Being Sensitive....to the Spirit that is

I figure I will start out by updating you on what happened yesterday. This is what happened: woke up, work, lunch, homework, comforting a friend, homework, dinner, dance, evening chat. Here's the best best picture of me and a couple of my friends at the dance.
Megan, try not to make weird noises or twitch too much when you see this photo.

Today, I got up and went to Church was good but could have been better if I had managed to get to sleep a bit earlier.

So as today I found a theme that the Lord has given me for the last week. It like my title indicates, that we need to be sensitive to the Spirit. I have to say that is something that I struggled with remaining sensitive to the Spirit. It requires a lot of repenting and doing the right thing no matter how tired, hungry, or what type of 'mood' you are in. It also requires not giving in to those ideas to say something that you know will drive the Spirit away or is inappropriate.

This afternoon, I was reading a devotional given by Elder Bednar when he was just President Bednar of BYU-Idaho, entitled "Line Upon Line" which has some of the same material he used in his talk during the April general conference "The Spirit of Revelation". I found this talk because it was recommended to my teacher Brother Lon Pyper, who has been a spiritual mentor of sorts for me up here, back in 2009 while I struggling to make a decision. I think I'll try to get a picture with him so that you, my dear readers, can have a face with the name but I digress. In this talk he talks about how if we are keeping the commandments and are diligent then we will receive revelation. He says that often times "we receive a series of seemingly small and incremental spiritual impressions and nudges, which in totality constitute the desired confirmation about the correctness of the path which we are pursuing." I like that quote because I've started noticing those 'nudges'. He also talks about the relationship between faith, obedience, wisdom and desire, which I have diagrammed below.

Faith --> Obedience --> Wisdom --> Greater desire for added light and truth

I would also like to note that it dawned on me today, that while Elder Bednar gave both of these talks, the difference being that he was ordained an Apostle in between them, that he has the same basic testimony that he has always had; though his testimony of the principles of the gospel is obviously much stronger now then it was then.

So I would like to encourage you, mes chèrs lecteurs et lectrices, to try to remain sensitive to the Spirit. I promise you that as you do the Lord will guide and help you. He will sustain you in your trials and amplify your joys amid your sorrows. I hope that each you have a good week as you strive to be sensitive to the Spirit.

Continuous Revelation

Wow.... So it's been about two weeks since I last posted. I think a few of you may have seen the change that I made to the back ground.

Seeing as it's been two weeks since I posted, I suppose that I should give you an update on things. Well I getting a handle on my classes which has been a bit rough. I think my brain is asking for a break.

Last weekend I went 'home' to Utah to visit my family. It was nice to have all of us together but it was odd because I was reminded of how we've all become our own adults with different interests and different lives. My family and I had the opportunity to go to General Conference. It was amazing and like my dad said best "Has it really been 3 hours already?".

Being there reminded me of the great blessing that we have to live in age were have easy access to the words of a living prophet of God.

I'm always impressed by the talks. Especially after I learned from Elder Holland that almost none of the speakers are assigned a topic. I'm impressed how well those men and women are able to follow the Spirit and teach the gospel with their own voice.

I'd like to lead you, my readers, with a scripture that I got re-read a couple of weeks ago for my class.

“And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.” (D&C 11:12)

This verse stuck out to me because I always want to follow the Spirit but it is often less than straight forward on how to recognize those promptings. This scripture sheds some light on the matter.

Elder Bednar last General Conference talked about revelation. He said "But regardless of the pattern whereby [revelation] is received, the light it provides will illuminate and enlarge your soul, enlighten your understanding"

I love how the Lord has given us both the scriptures and living prophets who can help us to better understand how to recognize the Holy Ghost.

I challenge you and myself to try listen a little bit harder for the whisperings of the Spirit.

Learn What You Preach & Adopting a Different Idea of Success

So this week has been long one but a good one. I'm getting ready to start another semester in a couple weeks. I have most of my books and my schedule; I personally believe it's going to be a fun but interesting semester. I'll be rooming with three guys from my current apartment and one of my roommates from last semester, Erick. I may take pictures of them and introduce them to you later, because it is likely enough that I will mention at least one of them in the future.

Well I have two photos to include. The first is an Altoids container; I know this may seem strange but I should mention I don't normally buy Altoids because I'm not much of a mint or gum person. This week my roommate Victor brought home a sewing case of a friend which had as it's container an Altoids box. This inspired me to buy one which when I am done with it will become a sewing kit container because I want a sturdy sewing case. I should mention that I like to sow because it rather calming. As Agly says "I can't eat muffins in an agitated manner", for me it is sewing.

The other picture I took this evening was of one of my favorite ties. I will readily admit that I didn't remember my photo challenge until right before I started writing my post. It is green and gorgeous. Just look at it; every time I wear I get compliments.

So now on the important things. This week was a good week but I learned early in the week between my last two posts that I had taught somethings that I needed to do. I found it interesting because I know that the Spirit teaches me things that I sometimes teach to others of which they have need. I love seeing how that inspired counsel helps them. Then sometimes, just sometimes, you find down the road that you need to follow the counsel that our Father in Heaven gave you for them because it was for both of you. So my point is that when the Spirit inspires you to speak, remember those words and write them down because you don't know when you may need them.

The next thought that came to me came from a talk that I read which sadly I couldn't not find. The discourse talked was something to the effect of "Our personal success" so I obviously decided that it was something that was worth looking into. In it the speaker explained that the Lord's idea of success is different from ours. I know that I had an particular idea of success from before my mission that I have learned is probably not all the same as what Heavenly Father's idea of success for me is. I know that it is sometimes hard but that we sometimes need to let go of our ideas of success so that we can better be a success in the eyes of the Lord.

I hope that this counsel helps you in your week. I hope that your week is good and that your write down some of the revelation that you receive.