Daily Devotional Day 6, Jesus Christ is the Light of the World

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shone in the darkness; and the darkness knew it not. (John 1: 4, 5) Jesus said: I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

 

Jesus Christ is the Light of the World

When you were a child, do you ever remember waking up from a nightmare in the dark and feeling afraid? I do! Even now, I keep a small flashlight by my bed so that I can see where I am going, so I don’t fall.

We are living in a world that if often dark and frightening.  There may be times it even feels like a nightmare. For those times, I keep my spiritual light close by – Jesus Christ. When I pray to the Father in the name of the Son, I receive answers through the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Godhead. The ancient prophet, Moroni, said of the Holy Spirit:

And by the power of the Holy Ghost[1] you may know the truth of all things.         (Moroni 10: 5)

I don’t need to stumble or fall in darkness. How can you personally use the Light of Christ to avoid falling?

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[1] Ghost in this context means Spirit

PERSONAL WORSHIP:

My testimony of Jesus Christ

 

ACTIVITIES:

I've done my budget and identified my needs

I've talked about investments with Shane

 

NOTEWORTHY:

I repaid Shane all of the expenses of the sale of my home.

I visited Brandon and made him some Campbell's Tomato Soup (which he has been craving)

 

TO DO: Today I will. identify my wants for the budget

Get a quote on supplement insurance for Shane

Set up pictures where I want them hung

Take photos for anyone in the family who might want pictures I plan to give away.

Set up daily devotional booklets for Ian, Brooke, and Cohen (early Christmas presents) 

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Daily Devotional, Day 5: Agency is a gift from God; Christ honors agency; Lucifer does not.

Satan/Lucifer] came before me, saying – “Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, . . . wherefore give me your honor.” (John 1: 5) . . . But my Beloved Son. . . said to me – “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be yours forever.”  . . . Satan sought to destroy the agency of man. . . [and was] cast down. . . (Moses 4: 1-4)

 

God’s Gift to Man – Agency

 

Why is life sometimes so difficult? Satan’s plan was to bring everyone home, so why was that bad? Because in so doing he would rob us of our agency – our right to choose for ourselves; our right to learn and grow, from our good choices and our poor choices.  Jesus, on the other hand, followed the Father’s plan. He respected us enough to give us that right to choose.  When we choose wrong (as He knew we would), He offered to give His life for us that we might retain our freedom yet still have the ability to repent and return home. 

 

This is how the Prophet Lehi explained the need for agency, even though it makes life difficult. What do Lehi’s words mean to you? How do they fit in your life today? How can you access God’s gift of repentance and return to Him?

 

For the must be an opposition in all things. If not so righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. . . . [If not] there would have been no purpose in . . . [Earth’s] Creation.                          (2 Nephi 2: 11, 12)

Personal Journal

DEVOTIONAL:

Watched News of the Church; Ministering and humanitarian work of Church; Universal love of mankind; feeding sheep

 

MEALS:

Ate all meals at home Tuesday. Restaurant is now seating only a few people at a time and you are required to wait until seated.  I understand why they are trying it because the wait staff has been overwhelmed; nevertheless, I don't like it.  It feels controlling and manipulative and I will not be controlled nor manipulated.  Because of this and other factors, I chose to avoid the restaurant yesterday.

 

ACTIVITIES: 

Missed Maurine.  She was sleeping and I was late

Visited with Susan

Spent time with Brandon; read from the Bible to him (see personal and private notes)

Wrote my budget

Examined my expenses

Began process to change insurance to a supplement plan, even though it is more expensive

TO DO:

Today I will put budget on computer and send it to Shane.

 

October 5, 2021

DEVOTIONAL: Feed my sheep

God is keeping me on this earth for a purpose and that purpose is not lying in bed, playing games on my phone, and watching the Hallmark channels!

 

MEALS: Cookies and Coke for breakfast. (hand slap!)

