Holla Familia!
This week has been an up and a down one. At the beginning of the week we had Specialized Training in Penbrook We talked about Covenants. How are we in danger of Breaking them? are we trying to be like Christ in all that we do? President Pitt talked to us and told us that Covenants 1) Turn us Outward - we learn to love and care more about those who are around us. 2) Takes us to action - We do things, we serve others, thus when we turn outward we do something about the things going on around us. 3) Heart & Mind; Becoming - We change how we are as we strive to become more like Christ. The more we see what we can become, what our real potential is. Our thoughts and our desires will change leading us to 4) Increased Blessings, Decreased Condemnation - When we do more to come unto Christ, then we will receive the blessings that are there for us. We will be on a path that will keep us safe and protected. We will have faith that the Lord will bless us for our righteous actions. As we do what is right, the bad things that could happen in our life due to wrong decisions lessen, because we are doing everything in our power to become more Christ-like. We all know what is right and what is wrong. We all have that agency to lead us the way we want to go. Which way we will go is up to us. The Spirit can lead and guide us - if we let it. There was an interesting point that President pointed out: God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost - they have all kept their Covenants to us, so we need to keep ours. Keeping a Covenant requires Worthiness and Willingness; it requires our Mind, Might and Heart.
Then President Related it to all of us as missionaries: If one of us has done personal Apostasy, then it affects the blessings. We receive greater blessings if we are acting as one. That doesn't mean that if one missionary is apostate that all of us are doomed because of their decision. When we are United in a cause then we receive the greatest of blessings. When we are all Worthy and Willing to work toward something together. When we build Zion all together. It all starts with YOU. Once you have started building Zion within yourself, then are you able to build it with another; a companionship (missionary or marriage). Once you have built it into your companionship, you can work it into your district (family, ward). So on and so forth until we are all united. Until we are all united that full blessings of the Gospel, I personally feel, will not come until we are all United. Which is a lot easier said then done. Now that I am trying to unite with just one other person! haha
After President spoke to us Sister Pitt got up and pulled out her guns: One step out of the covenant, and we are in the devils territory. A "little sin" is the devils territory. Once we stick out our big toe across the line - He grabs hold of it with an Iron grip. It's just one toe though right? NO it is all of you. and you will be pulled across because we all justify with a "little more sin" we keep going until it isn't just our big toe - it's our entire leg - both our legs. It reminds me of the Boa Constrictor poem in the Other Side of the Sidewalk. "Oh my, Oh dear, I'm being eaten by a boa Constrictor... it's up to my knee... it's up to my thigh... it's up to my neck!... It's gulppp.... All gone. Strange. I know. The Boa Constrictor just started at my toe... and then I was gone. So yeah. Covenants are hardcore. Keep them and you will be blessed. Don't... and well, you won't be so blessed. I also thought of the Story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11. Imagine if that happened whenever we did a "little sin"... well I guess there would be no more sin to do. There aren't three strikes and your out. Good thing we have Repentance - the process by which we progress. Christ is the most important to focus on because if Christ isn't part of the equation then why does it matter? Christ made it possible to have the restored Gospel, to have the Plan of Salvation, to be able to make and keep covenants because we can repent when we do something wrong. The Assistants to the President told us that when we give people commitments it isn't us that is asking them - it is Christ. We are the Representatives at this time, we have that power and authority. Which is awesome and frightening at the same time.
Anywho, that was an interesting mind blurb. of what I learned and felt at part of the Specialized Training :)
I also learned that right now I don't have very good teaching Unity with Sister Thomson, She still doesn't have the confidence, or the willpower to talk to people. I was in the same position as her a few months ago, but I tried and yeah I stumbled and yeah I said a lot of stupid things, but I have learned from mistakes. If we don't do we will not learn. I look back on how I was, I did not talk - even in College I rarely talked about things or even feelings. So I have not talked for quite a while. Now I feel like a freaking Social Butterfly because how else am I going to share the Gospel with people. I do have a few struggles, I have a hard time speaking cohesive sentences, or knowing the correct words to use because my vocabulary is.. well growing right now (ha,ha). I also have the panic feeling on the initial approach because it is so important. They will either say yes or no. It's awesome. but yeah I have my struggles. But I feel like I am now the Social Butterfly in the conversations with people. It's awesome... in some cases (ha,ha)
Anywho, Sister Thomson is an awesome viola player. She doesn't think so, but I know so. So it must be true. She played during the meeting and Elder Raffensparger accompanied her on the piano. It was really good. I get to listen to her play the viola quite a lot at the apartment. Music: it has a very powerful impact on how you feel. Which is both good and bad. But yeah, They were awesome. We have some very talented singers and music player people in our zone. I'm working on my singing normal voice right now... :)
So Specialized Training was pretty awesome... pretty much the highlight of the week if you did not notice.
Ooo something else that we did that was interesting. We went to the Church for a Service project it was the Bishop’s Storehouse. I had no idea what it was. Well I did, but I didn't know exactly what it meant. Now I do! Well at least I do for here in Virginia. It was like shopping... only in the cultural hall (ha,ha). It was fun setting everything up and watching the people come in with boxes and using shopping carts and different things.
So this week has been pretty interesting. I didn't even get through it all because I keep writing my thoughts down about things, but this week has been full of ups and downs.... laughs and tears and so on. But I know this is the Lord’s work and that it is awesome! So everything will work out in the end.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas season. It hasn't really hit me yet but maybe soon :) I love you all, If any of ya'll need help with anything let me know! Be good, Read your scriptures, pray with faith, have Charity towards all. Stay Classy!!
The Church is True, The Book of Mormon is Blue, and Jesus loves each and every one of you.
