Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Strolling along...

I don't understand the "how" of the working of the Spirit.  Meaning...how it works...how you can feel in a downward way emotionally and then a thought pops into your mind, in the form of a scripture or a hymn or a Conference talk paragraph, and suddenly you feel peace just seep through your being. 

I know sometimes when you speak of what you want to do or are going to do or the likes, it seems that it suddenly is more difficult on so many levels.  Like me with all of my 2016 enthusiasm.  I know I'm on the right track thought-wise but suddenly just this little co-dependent thought sneaks in.  And just who do you think you are?....you are this and that and don't forget this and don't forget that...all negative thoughts.

Thank heavens for the Holy Ghost.  He who brings all things to our remembrance and that remembering includes the good things we've read/heard/seen/sung etc. etc.

Feeling that bluesy feeling, and how strange to feel azure-y, in the midst of doing what I set out to do.  Actually accomplishing what I wanted in beginning to move ahead in 2016.

What a blessing to awaken with a hymn lyric running through my head.  I came back here and looked it up.  Then a scripture popped into my mind.  It was at that moment of gratitude that I was thankful that I had something in my head that could be brought to my remembrance.  Words that were a special message to me.  Words/lyrics that gave me hope and insight plus a lot of peace was breathed in and a settling occurred.

Again...who knows how any of this works?  I only know it does and I love the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  I hope to live better and better and to receive more and more light from Him.  More instruction.

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When Terry and I were looking at our daily Conference talk from 1973 I was brought back in time to the men in pastel shirts.  It was a sea of color at the Priesthood meeting.  It is so interesting to see how things have changed over the years and how hard those men labored in helping the Church to deal with growth.  So many of these talks deal with implementing either new plans.  Now those new plans, on some things, aren't even used anymore.

One recent talk dealt was encouraging the members to have a one year, or more, of food on hand with emphasis on wheat and beans.  Now we are suppose to have a 3 month supply on hand and that is if the country you live in will allow it.

It was mentioned that the Bishop's Storehouse only had commodities for 8-1/2 months on hand and not the year supply they wanted.  They needed one year on hand to feed the poor in the Church.  They needed more support.  Now we have Bishop's storehouses all over plus we have vans of food at the ready to help those devastated by calamities throughout the world.  Members and non-members.

When we listened to Vaughan J. Featherstone talk...I really wondered what the unnamed Stake President thought as his story was told!!

"Now there are some principles we also need to understand. One is this: when stake presidents and bishops contribute to the general committee from your projects, would you consider that we must have the very best. For example, we had one stake president in a nearby stake who the central storehouse called and said, “We need a few head of cattle.” The wholesale index that the Church was working on was a little under that which represented the present market. He said, “No, we won’t furnish you the cattle. We will sell them and then we will give you the cash in lieu,” which he did. They gave us the cash in lieu, brethren. We had to go out on the wholesale market and buy dressed beef at an up price. Now you think about that. It is all the Lord’s money. I don’t believe he would be pleased with that kind of a transaction. I wouldn’t want to offend anyone. I just think we ought to give the best we have to the Lord’s storehouse."

Yikes!  I wonder how that Stake President felt??

It's a great talk and he said something, in regard to fasting that I really enjoyed.  One of those IF/Then
situations.  Thought you'd enjoy his take on the one part about promises for fasting..

"Then if you do this, he promises this: “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. (Isa. 58:6–9.)

"Now brethren, if I gave to a fast offering fund or contributed to a welfare production project, I want to tell you that if I did it for no other reason than to know that when I would cry the Lord would say, “Here I am,” that would be motivation enough."

Vaughn J. Featherstone  here   (Enjoy the entire talk!!)

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