 

ACTIVITIES: Shower

Ministering - Maurine, Susan, Brandon

 

TO DO:

Today I will take soup and Bible to Brandon

Today I will do my budget for Tunk

Today I will get a shower

Today I will eat lunch at home and dinner in restaurant

Today I will set up a weekly Bible study with Enclave, perhaps on Wednesdays

 

Daily Devotional Day 4: Jesus Christ is the Life

 

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1: 4) I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me. (John 14:6)

 

Jesus Christ is Life

 

Our Heavenly Father’s plan is perfect and it all centers on, Jesus Christ; He implements the Father’s Plan. It is as if the Father is the Architect and the Son, the Creator.

 

We come to know the Father as we come to know His Beloved Son.  [One of the] grand objectives of mortality is not merely learning about the Only Begotten of the Father but also striving to know [the Father]. [1]

[Jesus] proclaimed that the doctrines He taught were given to Him by his Father.  He took no credit for Himself. Jesus said: The Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself does. (John 5: 20)[2]

When I am troubled, I pray to the Father in the name of the Son, for they are distinct as to substance, but one as to purpose – to bring us home to our Father when this life has been completed. He is more that the Way; He is the only Way. How can you invite Jesus into your life?

---

[1] Elder David A. Bednar October, 2016

[2] Elder Delbert Stapley, 1977

Conference Sunday

 

There were so many things that spoke to me today that I cannot write them all.  As I revisit the talks these next few weeks, I hope to process more of what the Spirit wants to teach me.  Getting 10 hours in two days is a little like drinking water from a fire hose!

FOOD: 

I ate breakfast in my room and Terri brought me a Cobb salad for lunch.

ACTIVITY: 

Visited with Terri and got a great foot rub.  

Baked brownies.

Daily Devotional, Day 3: Jesus Christ is Our Savior

 

There stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. (Abraham 3: 24, 25, 27, 28)

Jesus Christ is the Savior

We are not here by accident.  God created this earth for us so that we might receive physical bodies and that, in those bodies, have learning experiences – even tough ones – so that we might grow and become more like our Savior and prepare ourselves to return to our Heavenly Father when our mortal life is over. 

One of the greatest gifts of this plan is the gift of repentance.  In the eternal world, consequences come immediately following the mistake.  In this life, we have time. We can repent. We can change. Most importantly, we can be forgiven and become new people with new and pure hearts. What can you do today to move in that new direction? You don’t have to get there today, but you can begin today to become who you are meant to be. Will you accept His gift of repentance and salvation? 

Daily 10/2 Conference Saturday

DEVOTIONAL: Devotional today will come for Conference sessions.

• We need to know who we are and that God loves us.
• We need to know out purpose in life.

MEALS:

Yesterday, I ate breakfast in my apartment (2 over medium eggs and 2 frozen waffles) I ate late so that was breakfast and lunch.

For snack I had yogurt and, later, ice cream.

For dinner I had ground beef tacos in the restaurant.

ACTIVITIES: Put new month activities in my phone calendar.

NOTEWORTHY:

Still waiting for the wire transfer of the money for my house.  Hopefully, on Monday

TO DO:

Today I will watch General Conference

Daily Devotional, Day 2: Jesus Christ is the Creator

All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:3)

 

Jesus Christ is the Creator

In Genesis we read: In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. (Genesis 1: 1)

Continuing in Genesis, God described His work of six creative periods. In each case, He said:

1.     Let there be light and there was light

2.    Let there be a firmament in the midst of heaven

3.    Let there be a sun in the day and a moon and stars at night

4.    Let the dry land appear and let there be                                                            vegetation upon it

5.    Let there be fish in the sea and fowl in the air

6.    Let there be all manner of animals upon the land

In His final creation of the sixth period, God created mankind in His image, male and female.  He commanded the plants, animals, and people to multiply after their own kind.

 

God said. By the power of the Word of God was everything created. Is it any wonder that when Jesus said, Peace, be still (Mark 4: 39) the storm ceased and there was a great calm? The elements were listening to the voice of their creator.

 

When the tempests rage in our lives, we can appeal to Jesus Christ for peace.  Sometimes He calms the storm.  Sometimes, He calms me so that I can withstand the storm. Sometimes, He allows me to swim to develop my strength, all the while knowing He will not let me drown!  How can you call on Jesus Christ as your Creator for peace?

