Avatar: Waterbending

 It's here!  The final chapter of the Avatar: the Last Airbender Series!  And yes, I had to end with Waterbending.  It's my favorite.

Waterbending is the ability to manipulate water in all it's many forms.  From regular old H2O to plants, clouds, sweat (kinda gross), mud, blood (disturbing and sinister), and basically any liquid you could imagine.  Waterbending can also manipulate external thermal energy and can be used to heal.  The ability is very dependant on the amount of water available, thus many Waterbenders cary water for bending with them on long journeys.

Water is the element of change.  Their fighting style being very flowing and graceful to mirror that of water's movements.  It features slow movements and elegant forms.  They deal with the flow of energy by letting their defense become their offense.  It's defense into powerful attacks and counters.  They do this by turning their opponenets' own forces against them.  That is where it's strength lies.  Instead of just stopping the attack or deflecting it, Waterbenders defensive moves focus on control.  The slow movements, elegant turns, and spins return the momentum of the opponent's attacks with blasts of water.  Waterbenders wait and then turn their target's attacks against them.

Internal life energy chi is what gives a Waterbender their power, connecting it to their emotional state.  This can be a problem if a beginning Waterbender loses their temper.  The bending is intensified, but control is lost.  Ergo, gaining a balance over ones emotions is essential.

Okay, not only is this the coolest style (seriously, my mind is made up), but I love the whole basis of it.  Defense into a powerful offense.  Turning the enemies attacks against themselves.  Not only is that "so totally WICKED!", but it's how I like to look at life.

Satan, the bugger, loves to throw us all sorts of attacks.  He never stops and it never ceases to amaze me at how many tricks he has up his sleeve.  One smart cookie.  But, we can turn his attacks against him.

1"And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."

 2  "And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."

Whoa ho ho!  Read it again, just to fully grasp the concept (and pure awesomeness of the verses).  All of the trials, sorrows, and everything we face can be for our benefit.  We will beat all our "foe."  Satan's attacks and efforts can be converted into means of strengthening ourselves.  Making his attacks, in a sense, our own.  For example, Satan may tell you not to worry about reading your scriptures.  You don't have to do that every day.  But, as he tells you that, you can turn it into a push to read them.  And, as we all know, reading your scriptures builds up your spiritual strength and helps you fight temptation.

Let us all learn to take the attacks of Satan and use them for our benefit.  Don't let him win the battle.  Keep up your defenses and use his attacks.  We can, and will, triumph!  Be a Waterbender!

Living Waters

It is very clear that my companions think I am insane.  My blog ideas come at the most inopportune times and they usually result in me dashing out of the room, or across the room, to hurry and write them down.  From experience I have learned that unless the idea gets written down, it gets forgotten.  Anyways, this is the "jump out of bed and dash to the living room" idea I had last night.

There is a story, in John, of Christ teaching the woman of Samaria.  The woman comes to Jacob's well where Christ is resting from his journeying to get some water.  Jesus asks her to give him a drink.  The woman replies in a somewhat shocked manner and says "1How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?  for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."  Christ then tells her how if she knew the gift of God and who was asking her for a drink then she would have asked him for water, and he would have given her of the "living water."  Water that "whosever drinketh....shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

After reading this, my mind was called back to a book I read ages ago entitled Tuck Everlasting.  It is a story of a family that has found a spring of water that allowed them to live forever.  In a different sense, following God's will and living the Gospel can do the same, only better!  In 1 Nephi 11, in Lehi's dream, he gives an excellent description of what the "living waters" are.

"And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God....."

"The love of God,"  how wonderful is that?  By drinking of the living waters, we will have the love of God within us and "springing us up into everlasting life."  Christ can do this for us.  He is there ready for us to ask for a drink.  He will draw the water that allows us to never thirst again.  I hate being thirsty, so never having to thirst again is the greatest thing ever! 

We can live forever with God in Heaven by obeying His word and partaking of the living waters.  His love is the driving factor that each of us need inside.  Don't wait till the last minute to have a drink, "2ask, and ye shall receive..."