Our Time to Change

Knowing Christ is my Savior has changed my life.  But when? How?  Once someone knows Jesus Christ when should they change?  How soon should they begin to follow?  More than not we question this, and catch ourselves saying "I can change tomorrow...Or it won't hurt just this one last time."  These justifications or slight excuses to put off following Christ only do harm to ourselves.  Choosing a life style of living Christ's teachings should not be a something we dread, if so we have missed the message.

Here is a passage from Acts that puts the decision of when to follow Christ into a good perspective for us all...

 37¶Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

 40And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

 41¶Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

The moment they felt something in their hearts they desided to change.  Not only did they think to, but they immediately did.  Words or a desire can only take us so far, life does not change or improve until we act.  Christ and his teachings become a reality as we live them.  I know this to be true.  Choose Christ now, don't wait for tomorrow, or put it off for another day, but make the choice and act! 

My Momma comes next to God

We were talking to a man named Ray (25 year old average guy in a rush to catch his bus).  He was in a rush so we walked quickly down the sidewalk them him.  As he hurried on his way, we asked if he believed in God.  Ray was quick to respond "absolutely my brother".  Well Ray we have a message for you...

With our persistence, it perked Ray's interest just enough that he said "alright, I have about 5 minutes until I have to catch my bus, what is your message all about?"  We began to teach Ray all about how The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored back to the earth in its fullest.  Ray was rather intrigued by this statement, with a curious look on his face he asked "well now what?"  We invited Ray to follow the example of his Savior Jesus Christ when he comes to know the message is true by being baptized.  Ray with a smile responded back, "I got to check with my momma first, my momma comes next to God in my life."  We exchanged numbers and set up a return appointment.

Ray's comment stuck in the forefront of my mind.  Ray was a confident man, seemed rather well to do, and was not afraid to admit he was a momma's boy.  What an example to all of us.  Just by Ray's smile and demeanor you could tell how much he appreciated and loved his mom.  Every one's momma should come next to God.  Without our moms' we would be nothing, literally.

 

There is no love, like a mother's love,
no stronger bond on earth...
like the precious bond that comes from God,
to a mother, when she gives birth.

A mother's love is forever strong,
never changing for all time...
and when her children need her most,
a mother's love will shine.

God bless these special mothers,
God bless them every one...
for all the tears and heartache,
and for the special work they've done.

When her days on earth are over,
a mother's love lives on...
through many generations,
with God's blessings on each one.

Be thankful for our mothers,
for they love with a higher love...
from the power God has given,
and the strength from up above.

I love my mom!  I am so grateful for her love!  She is always there, and has always been an example.  My mom is one great lady!  Just like Ray, my momma comes next to God too! Don't be afraid to be a momma's boy, let your moms know just how much you love them on this special Mother's Day!!  I love you PPPEEEAAACCHH!!

http://www.mothersdaycentral.com/verse/poems/religious/

A,B,C's of FAITH!

Today I asked myself what do I have faith in?  Is my faith in Christ, or is my faith in myself?  This question should be a no brainier...FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.  But all too often we have a natural tendency to forget where our faith should lye.  I have seen in instances I begin to trust in my own strengths rather than relying on the Lord. 

This question of faith reminded me of a door I had knocked a few days ago.  A elderly man answered the door.  He openly shared his view on Christ, and then began to question ours.  He said something that stuck with me about faith in Christ. 

 He said "well boys I am gonna speak to you like your grandpa.  I have got quite a few years on ya, so I think I know a little more on faith.  Let me give you the A,B, C's of faith.."

A-ACTION

B-BASED on a BELIEF

C-with CONFIDENCE

As we walked away the man was still no closer to letting us in his home than when we had first knocked on it, but the door was not a failure.  I learned about faith, and we gave the man a chance to testify of his faith in Jesus Christ. 

As I apply the simple A,B,C's of faith to my origin question of where my faith should lye the answer is rather easy.  We alone can not make it through this life, or overcome/fix the mistakes or sins we commit, but as we act on our belief in the saving power of Christ with confidence we can overcome the obstacles in life.  Our faith must be in Christ.  Without Christ the end result is failure, we can not accomplish this alone!

Why?!

As I taught a man today, we promised him the blessings or happiness which come from knowing that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored on the earth today.  Just by way of a humble prayer he could come to know that these things are true also..

He pondered our invitation and then with slight hesitation he asked " Now I don't ask this to offend you, but so what?  So what if the Book of Mormon is true, or God does have a prophet on the earth today..."