Daily Devotional, Day 1: Who is Jesus Christ?

 

Part One: Who is Jesus Christ and Why is He Important to Me?

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

 

Jesus Christ is Eternally God

 

The original language in which the Apostle John wrote was Greek. The Greek word logos was translated into English as Word, and refers to Jesus Christ.  But it is much more than that. It also refers to the doctrine of Jesus Christ, the Plan of Salvation and Existence; the word by which inner thought is expressed and the inner thought itself. [1] 

According to another Bible study source, John uses the word logos 6 times as a designation of the Divine preexistent person of Jesus Christ.[2]

 

In other words, Jesus did not begin His existence in Bethlehem nor leave His existence on Calvary. He is eternal. He was with the Father in the beginning before the world was. He was with God and He was God, chosen by our Heavenly Father to be the Savior of the world so that through Him we could return to God.

 

What does it mean to you to know that you have a God who is eternally your God and Savior? How do you claim that blessing?

---

[1] https://pathosethoslogos.com

[2] https://www.biblestudytools.com

Is It Already October?

While I am keeping the name Covenant Keepers, I am changing the format.  Instead of a spiritual apologetic of sorts, it will read more like a simple diary. So prepare to be bored!

DEVOTIONAL: Alma's discourse on planting the seed of faith. Watched Taylor and Tyler on Book of Mormon Central. Am thinking of copying my daily devotional book I'm preparing for my family as a separate log posting.

MEALS:

Yesterday, I ate breakfast in my apartment (cold cereal with banana); I had a grilled chicken salad at lunch, which was passable.  (Note to self: take my own dressing!) I also had dinner in the restaurant, which was excellent.  It was stuffed chicken breast (stuffing as in Thanksgiving), mashed potatoes, and green beans.

ACTIVITIES:

Got my flu shot.  Took a prophylactic dose of Tylenol and Advil immediately and did not suffer the sore arm others complained about.

Walked with my walker.  My new cell phone counts my steps, so I need to figure out how to use that feature and begin to track my steps with an eye on increasing them over time.

Gave a copy of Words of God to my new friend, "Dr. Jim." He's in my ward and I am so impressed by his testimony that I thought he'd appreciate my book.  I have given copies of Pig to several of my new women friends.

NOTEWORTHY:

Closed escrow on my house sale yesterday.  Will be watching my bank account today to see if they post my funds. Felt a tad depressed last night because I am grieving the house and the relationship I had with the son with whom I lived. I'm so much healthier where I am and I need to remember that it is okay to take care of myself physically, emotionally, intellectually, and physically.

TO DO:

Today I will pick up the October calendar from downstairs and update my personal calendar in my office. I am curious to see if they will continue to offer water aerobics, the only exercise I get on a regular basis.

Autumn 2021

Last February, I had no idea the dramatic changes of direction my life would take. My life has been so thronged and crazy, I have not blogged in over six months.

I can't make any promises, even to myself, but I hope to correct that soon.

WE GOT TROUBLE: YELLOW JOURNALISM

Just watched "The Music Man" on TCM.  Remember the scene when Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill decides to use a new pool table to rile up the people of  River City, Iowa? (link below*) Here are the lyrics (Compliments Musixmatch)

Ya Got Trouble

Friend, either you're closing your eyes
To a situation you do not wish to acknowledge
Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated
By the presence of a pool table in your community

Well, Ya got trouble, my friend, right here
I say, trouble right here in River City
Why sure I'm a billiard player
Certainly mighty proud I say
I'm always mighty proud to say it
I consider that the hours I spend
With a cue in my hand are golden
Help you cultivate horse sense
And a cool head and a keen eye
Jever' take and try to find
An iron-clad leave for yourself
From a three-rail billiard shot?

