Reflections of Christ

http://mabrystudios.typepad.com/reflections_of_christ/

I was told about this photography show that the institute is bringing here that was apparently organized by members of the church. I just heard about it today so I am still learning all about how it came to be. It intrigued me from one photographer to another, so I thought I would check into it. Above is the connection to the website of 'Reflections of Christ' is what the show is called. You can watch a brief slideshow with music at this link. (The image above is also a part of the exhibit. It is a depiction of Jesus and John the Baptist after Christ was baptized. I had never thought of the emotion they both must have felt after that joyous occasion. Beautifully captured.)

The images are very moving. It is coming here to Boise in the next few weeks sometime, along with the artist and others. (it will be a fireside with music and everything) What an amazing experience to be a part of such a project!! The spirit that must have been there and the reverance and awe that prevailed amongst those who participated. One of those experiences that they will hopefully never forget. I am grateful for talented people who follow inspiration such as this that we might always REMEMBER Jesus Christ-that we may not be recorded in history as those people who had forgetten Him.

Just keep spinning and a visit to the temple

Today has been a nice relaxing day. Ahh...... I thought about going somewhere for the weekend-taking advantage of having a four day weekend-but I opted to be able to take it easy at home. It has been really nice. Especially after the first of this week!! Yikes! I decided to attend my spin cycle class I hadn't been to since april.
I had been riding my bike outside on the greenbelt trail (a trail here that runs along the Boise river)
for the summer. It was nice to be back in this class as it tends to challenge me more than the trails I have been on here. There are not many climbs like I am used to in Utah-so today was nice to be pushed. I came home and made waffles and cleaned the house. I then took a nice long shower and a nap. Does it GET any better than that?! :)

After my nap I was able to attend the temple. I have felt a renewed sense of appreciation for the temple and what a blessing it is as of late. I have tried to go more often. It was nice to go and not to be in any hurry-but to savor the experience. It was very rejuvenating.

I even went and got a frosty from Wendy's afterward (I know-shocking) and had a nice drive home down the back roads. (Dont worry-I didn't eat it like this. :) I was excited to eat it though....)

There was the BSU football game tonight and wondered if I would run into any traffic from it-but I was heading the other direction and missed it all COMPLETELY. Another bonus.

I am not getting ready to go to bed, but I wanted to write a little something before I did so.

I am excited for tomorrow and the spiritual nourishment that will come in attending church and to be able to renew my baptismal covenants through the sacrament.

I have a few friends who are struggling with the lack of perfect people at church. They are both converts and they hold high standards (as well they should) as to those who have the restored gospel in their lives-that they should behave accordingly. As we all know, that is not always the case. The gospel is for the imperfect and as someone once said (it has escaped my mind who at the moment) that Christ had a perfect church before He let us in it.

Proclaiming truth

I found this clip on youtube-it is a presentation focused on a talk given by Elder Jeffrey R Holland, one of the 12 living Apostles today. I know what he says is true.

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8JK_8KiuUc&feature=related

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RldgoPz57hs&feature=related

Remember

Well this week has been a most eventful one: being the first week of school and working 30 hours on top of 15 credits. It has been a character building experience. Today I slept in-in celebration that I didn't have to be to work at 7 am. It was very nice and I feel well rested to get busy on homework and other tasks I have been neglecting in my business.

I was studying this morning in the Book of Mormon in Helaman 5, where the majority of the Nephites have become wicked and "weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites.." (Helaman 4:23) and Nephi and Lehi (who are Nephites) are asked to 'remember': remember to keep the commandments, remember their ancestors whos names they bear, to do good, remember the words of prophets in days past, remember that through Christ all things are possible. I was thinking about this word 'remember' and the powerful significance it holds in our lives, and how easily we forget. How easily we forget who made us and gives us life from day to day.

After reading the verse in Helaman 5, verse 12 (page 378) where Nephi and Lehi were commanded again to 'remember': '...REMEMBER that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Sond of God, that ye must build your foundation..." I was thinking about how true that phrase is: that Christ is the truest and surest foundation we can build our lives upon. Everything else is shifty and uncertain. With Christ as our foundation, we are promised that "when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yeah, his shafts in the whirlwind...when ALL his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shal have NO power over you to drag you down.." (verse 12 continued) I know that is true!! I know that if build our lives on obedience to God's commandments and simply do what He asks of us through the words of the scriptures and of the Prophets living and dead: we will find protection from lifes storms.

