7 Day Walk with Christ / Day 7 - CHARITY

What is the pure love of Christ?

These past 6 days have I felt a greater love for my Savior?

Have I felt his love?

"The phrase, 'Love of Christ' might have meaning in 3 dimensions:
Love for Christ
Love from Christ
Love like Christ" ~ Elder Max Caldwell

Moroni 7:48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, ^apray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true ^bfollowers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall ^cbe like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be ^dpurified even as he is pure. Amen.

"There are others among us who search for light in their lives. One such young man had broken many of the laws of the land and had been punished by a prison sentence. He even escaped from prison, only to be caught and reincarcerated a short time later. His was truly a life of darkness and misery, but through the constant efforts of a caring bishop, this young man decided to change his ways and return to Christ. With a meek and lowly heart he began to repent, and the Spirit of the Holy Ghost touched his heart.
As he prepared to leave prison after serving his term, there to greet him at the gate were his bishop, who had worked with him all those years, and he brought with him his father, mother, brothers, and sisters, who received him with open arms and great rejoicing. What a deep appreciation this young man had for his bishop and his family, who had stood by him even though he had caused them much embarrassment and many sleepless nights with his wayward activities. But their faith never wavered, and indeed a miracle was wrought. Today, this young man serves as the elders quorum president of his ward.
What great force changed the life of this young man from one of spiritual darkness to one of truth and light? It was the pure love of Christ, which the bishop portrayed as he worked with him. And this pure love of Christ is charity. (See Moro. 7:47.)"

"The Light of the Gospel"
Adney Y. Komatsu
General Conference Oct. '81

7 Day Walk with Christ / Day 6 - TRUTH

How can the Holy Ghost help me become more like Christ?

President Wilford Woodruff called the gift of the Holy Ghost the greatest Gift we can receive in mortality.

What am I doing to accomplish the Holy Ghost being my constant companion?

D&C 121:46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant ^acompanion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of ^brighteousness and truth; and thy ^cdominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

"The Bible’s teachings about the Holy Ghost are reaffirmed and elaborated in the Book of Mormon and in modern revelations. The Holy Ghost is the means by which God inspires and reveals his will to his children (e.g., D&C 8:2–3). The Holy Ghost bears record of the Father and of the Son (see 3 Ne. 28:11; D&C 20:27; D&C 42:17). He enlightens our minds and fills us with joy (see D&C 11:13). By the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things (see Moro. 10:5). By his power we may have the mysteries of God unfolded to us (see 1 Ne. 10:19), all things which are expedient (see D&C 18:18; D&C 39:6). The Holy Ghost shows us what we should do (see 2 Ne. 32:5). We teach the gospel as we are directed by the Holy Ghost, which carries our words into the hearts of those we teach (see 2 Ne. 33:1)."

Dallin H. Oaks
"Always Have His Spirit"
October 1996 Ensign

7 Day Walk with Christ / Day 5 - SERVICE

How does the Lord want me to serve?

Is the Lord first in my life?

How do I really feel about the service I give?

Does serving the Lord make me happy?

"Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves. By and large, if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves."

"The best antidote I know for worry is work. One of the great ironies of life is this: he or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served." ~ Gordon B. Hinckley

One of the greatest forms of service is to allow others to serve you. The principle behind this is, "We love those whom we serve."

Luke 9:24 ^aFor whosoever will save his life shall ^blose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

7 Day Walk with Christ / Day 4 - SELF WORTH

How can I improve my thoughts?

Am I trying to be the BEST I can be?

Do I try never to compare myself to others - only to myself?

Do my thoughts affect my attitude?

"What you sincerely think in your heart of Jesus Christ will determine what you are and what you do."  ~ David O. McKay

Isaiah 65:2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a ^arebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

Don't Sit On The Fence

How do we learn and progress in our mortal journey on earth?

We learn and progress by trying new things

and pushing ourselves into uncharted territory,

telling ourselves,

"Don't Sit On The Fence."

I did just that this week, I took my boys tent camping

and fishing for four days and three nights. 

You might say, how is that hard for you? 

Well, we are not a camping family,

in fact this is the first time we have camped

more than one night ever as a family. 

It is also the first time I have taken my dog

in the car without him getting sick or peeing on everything. 

 It took a lot of planning, preparation and asking questions

from experts (thanks Dad) but it all paid off

and we made it happily to the end of our trip.  

 My children are happy and that makes me happy. 

I am happy I got off the fence, to learn and grow in new ways. 

 I hope that I have made memories with my boys that they will never forget.

7 Day Walk with Christ / Day 3 HOPE

Questions to ponder and journal about regarding HOPE...

From whom do I get my strength? (Wherein lies the power of Christ?)

Am I too busy, hurried, and involved with worldly matters that I neglect what is really important?

Do I understand what Christ did for me? Do I comprehend the great love He has for me?

How can I put myself in a position to have the atonement cover my sins?

Isaiah 41:10 ¶^aFear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Alma 34:8 And now, behold, I will ^atestify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the ^btransgressions of his people, and that he shall ^catone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

7-Day Walk with Christ / Day 2 HUMILITY

Questions to ponder and journal about regarding HUMILITY...

How can I follow in Christ's steps today?

Am I seeking Christ's help in all that I think or do?

Do I pray enough, and with integrity?

I will think of myself as a disciple of Jesus.

I will hearken to promptings received.

1Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also ^asuffered for us, leaving us an ^bexample, that ye should follow his steps:

"Try not to think - and much less, speak - of their sins. One's own are a much more profitable theme! And if on consideration, one can find no faults on one's own side, then cry for mercy: for this must be a most dangerous delusion." --C.S. Lewis

7-Day Walk with Christ / Day 1 FAITH

Questions to ponder and journal about regarding FAITH...

