Have you felt the Savior calling you to follow Him?

The 'Come, follow me'  manual had me "Ponder these questions as you read Matthew 4:18–22 and Luke 5:1–11" after reading the following introduction:

President Ezra Taft Benson taught, “Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson [2014], 42). This is what happened to Peter and his fellow fishermen. Jesus helped them realize that they could do more than catch fish—they could become “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19; see also Luke 5:10). To help them see this, Jesus used experiences that were familiar to them.

When have you felt the Savior calling you to follow Him?    

The light of Christ always encourages me to have integrity, always serve man, and do my best in all my responsibilities.    

How can you show the Lord that you are willing to “[forsake] all” (Luke 5:11) to follow Him? 

• Serve at home   
  
• Prepare to serve senior missions 
  
• forsake worldly ambitions
  

Jesus Christ's gospel is designed to perfect us, preparing us to live in his Kingdom, a world without corruption. "Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance." (D&C 1:31) "No unclean thing can dwell with God." (1 Ne. 10:21) Let us embrace the exalting path of the Gospel. Trust in God's love and grace.

   

My Secret to a Deeper Night's Rest

Last week I rediscovered a secret to deeper sleep. During high school an olympian visited my "promising" cross country team. I became inspired to become a health freak by his teaching; however, my sleeping secret was not learned from him. He taught the class that no matter what we do; we will wake up dehydrated from sleep; therefore, we need to drink a lot of water in the morning. 

This tells me that our body utilizes a lot of water in the highly beneficiary process of sleep. Sleep is most glorious when an individual goes to sleep early and wakes up early. I expect most people would reject my idea; however, I found that drinking a large glass of water or two until I feel hydrated will make my rest more deep and vivid. When I wake up in the night to use the restroom, I feel rested. I suggest not turning on the bathroom lights or any lights, and don't look at your phone. This is crazy; I know. I wake up in the middle of the night finding that I have a couple hours more to sleep; plus, I already feel great. Drink another large glass of water and go back to sleep. I may wake up a second time to do the same thing, but I have another glorious nap before the alarm goes off. I let go of this habit last week, and a lack of hydration weakened my sleep. Water is like the energy source for deeper sleep for me. I also use water to help keep myself awake during the day, if I was not punctual on sleep. Last night I was so excited to write about this, since I have time today, that it messed with my sleep, but I still slept deeply.

What Jesus Christ was sent to earth to do?

If you were asked to describe what Jesus Christ was sent to earth to do, what would you say?

I would say that Jesus Christ was chosen from the beginning to redeem all mankind by atoning for sin and overcoming death.

In Luke 4:18–19, the Savior described aspects of His own mission by quoting one of Isaiah’s prophecies about the Messiah (see Isaiah 61:1–2). 

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;" (Isaiah 61:1–2)

What do you learn about His mission as you read these verses?

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me" means to me that he came restore the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Melchizedek Priesthood.

"Because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;" means to me that Jesus Christ is the source of truth.

"He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted," means to me that he is the second comforter after the Holy Ghost.

"To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;" means the redemption that I mentioned earlier.

"To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" means to me that only mortality and the temporary life of the Earth, which ends at the second resurrection, is the time for man to accept the faith, repent, and covenants of Christ's gospel.

"The day of vengeance of our God" means to me that as God flood the Earth, cleansing it from the wicked inhabitance by baptism of water, the Earth will be cleansed again at the second coming of Christ, purging it from the wicked inhabitance by baptism of fire.

"To comfort all that mourn" means to me that Christ sets the example of the baptismal covenant by making the plan of salvation the reality, the way, the truth, and the light.

Snow Cycling

Cycling in the snow to work this morning, I felt my heart beat race because the road was a little slippery. The snow made my usually chill morning bike ride into an adrenaline, extreme sport. Someone called me brave.

When I biked home, I could rarely the spot snow on the roads, but it remained on tree branches, highlighting the beauty of the scenery. The nearly melted snow accented the depth of nature. These experiences remind me of my desires to be a landscape painter. I wish that God is collecting the paintings of my heart.

How are you a fisher of man?

