12-11-11 Continued…

12-11-11    Continued…

I think if I had more power to believe ‘the voice of the Lord in my own mind’ then I would have more conviction to obey.  Sometimes I don’t do and follow because I second guess my self and question (wonder or doubt) if it is really coming from the Lord.  If I just knew for sure that it was Him, I’d like to think then I’d for sure do it without question.

I love the thought that we get delivered OUT of our addiction and INTO ‘conscious contact with God’.  I also love that (p.143)

“By taking these steps and practicing these principles in our lives, we are doing ‘all that we can do’ to … cleanse the ‘inner vessel’ and thus become a fit companion for the Holy Ghost.” 

Oh, that all members of the Church would take this class!  I guess sooner or later the church house will be cleansed.  As she says, “It is required of everyone sooner or later.”  It is inevitable if they want to make it home…  I will cherish the day.  Of course it is likely that it is just be me who needs to live these steps better…  This is my change them disease. 

I love the end of Faust quote (on p. 144) where he says, “We may not feel a closeness with Him because we think of Him as being far away, or our relationship may not be sanctifying because we do not think of Him as a real person.”  I said ‘a real person’ over and over to myself as I read this.  There is more here than I can now comprehend.  This is one I need to ponder on.

“…wanting only what God can provide”  Oh how I have felt this!  I love the line about “victory over our worse enemies (our character weaknesses) – not by killing them, but by allowing the Lord to convert them into strengths.”  I love that this is how the Lord works.  We first gain victory over self, then help our families as a team, then as a family team help others.  It is my hope that in a day yet to come that the ‘enemies’ of our nation can be turned into friends by converting them to the truth in the same way we win freedom over self. 

(p. 146) I love the phrase ‘to use the scriptures’!  I think in my habit of reading the scriptures, I have become consistent about doing it.  Regarding learning to ‘council with the Lord in all things’, I think I have a greater need to turn to the scriptures in order to solve my problems.  The first two conference talks this last General Conference were about solving problems in the Lord.  It is an application tool that I feel will lift me higher to a more solid ground.

(p.148) “We are no longer simply in the Saturday evening of time; we are entering the darkest period know on earth--  the dark before the dawn.  We need not be in despair, however, if we walk in the light and with the light, even Christ.”

I cried when I read this.  It is so true.  We as a nation have turned our backs on God.  Men are turning to their baseness and gross iniquity abounds.   As we talked about the Signs of the Second Coming in last week’s Gospel Doctrine class I remembered that Christ compared this process to the pregnancy of a mother.  I know that they must be to fulfill all things.  Another sister also pointed out the juxtaposition of the bright youth that are coming.  They are born for this.  It is an amazing time in history to live.