Why is knowledge of God's true nature, perfections, attributes or characteristics needed to have faith and confidence (trust) in Him?

How does my faith in Jesus Christ influence my feelings about myself?

What manner of men (and women) ought ye to be? (3 Nephi 27:27)

How do I see myself as a daughter or son of God, member of God's family, sister to Jesus Christ?

How will understanding my place in the Kingdom and my relationship to my Elder Brother help me live a more Christ-like life?

D&C 14:7 And, if you ^akeep my commandments and ^bendure to the end you shall have ^ceternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

When The World Is Quiet

Yesterday, I cancelled all that was planned and took my two youngest boys, Oliver age 2 and Jamil age 5 and our dog, up to Madera Canyon the recreational base of a  "Sky Island" in the Sonoran Desert where we live. I needed a break from the noise,stress and heat (100 + degrees) of everyday. 

I wrote this poem while in the canyon.

When The World is Quiet

written by S. Jennie Alabi

When the world is quiet, what do I learn?

I learn of birds in tree's

And a gentle breeze

Flit, fluttering through the leaves

My mind is free

From cluttering debri,

When all the world is quiet.

Hike up the boulders and rocks

Dry as a bone, dreaming of

Raindrops and showers to come.

It's as if this moment

Is frozen in time in my memory,

When all the world is quiet.

The boys are exploring for

Rocks, leaves and ga-giant sticks.

All things rugged and dirty

Are the treasures of the day.

"Look at Me, Mom, Look at Me,"

What do I see, brother helping brother,

When all the world is quiet.

In the nice cool breeze of 87 degrees

My mind is calm and clear

I see happiness in the hop, jump and skip

Of brothers in the canyon.

No fighting or wrestling

Just pure adventure,

When all the world is quiet.

I learn that it is good

to just sit and think and not worry

in this moment, enjoy my surroundings

and sounds of nature

when all the world is quiet.

LIFE'S RAILWAY TO HEAVEN

My granddaughter Mariah and I sang this song to her son while I was visiting them a couple of weeks ago. I encouraged her to sing this to him often, it is one of my favorite gospel/country songs. Especially the chorus....

Bless'd Savior, Thou wilt guide us,

Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore

Here is the whole song

LIFE'S RAILWAY TO HEAVEN

Life is like a mountain railroad, with an engineer that’s brave;
We must make the run successful, from the cradle to the grave;
Watch the curves, the fills, the tunnels; never falter, never quail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.

Bless'd Savior, Thou wilt guide us,

Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.

You will roll up grades of trial; you will cross the bridge of strife;

See that Christ is your Conductor on this lightning train of life;
Always mindful of obstruction, do your duty, never fail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.

Bless'd Savior, Thou wilt guide us,
Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.

You will often find obstructions; look for storms of wind and rain;
On a fill, or curve, or trestle, they will almost ditch your train;
Put your trust alone in Jesus; never falter, never fail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.

Bless'd Savior, Thou wilt guide us,
Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.

As you roll across the trestle, spanning Jordan’s swelling tide,
You behold the Union Depot into which your train will glide;
There you’ll meet the Superintendent, God the Father, God the Son,
With the hearty, joyous, plaudit, “Weary pilgrim, welcome home!”

Bless'd Savior, Thou wilt guide us,

Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.

About the song....

Words: See notes below.

Music: Charles D. Tillman.
The origin of this song is murky. Eliza R. Snow (1804-1887) may have written the original lyrics, with M. E. Abbey (a Baptist minister in Georgia in the 1890s) supplying the chorus. There is a similar poem/hymn by Snow, called “Truth Reflects upon Our Senses,” which Tillman put to this same tune in 1909. At any rate, Abbey and Tillman copyrighted “Life’s Railway to Heaven” in 1890. It has long been a favorite in the railroading community.

Helping Others Out

A week from Sunday, my Dad and I were watching cars, and finding violations for my drivers ed class. We saw a little white car slowly chugging along in the right hand lane, and we had no clue what this lady was trying to do. It looked like her car was stalling, once she got to the light, and that she was stuck. After a couple minutes we got out, and walked over to her car, to try and help her. Her car was out of gas, and it wouldn't move. We helped her push her car up, and across the street, to the nearest gas station.
That day, I realized again, how much my Dad loves to help others out, and how important it is to give to others, what we already have. We didn't have to give a lot, but the little that we could do, hopefully helped her out.
Love you family! :)

Serve Each Other

I have been learning a lot about the role of a husband and father the last year and a half that I have been married. If there is one thing that I have learned, it is selflessness. Or rather, I have learned the importance of selflessness because I am far from being completely selfless. I have learned that as my wife and I make conscious and concerted efforts to put the happiness of the other before our own, there is an added abundance of love, kindness, and trust.

As an example, since we've been married, my wife has cleaned the bathroom every week, and I have cleaned it maybe twice. My wife knows that I can't stand cleaning the bathroom, and so she has always made the concerted effort to do it, knowing that she is serving me. I am sincerely grateful for her, and it has made me that much more willing to help her do the things she doesn't like doing.

Often, we clean the house while the other is away at work to surprise each other. We love doing this, and it has made our marriage richer.

There are a myriad of things that put stress on a marriage each day, so by putting your loved one's needs above our own, and if both husband and wife do this, there is an increase in love, trust, and affection that cannot be matched.

Promise Yourself - Christian D Larson

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself, that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Christian D. Larson

I posted this first because I believe this is something to strive for. In my life I have seen the evidence of the old adage 'what you put out comes back to you'. I am grateful every day is a new opportunity to become even better then the day before and to promise myself to give so much time to the improvement of myself that I have no time to criticize others. And everything else in that poem! =)  Rae Ann