Reviewing 'Come, follow me' for CTR 5, I am impressed by its example of relating scriptures to one's life. The first impression was the application of Luke 3:5:

"Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;"

I always thought this partially quoted prophecy of Isaiah was a description of the Millennium, the final thousand years of time on Earth, where "Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory." (the tenth article of faith) The example of relating scriptures to one's life by 'Come, follow me' shows a different interpretation.

The following is the quotation: 

"This is a message for all of us, including those who think they cannot change or do not need to change. If something as permanent as a mountain can be flattened, then surely the Lord can help us straighten our own crooked paths (see Luke 3:4–5). As we accept John the Baptist’s invitation to repent and change, we prepare our minds and hearts to receive Jesus Christ so that we too can “see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6)."

I read another gem in the manual yesterday. "The Savior’s call, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), applies to everyone, including children." When I read this, I thought about the principles of fishing that I know. I am thinking about fishing with a rod rather than a net. Fishing with a net seems to be overbearing. Fishing with a rod requires patience and a constant effort of inviting the fish to bite the lure. 

Thinking of my effort, I patiently have my line in the water by sharing the content of 'Single Adults' Blogs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Facebook and Twitter pages. They have over 1500 followers. I don't know the depths of the fruits thereof, but I know that I helped a young woman in rural Washington find a young single adult congregation, finding a boyfriend. The pages are designed to serve the world. Years ago I helped a couple young women out of a troubling situation. One lives in the Philippines and the other in Africa. This fruit came because these people were open and sought after the gospel lure of my blogs and pages' invitations.

There are many ways to serve man. People will seek after the gospel lure of your invitations. Keep on inviting. Let your example shine. This is the purpose of 'Single Adults' Blogs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Facebook and Twitter pages to share the good content of other church members, letting them shine brighter.

Man is not designed to think of themselves first.

After Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan, the first thing that he did is summon angels to minister to John the Baptist in jail. This is according to Joseph Smith Translation. "And now Jesus knew that John was cast into prison, and he sent angels, and, behold, they came and ministered unto him." (JST Matthew 4:11) In the King James Version of the bible, Matthew 4:11 says “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” One may have mixed feelings about Christ resisting Satan’s temptation to “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone;” then moments later, angels come and ministered unto him. Those mixed feelings are valid, and they can rest assured that angels did not minister to him. Jesus sent angels to minister to John the Baptist instead of our mis-translated verse of Matthew 4:11. This act is a great example of thinking of others before oneself. I have come to a realization when Jessica and I pondered this precept this morning.

Although children & youth need to grow out of ecocentrism, the “everything revolves around an individual” thought patterns, I believe that man is not designed to think of themselves first. When people see an ecocentric person rant, they may find it amusing. My father-in-law always describes comedy as “an ordinary guy or gal struggling against insurmountable odds without many of the required skills and tools with which to win; yet never giving up hope.” An ecocentric person may be amusing to witness because they are illogical. I don’t know whether the quote helps, but this is what I understand about the quote. One may find an ecocentric scene funny because it is not realistic. A mature person does not think that everything revolves around them.  People are not designed to think about themselves constantly.

I have observed that people, who think about themselves too much, tend to have anxiety and depression. Thinking that I will step on people’s toes, I don’t know what to say more; however, I will say that man is not designed to be anxious and depressed.

When one thinks about others first, they will be more happy. They will be led more by God to bless others. They are more productive. The conclusion of this post does not seem satisfying. The conclusion that I believe that man is not designed to think of themselves first, but they should put others as their motivation, inspiration, and purpose. Let us live for others as we are designed to.

How to Resist Temptation: Learning from Christ's Example

In the account of Jesus Christ, telling his disciples how his forty day fast concluded, we learn of his example to resist temptations. Satan tempted him with hunger, pride, and kingdoms. 

I gathered the following ways to resist temptation:

Keep an eternal perspective. 

Ponder the doctrine of Christ

Remember the commandments & word of God.

An eternal perspective is an ever developing point of view, considering the long term affects of one's actions.

The doctrine of Christ is the plan of Salvation, Godhead, and atonement of Jesus Christ. Eternal perspectives are more fruitful, when it is based on the doctrine of Christ and truth.

It is hard to even recognize temptation, if an individual does not remember the commandments. "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 11:26) The Spirit will help you remember the commandments in time of temptation; however, verbalizing it like Christ can be a strength. 

