A THOUGHTFUL PLACE

TESTIMONY THURSDAY

A sweet friend asked me to speak of my 'testimony of the Book of Mormon". True to the  title of my blog "The Journal of Lost Things", I realized that I had not verbally bore this testimony in quite a long time, even though I read it often and teach it much. I was surprised at what literally "poured out of ". I am so happy that deep inside of me, the Lord is fighting for me, and helping me to remember what is most important, at least in my life.

I feel like, that my testimony of the Book of Mormon really stood out to me was when I found myself at times,  quoting many of the verses in context, while speaking with some of my “church going” neighbors, friends and family members who were not of our faith .And I wasn’t ashamed to do it. Now this may not sound like much, but I do and have frequently quoted scripture from the Bible to various people, in the context of either teaching or bearing my testimony.  But there have been many times when my neighbors would dispute the validity and truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and also the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I had to represent!!

When I was investigating the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS; Jenny Provance was my “super” Missionary. Her mission was to literally prepare me for baptism. She proceeded (with firmness) to review the Book of Mormon with me, and helped me understand what I struggled to know, even though my testimony was fledgling .She helped me to focus on knowing that the Book of Mormon is the true testament of Jesus Christ, and in turn I came to know also that Joseph Smith is the Prophet of the Restoration of the gospel of Christ. Needless to say it was overwhelming.

My testimony was further strengthened when I was called as a teacher, first in Primary, in which I learned so much from the children, who really taught me the book of Mormon. And now for the past 3 years I have been teaching Gospel Doctrine. Last year, I had the opportunity to “teach” the book of Mormon for the first time, and I prayed to know how approach the book, and then how to apply it in the best way for the class to learn. It was so intimidating, because I still felt like a “newbie” and I worried that I could not possibly teach this book to those who had been in the Church their entire lives. I thought that they would surely call me out as a phony. This scripture in Doctrine & Covenants 45:13-14 helped me to know what the will of the Lord is toward those who earnestly seek to “know” how to apply the truth’s of the Book of Mormon in their lives. 13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world. 14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful

 I realized that I needed to continue to build up my testimony of the book of Mormon, lesson by lesson. And I was impressed to know that if I would just read the chapters for the lesson, literally the Holy Spirit would “open my mind” and soften my heart so that I could become teachable. In response, my class would feel the Spirit as we were all being taught.  I am continuing to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon; I can honestly say that I love this book; it is so much more a powerful testament than we give it credit for. I am slowly realizing what a gift it is to us from a Loving Savior, who provided it as an integral means to our salvation. Think about the enormity of that statement. The book of Mormon is the light that we literally shine to the world. It kind of puts every little aspect of our humanness into perspective 

And I say these things, in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ!!!!!!!!!


TobyMac - Move (Keep Walkin') (Live)

My Portion (Ps 73)

If Raven has come visiting you it can mean any number of things. Most powerful of all is the synchronicity that Raven assures you is pending. He is a master of bending and folding time and space so that you are exactly in the right moment at the right time. As a messenger you are reminded that those around you are reflecting back at you the things you most have to learn about yourself.Know that when Raven appears that magic is imminent. Raven is about rebirth, recovery, renewal recycling and certainly reflection and healing. He signifies moving through transitions smoothly by casting light into the darkness.

1 Kings 17:1-16

 Elijah the Tishbite, the word of the Lord came unto him saying: Get thee hence, and turn eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith that is before Jordan. And it shall be that thou shall drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. And he went and did according unto the word of the Lord; for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith that is before Jordan.

And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening and he drank of the brook.   

And the rest of the story goes that the brook dried up, and the Lord directed Elijah to Zarephath, to a suicidal widow who was considering the dire state of her existence, but was moved to compassion to help Elijah She not only fed him but befriended him, and in effect nursed him back to health. There are two stories here; the first is the ravens bringing Elijah food and drink, which is totally out of character for that species. A raven is known for being a voracious scavenger, eater and selfish at that. A raven would not make a good “carrier pigeon, because it would not typically return to the one who sent it, case in point Noah.

Noah sent out a swallow, a dove and a raven. The first two came back, but the raven did not. So I imagine that the Lord had to “re-teach” the ravens, and change their hearts so that they would have compassion on Elijah, and they would share of their hard earned scavenge, maybe even giving him the choicest morsels. So the brook dried up; and notice that the definition of the name of the brook Cherith means “a cutting, a separation”. Sometimes the word “cutting” refers to “cutting a new covenant”.

