Five Days in the Old Testament

Last week I read through the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and the books Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. I did most of my reading at mealtimes, and would be absorbed in my reading for 45 minutes at a time. Eventually I had to break away to minister to the people here in Jesup, Georgia, but each sprint in my reading left me eager for more.

There were a few things that stood out to me as I read:

The first was the truth of a statement by Richard G. Scott: "I find precious jewels of truth spread throughout [the Old Testament's] pages." I read about how Samuel went to the Lord to talk out his problems, even though he must have known that He already knew all about it. I saw that death is not the ultimate end, and that it can even be a reward for the righteous in the perspective of God, in the story of Josiah. (2 Kings 22:19-20)


I also recognized some of the truths reported by Nephi, who was alive during the events in the latter part of 2 Kings. He said, " there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken...  save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews." I don't understand some of the parts of the culture, which makes it tough to understand the people and their stories sometimes.


And Nephi also said, "their works were works of darkness, and their doings were doings of abominations." The stuff some of those kings did were just evil. You can watch the rise and fall of the people according to their righteousness or wickedness so easily!


More on this in the future.

Samuel the prophet called (1 Samuel 3:10)

Smiling = Victory

I feel like smiling is one of my best multi-purpose tools. I can use it almost anywhere! Door approaches, meeting people on the street, teaching, testifying, resolving fear and doubt... Lots of stuff!

We know that the Enemy's purpose is to make all men miserable. So, when we help cheer someone up, we have won a small battle.  One of the most common responses to seeing a smile is to smile! I love to see people smile back at me when I smile at them.

Sometimes people smile back at a missionary, look to the other companion (who is also smiling), and look back at the first with a little headshake/smile that says, "Why in the world are these boys smiling so big?" I will tell you: We smile because we have felt a special, lasting joy that only comes through making and keeping promises with God! His reward for that kept promise is joy.

We also smile because we anticipate how happy this promise-making will make you.  We look forward to the sweet experiences you will have as you read the Book of Mormon, as you pray to God to know if it's true. We can't wait to see you shed worry and frustration because of repentance. Jesus Christ will also rejoice with you as you feel your way closer to Him. And that makes us smile, too.

Well, the "Faith Expressed" idea may not work quite the way I wanted. The extra page feature on this blog is not meant to be a blog itself, but a single, stand-alone page.
Soon I'll just bring my sketches straight into the blog itself, including the two pictures posted in the "Faith Expressed" section. Live and learn!

Coming Soon!

I hope more is coming soon. Sorry for the wait. I drew a doodle that I wanted to post to my "Faith Expressed" section last Monday, but I keep forgetting (a) my card reader or (b) my camera that has the picture in it. Monday for sure!

Maybe by then, I'll even have two pictures to post. No promises, but I want to.

Happy Mother's Day

After my post about praying to find a toy sword as a little kid, Mom sent me a picture to go with it! Thanks, Mom!

I hope this picture doesn't scare anyone.

Best. Costume. Ever.

Mother's Day is this Sunday. Do I have any stories to tell that have to do with Mothers?

Hmm. Nothing comes to mind yet. Just that Mom always, always was Mom. I mean she always loves me, worries about me, prays for me. Always had a band-aid for a knee, an answer to a question (lots of those), a solution to a problem. (Usually, "Put the book down for now, and finish your homework! Then you can read the book, and your homework will be done.)

Are Mothers important to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? Boyd K. Packer, an Apostle and teacher-leader in The Church said:

The ultimate end of all activity in the Church is to see a husband and his wife and their children happy at home, protected by the principles and laws of the gospel, sealed safely in the covenants of the everlasting priesthood.

So, are families important to The Church? Obviously, judging by the quote there. Are Mothers important to a family?

Yes. Eternally, foundationally, irreplaceably yes.

Woah! As I was putting this up, a whole category on Youtube's Mormon Channel was posted! The title? "Motherhood". Score! I recommend the one called "Mothers: An Eternal Partnership with God". Four minutes, answers my rhetorical question exactly.

Fish Story & the Spirit

I haven't fished very much, so I'm not too experienced. I don't always know how to read the signs that fish give. A few weeks ago I had a line in the water, rigged for catfish. First came the little tug, and I set the hook. That was something I had done before. Then the fishing line did something I hadn't seen before: it zoomed straight away from me, really fast.

I thought, "Huh, that's a fast fish." Then the fish hit the end of my line. "Woah! That's a big fish!" It was a stronger tug than I had felt yet. As it turned out, it was only big to me, the biggest fish I've ever caught, a little under two and a half pounds.

The speed of the fish would have told an experienced fisher that it was a good size. I had no idea. But the tug the fish gave left no doubt for me, even though I couldn't see it.

There can be a spiritual comparison made here. Some of the signals that the Spirit gives us need experience to understand, like the speed of my fishing line showing that I had hooked a big fish. Some signals cannot be misunderstood, like the strength of the fish when it reached the end of my line. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it was bigger than the other fish I had been catching.

If you worry that the Spirit never talks to you, give yourself time. It can take experience to recognize the little signals the Spirit gives us. Don't underestimate the importance of the messages that you have understood in the past, remember them and treasure them. If you think you have no experiences at all, wait. The fish will bite eventually.

If you have felt the definite tugs, as the Spirit has talked to you, listen! Don't ignore them or let them fade from memory. Follow those tugs. The Spirit is there to guide us closer to Jesus Christ. We all need that.

Eventually, if we keep our line in the water, well get our fish!

Ninja Must Pray

When I'm conscious of how I pray, I ask for better things and get stronger answers. Example: Imagine a six year old boy on Halloween night looking for his ninja sword. He can't find it in his toy box, under the table, or in the closet. His Mom hasn't seen it. His sister doesn't have it. What can he do?

Well, I'll tell you what I did when I was a six year old sword-less ninja just minutes before trick-or-treat time. I prayed. I asked Heavenly Father if he would please help me. I wanted to find my toy sword so I would be a real ninja on Halloween. Then, I got up from my knees and went back to looking. After another ten minutes or so (longest ten minutes of my life) I found that sword lying in the grass in the front yard.

Since this happened, God has answered many, many more prayers, some much more serious than that early prayer.

I said that to say this: Heavenly Father wants to give us blessings, but He waits to give us some of those blessings until we ask for them.

Don't forget to pray. He is waiting to hear from you! The richest blessings come by asking. Be sure to ask for the right thing; if I had asked God to bring my sword to me, instead of asking Him to guide me to it, maybe I wouldn't have found it. We need to ask for the right things.

God lives, and He hears and answers our prayers. My prayers go out to everyone that reads this. May you find the things that matter most, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.