Loves,
Sister Karen Call
This week has been an up and a down one. At the beginning of the week we had Specialized Training in Penbrook We talked about Covenants. How are we in danger of Breaking them? are we trying to be like Christ in all that we do? President Pitt talked to us and told us that Covenants 1) Turn us Outward - we learn to love and care more about those who are around us. 2) Takes us to action - We do things, we serve others, thus when we turn outward we do something about the things going on around us. 3) Heart & Mind; Becoming - We change how we are as we strive to become more like Christ. The more we see what we can become, what our real potential is. Our thoughts and our desires will change leading us to 4) Increased Blessings, Decreased Condemnation - When we do more to come unto Christ, then we will receive the blessings that are there for us. We will be on a path that will keep us safe and protected. We will have faith that the Lord will bless us for our righteous actions. As we do what is right, the bad things that could happen in our life due to wrong decisions lessen, because we are doing everything in our power to become more Christ-like. We all know what is right and what is wrong. We all have that agency to lead us the way we want to go. Which way we will go is up to us. The Spirit can lead and guide us - if we let it. There was an interesting point that President pointed out: God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost - they have all kept their Covenants to us, so we need to keep ours. Keeping a Covenant requires Worthiness and Willingness; it requires our Mind, Might and Heart.
Then President Related it to all of us as missionaries: If one of us has done personal Apostasy, then it affects the blessings. We receive greater blessings if we are acting as one. That doesn't mean that if one missionary is apostate that all of us are doomed because of their decision. When we are United in a cause then we receive the greatest of blessings. When we are all Worthy and Willing to work toward something together. When we build Zion all together. It all starts with YOU. Once you have started building Zion within yourself, then are you able to build it with another; a companionship (missionary or marriage). Once you have built it into your companionship, you can work it into your district (family, ward). So on and so forth until we are all united. Until we are all united that full blessings of the Gospel, I personally feel, will not come until we are all United. Which is a lot easier said then done. Now that I am trying to unite with just one other person! haha
After President spoke to us Sister Pitt got up and pulled out her guns: One step out of the covenant, and we are in the devils territory. A "little sin" is the devils territory. Once we stick out our big toe across the line - He grabs hold of it with an Iron grip. It's just one toe though right? NO it is all of you. and you will be pulled across because we all justify with a "little more sin" we keep going until it isn't just our big toe - it's our entire leg - both our legs. It reminds me of the Boa Constrictor poem in the Other Side of the Sidewalk. "Oh my, Oh dear, I'm being eaten by a boa Constrictor... it's up to my knee... it's up to my thigh... it's up to my neck!... It's gulppp.... All gone. Strange. I know. The Boa Constrictor just started at my toe... and then I was gone. So yeah. Covenants are hardcore. Keep them and you will be blessed. Don't... and well, you won't be so blessed. I also thought of the Story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11. Imagine if that happened whenever we did a "little sin"... well I guess there would be no more sin to do. There aren't three strikes and your out. Good thing we have Repentance - the process by which we progress. Christ is the most important to focus on because if Christ isn't part of the equation then why does it matter? Christ made it possible to have the restored Gospel, to have the Plan of Salvation, to be able to make and keep covenants because we can repent when we do something wrong. The Assistants to the President told us that when we give people commitments it isn't us that is asking them - it is Christ. We are the Representatives at this time, we have that power and authority. Which is awesome and frightening at the same time.
Anywho, that was an interesting mind blurb. of what I learned and felt at part of the Specialized Training :)
I also learned that right now I don't have very good teaching Unity with Sister Thomson, She still doesn't have the confidence, or the willpower to talk to people. I was in the same position as her a few months ago, but I tried and yeah I stumbled and yeah I said a lot of stupid things, but I have learned from mistakes. If we don't do we will not learn. I look back on how I was, I did not talk - even in College I rarely talked about things or even feelings. So I have not talked for quite a while. Now I feel like a freaking Social Butterfly because how else am I going to share the Gospel with people. I do have a few struggles, I have a hard time speaking cohesive sentences, or knowing the correct words to use because my vocabulary is.. well growing right now (ha,ha). I also have the panic feeling on the initial approach because it is so important. They will either say yes or no. It's awesome. but yeah I have my struggles. But I feel like I am now the Social Butterfly in the conversations with people. It's awesome... in some cases (ha,ha)
Anywho, Sister Thomson is an awesome viola player. She doesn't think so, but I know so. So it must be true. She played during the meeting and Elder Raffensparger accompanied her on the piano. It was really good. I get to listen to her play the viola quite a lot at the apartment. Music: it has a very powerful impact on how you feel. Which is both good and bad. But yeah, They were awesome. We have some very talented singers and music player people in our zone. I'm working on my singing normal voice right now... :)
So Specialized Training was pretty awesome... pretty much the highlight of the week if you did not notice.
Ooo something else that we did that was interesting. We went to the Church for a Service project it was the Bishop’s Storehouse. I had no idea what it was. Well I did, but I didn't know exactly what it meant. Now I do! Well at least I do for here in Virginia. It was like shopping... only in the cultural hall (ha,ha). It was fun setting everything up and watching the people come in with boxes and using shopping carts and different things.
So this week has been pretty interesting. I didn't even get through it all because I keep writing my thoughts down about things, but this week has been full of ups and downs.... laughs and tears and so on. But I know this is the Lord’s work and that it is awesome! So everything will work out in the end.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas season. It hasn't really hit me yet but maybe soon :) I love you all, If any of ya'll need help with anything let me know! Be good, Read your scriptures, pray with faith, have Charity towards all. Stay Classy!!
The Church is True, The Book of Mormon is Blue, and Jesus loves each and every one of you.
Loves,
Sister Karen Call
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