Ingratitude

INGRATITUDE.

A disease that afflicts the mind and body...

the soul of man.

(RP) compares INGRATITUDE to those with a terrible

skin disease,

Leprosy.

Jesus,

merciful to ten stricken with the ghastly status

of

UNCLEAN...

healed them completely.

Yet only one 

returned to express sincere gratitude

to the Savior.

"Were there not ten cleansed?" but where are the nine?"

(Luke 17:12-19)

Oh how I hope and pray

that I may not be one of the nine.

The CURE:

Be Grateful.

Measure Up

Comparison

only leads to trouble and sadness.

Either 

feeling blue over not having what the next person does

or

feeling guilty

for someone less fortunate.

The right  MEASURING stick

is ruled against our divine potential.
Only my Lord and Savior,
knows all things...
the end from the beginning.
He determines
the worth of my MEASURE.

Offended

offended |əˈfendid|adjectiveresentful or annoyed, typically as a result of a perceived insult: she sounded slightly offended.

OFFENDED,

a word I am more than familiar with in part because of a tender heart.

True,

my feelings can be hurt.

The cure:

1) Reread the definition,

"typically a result of a  PERCEIVED insult."

In other words,

choosing to be OFFENDED may be in vain.

My perceptions are not always correct.

2) Remember,
Pure charity means not easily provoked or taking OFFENSE.

3) Repeat:

"It only matters what God thinks."

* if I am feeling  OFFENDED   it is quite possible,
I am too concerned with 

what others think...and that would be  PRIDE.

Image found on Google

4) Smile.

Holding grudges makes one grimace...not an attractive expression.

by Greg Olsen
Jesus Smiling...Captivating and Contagious

5) Pray !

Image found on Google

Get up off your knees.

Get walking with Jesus on the path to Discipleship.

Mark Mabry Photography

Only What God Thinks

A favorite book of mine illustrates today's objective.

"You Are Special"

by

Max Lucado

Wemmicks...

little wooden people

walk the town receiving dots and star.

Stars represent beauty, talent, accomplishment, popularity

while

Dots on the other hand,
 are given to those

with flaws and imperfections, stupidity, unattractiveness and the like.

Punchinello is very distressed over the numerous dots others continue to give him.

He sees one that does not have a single sticker...
no dots, no stars

and so he inquires.

Image  from Google
 Jesus, one without stickers or dots, leads us to Heavenly Father

(Lucia) reveals the secret lies in the hand of their Creator, Eli

and advises Punchinello to go to Him.
In quiet desperation,
Punchinello goes to visit the Wood Carver.

The Wooden Wemmick is astounded that Eli calls him by name.

"You know my name?"

"Of course.  I made you."
Eli picked him up and set him on the bench.  "Looks like you've been given some bad marks," said the maker.
"I didn't mean to, Eli.  I really tried hard."
"Punchinello, I don't care what the other Wemmicks think."
"You don't?"
"No.  You shouldn't either.  
What they think doesn't matter.  
All that matters is what I think.  
And I think you are pretty special."
Punchinello laughed.  "Me, special?  Why? 

 I'm not very talented and my paint is peeling.  

Why do I matter to you?"
Eli spoke very slowly. 

 "Because you're mine. 

 That's why you matter to me."

Punchinello didn't know what to say.
"Every day I've been hoping you'd come," Eli explained.
"I came because I met Lucia," said Punchinello. 

 "Why don't the stickers stay on her?"
The maker spoke softly. 

 "Because she has decided 
that what I think 
is more important 
than what others think.

 The stickers only stick if you let them.

"What?"
"The stickers only stick if they matter to you.  

The more you trust my love,
 the less you care about their stickers."

"I'm not sure I understand."

Eli smiled.  "You will, but it will take time. 

 For now, come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care."

Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground.

"Remember,"

 Eli said as Punchinello was leaving, 

"you are special

 because I made you. 

 And I don't make mistakes."

(RP) summed up PRIDE as caring more about what man thinks

than what GOD THINKS.

Gratitude

For without thee Lord

I am nothing...

Not even the dust of the earth.