Although it is a challenge in the business of life to always REMEMBER our Savior, we can do it and find great peace. I was listening to a talk by President Eyring-the first he gave in his newly called position as counselor to our Prophet, President Monson. He talks of the importance of remembering God daily-taking note of how He has blessed us each day-abundantly so when we are obedient. He talks of how easy it is to forget who gave us those blessings-

"...forgetting God has been such a persistent problem among His children since the world began. Think of the times of Moses, when God provided manna and in miraculous and visible ways led and protected His children. Still, the prophet warned the people who had been so blessed, as prophets always have warned and always will: “Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life.”3
“…the challenge to remember has always been the hardest for those who are blessed abundantly. Those who are faithful to God are protected and prospered. That comes as the result of serving God and keeping His commandments. But with those blessings comes the temptation to forget their source. It is easy to begin to feel the blessings were granted not by a loving God on whom we depend but by our own powers." -Elder Henry B Eyring, O Remember, Remember, General Conference October 2007

As I sit in quiet reflection of this weeks events (as I haven't had much down time to do that until now) I know that everything I have been able to accomplish physically, mentally-has been because of God. I feel He can bless us with an added measure of strength and endurance for whatever is asked of us. This week ALOT has been asked of me. I know that however hectic life gets, God will always make me equal to the task IF I continue in obedience and have Him as my foundation.

I am so grateful for this knowledge. Beyond expression with words.

Coming soon to a theatre near you..

Ok-maybe not to a theater-but right here for your reading pleasure. :) I have had a crazy week so far but I don't have to be back to work until next tuesday so I will have a little bit more time to write something this weekend. So check back soon.

Crazy schedule and Temple Dedication

I have a few posts I started but haven't had the time or the energy to finish as of late. I wanted to make sure I posted SOMETHING before school starts tomorrow. My schedule has been picking up in busy-ness gradually, for which I am grateful. I have been going through a training period at work and I have been working part-time and LOVING it! I love that I get to interact with such a variety of people every day and help them get ready for the upcoming semester. I even have my wardrobe picked out for me this week!!! What more could I ask for??!! :) (In honor of the first week of school, we have been provided with ORANGE 'Bronco Welcome' t-shirts.)



This week is going to be super busy starting at 7:30 tomorrow morning. I was hoping to get a copy of my schedule on here, but I couldn't get load up right. I am working a shift until 1 pm then I have class at 1:40. After class I am scheduled for ANOTHER shift from 3:15-7:30. Then I start at 7:30 again the following day with class until 9 at night after my shift. You see where I am going with this schedule? Nuts!! It is what I signed up for though-and the crazy schedule will only last a few weeks until things calm down.

Oh!! I almost forgot!! I have good news!! This particular job I have at the bookstore was only a temporary position, but I decided to take it. I was hoping it would maybe be something that developed into full-time after RUSH week was over-but the gentleman who interviewed me told me he couldn't promise anything. I took it anyway and I have really enjoyed it. ANyway...the man who hired me asked if he could talk to me after work on friday and...he offered me a permanent position once RUSH week was over!!! This really is an answer to prayers as I wasn't sure how things were going to pan out in the end-but I am again reminded how when we do our best, the Lord does the rest. No need to worry about how things will turn out if we but just trust in Him.

Something else I wanted to write about was the Twin Falls Temple dedication that happened tonight.
Our stake here in Boise was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of that. They made our stake center an extension of the temple and we were able to be a part of it via broadcast. It was really a unique opportunity, for which I am grateful. President Monson and President Eyring were there, along with Elder Cook of the 12 and Elder Costa of the Seventy. I left with a renewed appreciation for our temples and all that goes into building one, all the sacrifice. I feel I walked away with a better understanding of the word 'dedication' and the power that comes from that. I feel like we were a part of something great tonight-something greater than we will probably ever understand in this lifetime. For that I am grateful.

It is now very late and I must get to bed-I have an early day tomorrow. I will post more again soon-I hoped to write more about the dedication, but time has gotten away from me. I will try to add more soon.

Pictures from the temple

Here are some actual pictures of our temple trip. My roommate Trina was gracious enough to give me copies of her pictures and let me take a few with her camera. So here they are.

The temple

We just arrived home a bit ago from the temple open house in Twin Falls, ID.
It is to be dedicated on August 24th of this year.

I am so glad we went-it was a sweet experience. I am grateful we were able to go. My roommates and I had planned to attend back in July and set the date for today. We arrived there and were given instructions to go into the chapel right next to the temple. We waited a few minutes and were ushered into another room to watch a video presentation on temples and on this temple in particular. Ever since we entered the chapel, I had noticed this man who was sitting by himself. I kept feeling that I should go and talk to him and sit by him. Finally after the video I got a chance to talk to him. His name is Mark. I know this entry will do nothing to explain how I felt in talking to him and what understanding I received from the experience-but I want to log it all down while it is fresh in my memory in hopes to always remember it. It was one of those experiences where you meet someone who you will probably never see again, but you will never be the same (for the better) from the experience.

