Box Smashing Thoughts

adilsifosijfwlekfuojlhcjflmeoiwehroldilkcioejmlaehioahwofneiowiejwn!  That's how I feel sometimes.  Today, it's kinda been one of those days.  Last night my companion and I went to be excited.  We had the whole next day booked and it was going to be awesome.  But, things don't always go as planned....

After the alarm went off and I realized that my dream had been a dream, my cold hit me.  My head felt three times bigger than it actually was.  The day proceeded with not one, not two, but six cancelled appointments.  One right after another.  Luckily, my companion and I had some backup plans in store, but still.

At one point this morning, we found ourselves smashing boxes.  I gladly took this opportunity to smash out some of my frustrations and did some thinking amongst the destroying.

My thoughts were about some of life's great questions.  Why am I here?  What is my purpose?  Today, the questions was more direct: "what am I doing here, knocking on doors and having no one answer?  Why is it that no one can meet with us today?"  With each box being taken apart one by one, I realized something.  There are days where the Lord builds us up.  Step by step like the boxes.  Someone, at some point, wanted that cardboard as a box, and made it such.  But "1 sometimes the Lord brings us low, before He can lift us higher."

At one point or another, we all face challenges.  It is a part of life.  These challenges are meant to make us stronger.  To teach us something.  One thing that I have learned from today is to keep smiling, no matter what.  I know that as I have kept a smile on my face, I have noticed all the little blessings around me.  Even on a foggy Eureka day, there is beauty and wonder to behold.  Being sick has helped me to see how awesome it is to be healthy (still working on being grateful for this one....but it's coming).  Above all, it has reminded me of how truly wonderful good friends are (ie. my companion).

 Why do you think we are given bad days?  How have you overcome them?

Dinosaurs come from.....

A few nights ago I was asked this question: "what is your belief about dinosaurs?"  What small child hasn't played with, pretended to be, or dreamt about dinosaurs?  Well, as we all know, I am still that small child.  The question made me think back to the beginning of my mission, many moons ago.  Admittedly, I wasn't the best at always using my time wisely.  This question came to my head and I decided to find out the answer.


What did the Bible say about dinosaurs?  Nothing.  The Book of Mormon?  Nothing.  Dead end after dead end.  Of course, I can speculate and propose the "doctrine of Sister Nestman", but we all know that would be incredibly blasphemous.  So we won't go there.  I answered the question of this individual with my simple answer "I don't know."  Honest and precise.  But, my companion Sister Tucker had the answer.

She whipped out her scriptures and said "well, the answer is right in the Bible dictionary under 'Mystery.'"  All I could think was "No way?!?!?!  How could I have missed that?!"  Looked it up, and this is what it says:

Mystery. Denotes in the N.T. a spiritual truth that was once hidden but now is revealed, and that, without special revelation, would have remained unknown. It is generally used along with words denoting revelation or publication (e.g., Rom. 16:25–26; Eph. 1:9; 3:3–10; Col. 1:26; 4:3; 1 Tim. 3:16). The modern meaning of something incomprehensible forms no part of the significance of the word as it occurs in the N.T. See also Alma 12:9–11; 40:3; D&C 19:10; 42:61–65; 76:5–10. On the other hand, there is no spiritual gain in idle speculation about things the Lord has not revealed. See Deut. 29:29; Alma 37:11.

And the match winning hit goes to...... Sister Tucker!  How many of us get caught up on the mysteries of life?  How many of us sit and speculate when we could be doing something much more productive.  These types of questions aren't on the final test.  In fact, Heavenly Father doesn't give us a multiple choice test.  If we obey the "first and great commandment," then all will be fine.  We can leave the mysteries behind us.  All we need to do is "...love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."  Don't worry about the things that we weren't meant to know.  Focus on the things that matter.  Love God, choose good, and be happy.

Answers

There has been a lot on my mind lately.  So many questions and concerns that my head has become it's own swirling cosmos that seems to have no end.  Needless to say, I have had a lot to sift through.  Things I thought I knew and had planned out are being questioned.  Concerns about what lies ahead have become rather daunting.  How can peace come to such a madhouse as this?  First, I said a handy dandy prayer and asked the Lord for some guidance.  That's always the answer it seems right?  To pray.  But it is true and it works! 

Give up my Stuff?

There are many questions that we ask in life.  Some questions, are ones we ask to ourselves, others are directed at someone else.  While reading in Matthew, it is easy to see that the master question asker is Jesus Christ.  Not only does he ask profound, thought provoking questions, but he also gives some of the greatest answers as well.  The story I would like to share today is found in Matthew chapter 19 verses 16-23.  It begins with a man asking Christ a question.

16 ¶And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have ^aeternal life?  (important question)

 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none ^agood but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into ^blife, keep the ^ccommandments.....

  20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be ^aperfect, go and sell that thou hast, and ^bgive to the ^cpoor, and thou shalt have ^dtreasure in heaven: and come and ^efollow me.

 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had ^agreat possessions.

This man was asked to give Christ all that he had and follow Him.  Not just some, but all.  Elder Bruce C. Hafen said "If we must give all that we have, then our giving only almost everything is not enough. If we almost keep the commandments, we almost receive the blessings."  Do we shrink at the thought of giving all we have?  Do we go away with sorrow in our hearts, putting the treasures of this life behind us?

I love how Jesus emphasizes doing away with the worldly things and focus on the "treasure's in heaven."  That is what matters.  The things of this earth will pass with time, but the things of heaven are eternal.  We should be striving to reach eternal life daily.  It should be at the forefront of our minds.  "We can have eternal life if we want it, but only if there is nothing else we want more." (Elder Bruce C. Hafen)  It is up to us to use our agency and choose eternal life.  If we give it our all, it will be enough.  Put aside the natural man to become something more.