Written For Our Day

 


Our family recently finished reading this book. It is not the first time and it won't be the last, but I think it was one of my favorite. Our 16 year old challenged us to finish it, as a family, before school ended; that meant that we would need to read 11 pages a day for about two weeks. We DID it and  finished it the day before school ended! Thanks for the challenge Britta! It is my favorite book. It brings me peace, solace and a greater understanding of what I am supposed to be doing with my life. If you would like to know more, you can check it out here:
http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/book-of-mormon
Once you are there, you can scroll to the bottom of the page and with one click of the button, you can get your very own copy for FREE.

FINALLY!

Merlin and Pat have changed their names to Elder and Sister Fish for the next 22 1/2 months. Yesterday, Sister Fish/grandma Pat, asked Sydney what she was going to do tomorrow (today) to "hasten the work". We decided that we would post something on the blog.

This is Sydney's quote that she chose to share today:

Wherever you live, any place in the world, you have access to the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are a wonderful resources for service and answers to questions about who we are, where we came from and what happens after we die.

And here is mine, it was given by a president of our church:
“I have considered that it has been my mission, having been so impressed, I think, by the Spirit of the Lord in my travels in the stakes of Zion, to say unto the people that now is the day of repentance and to call upon the Latter-day Saints to remember their covenants, the promises they have made with the Lord, to keep his commandments, and follow the teachings and the instructions of the elders of Israel—the prophets of God—as they have been recorded in these holy scriptures. In all things we should walk humbly and circumspectly before the Lord that we might be blessed and guided by his Holy Spirit. I think this is the day of warning. It has been a time of warning from the day when the prophet first received the manifestation from the heavens that the gospel was to be restored.”³ Joseph Fielding Smith

My parents get to teach people about Jesus Christ and His church and His role as our Savior and Redeemer for just about 2 years, full time. It's awesome!

See Fish Get Distracted

By Lori

So yesterday was Fast Sunday. In our Church, Fast Sunday is usually the first Sunday of every month. The exceptions being April and October, because of General Conference.

"One Sunday each month Latter-day Saints observe a fast day. On this day we neither eat nor drink for two consecutive meals. If we were to eat our evening meal on Saturday, then we would not eat or drink until the evening meal on Sunday.

All members who are physically able should fast. We should encourage our children to fast after they have been baptized, but we should never force them. The fast day is a special day for us to humble ourselves before the Lord in fasting and prayer. It is a day to pray for forgiveness from our sins and for the power to overcome our faults and to forgive others.

On fast Sunday, members of the Church meet together and partake of the sacrament. They strengthen themselves and one another by bearing testimony in fast and testimony meeting." Gospel Principles Chapter 25

Back to yesterday. I was sitting in church and I was pondering on the story of Nehemiah from the Old Testament. I wish I knew more about him. This is what I do know: It all stared with fasting and prayer. A prayer asking for forgiveness and then an acceptance of God's will. The prayer was also in behalf of the Jews. He was a Jew, he was the king's cup bearer, he was distraught over the ruin of Jerusalem so he went to the king and asked permission to leave his court and go rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The king gave him permission and he was commissioned to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. When he got there there was so much ruin, but he rallied the troops and many helped in rebuilding the gates and walls of the city. Pretty much immediately upon his arrival, though, he was met with opposition. They met so much opposition that they had to keep themselves armed while they worked on these walls. Nehemiah continued to let the people know that God was with them and that they were about a great work. It even says in chapter 4 verse 6 that they built the wall "for the people had a mind to work". He also told them to not let it get to them that others were trying to stop this great work by trying to kill them. They had a system, they had a job to do and they weren't going to let the outside distractions keep them from doing this great work. "God shall fight for us". He is a great one to have on our side. These men that were trying to kill the Jews working on the wall were continually sending Nehemiah messages wanting to meet with him outside the city. He didn't go because "they thought to do me mischief". He wouldn't be distracted. "And I sent messengers unto them, saying, " There were threats on his life, people trying to deceive him continually, those that put down God and his ability; but Nehemiah and the people persevered and, if I am understanding my scriptures correctly, finished the wall in 52 days. (Nehemiah 1-6)

There is more to the story, as is always the case, but I am so impressed with his lack of being distracted, his leadership skills, his ability to follow the promptings of the spirit and his drive to do the Lord's work.

For those of you who know me, this will come as no surprise-I easily get distracted. I am now a mom to five full-time students. I am home (kind of, ok-not really) most days. So far I have let the computer, books and "thin things" distract me. I know there is so much BEST that I could and should be doing, but it is like I am in shock or denial or something.

I have decided ENOUGH of this. I will take a stand against distraction and if needs be, yell "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" I am expecting great things, maybe not in 52 days, but I know that big walls and great gates can be built around a city in 52 days. It takes an eye and mind single. It takes "a mind to work". It takes defense and, most importantly, it takes faith in and help from our Savior.

Get excited! Beautiful things are about to happen.

***I love run on sentences and have mastered the misuse of punctuation. I also need to learn how to cite my sources.

***Great talk about distractions from last week.