After my husband died, I went around my house, looking through his things, to see if he may have left a note, or scribble or something that would lead me to him. But my husband was not a writer; he was though a prolific story teller, a BS spreader and the like. He was a Welshman, moody and sentimental, given to weepy expressions of love and caring. He would leave messages on my phone, by singing songs he made up. (I still have 2 on my office answering machine.) The only thing I found was a couple of dollars in two new wallets that I gave him. (Which he never used), I looked in his Scriptures, and where most people scribbled, he did not, so even though he read his scripture, most of the pages are pristine. No love letters, no messages on scraps of paper. But what he did do was to always make a point, when talking to our friends and neighbors, to tell these people how much he loved me, how much I meant to him, what a wonderful wife I was. (Unknown to me), so I have found that at my lowest points, that when I really need to hear someone “say something to me”, in kind words, a neighbor will come and tell me these things. We have a neighbor who is a “curmudgeon”. He is this weird, little old guy (lol) who was a gear head like my husband. And they would compete with each other to wee who had the most tools, special tools and tools hard to find. He didn’t talk much and to this day I don’t know his name, but on Christmas he knocked on my door, and gave me a beautiful flower arrangement. He told me how much he missed my husband. So a “raven” brought a crust of bread to my door.

Last year, I prayed to be able to “put things into perspective”, that my grief would not overwhelm me, that I could just not remember the hard parts. There are a lot of hard parts, and just like any “random request” like that, with no stipulations, everything is relative, and so the “the place of forgetting” is forged. My days go fast, like hours, my weeks run like days. I hold on tight to every moment that is important to me so that I can at least be “present”. I have misplaced a lot of stuff, and I have re-bought things at least twice.  The absence of love leaves a void; the absence of touch leaves a soul to become stunted in its growth.

In this story, I am “the widow” of Germantown. Not suicidal, but blessed with an abundant spirit of love and compassion. The one thing that really sustained me after the funeral was my friends and neighbors really looking out for me. People would bring me meals, groceries, money, etc. I would come home from work and find care packages, and luckily for me the squirrels did not run off with them. (There is a special kind of squirrel/rodent that lives in my “hood”. They are trained even to open packages from the mail man). People would come and take care of me and I have made some really loyal friends now. I suppose that any friend who can manage you when you are a blithering idiot (which I was at times) is a keeper. Let's give the Lord a praise.

The Lord is my portion:

FIX IT FRIDAY: unstuck

Have you ever wondered how “Pooh bear” got his head wedged in that honey pot? I mean, when I was a kid, my brother and I loved all of the “Winnie the Pooh” adventures; kids don’t know what they’re missing these days. Secretly I wished that  Christopher Robin as my brother. He was so cool and wise beyond his ears. One reason why “Pooh” was always getting his head stuck, was that he was a greedy little “honey” bear. He would eat and eat and then try to waddle off and climb thru the Bunny’s small door, or he would get stuck in a beehive tree, or worse he would just stick his too big head into the opening of a “too small” jar. But here is the annoying thing about Pooh, he never really learned from those episodes of “stuckness”. He forgot as soon as another honey pot came into play. He didn’t have a “plan”, to either avoid getting stuck, or how to get unstuck.  

It occurred to me that getting stuck is like a record skipping at the same place, a loop if you will. I have been stuck for a minute, and I totally ignored it. I seemed to just let it pass as if trying to get unstuck and moving forward was not very important. But it wasn’t until I found myself with one foot wedged in the past and surprisingly my other foot stuck in the present. It’s been a pretty painful situation and it has come to a head, I had to shoot up a flare for help from my Heavenly Father. Jesus is on it, right away. I realize as I am trying to unstuck myself, that this situation sometimes comes about because of pride, of laziness, and of “Holding on to the safe place of the past, It doesn’t fit anymore and like old clothes, it needs to be passed down, there is a pressing need for us to let go.” I am letting go of the past and asking for help. Stronger is just around the corner…. I have been walking on water, sort of like Peter, but this is not a miraculous thing, it is more like Nephi, being led by the spirit not knowing where I am going. But I do know, and that place is like a beacon shining before me, and I am almost there.

The best place that we can live, is in the love of the Father and his son Jesus Christ. I feel that love, I am that love      

U2 Bono & The Edge Perform 'Stuck In a Moment' on David Letterman

Sing-a-long Wednesday

FIRST LOVE:
1 JOHN 4:19 We love Him, because he first love us.

Today is sing a long Wednesday, not too many words, just singing, and worship . Do you remember your first love? We all do, they were the ones that made our hearts flutter, caused us to stammer, sleepless nights, and all that. But more and more, I know for a surety that the Savior is our first love and rightly so. Maybe you think that the term "first love" is a number, a time and situation. It is not, first means higher, greater, no comparison. The first to love, literally means that Jesus invented it, placed his seal on it. Our goal should be to love as he loves.He is the Teacher.     

