Committment

What a big word. It means a lot. It means that we are willing to do something. We are willing to engage in whatever it is 100% while we are doing it. It means that we will do what we say we are going to do!

There are many that have taught the principle of committment. Nonone taught it like my dad. He did not say much. He let others dominate a conversation. He rarely had much to offer in the way of verbal communication. His actions however spoke volumes. When he was asked to do something he did it 110%.

He was the guy that people called because they knew he could get it done. He would give up his time talents and everything he had for someone in need. Not only would he preform the act of service he would do it with a smile.

I remember asking him how he felt about my mom. He told me that he loved her. That he would do anything for her. To this day that example is lived day in and day out.

Committment, is the backbone of each man. The scriptures teach to be anxiously engaged in good works of our own free will. I think it is ever important to stand up and be counted with a smile rather than a frown. Those who are there grudgingly will reap the rewards of selfishness, pride....etc.

DO Something!!

The time is now to stand up and be counted. No longer can we sit on the fence and be indecisive. Stand up for your family, Stand up for morality, Stand up for standards, stand up for light and knowledge, stand up for integrity, stand up for truth, Stand up for Love.

Too many are sitting on the fence and watch. It is time to get in the game. The Lord needs you! He needs you to help in this battle that he is waging against sin.

In today’s world there is no room for indifference, complacency, laziness, and whining.  In fact the preceding is the exactly the things that we are fighting. These are stopping us from swinging an ever damaging blow.

Our world is quite literally building up walls that force us to conform to the influences of darkness. All around us there are barriers that must come down. They will not come down all at once. The walls will however fall little by little stone by stone. We must take tiny steps. These actions will be steps that will lead us to the tearing down of the walls of sin.

It starts from a very young age. We see it in our schools and in our neighborhoods. We see it come into our homes through different streams of media.

One day I was eating lunch with my daughter at her school. We sat down and began to eat.  We were talking to other children at the tables.  One of the boys was talking of a movie that he and his mother had watched the night before. He told (in detail) of how a man’s face was ripped off. The boy repeated language that was vile. He continued to tell about his exciting evening and the rest of the students were also engaged in the story. I looked at my daughter and she was making gagging reflex noises as he talked.

What if we could change the thinking of others?  What if we could help others feel and recognize that the stories like the boy told at lunch were wrong? What if we took back our neighborhoods from all the violence? What if we could bring God back into the daily arena of public thought?

All of these are daunting to the any of us at a glance. I purpose that each one of these walls can be dismantled. Brick by brick layer by layer they will come down if we come together and work as one body. Acting as One in purpose.

The purpose that I speak of is taking back humanity. Our desire should ever be; to put into the minds and wills of the people, a desire to serve others. To know who their neighbors are and above that what needs might they have.

A few years ago, a school was having a food drive. The school had made a deal with the local pizza place to give a pizza party to the class that brought in the most canned goods. Two boys who really loved pizza  set a goal for their class to get a pizza party before the end of the day.

They went home they raided their families pantry. One of the boys mothers asked the young men what they were doing. The boys told the parent that they needed canned goods to win the pizza party. They came in the next day with 65 cans of food each. The teacher aghast at the amounts the young men had brought in asked them where they had gotten that much food they simply replied mom’s cupboard. They then asked for their classmates to do the same thing. They came back the next morning again with much food to be donated.

The class won their pizza party.

It is simple acts of people stepping forward to show the way that cause a community to work together. Little acts, go along way. They bring people together. They show people that they can do something great if they are willing to work together.

The great prophet and leader Moses, stood up and lead by example. The Lord gave him a mouthpiece to help others to understand the will of the Lord. Aaron, was just that person to stand up and be that strength for Moses. Aaron was able through the use of his talents to gather and rally the Jewish people.

Each of us has been given talents. Talents, that when developed influence others for good. We are to use those talents to help and build others. Just think for a moment what we could do if we were to act as one and stand up.

There will always be pain and suffering during this life. Our challenge is to be there for those whose heads hang low and build up the walls of righteousness around them. These people will thank us and be prepared to help when others are in need.

Watch over the church

At twelve, like normal, I recieved the Aaronic priesthood. With that I was able to be that really cool guy that passed the sacrement to the congregation. When my parents joined the church I remember looking up to those deacons and wanting to be like them.

I had been told that my calling to hold the Aaronic prieshood was really important. I thought it an honor to be able to be a part of some thing. I don't think that I really understood the magnitude of the responsiblity that I was taking on.

I had heard but I never really thought much about the statement of watching over the church. The job of the deacon was really beyond me.

I was reading a few days ago now of watching. How it is a responsibility. The deacons are to Watch and pray over and warn, expound, teach the church.

All of sudden the power of the those words hit me. What I had agreed to do when I was twelve was a huge responsibilty. The word "watch " means to have a responsibility. It was a responsibility to stand up for the gospel of Christ. To invite all men to come unto Christ.