Elder Vomocil  and I turned and looked at each other, and then humbly bore testimony of the covenant or promise you make as you come to know these things to be true, and the eternal blessings attached to each promise.  Our message is BOLD but if lived and followed leads to true happiness. 

Things such as.....

• Personal Prayer (trusting in Heavenly Father for Truth, developing a relationship with God)
• Baptism (promising God to follow Him, in return taking upon us the name of Christ)
• Living the Commandments (Showing obedience to God, in return living a fulfilling life)
• Modern day Prophet (listen to the prophet, in return we get guidance)
• Eternal Families (living worthy of a temple marriage, spending eternity with those you love)

Just to name a few major blessing from coming to know that is simple yet perfect message is true.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored!  I know this to be true.  Don't take my word for it, but I invite all of you to ask in prayer if the message is true, and when you receive your personal witness from the Holy Spirit follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ and be baptized, enabling these eternal blessing into your own life!

picture of question mark came from http://www.plymouth.k12.ma.us/OurSchools/HighSchools/PlymouthNorth/tabid/293/Default.aspx

What has Christ done for you?

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

 

" And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works."

       "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

The miracles Christ preformed were amazing, but do not have much value if we do not still rely on Him.  Put trust in Jesus Christ, and allow His miracles to work within you!

picture from http://www.morethings.com/god_and_country/jesus/crucifixion_photo_gallery20.htm

A simple Gift that keeps on giving

What is a testimony?

A testimony can be simple or complex, but to sum one up, a testimony is what you believe and know to be true.

While serving a mission I have realized how much of an impact a testimony can have, not only in my own life, but in the lives of others too.  As opportunities come up for me to share mine, each time I do my own is strengthen and I feel who I share it with gets strengthen from it too.  My testimony is great source of comfort and peace to me knowing I have values and beliefs to rely on. Mine is also a great defense when facing personal challenges or avoiding situations around me.  Pretty amazing what a testimony has done, and is doing for me, and mine is even rather simple....

I know Jesus Christ is my Savior, and through Him I can find true happiness while overcoming my weakness.  I know God is my loving Heavenly Father; He hears and answers prayers with love.  I know that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and I know as I do my best to follow the teaching from it, life gets a whole lot better!

Brigham Young was not baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the first year of his learning about the restored gospel. But of his conversion he said:

“If all the talent, tact, wisdom, and refinement of the world had been sent to me with the

Book of Mormon, and had declared, in the most exalted of earthly eloquence, the truth of

it, undertaking to prove it by learning and worldly wisdom, they would have been to me

like smoke which arises only to vanish away. But when I saw a man without eloquence

or talents for public speaking, who could only say, ‘I know by the power of the Holy Ghost

that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of the Lord,’ the Holy

Ghost proceeding from that individual illuminated my understanding, and a light, glory,

and immortality were before me. I was encircled by them, filled with them, and I knew

for myself that the testimony  of the man was true”

Please share your testimony with others.  Don't be afraid or ashamed to share something that has given so much to you.  Be willing to allow another to grow from just hearing what you have to say. No worries if you feel like yours is too small or may even not know if you have one. Still speak up and share! I know one is in there, took me a while to find mine too!  Open your mouth and allow the spirit to speak!

The Yoke We Bear

Have you ever wondered why life seems to come so fast?  School, family, church, the world, life in general, and it seems like everything that could go wrong, goes wrong all at once....Or am I alone in my state of life overload...

What can we do when our world is in overload and seems to be weighing us down or just to much to take??

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden [That's an invitation to every single one of us] and I [Jesus Christ] will give you rest."

"Take my  yoke upon you [live the Gospel of Jesus Christ], and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls[life turns out to be a little less stressful]"

We may not get to choose what happenings we have to bear, but we can decide how we bear them.  Rely on Christ, His yoke is light!

For more on this topic check out My Role was to Lead them to Him

What is a Hero?

I have always been grateful to the heroes in my life.  I would like to first state the definition of a hero.  A hero is: a man/woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his/her brave deeds and noble qualities.  The heroes that have left the greatest impression on me are without a doubt women, God's precious daughters.  I am eternally grateful for the women I have met in my life that can have a smile on their face through the most difficult of times.  I think about the heroes I have met in my life that have taught me the power of trusting in the Savior.  I want to give a few examples that have been the most touching to me.

