I can write down one thing a day to be thankful for. I can write an uplifting message.
I want to improve my photography. I want to take a photo a day, a good one, one that is well thought out. It may or may not be what I am thankful for.
Scriptural thoughts for today:
Abraham 1:11 - virtuous daughters. they were of the linage of Noah. they were the lord's covenant daughters, they knew and they lived it by choice. they died because of what they believe, in a living God. they would not turn to the world, they had no interest in it.
When I hear the word 'virtue' I think of 'cleanliness and purity'. I want to live a virtuous life.
Going to Mark 5:30 the Savior felt his 'virtue' leave him as his robe was touched by someone who was unclean.
Symbolic, first of all, that we can find virtue (cleanliness and purity), or as the footnote states, power and strength through the Savior.
Symbolic that he felt it leave him. We feel it leave, do we get it back or slowly become ok w/o it? Symbolic that uncleanliness leads to loss of strength and power.
Symbolic that by having virtue and developing that character trait we are prepared to be with God. If she was prepared and touched His robe, would His strength have left Him?
Yesterday at institute we talked about Sampson. Know the story, but have never read through those chapters, and at least had them impact me. Was good to review his story and who he was.
Judges 14-16 - This man was given a gift from the Lord. He taunted others with it. He was proud. Does he even remember who gave him that gift? He certainly wasn't a worthy servant of the Lord, but he still maintained his gift from the Lord, by holding onto his hair.
Symbolic that the Lord never took away what he had given Sampson. He will never take away, it is us that leave. Only by Sampson telling Delilah what his gift was, making himself completely vulnerable to her, knowing she was going to exploit that, because she had several times, did he actually lose it. He had forgotten.
Symbolic making ourselves vulnerable to the one who wants to hurt us. He was strong, yet he let her tie him up... three times! He wanted to show her no one could hurt him, so he kept letting her tie him up. What made him choose to actually tell her the truth about his gift though? Why did he make the choice to leave the Lord? He certainly wasn't behaving in a way which makes us think he knew the Lord. He had become so numb that I suspect he really didn't know the impact of his decision, which is how Satan works.
Had he really forgotten? After he is taken away, blinded and imprisoned. He called to the Lord, so he could have revenge! The Lord didn't answer his prayer because of Sampson's change of heart. He destroyed that building to show them all the God of Sampson is God, not to be confused with Dagon, the Philistine's God, who they thought had delivered Sampson to them. It wasn't Dagon, it was Sampson himself who gave himself to them. God will not be mocked and reminded us here that He is ruler of all, despite our choice to be with him or not. I see that in my life. Choices everywhere to not acknowledge He is the true and living God. To not use our gifts and acknowledge they do indeed come from a Father that loves us and wants for us to reach to Him, not for His own power and well-being, but for our own.
I ask myself why the Lord would give such a gift to Sampson. I believe we are all eternal creatures with talents and tendencies that create who we are. Why would the Lord give something so powerful to someone who surely had tendencies of pride and arrogance in the pre-mortal world? I answer myself... why not? This journey is all about changing who we have a tendency to be into what God wants us to be... like He is. None of us is perfect, no one would act perfectly with any gift they are given. We will each be tested to see what we'll do with our gifts and earthly experience, so what will we choose? What will I choose?
From today's post at DCTC I am reminded, through the creation, of God's love. Christ assisted in all of God's creation's except man. I know as an artist I have a certain measure of care and heart that I've put out there into each creation. I imagine that by creating man, God could give each of us a part of Him, to cling to while we are here on earth.
Last, from my BofM reading yesterday
2N 28 - Stirred unto repentance. Lord keeps urging to repent and come to Him. In these last days when the world has forgotten Him, he will take drastic measures to remind us all that He is, repent, be clean, and come unto Him.
v. 21 - pacify and lull them into carnal security, all is well in Zion. Complacency, no need to really try, and by not making a choice and strengthening our conviction to that choice we are led away. In the book 'God Wants a Powerful People' by Sherri Dew she says '... constant exposure to evil and evil-doing unfortunately breeds familiarity, then tolerance, followed by begrudging acceptance, and finally endorsement.
Today I'm thankful for:
FHE book for the year. I want to plan lessons for the month on the first Sunday, so all the planning is done, just need to execute. I'm SOOOOO bad at FHE, but continue to feel prompted to DO IT! I hope this helps me.
Finding the day seems to be the challenge. Monday's are no good. Tuesday's are busy. I need to do it Wednesday.
Photo:
looking out my window upstairs, taken through the windows and blinds.
No comments:
Post a Comment