The Gift

To my dear Savior,
at this time of year,
the very best and only real gift I can give
is to choose each and every day to fully live
focused on them and their way for me
to work really hard and begin to see
how to fill myself with Their loving bright light
and shine it forth into the world so dark as to be like  night.

How do I fill myself full of his light and love, I wonder?
It's simple to follow His command yet simple doesn't mean easy, I've learned as a I blunder.
Simple to read His word each day
and pray in a whole-hearted child-like way.
Simple to hear His Will and, His Word, obey.
As I leave my Will upon the alter each and every day.
It flutters about and years to fly like a bird
Not content to obey His Word.
I recognize this for what it is, for sure:
the natural man a constant temptation and lure.

Each day I must remember my covenants through prayer
and study the scriptures like it's some kind of dare.
Focusing my mind, heart, and soul on Him,
otherwise my commitment will grow dim.
And this gift of me is worth very little
if I don't mind every jot and tittle.
For Christ has shown me the way
and though I will not arrive today
My agency combined with consistent efforts toward who He would have me be
are the only gifts precious enough for the One who is Three.

Once I'm able to collect some of His bright and loving Light,
How do I shine it forth into this world so dark as night!?
Could it be a smile?
Shared with everyone within a mile...
Could I help another?
For each and every one is my brother.
Might I step out of my comfort zone?
And help someone find Him who did Atone!
Yes, all that and so much more
the options are like a door...
You open one and there's always another
God's Love is even more perfect than that from our Mother.

He desires the gift of ourselves.
And as we give, He doesn't put it on some shelves.
He teaches us how to more and more perfectly give
how to more and more fully live.
For His work and His Glory
Are the real purpose of our life's story.

December 5, 2014

Hope, Faith, Charity and... Let's Add Compassion

It's not that I'm trying to reorder the order or anything, but I've been thinking so much about standards both of the world and God's and the difference between what He would have and what is commonly accepted.  Now, these thoughts pertain to lots of things, but I'm going to focus on what is most dear to my heart.  That is, of course, God and Godly things.

So, one thing I feel like I've realized as a truth (right from the Bible) is that the Holy Trinity is really incomplete.  You see, I believe God would still be who He and She are, but without man... well, God is not exactly a God.  Do you see it?  I mean, without man, who would worship God?  Isn't being a God about accepting the glory that is your due of those who you have created?  I think this is inherently necessary and part and parcel of the whole gig.  Now, I'm not saying that God was less than He is without man... He simply wasn't quite what He is WITH man.  Anyway...

Thus, my conviction has become that God, the Father, His son, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost and man constitute the geometry of completion... true unity and wholeness.  So, instead of a triangle representing that which is complete and holy, a square, or, more appropriately, a basic diamond, is the more perfect representation of God.  This seems more accurate, really, to me.  For we rarely ever have any direct interaction with God, the Father.  However, Christ and the Holy Ghost are more interactive with man.  So, if we consider the most sacred geometric shape to be more of a diamond, man would be at one tip with God the Father at the opposite and Christ and the Holy Ghost on opposite points.

Changing this geometry really doesn't change much that IS.  However, it does create room for more.  For instance, there exists a triumverate of virtues that are commonly accepted as the most desireable and necessary.  A trio, like the Godhead.  But if we add man to the first, perhaps a fourth should be added to the most holy virtues, too.  At least, this is what I've been thinking.  And in my thinking, I've come to a decision.  Compassion is the virtue that will join the exiting three.  Now we have a quartet of the most necessary virtues.

And it makes perfect sense, really.  If you have love, you must have hope.  If you have love, you must have faith.  If you have any one, you must have one of the others.  So, too, I would argue, if any of the three are exstant, compassion will be also.  Whether it be full-blown 'Mother Theresa' type compassion... or merely a spark that can burst into flame... it is there.

Just somethings I've been thinking about.  What do you think about them?

LINKED

Pride; the most insidious of sins

I really believe Pride is the root of all evil.  It shoots out all kinds of different sins, but if you look back to where the sin came from, it seems like Pride is always at the root of the problems.

Misfit Cignet is one of the blogs I read pretty regularly.  She's written some really thought provoking posts and the one I read most recently is, to me, all about Pride.  In it, she's actually writing about all the ways that we may, as humans, try to DO things that are righteous for those in observation of us to see and notice our righteousness.  See, it's all about pride.

Anyway... I've been thinking about her post, and about pride generally, a lot and seeing problems with pride in little things.  Yet even though they may be "little" the problem is still there; and so I must get back to business and so some weeding.  I've thought, off and on, that I don't have to worry about pride; "I've got that handled now," I might think for a day or so.  But then I only have only to hear a talk, read a Christ-centered blog post, read an Ensign article or some other God-focused, Christ-centered something and I realize that I DO have more to work on.  The problem area may require me to dig a little deeper to see the insidious blackness of Pride on my soul, which I haven't yet weeded out.

And so it is never ending.  Thankfully, the Lord is Love and desires me; in all my weakness!  Bless His Holy Name for wanting a sinner such as I am!

I Believe In Christ