I remember when I was in high school my mother had a heart attack and she was placed in the hospital for a while.  There were many friends and family who had supported us through that time of constantly visiting the hospital and going to and from school and work.  I am filled with gratitude at the sacrifice and love that was shown to us by my mother's sister and niece.  They were with us every step of the way helping us to feel reassured and showing by their faith that everything was going to be okay and making it easier for life to go on.  I will always remember the seemingly countless words of strength and smiles that they shared for us.  Now everything is great for our family.  I know that it was because of the great strength and endless service that my aunt and cousin gave us in our time of need.

At the beginning of my mission in Vacaville there was a family who we grew close with.  They were a couple who were at home alone because their kids were grown up and moved out of the house.  I remember when my companion and I visited them, the husband had not come home yet and his wife told us about a major trial of illness that had come to him.  I will never forget the smile that she kept on her face as she was asking for us to give him a priesthood blessing and being completely optimistic despite the bad news that they received.  Everything turned out well for them and the memory of her smile through the rough time has helped me get through so much.

The last example is our mission mother.  Our mission president and his wife are incredible examples of believers of Jesus Christ and his gospel.  This past summer Sister Bunker, our mission president's wife, was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I remember seeing in her eyes the strength of Jesus Christ to sustain her through this trial.  I do not understand what it would be like to go through this while serving a mission and raising a family.  I do not understand how, but through it all she still smiles and it brings me incomprehensible humility and strength and I am so grateful for her example. 

I have a testimony that Jesus Christ lives and he is the Son of God.  I have witnessed my testimony grow through those experiences because of the women in my life.  Men and women are both so precious in the sight of God, but it is our heavenly father's precious daughters who have inspired me to get through my microscopic sorrows.  I want to thank all of the women of the world that give strength to others by being strong and showing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Written by Elder Hinton

Greatest Gift

Since as long as I can remember, each Christmas Eve my mom would round us all up and read us the real Christmas story of Christ's birth. This is a memory that has been with me and will continue to stay with me the rest of my life.  The lights and presents are all great, but lets remember the the true importance of the Chirstmas Day.  Our Savior was born, and only through Him can we recieve the greatest gift of all!!!

                                                       

Merry Christmas!

"Bearing His Name"

Missionaries always roll in two's so I'm letting Elder Webber share a Christmas message with you!

What a most joyous and wonderful time of the year! Christmas is right around the corner. I can barely  wait to open presents and chat with my family back home. This Christmas season has been a little different. As a full time servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, I can't help but to ponder every day about the Savior's birth.

Recently Elder Bankhead and I made a trip to the Post Office to mail a couple things for the holidays. An older gentleman walked up to me and said: "It's good to see a "brotha" in a nice suit and tie with his pants pulled up." He then walked off as I nodded and gave him a look that showed I at least acknowledged what he said. Later on we were biking down Marshall Rd. and a pastor on the sidewalk dressed in casual clothes striked a conversation with us. He pointed out our dress appearance and told us that Jesus wore drabby clothes, not a suit and tie. He then finally went on his way. But those two experiences got me thinking a little bit. Why do we dress business like? And who do we really represent? I compared our representation of the Savior to that of a business employee. This is what I came up with:

Our name tags bear the name of Jesus Christ instead of a company. Our title is "Elder " instead of a company position. We have been called of God and set apart through His divine power. It doesn't matter what our shortcomings or talents may be. We are all qualified by Him to do the "job". There is no competition and no salary; and of course there are no vacations!

In the Bible Isaiah foretells of Mary, who shall bear a son. Of course Mary was a virtuous woman, and she was chosen to bear Him. But what can we do to bear His Name this Christmas season? And how can we show by our outward appearance that we are His?

Well I don't know all the answers, but I do know it is a choice we must make: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you...For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:28-30). To many times people think you can 'Have it your Way.' That may be true for a time. But soon or later everyone finds out there's a better way than just living off a slogan from Burger King. We can find true happiness and joy through the Lord's way. But we must be willing to bear His Name. In the Book of Mormon a prophet learns from God this simple lesson: "Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine."

Everyday I wake up and slip on my black name tag with two names: who I am- and who I want to become like. How much more do we need to bear His Name in our hearts this season. God bless and have a Merry Christmas!!

Play Book of Life

December!!  I found myself lost in a whirlwind of questions.  My mind was going about a million miles every which way.  Back up, I will clue you in on some background information...as a missionary I serve my mission for two years.  Well, just so happens my year mark is this month.  So I am at like my midlife crisis in missionary life, just kidding it is not bad at all.  I just find myself doing a lot of self evaluation.

