If Your dad has taught me anything...

I just love the notion that people can have a legacy of faith, the people face incredible odds and never loose hope that things will work out.

Once Upon a Time season 2 episode 8

Pocoyo in russian

Well, I was only listening, but because the voices were expressive enough I could understand them, now I didn't understand the words, but I understood the meaning. Art transcends cultural barriers? Well, feelings do.

Just thinking

I woke up thinking this story so I will relate it, cause that is what I do. Then I need to talk about something else that I have observed.

The story is about our former Branch president in Lebanon, TN. He was an amazing man, after a temple trip we (Brandall and I) helped him return his rental car so he helped Brandall get a job at Gibson cause Brandall wanted to be a Luthier.

It was interesting to be a part of the Gallatin ward and see a new branch formed which allowed us to stay in the stake bounderies which was important because we both had stake callings.
So, after choosing the proper branch president, his wife was reccomended for several callings, but he said that her calling was in the home and she was taking care of their brood of children, and couldn't probably do anything else. I respected that but, it was sort of unusual, but we had a lesson in RS that sort of reminded me of that. A comment was in regards of sisters who want to help while tending children, but that is their greatest sphere of influence.

Then there was a newlywed guy.who got a call from his wife that interrupted an interview with his stake president, and apologetically he took it. As the call to the bishopric was extended, the young gentlemanwas told that his number one duty was to his family and if he had not excused himself to aide his wife, it would have proved that he was not the type of person needed to set an example in a leadership position.

Ok next, it is how when I feel my worse people always compliment me. I figured it was because they saw how terrible I looked so.I likely needed it. But, last week our Stake president told me that I looked beautiful and that it had nothing to do with my appearance, He just thought that I had the sweetest spirit about me and he wasn't sure where it came from, but it was there and was beautiful. That compliment meant more to me than any other I ever had received in my life and it reminded me of performing songs with my best friend and thinking that we had butchered it, but we were never complimented,more. It proves that what we see or say or do is not but a portion of what others perceive and people notice the part they only feel.

If you can...

If you can love something you are inclined to hate you will really love it.

I can support this with many arguments, but it still seems foolish.

When or where?

How - enumerate the ways your life would be different if you were born into a world other than this one.

Now, is that time or place specific? Could either be changed without changing you?

No thought given

I don't know what I am going to write here, so I couldn't give this post a title.

I have been a latter-day saint all of my life, so I do not have a miraculous conversion story like my parents or others. I considered making one up and telling it enough that I believed it, too, because like most latter-day saints my belief was gradually built.

It is common where I was raised that in such instances where one just always believed what they were taught, that even such people would have a particular moment they would later refer to.as a conversion. I read many books about life long saints who searched out truth. And in particular, there was a life changing book.for me named "Our search to know the Lord." But, in reading it, I was profoundly effected, but ultimately felt like I did not have a conversion. It.was a lot like he described getting baptized, but not really being converted or know the Holy Ghost for some time.

It has been a process and accumulation of ideas and such, each building on eachother, building a fine infrastructure I call my testimony that I know that the LDS church is true and the church that has the Priesthood power on earth.

I feel like I am at a precipice about to take a big plunge from which I will only survive if I cling to my faith and hope. I feel like the words that will be the tool in my true conversion are within my grasp now, like a picture I saw of a man standing on a cliff called "who I am" and there was a wide.space between it and another hill called, "who I want to be". I am so close I.can see who I am intended to be, and I am beyond despising myself, but still there remains a "leap of faith".

I need some time to think things over...

Can you hear it?

I noticed last night how loud a cell phone is when in a quiet gathering I heard a call or message vibrate,and noticed that everyone around turned toward the subtle sound.

I had noticed from time to time how though volume never changed on a device at times it seemed louder whereas other times, it. Seemed so very quiet.

I made a parallel to the still small voice and how others have claimed that at times it yelled out to them, or how it was necessary to strain to hear it. I figure the volume is constant, we hear what we are listening to.

I love the analogy of revelation to a radio signal. I have noticed and heard it commented that "mid night prayers" are more from the heart and the spirit speaks more directly to us in the wee hours of the morning. I wonder if that is because there is less interference.

Even if it is , how we say, good or worthy music, if it is inappropriately loud we will not heed anything else.

Sometimes, I forget to turn the volume back on on my cellphone, and that is always when I loose it. Normally, to find it I make it ring. But, though I desperately want to find it, like the lost coin, I cannot hear it.

Yesterday morning, I had to come downstairs to check on my son because usually, I sorta keep an eye on him by listening to my laptop, but I could not hear it. I assumed that it had been turned low or muted, or he would be coming to ask me to make it work. But, as I got closer, I could hear it and upon inspection, the volume was all the way up. So, I guess I wasn't listening.

If the Shepherd calls, we hear his voice and recognize it as such. I love Isaiah. We are all very much like sheep. Likewise, the spirit doesn't yell important things and whisper others, or even change his tone. We recognize when we listen. Can you hear him?

Our brains constantly tune in to significant sensations, and tune out others. If our body senses a redundant sensation it is ignored, this is a survival technique, or else we would be constantly overcome by the sounds and sensations around us. Annie Lennox sang about that in a song where she said, "for it is the drum of drums, it is the sound of sounds." Like gravity it is always constant and for that reason, it is not noticed, until an apple falls on your head.

Where were they?

