On Spreading Gospel Light And Tearing Plastic

Hooray! I’m using my own pictures again! 😀

Whoo, I haven’t had a morning study this fulfilling in a long time. Really took my sweet time with it today. I got caught up in the chapters of Isaiah, particularly chapter 29, which overlaps with 2 Nephi 27. Comparing the two, however, this is without a doubt one of the most altered/damaged chapters in the Bible. The 2 Nephi version has a lot of extra details that make Isaiah’s words so much clearer.

Flipping through the Institute manuals, I took in so much info that I’m honestly not sure where to start. I suppose I’ll just start writing and let the promptings come as I do.

Ironically, the answer comes after I spend some time with my family. I took a short trip to the local art store with my mom and my sister, and spotted a really pretty calendar while there. It has beautiful images of sunsets and forests and similar things, and each month comes with a quote from the Psalms. So I snagged it, cuz I need a new one anyway. Especially if it has beautiful pictures. 😀

Why I Believe Animals Have Souls

Gonna try something a little different today. I dunno why, but as I thought about what to write this morning, my gaze kept coming back to this fluffy squatter here. Look at him, all flopped out and twisted the wrong way on my sheets (how does he do that???) Meet Jet, the unpredictable feline who my sister has taken to calling “The Devil’s Cuteness.”

Yes, this punk caused us a lot of trouble from day one. We adopted him about 10 years ago, and he was the runt of a rescued litter – or so we thought. Turns out he was just malnourished from being left sick and untreated in a lousy Petsmart (check your adoptions carefully!) But we picked him anyway, cuz he was fluffy and adorable and who could resist that face? Especially when he was a kitten. See, his ears have always been that size. So when he was a kitten, he looked like a bat. Had to grow into his own ears. Just imagine. XD

We nourished him back to health, our little rescue kitty, and he went from being a cute, mellow kitten to a hyper, out-of-control, bite-you-up. It sucks, too, cuz he has the softest coat in the world, but good luck petting him if he’s not up for it. Which got pretty ugly more than once. We almost sent him back to the shelter on more than one occasion, he was so hard to deal with. I do love him, tho. And he has mellowed out a lot over the past few years. I think he’s gotten too old for his own antics or something. XD

Why am I talking about him here? Well, believe it or not, this cat – troublemaker though he was – ended up redeeming himself a few years ago. I believe it’s because of him that I was able to save family ties when things got ugly. And, he taught me something new about animals that made me wonder how I ever believed they didn’t have souls.

3 Nephi 11: Admitting Our Own Shortcomings

Well, well, well. I wasn’t really in the mood to post anything today, but after finishing my reading, I feel like I should. 3 Nephi 11 is a beautiful chapter of scripture. If you remember, this is where Jesus has shown himself to the surviving Nephites, after all the fires and tempests that just destroyed everything else. And he teaches the Nephites the same things he taught to those at Jerusalem. So, if you read the Sermon on the Mount, this whole thing is very similar to it.

Anyway. Three verses in particular caught my attention while reading this – they were actually kind of a guilt-trip for me. Verses 28-30 read this…

“…And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been. For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.”

Well, Lord, hasn’t that become a problem!

The Parable Of The Lost Sheep

Alright y’all, got a new one for you today, and this one isn’t even from me: This one’s from my beloved, Andrew, and a talk he gave recently at church. I thought it was a great talk, and it really made me think. So, I asked for Andrew’s permission to share it with you all. With that said, here we go! I’m going to talk about three of Jesus’s most well-known parables: The Parable of The Lost Sheep, The Prodigal Son, and the Lost Silver.

In case you need to refresh your memory, I’ll lightly touch on them here. Each has a similar premise, so they’re real easy to talk about. ‘Cuz they’re all super short and simple anyway, so I’ll basically be reciting the whole things. XD

Acts 22 – Seriously Feeling Sorry For Paul Right Now.

Man, talk about a rough life. Poor Paul. Always having to deal with idiots. LOL I feel so sorry for him after a while! Though really, I feel that way for all the ancient apostles. Persecuted day in and day out, not really knowing which day would be your last (unless God told you), yeesh. Those guys were troopers.

In Acts 21, just a chapter before, a prophet showed up to tell Paul – with elaborate visuals, even! – that if he went to Jerusalem, he’d be bound, captured, and delivered to the Gentiles. Everyone who hears this, naturally, freaks out. They’re crying and pleading with Paul not to go to his own death. Poor guys, can you imagine? Their beloved friend and leader is going to be killed. They know he is. I’d probably be crying too!

Thoughts On Love And Loyalty

 

This morning was a rarity for my area. Cool, crisp, not humid like it normally is. Bright and sunny, a fresh, cool breeze. Not too hot, not too cold, even for a little sunflower like me. 😛 One of those rare days when you’ve just gotta be outside as long as you can, before it’s gone. So, that’s what I did.

My beloved often sends me recorded messages on his P-Day, so I was listening to that while out walking, just enjoying the sun and the beautiful weather. Honestly, it felt amazing. If only Andrew could be physically by my side right now. Then it’d be perfect. Just a few more months…