29 April 2012

Paul's Counsel for Members

Paul shares wonderful counsel and advice for believers of Christ in 1 Thessalonians. 3:12-13, 4:1-12, 5:1-22, and 2 Thessalonians 3:1-6, 11

There is a very lengthy list of things that he counseled the members to work on, which are all things that we can improve and work on today!  I chose 3 attributes that he shared that I want to improve on.  They are:

Love One Another
This is one of Christ’s great commandments – to love God and to love your neighbor.  I want to work on loving those around me by seeing them as children of God – my brothers and sisters.  I can do this at work, church, and at home by looking for ways to serve those around me and express my love for them in simple, meaningful ways.  I know that even a smile, or a friendly “hello” can make a difference and life someone’s day.

Comfort & Edify One Another
This one goes along with love one another, but I want to work on this as well.  I want to look for ways to edify others and one thing I want to do is to just share simple, conversational testimony.  Sharing my blessings with others, acknowledging God’s hand in my life.  I can also be attentive and give comfort or encouragement to others.  I can do this by sharing my testimony and telling of all the blessings I receive from God each day, which will help them think of their own many blessings and feel better.

Pray Without Ceasing
It’s easy for me to get into a prayer routine, but the Bible encourages us to pray always.  To pray without ceasing.  I can and should pray about anything and everything.  So this is something I will work on – I want to pray about my daily situations, give thanks for daily blessings, and just have my mind and heart centered on Jesus Christ.

I know that I can improve on these things as I turn to the Lord for help.  I know that I will be blessed for my efforts as I strive to follow the counsels of His servants.

28 April 2012

Paul’s Visit to Athens


Acts 17 in the New Testament tells of when Paul went to preach the gospel of Christ to various people.  Initially arriving to Thessalonica, some people listened to what he said, reasoning with the scriptures, and believed him.  However, the Jews did not believe him and “moved with envy” and created an uproar in the city.  So Paul and Silas went to a synagogue in Berea.  There they found humble, prepared people who searched the scriptures every day.  They readily received the words of Paul and believed. 

This is a huge contrast to the people in Thessalonica – it really demonstrates the power and knowledge that comes from consistent scripture study.  The people in Berea truly “feasted” on the words of Christ, and by so doing, recognized truth and knew what to do. (2 Nephi 32:3).  The words of Christ leads people to act justly and to do good (2 Nephi 33:10Alma 31:5).  This shows what a powerful tool scripture study is.  The people of Berea were prepared to receive truth and knowledge as a result of their studies, while the people of Thessalonica were left to their pride and ignorance due to their lack of understanding.  We invite the Spirit into our lives as we study the scriptures daily, which allows us to recognize and receive greater knowledge and come closer to God.

There were people known as Epicureans and Stoics.  Epicureans were named after a philosopher named Epicurus.  The beliefs of the Epicureans included that the world only exists by chance with no design or purpose, with the goal of living in a way that would result in most happiness and the least sorrow and pain

The Stoics believed in a supreme governing power among the universe.  They believed that everything was designed and set on its way.  Paul quoted their poetry to establish a connection and common ground with them when he said “we are also His offspring.”


Paul went to these people in Athens and found them to be very superstitious.  They had an alter inscribed with “To the Unknown God.”  However, they were always interested in hearing something new, so they willingly hear Paul and his message.  But being as philosophical as they were, they were a bit too vain to actually listen.

Paul taught them of their preexistence, being children of God.  President Harold B. Lee shares a quote, “‘Who are you?’ You are all the sons and daughters of God. Your spirits were created and lived as organized intelligences before the world was. You have been blessed to have a physical body because of your obedience to certain commandments in that premortal state. You are now born into a family to which you have come, into the nations through which you have come, as a reward for the kind of lives you lived before you came here and at a time in the world’s history, as the Apostle Paul taught the men of Athens and as the Lord revealed to Moses, determined by the faithfulness of each of those who lived before this world was created.”  Many Christians don’t know of or believe in our premortal existence.  However, as Acts 17 states, we have been “appointed” things before we were born.  President Lee also makes this clear.  We are very blessed to be given what we have. 

Romans 8:16 states that the Spirit testifies that we are sons and daughters of God.  We aren’t merely creations of God, but are His literal children.  As His children, we are blessed to have a loving God as our Father to lead and direct us.  We receive blessings every day, from the breaths we take, to the miracles we receive.  He loves us just as any parent loves their child.  He wants the best for us and has great plans for us.  As we search after Him, this will be very clear to us and we’ll see the hand of God in our lives.

Paul also taught them of the Resurrection.  The doctrine of the Resurrection is backed up in several scriptures.  The Old Testament says the Lord “will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves.” (Ezekiel 37:12)  John 5:21 says “the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them.”  The Book of Mormon states “the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.”  The Resurrection is a gift to all who have lived and will ever live.  It’s possible because of Christ’s Atonement, sacrificing Himself, and overcoming death.

Unfortunately, some people mocked Paul after hearing what he had taught.  But others believed and said “we will hear thee again of this matter.”

22 April 2012

First Ultrasound!

The other week I had my first ultrasound to get a better estimate of how many weeks pregnant I am.  It was so neat to see the fetus moving around and being cute!  It was about 12 1/2 weeks when I got my ultrasound, making my estimated due date between 13 October - 20 October.  Just in time for Michael's birthday!  :P

 
So now I'm about 14 weeks pregnant, and we'll be able to know if it's a boy or a girl in about 2 more weeks.  :-)

21 April 2012

The Day of Pentecost



The Pentecost was a Jewish celebration that occurred 50 days after the Passover feast.  The name itself comes from the Greek work “pentekoste,” meaning “fiftieth.”  Other names it was referred to as include “Dayof the First Fruits,” “Feast of Harvest,” and “the Feast of Weeks.”

The day of Pentecost, found in Acts 2, was an incredible event.  Peter taught the multitude that this pouring out of the Spirit was a fulfillment of prophecy, that God said He would pour out His Spirit in the last days.  He taught them of prophecy, miracles, and gifts of the Spirit.

Peter testified of Jesus Christ and His power.  He invited the multitude to repent and be baptized in Christ’s name and to receive the Holy Ghost.  His testimony strengthened many and 3,000 people were baptized!

Many spiritual gifts were made apparent that day.  They spoke in tongues and prophecies.  They understood each other, even if they spoke different languages.  They were filled with the Spirit of God.  They were filled with a desire to follow God and be baptized.  They were filled with love for each other, served one another, and took care of each other.

I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost and that it continues to be on earth today.  It’s been a blessing throughout my life and has been a source of strength and comfort.  I know that God works great miracles through the Holy Ghost and that gift truly shows of the deep love He has for each of us.

05 April 2012

Dancing With Cats


Did you know that you can dance with your cat?!  Me neither, but when working on a project at work, I found this website dedicated to the dancing with your feline friends.

They even have special cat dancing classes that you can take your cat to.

I learned that there are special music CDs made just for cat dancing.  There is a section about the History of Cat Dancing, dating back to the 1600s and "Hey diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle."

 


There is a wonderful FAQs section letting you know why you would ever want to dance with a cat to begin with!

And there's a priceless section of dance tips from cat dancers.  They explain the need to really connect with your cat, purr with them, and maybe even unplug the refrigerator to eliminate electrical interference with you and your cat's connection.

And if cat dancing isn't enough, there is a link to a website about "Why Cats Paint" - displaying beautiful artwork created by none other but cats.  Meow!