Ofcourse, we all have ancestors. As.I was thinking about the ideal mix of Celtic, Greek, Egyptian, Viking, I was I thought two main things. 1) it is never an accident, and 2) What and where were they when Jesus walked on the earth?
While I was thinking about how we are supposedly identical to our spirits then I started thinking about how that would limit the people with the correct genetic make up to be our ancestors. Uh, but they say you take on attributes of those you are with, and there are always the unexplained mutations. It makes sense that we would want to be with kindred spirits, huh?
Anyway, my thoughts ended when I thought about Paul's warnings to the early churches to stop making up fancy genealogies. I was me, and though I owe my physiological make up to those from who I inherited it, ultimately, God is the father of my soul and my spirit defines who I,become.
(Interesting thing I heard: There are those who believe God is just the creator of mankind. Subsequently, it was pointed out how that can be proved false easily. No invention ever became it's inventor or just as foolish no building ever became an architect.)
Although it is no mistake who begat,me on earth and that is significant for some reason, it is unhealthy to obsess over it as a key to some great truth.
But, instead, I wonder more about the little things. As a spirit, I existed in Heaven and chose to be born to my lineage, and to so be taught and my ancestors depend on me, but that,makes me wonder why.
Why didn't they follow God anywhere they could? For crying out loud, I had ancestors in upstate New York when Joseph Smith was there, didn't they ever hear him or question for themselves? Supposedly, they spearheaded a religious colony in Rhode Island (maybe this is a fantasy of someone) so, they were looking for a truth.
Ultimately, they believed so many false things and Gods when they,had the chance, and now they have come to accept a truth and I am told that they are dependent on me to get the work done for them, and I believe it and owe them so much, like my sturdy constitution (allowing me to survive near death many times. Even the doctors asked who my ancestors were, and I fantasized about that frozen super human chick on stargate SG-1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn8sud_5onE). It is also no coincidence that I do have the opportunities both through the internet and so,many available temples, to get the ordinances done that they require be done on earth.
Doesn't it nearly break your heart to know that someone desperately wants something so bad and you have the power to give it to them? That was how I felt about doing Brandall's geneology/temple work. But, you know, we share a lot of the same attributes and locations. I would not be shocked to learn that we are related.
One time, when we first met he asked me if I ever met someone but just felt like I had known them all of my life. Then he asked if I understood why he felt like giving me a great big hug. Aww sweet, huh? Just think of how it will be to see our ancestors again. I will feel terrible unless I do this work for them, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et1vrvApDsA.) as then I am sure that they will try to assist me in anyway they can. It helps to have connections. J'ai du travaille.

Real duty

I am trying to define what my real responsibility is, understanding it would make what to do clear.

I figure that the time in life to chase after love has passed, although admittedly it was what I was preparing for all of my life, it is the songs and movies that are targetted at it. Even novels fill mind with the notion that true love is most desirable and at this point in my life I ought to be speculating and trying to help future generations come closer, but honestly, it is not anything that I have found yet.

So, do I create art of the thing that I think is the ultimate goal? I think that was what was done before and why so many works portray unrequited love because they never found it either. The world is fumbling around, too, Though we can match up and cathartically relate to some ideas of true love and think  "Ah hah!" that's it! My search is over.

But, supposing it is right, then what?

Ok, I am needed elsewhere,I hear baby Alarms (screams)

Regardless on if I found love, I can try to steer young hearts in the right direction. But, on the side I will keep doing what I can because doing teaches more loudly than words ever will.

All of my struggles and searching lead me to truth. The truth is that marriage and families provide the best way to show what we are about, not art. God provided the best examples of how to teach future generations about love, and there was a lot of acting involved.

Divorce is like Communism. Sure, it has a good intent, but it is obviously not the best way to accomplish something. If I want to create a lasting work it will be in my children...I believe the children are our future... By creating a solid and stable home life for them is,my best chance at teaching them to do so. I wanted what my parents had, but I wanted to one up it.

My mother taught me a very valuable truth, that everyone has struggles just some of us aren't skilled actors. Most families are not ideal or built on a foundation of true love, but the ones that last and build strong children and any hope of a solid future are the ones that last.

I suspect that divorce does have a good purpose as every other invention. This is a funfact: God ordained and performed marriage, but never a.divorce. I think that I opposed divorce so much, but it would be like opposing the internet because it was used inappropriately. Families propogate families, and those rough spots do not need to be just endured. Just because that is the best advice and help the other generations give.

Our true duty is teaching future generations to do it right. If survival of the fittest was any indication than if we do not fall in love we ought to die out and not pass on false expectations.

Just add wit

Here, have a bit of dehydrated water to go with your thought. It's all on me. Cheers!

Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Abraham being tested?

Ok, admittedly, in the preface of the show on History channel it was suggested that points of view might differ from what is depicted, and in this point I was yelling at the screen.

They said that Abraham was constantly tested to earn a reward. But, that was just something I could not agree with. I believe there were sacrifices, made progressively more difficult so it could reasonably concluded that he was being continually challenged to prove that he was worthy of a reward.

But, I had always thought that he was given the trials because he had already proven that he would behave a certain way. And it was more like a Job thing where God could depend on him and.so he was allowing things to happen. Because he was at liberty to do so.

God is so happy to find someone he can trust. It is true that he must test but, once a subject has proven themselves, he is at peace. He knows that his will will be carried out.

I do not say ultimately choosing to obey one God as true.