christ. And so God has made possible for you and me this blessing, a change in our very natures

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/10/remembrance-and-gratitude?lang=eng

Meekness is the quality of those who are “Godfearing, righteous, humble, teachable, and patient under suffering.”3 Those who possess this attribute are willing to follow Jesus Christ, and their temperament is calm, docile, tolerant, and submissive.

The Apostle Paul taught that meekness is a fruit of the Spirit.4 Therefore, it can most easily be attained if we “live in the Spirit.”5 And to live in the Spirit, our lifestyle must reflect righteousness before the Lord.

Being meek does not mean weakness, but it does mean behaving with goodness and kindness, showing strength, serenity, healthy self-worth, and self-control.

the first step to becoming meek is to improve day by day.

By controlling our reactions, being calm and temperate, and avoiding contention, we will begin to qualify for the gift of meekness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnQRShOKZoc&ab_channel=mormongenconf

Meekness is the real cure, for it does not merely mask selfishness but dissolves it!

selfishness is really self-destruction in slow motion.

Surging selfishness, for example, has shrunken some people into ciphers; they seek to erase their emptiness by sensations. But in the arithmetic of appetite, anything multiplied by zero still totals zero! Each spasm of selfishness narrows one’s universe that much more by reducing his awareness of or concern with others. In spite of its outward, worldly swagger, such indulgent individualism is actually provincial, like goldfish in a bowl congratulating themselves on their self-sufficiency, never mind the food pellets or changes of water.

 Whose needs am I really trying to meet?

Selfishness is actually the detonator of all the cardinal sins. It is the hammer for the breaking of the Ten Commandments, whether by neglecting parents, the Sabbath, or by inducing false witness, murder, and envy. No wonder the selfish individual is often willing to break a covenant in order to fix an appetite.

Determined to walk in his own way, the natural man often persists to the point where he is “past feeling,” having been sedated by pleasing the carnal mind (see 1 Ne. 17:45; see also Eph. 4:19). Sadly, like the drug addict, he is always in need of a fresh fix.

The severely selfish use others but do not love them.

Of unselfish George Washington it has been written: “In all history few men who possessed unassailable power have used that power so gently and self-effacingly for what their best instincts told them was the welfare of their neighbors and all mankind” (James Thomas Flexner, Washington: The Indispensable Man [1984], xvi).


Wednesday, August 27, 2014

G. Sheldon Martin Be Still

Be still using gospel principle to lower anxiety.

-Don't think about a pink elephant, think about a brown monkey.

The best way to get rid of a thought is to replace it with a selected thought.

The Best Thought to Use:
Processes the thought of the Atonement. I can be made clean, whole, raised up.


True Doctrine understood will change our attitudes and behavior.
Understanding is thinking it over and using it.

Learn to identify distorted thoughts and replace them.

"What's not quit right"
Black and White-If I am not perfect in every way I am a failure.

The sacrament can give us great courage. Because of what he did sins can be washed away, we can renew that blessing when we take the sacrament in faith and with a repentant heart.

The sacrament is a renewal of the covenant of baptism, both should be proceeded by repentance.

Prophets have dealt with inadequacies. The Lord has strengthened them.

A correct thought:  The Lord in His Great Mercy will allow me to begin again next sunday.---process this thought


We can not change the past. We must focus on the direction.

We can only see the past from the peaks we have climbed. This is a distorted view.

Look up stream. What can you change? What can you control.

The Lord wants us to focus on the direction we are headed.

Elder Scott "I testify that when a bishop or stake president says your are forgiven, know your obedience has allowed the atonement to work on your behalf. Staying guilty is not accepting the power of the atonement.

A correct thought:  Repentance is a fresh view about God and self. Direction is the Essential Key.


If we look beyond the mark CHRIST we will not feel whole.  

Distorted Thought: Righteousness is achieved through accomplishing a set of check lists.

The aim of all we do in the church is Him.

Pharasees prided themselves on their strict performance of the law.

The law became unconnected from the Savior.

OCD hand washing has become a ritual to lower their worry about germs, it is not about removing germs.

Immerse yourself in the scriptures. When reading has nothing to do with Becoming more like the Son of God.

When the gospel becomes disconnected it becomes stressful, we feel we are not growing and not progressing.

We forget the reason "why" we are doing family prayer, worship, duty, service.

The Holy Ghost will help us know what the Savior would do if He were there.

