70x7!

I love when Jesus Christ speaks in Scripture! The particular time I am thinking about is in Matthew 18:21-35.

In this story the disciple of Christ, Peter, asks the Master "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?"

The Master answered him saying " I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." The Lord, when he came, gave us a "higher law" than, in the previous time, the Law of Moses. In the law of Moses it says an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth, but he says:

"38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." (Matthew 5:38-39)

Since he has given us all this new "charge" or commandment, he expects us to love our neighbor as ourselves, which means treat them better. Q. And who is our neighbor? A. Everyone we come in contact with.
 This principle applies to who is our brother?  Everyone we come in contact with would be our brother. Q. How often do we need to forgive our brother? A. Every time! (Doctrine and Covanants 64:10 explains this.)
 Which is supported again by this parable in Matthew 18. He goes on to say how the servant who owed a debt received a forgiveness of it then he himself went out and made someone else pay him a debt much smaller than the one just forgiven. The moral I get out of this story is a very special one. I feel like this is telling me to not judge others because I do not  agree with them. It also tells me that if I receive forgiveness of my many sins and then judge someone who commits smaller sins I receive a harsher judgment in the end. It drives me to try and be a better person. I try to look at others through the eyes of Christ.  Here is a link to a video of the story quoted above. (The Video!) Watch it and share with me how it made you feel. You can go to this Facebook page and leave a comment there. :)

Flying above the clouds

This is a very fitting topic for today. Here in Fayettville there has been a tornado watch and the weather is very rainy and windy. I got this idea from a video message that will be linked later.
Life is as good as you make it. you can choose to look at a half full glass of water or a half empty glass of water. We cannot change the volume of water in the cup, however we can change our outlook, our angle of looking at the glass and other things to change the outlook on the glass.
Our positive outlook can change the hardness of a task and can make a task more rewarding than another. watch the video and see what you like about this topic.



In the video how he said from a pilots view you only need to climb a little higher and the sun is still there! I loved that part. There are so many "storms" that we cant change in life like one of his was being without work and having to support his family. It was hard for him he just had to "gain altitude" or change his outlook and it made him more happy.
We too can fly above the clouds of life. It doesn't matter who you are, where you have come from, or what has happened we CAN fly above the clouds and change the way we see things to be more happy. I have seen this in my life as I try to look at the positive things in life I realize that my life starts to change and I notice that I get what ever I am seeking for. If I look negatively I get negative if I look positively I am more positive. I like being positive! It makes the sun shine day or night!

What is Our Pouch Filled With?

Wow! Are we missing those small little fleck of gold?  lets see!

Just as the young prospector was blinded by searching for gold nuggets so heavy he couldn't carry them, we too meet people who are "blinded" by the busyness of life. There are those people who are like the old man and help others when in need. They take the time to teach and love those who they meet. The old man was very wise and was persistent to help, show, lead, and guide his new friend in finding the gold that would make him rich. The older man taught, and as he did, the young man began to enjoy the exact same activity; only now, because of his friend, he was finding the gold that made the situation worth it.
How can we share what we know with others to help them enjoy this life, and the many different situations it brings? A challenge this week to all the readers is to try and be a teacher, just as this old prospector was, to someone who is feeling down about their "river with no gold."
 I promise that you will be able to find someone in the next few weeks that you can help see their gold in their river. You might be able to do this by showing them the gold you have already found. Show that it is not necessarily all nuggets, but small flecks! I would love for you to share your experience on the Facebook page:Called to Serve.

Which son are we?

So How does this apply in our day? That is a great question! there are many things this story of the prodigal son teaches us. When I read this account in Luke 15 I always feel that our father cares more about where we are now than where we were yesterday. We have all gone out and squandered something throughout our lives whether it is something that our parents gave us or something that we worked hard for. It might have been $20 and your parents said "now don't go spending this all in one place," and we did it anyway. So in a sense we have all been the younger son who wasted a gift. My companion when he reads this story he thinks of how we should not be jealous of what others get and also not if they are as blessed as we are. Both of these are true and I feel they are both things that our father in heaven would have us get out of this story. Here is a great video! See if you can see these points and see what other points we haven't mentioned. If you like something in the video please leave a comment.