Just Jesus: April 2014

Monday, April 28, 2014

Back On Course

Interestingly enough,

Spring Break one and two,

Noah being off track,

birthdays, visiting teaching, illness,

missionary catch up,

laundry, yard work,

other blogs and picture editing,

showers, Easter parties,

resulted in putting off the very thing I need most:

TIME WITH JESUS

I opened up my manual to the next lesson

which just happened to be

"Getting Back on Course."

More than just a coincidence,

for I took a few steps off course to be productive in other ways

and those little missteps have cost me

a few degrees of direction.

President Uchtdorf enlightens one on

A MATTER OF ONLY

A FEW DEGREES

In 1979 a large passenger jet with 257 people on board left New Zealand for a sightseeing flight to Antarctica and back. Unknown to the pilots, however, someone had modified the flight coordinates by a mere two degrees. This error placed the aircraft 28 miles (45 km) to the east of where the pilots assumed they were. As they approached Antarctica, the pilots descended to a lower altitude to give the passengers a better look at the landscape. Although both were experienced pilots, neither had made this particular flight before, and they had no way of knowing that the incorrect coordinates had placed them directly in the path of Mount Erebus, an active volcano that rises from the frozen landscape to a height of more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m).

As the pilots flew onward, the white of the snow and ice covering the volcano blended with the white of the clouds above, making it appear as though they were flying over flat ground. By the time the instruments sounded the warning that the ground was rising fast toward them, it was too late. The airplane crashed into the side of the volcano, killing everyone on board.

It was a terrible tragedy brought on by a minor error—a matter of only a few degrees.¹

Once again,

I must get back in touch

with my tower of operations:

JESUS

He has outlined the course and path for me.

(RP) has exhorted this weekly challenge to ponder and explore

"I will ponder how being of course by just a "few degrees" can make a dramatic difference in my life.

I will seek to be aware of the small 'missteps' I make with obedience to the Lord for the entire week."

-Walking With the Savior, Page 42

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Even the Fleas

"In the feeble light I turned the pages. 'Here it is: "Comfort the frightened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all...'" It seemed written expressly to Ravensbruck.

"'Go on,' said Betsie. 'That wasn't all.'

"'Oh yes:'..."Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.'"

"'That's it, Corrie! That's His answer. "Give thanks in all circumstances!" That's what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!' I stared at her; then around me at the dark, foul-aired room.

"'Such as?' I said.

"'Such as being assigned here together.'

"I bit my lip. 'Oh yes, Lord Jesus!'

"'Such as what you're holding in your hands.' I looked down at the Bible.

"'Yes! Thank You, dear Lord, that there was no inspection when we entered here! Thank You for all these women, here in this room, who will meet You in these pages.'

"'Yes,' said Betsie, 'Thank You for the very crowding here. Since we're packed so close, that many more will hear!' She looked at me expectantly. 'Corrie!' she prodded.

"'Oh, all right. Thank You for the jammed, crammed, stuffed, packed suffocating crowds.'
"'Thank You,' Betsie went on serenely, for the fleas and for--'

"The fleas! This was too much. 'Betsie, there's no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.'

"'Give thanks in all circumstances,' she quoted. It doesn't say, 'in pleasant circumstances.' Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.

What FLEAS will I be thankful for today?