After we left the stake center, we walked onto the temple grounds to enter the temple. We stopped a few times before we entered with our tour guide as she told us about the angel Moroni on top of the temple, and to tell us about the inscription on the front of the temple: Holiness to the Lord." That is when I spoke to Mark and told him if he wanted to go through with us, he could. He gave me a big smile. I toured the temple with him, as I felt to stay by his side. One of my roommates had met up with an old friend and my other roommate was with her boyfriend, so it worked out perfectly that I stayed with him.

We walked through the temple and stopped in several different rooms: the baptistry, a couple sealing rooms, an endowment room, and the celestial room. I felt the spirit so strong throughout our tiime there and was reminded of how blessed we are to have these places that we might come closer to our Heavenly Father and find refuge for a time from life. My favorite time was in the celestial room as we stood and soaked in the feeling and the sun's warm rays beaming through the west windows. The rays hit the chandelier and lit up the entire room. It was breathtaking. One of our tour guides who took us into one of the sealing rooms shared with us her belief in eternal families as she was sealed in the temple to her husband who had passed away and their eight children. She testified that she new she would see him again and be with her family forever.

There was a painting on the walls of one of the endowment room of the Shoshone Falls right there in Twin and other scenery. It was beautiful-I felt I could see for miles into the picture. I know that all who were present felt of that same spirit-I hope they remember it always as well. That takes me back to my new friend, Mark. I learned that he had just been baptized last saturday. I also learned it was because he had come to tour the temple that he decided to be baptized. He came to tour the temple to get two of his co-workers off his back, he said, about attending the open house. He felt such peace that he has come back every day since. He told me how sad he was that the 16th (this saturday) would be the last time he could come in for awhile. I wish you could have seen his face as he shared that with me-I could sense his heartache that he would have to wait a season before he could come back. He knew he would have to wait a year. What would it be like if everyone treasured the temple like that? A pang of guilt washed over me as I thought of my own lack of appreciation for the Lord's house. With that I also felt a renewed sense of commitment and determination to appreciate being so close and having the ability to attend the temple as often as I would like. I was reminded that the Spirit can teach you the truthfulness of ALL things. (2 Nephi 32:5)

After the tour, there was a room in the stake center that had displays and missionaries were there to answer any questions anyone had concerning there experience. There were some refreshments, of course. :) I teased Mark that I now knew the real reason he came was for the cookies. He agreed and just smiled and laughed.

I am grateful my Heavenly Father allowed me to meet him and learn what I did from him. I made sure to tell him that before we parted ways. He is a very timid man and you could tell he wasn't used to such words as it left him without words. He figited with his napkin and would barely look at me while I spoke and thanked him.
I am so grateful for modern conveniences that afforded us the opportunity to drive the distance in the time we had to have this experience.

Are we ready?

Yesterday was my roomate Ranee's birthday and she wanted to go to dinner for the celebration. As we were driving on our way to the restaurant, we decided to drive onto 'the connector' here in Boise. Anyone who lives here knows this stretch of road very well, as it helps you get to several locations in the valley a little quicker. You jump on it in the downtown area and it eventually connects up to the interestate where you can head east or west on your journey. As we were just getting onto the connector, I noticed the brake lights of the cars in the lanes to the right of me so I started to slow down. I looked up ahead and noticed a person doing what looked like somersaults across the road. It was a young man-he finally stopped in the middle lane of traffic on our side of the connector. I stopped my car and jumped out to see if he was alright. There was a man that actually witnessed what happened up ahead who had turned around and another woman that had jumped out and was running towards him. We tried to get him to stay horizontal until paramedics arrived, but he kept trying to get up. He had a helmet on and he kept asking where his bike was. The man who witnessed it all said 'it's down there, ,man', pointing to the area open to the road below between the two sides of the connector. According to the police report, he was heading in the opposite direction of us on his motorcycle and he popped a wheely going about 80 mph. He somehow lost control and ended up jumping over the cement embankment on the side of the road-bike dropping in the space between-him landing on the other side in a roll across the 2 lanes of traffic. It was a miracle he was even alive as it was also rush hour traffic he was riding in. (Here is the link for the news report)
http://www.kivitv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8794771

I have been the first on the scene to a few accidents, never really prepared for what you will view or how you will feel. One thing that I always seem to feel is how precious life really is. How from one moment to the next, your probation time could be over-just like that. Are we ready? Are we ready to give an account of our time here?

Elder Oaks, one of the living apostles, poses some great questions: "What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow—through our premature death or through His unexpected coming—what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear?

If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek peace while peace can be obtained? If our lamps of preparation are drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish them." Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Preparing for the Second Coming, Liahona, May 2004

It just got me thinking-snapped my thoughts quickly to 'am I ready?' Something to think about.....

BEAR WITNESS

I received a very special gift recently from a friend that I have been given permission to share with whomever I feel. I decided what better place to do so than here on this blog, that all of you might have the opportunity to view it as well.