Hollyn - Alone (Feat. TRU) [Official Lyric Video]

Alone

Hollyn

Fell for You first day that I met You
Never dreamed that I ever could forget You
But black and white make a mess when it turn to grey

Sunlight came sweepin' cross the window
Rewind to the time when we were so close
Got me longin' for yesterday

But Lord You know me so well
I can be a little punk sometimes

But don't leave me, leave me alone
Bust down the door to my heart like it's Your home
Don't need no keys
I'm on my knees
Begging You please
I've gotta settle this thing once and for all
You got my heart my soul You can have it all
I'm on my knees
Beggin' You please
Beggin' You please Lord, don't leave me alone

Don't leave me alone
Through the tears, through the pain comes a new day
Blown away still amazed You pursue me 

…

I really like this song, it really makes you appreciate that the Lord will speak to us in a language that we can all understand. Sometimes it's Rap or Hip hop, Maybe Gospel,inspirational or whatever. But no matter, songs are like prayers, and the prayer of the righteous is like a song to the Savior.
Holla   

wellness

carl bloch

John 5:5-6One man there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him lying there and realized that he had already been there a long time. He said: Do you want to get well.

I love finding those little surprise statements in scripture, this one; Jesus seeing this man, lying on the ground or floor or whatever by a pool. He realized that this man had already, been there a long time.  

• had already,
• been there
• a long time

Now, that puts a different spin on this tale, because the man himself verifies it, by making an attempt to explain to the Lord why he was "still " down there on the floor, and that's why he has footprints all over him from being literally trampled underfoot. But it's not about why he was still on the floor,Jesus is concerned that he had been there a long enough and it was time for a hand up for this good brother. He didn't make him feel bad, or even ask again like others have done, how long have you been down there? How long has it been since your husband or wife or family have walked away from you, or died? Has the statute of limitations on "having a hard time" passed? I am so glad he didn't ask him if had been to THERAPY. Because having a hard time gives you a special kind of crazy, that only the Lord himself can heal.

Can you imagine, that maybe you were homeless and sleeping in the street. Or worse, you tripped over your shoe,and fell in public, oh the horror!! Because you know, now days people will not help you up in public, worse they may call 911 because you are causing a public nuisance. But as you fell,maybe you hit your head, or worse damaged your pride, and if you keep your eyes closed, maybe people will step over you, kick you while you are down. But you hear a voice, and someone is tapping you, touching your face. The Voice says "Hey Buddy, buddy, are you ok, do you want to be well? Do you want to be made well?

It is well with me, I am a prize fighter, I get knocked down, and even sucker punched by this life, by this world. But Jesus, is in my corner, he is laying down on the mat, right beside me, saying, "Hey buddy, buddy "I love you, be well"

 

  

It Is Well:Kristene DiMarco // You Make Me Brave

Today is Thursday sing along, and there is also a bonus you tube. Love all of you  




Francesca Battistelli - This Is The Stuff (Live Fan Video)

Thursday Devotional: "The power To be........

Four days into the New Year, hang on it is going fast, maybe even faster than 2016. I have the impression that there will be no "lull in the action" so to speak. I thought about some resolutions, but I need revelation more. So here it is, not a list, but a word. I had the opportunity to meet Elder Kim Clark last year, he was speaking at our Ward Stake Conference. His message was so important to us that he was "the only speaker" aside from the Stake president and some who bore their testimonies. (there is a link to his talk at the end). His message was so heart piercing, so phenomenal that we had what could only be described as a "Mormon Pentecostal meeting." He blew our minds with the gospel. And yet he wasn't speaking anything more than what had been said. But he showed love for us, and concern for our well being. He "disrupted" our complacency, he shook us awake with what we already knew to be true. I am forever changed and in process of changing and shedding unnecessary layers that stand in the way of God's truth, of "becoming" better. Being refined in the refiners fire.
Pray for me.

Our challenge is to become more profitable servants

I learned that we needed to ask ourselves two questions. I believe these are the questions whose answers will lead us to do what we need to do to prepare for what lies ahead. Here they are: (1) What am I doing that I should stop doing? and (2) What am I not doing that I should start doing?Elder Kim B Clark

Deep learning is “an increase in the … power to Know, to Do, and to Become.”¹² It definitely means increased knowledge, but it also means increased understanding of the heart. It means increased skill and capacity to act. It means increased strength of character, including integrity, courage, and kindness.Deep learning is inherently a spiritual experience. Elder Kim B Clark

https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/satellite-training-broadcast/2015/08/encircled-about-with-fire?lang=eng

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Music for a Thursday, Sidewalk Prophets...... Keep Making Me

LOVE....actually

Happy New Years to my faithful 6 (?) What?
Today is Tuesday, but really Monday. It's raining here, traffic , etc etc.Got some "good feels", some praise worthy music, something to think about. Today's question "Is love a miracle"?

So Love is on my mind, dunno why, but it makes  good topic. 
Food and love go together so check this out,
and when you do, invite a friend, no matter where they are, to have a bite.

So I am going there............
Have you had your breakfast yet, or whatever meal you haven't had.



Knorr #LoveAtFirstTaste

Now after all of that, you may want to do a Happy Dance, 
The Mike is now Open

Tasha Cobbs Put a Praise On It
We're having a Pentecostal dance party, It's okay, its early  

God has not ceased to be a God of miracles. 16 Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous works of God? 17 Who shall say that it was not a miracle that by his word the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word man was created of the dust of the earth; and by the power of his word have miracles been wrought? mormon 9:27-28