A Good Sunday

This has been a good week for me spiritually. First of all my eyes of judgement again were lifted and I was able to see a child of God as He sees them. For a few years I have struggled to understand this individual and Friday I was able to see something that softened my heart and in turn I was able to share the experience with Kent and I believe he too softened his heart. For many years in college I really struggled with being judgemental and I had a great change of heart, but it is still a sin that I struggle with at times.

I think that today was the icing on the cake that I needed. First of all we had the lesson of reverence out of the Spencer W. Kimball book. I really needed that lesson. I didn't realize how irreverent I am and what I can do to change. I promise to work really hard to change my irreverence. In fact these are my reverence goals: First I want to be early to church every Sunday so I can sit and listen to the prelude music. Next I want to be more sensitive to people taking the Lord's name in vein and if I hear it I want to change the channel or correct those whom I hear using it. Finally my last goal is to keep my talking in the chapel down to an absolute minimum and if necessary to talk I will exit to the foyer to do so. I will try to be better at using the sabbath day for worship only.

Then I realized in sunday school how great my desire is to preread the sunday school lessons. The teacher was asking the class if anyone knew what happened in this bible story and NO ONE raised their hand... not even me. There used to be a time when I preread the lesson and I knew what was going on, and I'd like to learn the scriptures for myself not from what the teacher tells me they read. Also the lesson helped me to realize how the Lord loves all people and His judgement does not keep Him from extending His hand of love. I too need to reach out and show more love to those around me. As well I need to gain a testimony of all of our latter-day doctrines so I can be faithful and support the prophets fully.

Now on to our great sacrament meeting. The first speaker returned from her mission to Germany three months ago. She spoke of the joy that came from people who joined the gospel. She also spoke of an Iraqi whom she taught. She said that he had all kinds of troubles and one day he found himself on his knees in prayer. Now this isn't uncommon for a man of muslim faith, but what was uncommon was that he found himself praying in the name of Jesus Christ which was something he was always taught not to do. Two days later he was found by the missionaries and received the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then this sister spoke of two people she had taught one who had been baptized and them rejected the gospel. The other was preparing to be baptized and decided the night before not the be baptized. She was so saddened by the choices of these two, but realized that in the gospel of Jesus there is always hope for us to change. If not now then we may change later.

Finally a member of the high counsel came and spoke to us. He said many things that spoke to my heart, but one thing in particular struck me and that was that when life gets hard we want an easy button like the staples commercials show, but God is smarter than that. As the saying goes, "I never said it would be easy, only that it would be worth it." I would love an easy button, but I am grateful for an all knowing God that has allowed me to struggle so that I might remember to turn to Him and follow Him. I am so very grateful to my Savior whose heart holds a place just for me. I am thankful that I reread the sacrament hymn #187 today to learn that truth. "What debt of gratitude is mine, That in his off'ring I have part And hold a place within His heart." I hope and pray that I may do better in this coming week in holding Family Home Evening with my family. I also pray that I will read my scriptures and say my prayers faithfully.