My friend, Joaquin, has created a video of his testimony of Jesus Christ and his feelings in being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The video is both in English and Spanish. I will post below what he wrote concerning the video as I feel it expresses his feelings perfectly of what you are about to view.

I hope you take the time to view this clip. I know that the truths that Joaquin shares in this video are true and if you have never heard them before-or maybe you have forgotten how precious they are-listen now-they will bless your life far greater than you ever dreamed possible.


(IN ENGLISH)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WQCO76kae3E

(Joaquin's words concerning the video clip)

"I am sharing with you what I consider the most precious treasure in my life. I have recorded a home video and uploaded to the Internet, so others who may be looking for that same priceless treasure (as I did) may benefit of what I am so fortunate to have.

I did this following the advice of a good and inspired person (Elder Ballard, a living apostle of Jesus Christ), even though I had feelings about doing this long time ago. Now is done J! You may or may not be a member of my faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This does not matter. I consider you my brother or sister, a precious friend. But if you are LDS, I encourage you to do the same I have done (if you have not done it yet). Raise your voice and let others know (even through the Interenet) who "mormons" (or members of the true and living Church of the living Christ) really are. I do this because I feel sorrow (and won´t be silent) when a few people, full of ignorance or with wrong intentions, fearful and contentious attempt to wrongly define and tell in the internet who we are."


(EN ESPANOL)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcechFZJswY

"Quiero compartir contigo lo que yo considero el tesoro más preciado de mi vida. He grabado un video casero (en español y en inglés) que ahora está en internet para que las personas que quieran saber sobre verdades fundamentales (las cuales yo busqué por muchos años), puedan tener acceso a respuestas verdaderas y a las bendiciones de las que yo soy tan afortunado de disfrutar.

Decidí grabar este video siguiendo el consejo de una persona muy buena y muy inspirada (el Elder Ballard, un apostol viviente de Jesucristo), sin embargo, ya hacía mucho tiempo que yo sentía en mi corazón que debía hacer esto. ¡Ahora está hecho J y mi conciencia tranquila! Puede que tu seas o no miembro de la iglesia a la que yo pertenezco, La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días. No importa. Te considero mi hermano/a, amigo/a. Te aprecio y te quiero igual, sin importar las diferencias en nuestras creencias. Si no eres miembro, te invito a contemplar, meditar y orar sobre el contenido del video. Si así lo haces enriquecerás tu vida de una manera que nunca podrías imaginar. Y si eres miembro (Santo de los Últimos Días), te animo a hacer lo mismo que yo (si no lo has hecho ya): a compartir también en internet lo que tu sabes que es verdad. Hazte oir y que otros que no saben sobre nosotros sepan quienes son realmente los "mormones" (miembros de la Iglesia viviente y verdadera del Cristo viviente) y el tesoro que tenemos y debemos compartir con el mundo. Hago esto, en parte, porque me entristece y no puedo guardar silencio cuando algunas personas llenas de ignoracia o con males intenciones, prejuicios y temores utilizan internet para definir o decir muy equivocadamente quien somos y en qué creemos."

THE KING'S SON

I had heard this story years ago and came upon it again from a talk given by Vaughn J Featherstone recently titled 'The King's Son'.

"Many years ago I heard the story of the son of King Louis XVI of France. King Louis had been taken from his throne and imprisoned. His young son, the prince, was taken by those who dethroned the king. They thought that inasmuch as the king’s son was heir to the throne, if they could destroy him morally, he would never realize the great and grand destiny that life had bestowed upon him.

They took him to a community far away, and there they exposed the lad to every filthy and vile thing that life could offer. They exposed him to foods the richness of which would quickly make him a slave to appetite. They used vile language around him constantly. They exposed him to lewd and lusting women. They exposed him to dishonor and distrust. He was surrounded 24 hours a day by everything that could drag the soul of a man as low as one could slip. For over six months he had this treatment—but not once did the young lad buckle under pressure. Finally, after intensive temptation, they questioned him. Why had he not submitted himself to these things—why had he not partaken? These things would provide pleasure, satisfy his lusts, and were desirable; they were all his. The boy said, “I cannot do what you ask for I was born to be a king.”

...Would that our Father, our Heavenly King, could say this about his children—that we remembered all of his commandments to execute them. What would our Heavenly King have us do as his children? We should be faithful in filling every assignment. We ought to be virtuous and pure and trustworthy. We ought to stand steadfast in our callings, filling them in the same dedicated and loyal fashion in which Ammon filled his assignments as a servant of the king. We ought to have the integrity of the son of King Louis XVI and have branded onto our hearts “I cannot do what you ask for I was born to be a king.” " Vaughn J Featherstone, New Era, November 1975