A lot of missionaries at this time do a lot of reflecting both on the pass and the time to come.  Not only the time to come on as a missionary, but also life in general.  Questions like who am I?  What good have I done?  How have I changed?  Who do I want to become?

Life has so many twist and turns, ups and downs, highlights and moments we wish would have never happened, but that is life.  In this storm of questions in my head I found myself slightly nervous for the future.

I am a baby when it comes to that, one of my biggest fears since 6th grade is having to grow up.  For the longest time I thought when you grow up the fun stops, life is just a boring routine you do till you get old and die.  Pretty depressing way to look at it, and boy was I wrong.

As I looked around my desk trying to sort out all of my lingering questions pictures and things stood out to me.  The first thing to stand out to me were two big pictures of Christ.  I know Christ is real and He suffered for me.  I thought, hmmm.....there must be a lot more to life than just a boring routine if He was willing to go through that for me.

Next picture to catch my eye was one of a guy sitting in a chair, with the out stretched hand of Christ before him, and the devil's hand trying to bind and pull him down.  I thought about the times of rebellion and the times of righteousness in my life.  Life is filled with choices and challenges, which can come at us unexpectedly not in just a boring routine fashion.  The picture reminded me that the Savior will always have an out stretched hand through all our walks of life.

Right under the drawing is a list of all my family and close friends birthdays.  The list of names cause me to reflect on all those I love.  Those special individuals that Heavenly Father has blessed me with, to be on my team as I endure the game of life.  I thought about all the things in life that are worth a celebration, birthdays being the celebration of the past year, and year to come.

As I continued to examined my desk, pictures of my new nephew catch my eye.  Having a baby, and being a parent definitely is not just some boring routine.  God gives us new responsibilities and opportunities in each stage of life.  Things to challenge and make us stretch, but yet the reward is great.

As my eyes completed the circle around the mirror on my desk, I took note of all the pictures and such. Ranging from the temple, the prophet, Jesus Christ, my brother's name tag, and the Foot Prints poem.  My desk alone answered my question, life is much more than a boring routine.  But why do each one of these miscellaneous items stand out in my life?

Placed by the bottom of the mirror is a very valuable object to me.  My Scriptures!  Like I said before life can get crazy, and our futures can at times scare us, but God has given us the playbook of life.  The hundreds of years old lessons and events written upon the pages is what makes each of the items surrounding my desk important.  The game of life is still won and played the same as it has been since the beginning of time.

God speaks to us by way of His prophet.  I know in life there is hope, and I have a purpose.  I know that Jesus is the Christ.  I know that my family can be together forever.  I don't know exactly how or where I will end up, but I do know life has a much greater purpose than just a boring routine till we die.  All of these lessons or plays are inside the book. Open it up, and see what your next play will be!

We can Change!

I met a man this week who had changed his life, for the better.  He had gotten off the path many years ago, but now he was back on and stronger than ever!  As the man told his story you could feel the truthfulness and spirit of his changed heart. 

While listening to him tell his story of challenge and change, I reflected on my own life.  Life is like a roll-a-coaster full of ups and downs, and all sorts of twist and turns.  I realized it is the downs returning to the up is where I have mostly learn, but I also recognized it took a hurtful fall to get there.  My life has changed a lot over the pass year or so.  As the man spoke, mine and his change had the same leading factor, CHRIST! 

Jesus Christ is essential to true change or repentance.  Jesus set the perfect example and was willing to pay the ultimate price for our mistakes if we make that choice to follow him.  Life can get crazy and we can find our self lost and confused, but as long as we hold on to Christ, He will show us the light.

Alma 7, talks all about the atoning sacrifice Christ made.  How blessed we are to have an older brother willing to take everything upon himself so that we could change.   Don't get me wrong change is not the easiest thing, but possible because of Christ.  With this sacrifice our choice to choose righteousness is still required.  The man's life didn't just change because Christ had sacrificed, but the man had to choose to use the ATONEMENT.

That is where we all have room to improve.  Christ did save us,  but it is up to us and our choices we make to feel of that love and forgiveness of His sacrifice.  I know that the forgiveness is REAL!  I have felt it in my life, like before I said I had found myself in some downs, which makes life not so fun.  Guilt and shame will weigh us down, but never can our mistakes make us invalid of forgiveness. 

At the end of meeting this man he testified o

f the possibility of CHANGE.  I also would like to testify of that.  Change is possible through Christ.  My life has taken a huge turn since Christ started coming first.  I don't have to be weighed down by my guilt anymore.  Life is just plain out better, as we choose change!!