Man's Temptations & Weaknesses are not Sin

Man's temptations and weaknesses are not sin; however, when men chose to follow the temptation, that is sin. People tend to unnecessarily feel guilty and define themselves by their weaknesses and temptation. Jesus Christ experienced every temptation, yet he lived a perfect life. He can be a great source of strength as described in the following scripture verses:

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11-12)

Counting up to 9,999,999

One thing that I have been writing about is my practice of counting in Thai. I reached up to 999 in my last update. I can count up to 9999999 now. Thai is interesting because there is a word for ten thousand & one hundred thousand. I developed a way for me to remember the order and name of each number. 

The learning aid is inspired or chosen because PMS exists. I don't know want it is. All I know is that it is a girl thing, and it messes with their emotions. I also add an R to the left, and a L on the right of PMS; RPMSL. Some things are backwards in the Thai language, so R, standing for 'right' hand, and L for 'left' hand is backward. L is not on the left, and R is not on the right of the acronym PMS. 

R stands for 100, which is pronounced Roy. The 'R' is rolled, but it is a very quick one. P stands for the word phan, which is 1000. The H is less emphasized. The ph does not make a F sound, or you will bring your significant other into your high digit numbers. 10,000 is pronounced 'muen'. The U is wierd in this word. I don't know an English word to illustrate the sound. 'San' is the word for 100,000 dollars. That word is simple, and 1,000,000 is simple too as it is pronounced 'Lan'. 

I like to practice the number 1,234,567 or ๑,๒๓๔,๕๖๗. It is pronounced Neng Lan Song San Sam Muen Si Phan Ha Roy Hok Sip Jet. 

๑ = 1 (Neng)

๑,๐๐๐,๐๐๐ = one million (Lan)

๒ = 2 (Song)

๑๐๐,๐๐๐ = one hundred thousand (San)

๓ = 3 (Sam)

๑๐,๐๐๐ = ten thousand (Muen)

๔ = 4 (Si)

๑,๐๐๐ = one thousand (Phan)

๕ = 5 (Ha)

๑๐๐ = one hundred (Roy)

๖ = 6 (Hok)

๑๐ = ten (Sib)

๗ = 7 (jet)

R(100)

P(1,000)

M(10,000)

S(100,000)

L(1,000,000)

I actually think counting in Thai is more simple than English. Many things are more simple in Thai.

Questioning Cycling Gear

Cycling home in the rain, I bike mostly up hill. Shoe covers & waterproof bicycle pants work great at keeping what they protect dry; however, I question waterproof cycling jackets. What is the use? I get home soaked anyways; instead of water, my shirt is drenched in sweat. It only makes sense if your bike ride is chill.

A Reflection on a Most Uplifting Missionary Work Institute Lesson

Jessica & I went to institute in the evening. The lesson was a most inspiring one about missionary work. I learned that people are more receptive when you are 100% a missionary. My casual attempts have felt overbearing or not authentic. People tend get defensive when I approach people about the church, having "two" sides or an awkward attempt. A missionary perhaps "fake" side, which rarely comes out, and my personal example. I tend to be a listening type of person with an accepting & comforting humor. I try to be interested in people being a true uplifting friend.

The teacher shared an example from his mission. Brother Diaz was known as the missionary machine. The following is his backstory to how he became 100% a missionary: Brother Diaz was deathly ill, &  he covenanted that he will consecrate himself to missionary work. When he recovered, he got sick again.  He definitely thought that he would die. He covenanted again; health for missionary service. Since he did not keep his promise, his promised health was withdrawn. His second covenant & health was paralyzing, but he had to dedicate himself or he will die. He became known as a missionary machine, sharing the gospel with everyone tactfully. The fruits of his efforts are hundreds converted. Every relationship for Brother Diaz was Christ oriented, seeking to bring each other to him, and people recognized that.

I was 100% a missionary at one time. My foremost experience was when I flew home alone from my mission in Jamaica. I taught every person around me about Christ, and they recognized my devotion. I had at least ten people. I even missed a flight because I was eating Iunch with a returning missionary like me, but for the Jehovah Witness religion. One person asked for my contact information, but I was a fool, declining his request. 

I have dreams occasionally to be back in the mission field. I love helping people to learn about the true plan for man's salvation & nature of God, but I don't understand how to be a Brother Diaz.