This was actually titled back in October 2012. I knew it would one day be written but the day of I just didn't know what to say. I'm still lacking but feeling like Lehi, "I know I am a visionary man", I must go on. In the face of so much opposition but with the silent majority pressing me on. I will move on. That silent majority includes Jesus Christ whom I feel is leading me along to do better and be better.
This morning I listened to a conference address by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, October 2002. He states, "Recall the new star that announced the birth at Bethlehem? It was in its precise orbit long before it so shone. We are likewise placed in human orbits to illuminate. Divine correlation functions not only in the cosmos but on this planet, too. After all, the Book of Mormon plates were not buried in Belgium, only to have Joseph Smith born centuries later in distant Bombay."
This is profound in that at times we fail to realize just how precise the Lord is with us His children and that He has placed us in orbits of influence to bless the lives of His other children who may, in many instances be so spiritually tone deaf that they cannot hear His voice. Therefore He sends us that are in tune to the rescue.
His analogy also made me think of just how in awe we are when on a clear night we see a universe so vast with its hundreds of billons of stars and we reverence the scene. But we then forget that those stars will one day die out (some already gone long ago) whilst we humans we will live forever, yet when we look around us, many of us see others who are indeed immortal in disdain. We must begin right now to see others as our Father does we must be reborn with a new heart and a new mind, to fully repent and fully immerse ourselves in this great cause of salvation.
I know He lives and loves every person you will ever meet. Begin to see them for who they really are, be reborn!
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
Common Ground
This night sleep alludes me due to my continuing anxieties of the direction of my life and the direction of the lives of the people that I love, which includes all of you. As mentioned so many times before I have this dream of changing the whole world, literally. I have had a few discussions with some of you and you have expressed the same ideas and ideals but we all admit we like the "how" right now. I believe though in the act of doing, the "how" reveals itself. So I say unto you let us just go about doing something, doing good as was said of Jesus.
This night though as I lay on my back trying to find sleep I found myself in front of a congregation. Not necessarily a religious one but a mixed one. I saw myself leading a conversation about a particular community, you choose the setting. I was the host and at my back was a Muslim, a Baptist Minister, a Methodist and others awaiting their turn to address the concerns we came there for. My message consisted of "Common Ground."
We were there to discuss how to remake the community, to have a couple of speeches and then a breakout session where we would hash out ideas and goals on how to change the ways and lift the hearts of those that live there. My words were to the people that though we differ in many ways let us set that aside for the common ground that we share. First and foremost we are all kin. In every way we are brothers and sisters, whether you believe in a higher power or simply nature we all come from two original parents. My words were, that we all are here now and that we posses the power of change and hold the future in our hands here tonight. That we begin with cleaning up our streets. I said to them literally, "let's begin by cleaning the very streets!" We would begin by monthly calling on volunteers and cleaning the trash out of our neighborhoods. I warned them that this would take time to take hold but that soon people would no longer tolerate a littered neighborhood. But that the residents would rise up to a level of pride.
I then explained that we would knock on the doors and ask our neighbors what type of change they would like to see in the area, and that we would ask them to join us in the cause to bring it to pass. We would help dispel their doubt with the new look of the neighborhood, they would see that change is indeed possible and more hope would rise. I said unto them, we would begin there!
I then likened this work unto a small sapling rising out of the earth that would grow ever so slowly but that would rise to a great oak where the birds would flock and that it would give shade to the weary traveler and become a symbol of hope to many. "This is why we must do this", I said unto them.
I then told the ancient story of the Sons of Mosiah. How Ammon and his brethren traveled to live among the people who hated them most, and how Ammon through real service that lasted many years changed a whole society, not because he preached but because he came among them only to serve them. I said unto them, "this must be us, we are here to serve!"
I then introduced Reverend Morgan from the Southside Church of Christ to address the congregation.
All I am saying is that we have more common than differences, right down to our DNA, but yet why do we so easily allow the adversary to divide us? This reality was made ever more evident in a dream (as many of you know I am a dreamer) I had last night that I may relate later, but it made me more aware of the direction that we must take to survive the coming storm. I say there is a storm coming, promised so long ago and that it will be so severe that if we as a people our not united and prepared many will perish. Let us unite in common ground and let our roots grow together so that there wont just be one but many mighty oaks the world over. We can do this, together.
This night though as I lay on my back trying to find sleep I found myself in front of a congregation. Not necessarily a religious one but a mixed one. I saw myself leading a conversation about a particular community, you choose the setting. I was the host and at my back was a Muslim, a Baptist Minister, a Methodist and others awaiting their turn to address the concerns we came there for. My message consisted of "Common Ground."
We were there to discuss how to remake the community, to have a couple of speeches and then a breakout session where we would hash out ideas and goals on how to change the ways and lift the hearts of those that live there. My words were to the people that though we differ in many ways let us set that aside for the common ground that we share. First and foremost we are all kin. In every way we are brothers and sisters, whether you believe in a higher power or simply nature we all come from two original parents. My words were, that we all are here now and that we posses the power of change and hold the future in our hands here tonight. That we begin with cleaning up our streets. I said to them literally, "let's begin by cleaning the very streets!" We would begin by monthly calling on volunteers and cleaning the trash out of our neighborhoods. I warned them that this would take time to take hold but that soon people would no longer tolerate a littered neighborhood. But that the residents would rise up to a level of pride.
I then explained that we would knock on the doors and ask our neighbors what type of change they would like to see in the area, and that we would ask them to join us in the cause to bring it to pass. We would help dispel their doubt with the new look of the neighborhood, they would see that change is indeed possible and more hope would rise. I said unto them, we would begin there!
I then likened this work unto a small sapling rising out of the earth that would grow ever so slowly but that would rise to a great oak where the birds would flock and that it would give shade to the weary traveler and become a symbol of hope to many. "This is why we must do this", I said unto them.
I then told the ancient story of the Sons of Mosiah. How Ammon and his brethren traveled to live among the people who hated them most, and how Ammon through real service that lasted many years changed a whole society, not because he preached but because he came among them only to serve them. I said unto them, "this must be us, we are here to serve!"
I then introduced Reverend Morgan from the Southside Church of Christ to address the congregation.
All I am saying is that we have more common than differences, right down to our DNA, but yet why do we so easily allow the adversary to divide us? This reality was made ever more evident in a dream (as many of you know I am a dreamer) I had last night that I may relate later, but it made me more aware of the direction that we must take to survive the coming storm. I say there is a storm coming, promised so long ago and that it will be so severe that if we as a people our not united and prepared many will perish. Let us unite in common ground and let our roots grow together so that there wont just be one but many mighty oaks the world over. We can do this, together.
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