Jesus, talking to peter said "When Thou Art Converted Strengthen Thy Bretheren." Jesus talking to Joseph Smith taught us to sanctify ourselves and teach one another the gospel. Christ said "Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man that hath been warned to warn his neighbor."

The responsibility of watching, is making sure that we strengthen one another. Each of us have our flaws. Some of us big, others small, no matter the size of the problem.....it is ours to help where we are able. To give succor to those in need and lift those whose arms hang low!!!

DO NOT DELAY

One of the hardest things for me to do is keep on top of things. To prepare for tomorrow. Like many foolish people I have been caught inside that trap of procrastination. Putting off today, what I can do tomorrow.

There are many who watch and wait to snare us. They watch for that ideal time when we are playing catch up. When we are stooped low resting a moment longer than is needful.

This life is a time for us to prepare to meet God! It is a time to build ourselves up. A time to create memories and build relationships. These relationships are the only things that we can take with us, when we leave this life.

The Lord taught us to prepare now. To watch continually for his coming. We recieve great blessings as we prepare. We prepare to come into the presence of the father. We can do this by being watchful. That means living the gospel of Christ. Showing that you want to bring yourselves and your families home.

My favorite verse of the Book of Mormon expresses it as clearly as you can get: Moroni 10:32 reads,
32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and dlove God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

To be watchful, we must perfect ourselves and then invite others to do the same!

Prepared

During the election time of year I watch to wait and see what is going to happen. I watch to see who is going to win. I soak it up. I am a junkie for those kind of things. Last night the results from the latest election came in. I really was interested more in the local stuff than the national stuff. It is as if they are beyond hope now.

The local stuff has brought a lot of conversation my way. I was talking to a friend that was telling me how taxes save programs. I understand the logic behind what he was saying but I disagee with him. We left each other with a warm smile and we were better for having had a conversation.

I thought about it a bit more since and I read in Alma 48. While Amalikiah was gaining his power, Moroni was training his people to be a God fearing people. He was helping them to use the peace time to fortify the cities. He was creating a safe place for his people.

We should be placing leaders in postions that will fortify and work for us. We need to seek to be a God Fearing people. When we can accomplish that we will be able to move our families, our communities, and even our country forward into a brighter tomorrow!

They Watch and Wait

When I was a scout we did a lot of camping. For me my favorite part of these trips, was the night games; particularly the game called "Capture the Flag."
This game included many people working together for a common goal. To get the other teams flag. I was usually the watch man that stayed back and guarded the flag and the prisoners. I also alerted the others when people were invading.
One of my friends was exceptionally good at just lying in the grass waiting for others to come across. He watched carefully and patiently and watched the other team at times just walk right by him. He brought many in who would get brave and try to beat him at his same game. He always seemed to me to have night vision or some extra help.
Part of the reason that I was always stuck in the back with the flag is because I could not be patient enough to sneak in. I was always the one who got caught first. So, I was of better use at our jail than being in jail.
Satan, is watching us. He is seeking to make us his. He lurks in the grass and springs on us when we have lowered our defenses. He seeks for ways that will chip away at our exterior. If we are not careful and fail to repair what has been damaged we will loose what has been built up.
We have been promised that those who seek to put the work of the Lord first will be built up. The Lord will strengthen us and we will be able to withstand those blows of the adversary. Likewise those who seek evil and call evil good will be thrashed and destroyed by the Father.
Now is the time for us to rise up and call on the Father to save us. Put off the adversary, and seek to be obedient to the mind and will of God.
Just as in the game there has to be someone guarding the home front, continually watching. We must be ever vigilant of that one lurking in the grass studying and searching out ways to claim you, as his prey. When it gets to hard to bear know that you can call in reinforcements to help comfort and guide through the turbulence!

Watch yourself

Ever since I was a young boy, I have been told to be careful, to watch out of this or that. My parents were the first to tell me this. they made sure that my needs were met. They saw to it that when a correction needed made they let me know. (Typically, by warming my backside.) There have been many who have been there to make sure that I, at the very least, towed the line.

Each one of these people have touched my life. They have made sure that I have found the right way. Sometimes it may seem that I have stumbled on to what was so clearly in front of me. I will be forever grateful to those who have made me....well, me!

We must be willing to allow those around us to help us. Leaders, are in place that are called to guide and mold us. Nehemiah taught that we need to only allow the gates to be open when the sun is hot and when the night comes bar up the doors and set a watch.

There are times when we must help others. There are also times when we must allow our leaders to help us. Today we must work together to fight off the advances of the adversary. We must bar up our hearts and watch. Watch through the long night and rely on what we know is true!

When Christ was in the garden he came out to find his apostles sleeping. He asked them; if they could not watch. Even the strong can be affected. If we fail to watch Satan wins. He seeks to have us his. We must be watchful and pray for others to strengthen; and that can strengthen us!!