I THANK the Lord for

blessings,

family,

 shelter,

 challenges,

 friends,

ideas,

talents,

weakness,

strengths,

accomplisments,

my hands,

His hands,

body,
health,

life,

air that I breathe,

nature,

employment,

goodly parents,

books,

music,

technology,

relationships,

beauty,

healing,

atonement,

creation,

forgiveness,

mercy,

prayer,

answers,

flowers,

seasons,

heritage,

temples,

prophets,

example,

food,

movement,

dancing,

education,

creativity,
second chances,

marriage,

my son,

His Son,

Christ is Risen by ?

resurrection,
plan of salvation,

ALL day, in ALL things

be GRATEFUL

Waiting to be Perfect

Sometimes I think I have to be PERFECT

to be worthy of a relationship with my Savior.

Today I am reminded:

For the Son of Man is come to SEEK and SAVE

that which is lost.

Luke 19:10

Christ atoned for the  IMPERFECT

the sick

the sinner

the afflicted

the burdened

If I wait until I am PERFECT,

what need of a Savior have I 

for Him?

for His Atonement ?

As I ponder over the life and mission of the Savior

He asked His followers to feed His sheep.

He is our Shepherd and will go
after the ONE

in the ninety and nine

because He loves all of them.

He invited ordinary people

to come

and then made them extraordinary 

as they turned their hearts to Him
and followed in His Teachings.

Jesus did not wait for the Leprous Man to be healed

before He offered His touch.

He did not cast any stones at the Woman taken in adultry,

rather HE loved her and kindly spoke
 that her sins were forgiven...

go and sin no more.

 Peter denied Christ thrice,
yet Jesus loved Him still.

The tax collector who was a crook and unkind

taking advantage was summoned from the Lord

to come from the tree so that HE (Christ)

may sup with Him.

Bernado Strozzi: The Conversion of Zacchaeus

The tax collector became a changed man as he allowed

the Savior to abide with Him.

A Collection of Art found on Google Images of Zacchaeus in the Tree

What I do not think He said to the Savior,

"I am not worthy to have you in my home. 

I have sinned and therefore,

it would be a mockery to have your presence near."

Could it be the greater mockery,

is to not let HIM in...

Image found on Google

HE stands at the door quietly

waiting an invitation to enter.

Let HIM in.

*We are not taught to eat drink and be merry for God will always be there for us. 

It is more about being earnest in desiring

 to have a relationship with Christ.

HE came because HE knew we would not be PERFECT.

HE came because HE loves us just that much and more.

HE came because we need HIM

Being PERFECT, only comes

through Christ.

It might be Satan planting seed thoughts

"You are not good enough.

You are beyond forgiveness

You have just plain messed up to bad"

and would Jesus hope for us to do

"Get thee hence...get thee behind me Satan

I have chosen Jesus"

Pride

PRIDE.

 A characteristic definetly worth our time and attention.

There are moments when we feel proud of others

 or a job well done.

There are also times when we seek others to be proud of us

and the work we do.

I guess "GLORY SEEKERS" 

would be an adequate term.

I am not preaching to the choir,

I am a part of this choir.

I remember sitting in Gospel Doctrine Class.

The instructor shared President Ezra Taft Benson's talk on PRIDE.

As I listened and pondered upon the words of a Prophet,

my mind began,

"Oh if only so and so were here to hear this."

"That is exactly the message she needs in her life ."

"See...I knew it. This is what I have been trying to tell him all along !"

After I had pretty much labeled every description of PRIDE

with someone else's name,
 came the bitter sting of being compelled to be humble.
Paraphrased,

"There are those, that even upon hearing these words 

are saying to themselves, 

'So and so is the one that needs to be sitting right here

 and hearing this lesson on PRIDE,

(There I am shaking my head in agreement)

You are the very ones this talk is for.

Your PRIDE is so blatant and bold that it has skewed

your vision to only see outside of yourself

rather than looking within. ' "

Did someone just throw a brick at me ?

(RP) suggested something to inquire...

Am I sinning in ignorance?

Trust

TRUST

Truly a strength of Character.

The natural man being imperfect

can certainly strive to be TRUSTWORTHY

and hope to be able to TRUST in others.

TRUST

is tricky.

For once it has been broken,

it is difficult to earn and obtain completely.

Even the most well meaning people

are imperfect.
Even those we love and our dearest to us,
do not have the grand scope
with all the thoughts, facts,
emotions and feelings involved.

Only ONE...

There is one that I can put all my TRUST in

and never have a worry or concern.