Make the most of the sacrament and the most of study- How can I be more like the Savior?
Don't forget we are becoming as the Savior.

Be righteous and doing good is better than appearing righteous.

Honestly concerned about the lives and families of our home teachers.

Right Reason we feel encouraged and inspired.
Power Thoughts
We can be cleansed.
Direction is the essential key.
Be Righteous is More Important than Appearing Righteous

He is the Prince of Peace. He can calm the storms in our life.  Walk out on to the water.

Identify Thoughts that are not True. Replace with Truth.

Find Joy in the Journey-
138:50 looked at life as bondage

Lessons that distinguish what is important.

Bad Questions:
Wouldn't life be better if......

Don't let the stress of life get in the way of what is most important... what is most important is people.
There will come a time when i will miss this.

Correct Thought: I will someday miss this day so i must make the most of it. Making the most of today will lower anxiety. 


The Savior was perfect but that didn't solve His problems and didn't have an easy go.

The church is a learning ground. At some point you will be offended.

Man what is wrong with me? Mormon leading the troops compared to Moroni leading his troops.

Correct Thought:  I should be as Christ Like as I can. I will determine to Fear God more than Man for I can not control others.

We are power at predicting the future and horrible at connecting the dots.

Think of a negative aspect of your life. --I am not dating. Won't marry. Will leave church. Will get into drugs.

--I am not dating. I will get emotionally stable. I will be prepare to date. I will marry a gorgeous girl. I will have a happy life and marriage.

Run Both Scenarios reality will fall in the middle. 

A single event is not evidence of future events.

Repenting and giving control to the Lord will result in the best possible outcome.

Correct Thought: This single piece of evidence is not enough information to predict the future, there are multiple options possible and i must work toward the best one. 

Have you ever done something like this before? 
-I got through that pretty good. Looking back 5 years you will be surprised that stressed you out.

As we strive to be as Christ Like as we can that his blessing will shower upon us but it doesn't mean we will be absolved from struggle, failure, sorrow, and loneliness.

Ok this is something negative that has happened. This is one single event. What can i do to control the next step?

Process correct doctrine.

Recap- CD2 Track 12

Can't change past.
Don't look past the Savior
Joy in the Journey
Righteousness doesn't mean everyone will love you.
Don't Negatively Predict the Future
By Grace We are Saved.

Distorted Thought- His own efforts alone will merit exaltation.

The grace of the Savior is an enabling power to help us sustain and continue in the path of exaltation.

Perfect can only come in full after the Resurrection and only through the Savior.

-Without the atonement we would be become angels to the devil. Without Christ there is no hope.
We don't not realize we need the Atonement until we know why we need it.

We will always be hungry, and He will always fill us.
We seek Heaven to obliquely. True discipleship experiencing first hand the magic of His Touch.

Correct Thought- I know I must expend my own best efforts, and my own best efforts will not be enough. Only through the Savior can I be saved. 


Be content with what we have.

Distorted Thought- The external validation equals my worth. aka callings, degress, money, talents define worth. 

Husband, Father, Priesthood Holder are our most important titles and the ones that will be Jusdge by the Savior. 

He is pleased by the Noble Servant not the Self Serving Noble.

When we seek to serve others we are motivated by charity. This is how we must live. Do not value the honors of the world. 

Make time for the sick, sorrowful, and over looked. 

The Lord will be less concerned about the external and more about the internal. 

Do not process worth by external indicators. 

Measure like Alma.
-the Lord is not asking him to be an angel
-ought to be happy the Lord as given
-this is my glory that I might be an instrument

To be used in the Hand of Lord for whatever work He would have us do.

Be the instrument pencil not the author. Be the piano not the musician. Understand your role an place and expectations. 

What is our worth?

The worth is how much people are willing to pay. How much were we worth to the Savior? What did He pay for us? 

--

Correct Thought- One day  I will stand before the Lord and He will care about how I served. I know I am worth everything to the Lord because the price he paid for me. 

Our worth is great because he paid so much for us. As we strive to be instruments we will find great joy.

Distorted Thought- In order to be calm I need to know how everything will work out. 

We will never know the future. 

The Lord knows everything and we should rely on revelation and His knowledge and move forward in stillness.

God ordered all things before the world was. "The whole of the earth"

Seeking their guidance will lower our stress. 
Why are we so concerned about it? The Lord has it. Trust that the Lord will work it out. 