I can TRUST Jesus in everything.

TRUST in the Lord with all thine heart

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge Him,

and He shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 

Act Out Your Faith

"Faith without works is dead"

James 2:17-22

Faith, a genuine pearl

that only becomes polished

after it has been exercised

How will I act out my faith today?

In childlike prayers,

so sincere that one might peek

and find Jesus right there ?

Ian Franco

Like Jesus feeding the multitudes

with only five fish and a few loaves ?

or maybe just taking the very next step ?

Image found on Google and in The New Era Magazine

The Antidote of Fear

When FEAR overtakes me

"Oh ye of little FAITH"

Image found on Google

Turn to the Lord with all thy might and strength...

FAITH is the antidote for FEAR

and remember the words from the Book of Mormon

"Sanctify the Lord of Hosts Himself,

and let Him be your FEAR,

and let Him be your dread."

2 Nephi 18:13

Peace Be Still by Arnold Friberg

I received a marvelous Christmas Gift from my husband;

the painting by Arnold Friberg

"Peace be Still"

It hangs above the sofa

in the receiving room.

Every moment I pause to view this painting,

it speaks volumes to me

in the most delicate whisper.

I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior.

The promise is that all thing shall work together for my good

when I put my trust and FAITH in them.

Perfect love casteth out all FEAR

A Mustard Seed of Faith

 FAITH
If ye have FAITH as a
 grain of  MUSTARD SEED...
mountains move,
nothing shall be impossible.

As I study the minuscule MUSTARD SEED,

it appears that only a speck of  FAITH is required to do great things.

I have thought at times,
my FAITH certainly
outsized that of this seed.

Yet my personal mountains remain.

Is my  FAITH inadequate?

Have I placed FAITH in the wrong places?

Have I withheld even a speck of BELIEF that my mountains
 will ever move?

If a  MUSTARD SEED  has potential
to move mountains,

even a speck of UNBELIEF can certainly stop them.

Recently, I read in the Book of Mormon:

And whatsoever ye shall  ask the Father in my name,

which is  right,

believing that ye shall receive,

behold it shall be given unto you

3 Nephi 18:20

Those are key words:

ask

right 

believing

If everyone were to ask for mountains to be moved
 just to see if it would happen,

it would appear to be more of "a proof"
than an act of  FAITH.

Is what I ask in FAITH

RIGHT?

Is there more for me to learn from this mountain?

Is my  MUSTARD SEED of FAITH whole?

or

Is there a speck of  UNBELIEF lurking inside?

Is my  FAITH  placed in the appropriate source?

Is my  FAITH  in the name of Christ?

It is Christ that rebuked the devil out of the child.

It was FAITH in Christ that even a touch of His robe made the woman whole.

It was BELIEF in the words of Jesus'

"be not afraid, only believe"

that Jairus' daughter rose from the dead.

From "Walking with the Savior"

"If our lives and our  FAITH are centered on Jesus Christ and His restored gospel,

nothing can ever go permanently wrong.

On the other hand, if our lives are not centered

on the Savior,

no other success can ever be permanently right."

Howard W. Hunter

 Is my eye fixed on the Savior...

my home,

my heart,

my thoughts,

centered on

Christ?

Image found on etsy

Maybe my  FAITH  needs a bit of a remodel...

nothing outlandish,

just the size of a 

MUSTARD SEED

The Touch of the Master's Hand - Wayne Watson

President Ezra Taft Benson

“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. He can deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their soals, and pour out peace.” 

― Ezra Taft Benson

Interestingly enough...

I have pondered my worth,

my accomplishments,

my weaknesses,

my challenges,

my purpose and mission life,

my regrets,

my shortcomings,

over my short 50 years.

This half century has passed in  a blur

and I find that

my ponderings are still the same.

Without a doubt,

I know my Savior loves me

and is able to play the music of divinity

that is in me.

Unfortunately,

The people that matter to me

still see the dusty, scarred, tattered andold violin.

The people, in whose life, I was meant to bring

a sweet melody

hear the screeching of an instrument

that remains out of tune.

I too have become deaf to the music in me.

What must I do

to tap into that TOUCH OF THE MASTER'S HANDS?

When will He pick me up,

Mark Mabry Reflections of Christ

dust me off

and play the masterpiece

that HE knows is within me?

Where and what is my music?