DC6:36 Look unto me in every thought. Doubt Not Fear Not. 

Correct Thought- God knows everything therefore I do not need to know how everything will work out. I know he knows how to best help. Therefore I need to seek His will. 

We don't know everything
The Lord does
Probably making the best decision we can. 
Doubt not Fear Not

The Lord will make will bless it. 

The external events do not indict our worth to the Lord. 

Seek revelation because he knows everything.

He have been bought for a great price. 


We find what we seek.

Distorted Thought-Some how the negative events in my life equal all the details of reality. 

There are positive and negative in every situation.


1ne 17:2 so great were the blessing of the Lord upon us. Good living in the desert. Finding the blessing in the situation. 

Issues difficulties are the raw meats. 

Correct Thought- There are positives and negatives in every situation. When I search for the positive I will be happier. 

Distorted Thought-If that person succeeds than I failed. 

Romans 8:17 Comparison
Heirs and Joint Heirs that we may also be glorified. How could we ever merit that? 

Utcdorf-
Our team is the brotherhood of man. Our goal is to learn to love god, and to extend that love to our fellow man. We are here to build up lift treat fairly.

The battle is between good and evil and not each other. 

Don't read minds. You don't know what they think, feel, and say. We are poor at interpreting. Sometimes we say things we don't mean. 

We don;t know every situation. When we fill in the blanks we can lead to very very bad situations. 

Find what they are looking for....create self fulfilling prophecies.... and finding evidence.

Correct Thought-We communicate in a variety of ways, be act a certain way for a variety of reasons and I am only able to gather a small fraction of information. 

We are probably not even correct in what we interrupt. 

Sleep 
Exercise
Diet

Serve the Lord with all of our mind. -get an education. don't let mind be idle. dont ponder on distorted thoughts.

Be still for at least 10 minutes a day. 

The Lord is on your side.
Leave to your God to order and provide. 

He is the Prince of Peace. 
When I started to ponder, reflect and pray about true doctrine I felt better. He can heal us. He is the Great Healer. There is no affliction He can not help. 

But the works of God made manifest, let him heal me, let me seek him, let me progress, let me grow, let me be soften, let me be strengthen, let me turn to him. 

Therefore let your hearts be comforted about Zion.
Be still and know I am God. 
Turn to the Savior who with His grace will help us be still and know He is God. 

Assume everyone has a difficulty, a heart ache. +

--Anxiety is a processing issue.



Monday, July 7, 2014

Therapy

I feel like i have a messy life right now. My mind is muddle, i am anxious, and paralyzed into inactivity. I feel ashamed. The shame i am carry for not being who or what i expected myself to be creates a tempest of self criticism, blame, and regret.

I find myself living on the scraps of others taking the bare minimum that life has to offer.

I feel very alone, lost, and hopeless.

I think it is the lack of hope that is cancerous to the soul. It slowly eats away at your life until you are alone with nothing.

This is a path that leads to a tragic end.

I don't like wallowing in self pity.


Monday, June 9, 2014

Take Upon Yourself the Whole Armor of God- Lavell Edwards


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id-qndZ1Qm4

Thoughts for this devotional-

A truly humble man seeks truth, he does not create it.

The greatest will to prepare. Preparation equals success.

Hinckley- My life has been rich because it has been filled with problems to solve.

I will be ready for whenever you need me...... how great would it be to say that to the Lord.

Chose to do his very best. We are also choosing to do our best or not. The chose is ours. It will require our best to be able to receive the help and inspiration from the Lord to prepare to be at home in His Holy Home.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Tender Mercied

I am so grateful. I went to the bookstore to buy a book for my Mom and after looking for a long time I finally gave in and asked the girl at the counter to look it up. She informed me the book was not in stock and  that they had some on order.

I was so sad. I wanted to to something nice for my Mom and I knew she would love this book. I thanked her and headed toward the exit. On my way out I was thinking that good intentions only go so far. That some times we are left on our own.

Just in that moment in a section completely out of the way I looked over and saw the book. I have zero doubt that Heavenly Father granted me this simple yet meaningful act of kindness.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Anxiously Afraid....An Exposure of Lacking Faith and a Hard Heart

Why should I give space in my soul to fears and doubts. The Lord is my Keeper. I am in His Hands. I will not doubt His Power or Love. I will accept His promises and will work with zeal to create the life and future He desires.