But just as I say
It takes judgment, brains, and maturity to score
In a balkline game
I say that any boob can take
And shove a ball in a pocket
And I call that sloth
The first big step on the road
To the depths of deg-ra-Day--
I say, first, medicinal wine from a teaspoon
Then beer from a bottle
An' the next thing ya know
Your son is playin' for money
In a pinch-back suit
And list'nin to some big out-a-town jasper
Hearin' him tell about horse-race gamblin'
Not a wholesome trottin' race, no!
But a race where they set down right on the horse!
Like to see some stuck-up jockey'boy

Settin' on Dan Patch? Make your blood boil?
Well, I should say
Now, Friends, lemme tell you what I mean
Ya got one, two, three, four, five, six pockets in a table
Pockets that mark the diff'rence
Between a gentlemen and a bum
With a capital "B"
And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool!
And all week long your River City
Youth'll be fritterin' away
I say your young men'll be fritterin'!

Fritterin' away their noontime, suppertime, choretime too!
Get the ball in the pocket
Never mind gettin' dandelions pulled
Or the screen door patched or the beefsteak pounded
Never mind pumpin' any water
'Til your parents are caught with the cistern empty
On a Saturday night and that's trouble
Yes you got lots and lots of trouble
I'm thinkin' of the kids in the knickerbockers
Shirt-tail young ones, peekin' in the pool
Hall window after school, ya got trouble, folks!
Right here in River City
Trouble with a capital "T"
And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool!

Now, I know all you folks are the right kind of parents
I'm gonna be perfectly frank
Would ya like to know what kinda conversation goes
On while they're loafin' around that Hall?
They be tryin' out Bevo, tryin' out cubebs
Tryin' out Tailor Mades like cigarette fiends!
And braggin' all about
How they're gonna cover up a tell-tale breath with Sen-Sen
One fine night, they leave the pool hall
Headin' for the dance at the Arm'ry!
Libertine men and Scarlet women!
And Rag-time, shameless music
That'll grab your son, your daughter
With the arms of a jungle animal instinct!
Mass-staria!
Friends, the idle brain is the devil's playground!

Trouble, oh we got trouble
Right here in River City!
With a capital "T"
That rhymes with "P"
And that stands for Pool
That stands for pool
We've surely got trouble!
Right here in River City
Right here!
Gotta figure out a way
To keep the young ones moral after school!
Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble

Mothers of River City!
Heed the warning before it's too late!
Watch for the tell-tale signs of corruption!
The moment your son leaves the house
Does he rebuckle his knickerbockers below the knee?
Is there a nicotine stain on his index finger?
A dime novel hidden in the corn crib?
Is he starting to memorize jokes from?
Are certain words creeping into his conversation?
Words like 'swell?"
And 'so's your old man?"
Well, if so my friends
Ya got trouble
Right here in River City!
With a capital "T"
And that rhymes with "P"
And that stands for Pool
We've surely got trouble!
Right here in River City!
Remember the Maine, Plymouth Rock and the Golden Rule!
Oh, we've got trouble
We're in terrible, terrible trouble
That game with the fifteen numbered balls is a devil's tool!
Oh yes we got trouble, trouble, trouble!
With a "T"! Gotta rhyme it with "P"!
And that stands for Pool

Songwriters: Willson Meredith

I couldn't help thinking that politics and fast-talking never change.  First your create a problem (either non-existent or blown out of proportion), then you offer a "solution" which, by the way, gains you wealth and/or power. 

Listen below and see if you can't see anti-propaganda from both sides of the fence. BTW, look up the difference between Billiards (gentleman) and Pool (bum) just for fun.  You may also want to know that Dan Patch was a trotting horse who wasn't trained to accept a rider. Most of the issues Professor Hill raises are really non-issues.

The line "remember the Maine, Plymouth Rock, and the Golden Rule is telling. "Remember the Maine" was the battle cry flaunted by the media which led to the Spanish American War. The truth is, the Maine was sunk by an internal fire and not by Spain, but the huge media giants of the day wanted to see us go to war, so they falsely claimed that Spain sunk the ship in the harbor. Check it out. You'll find that I'm right.  Propaganda, Yellow Journalism, and War

In the 1890s the fierce competition between Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal caused both to develop the techniques of yellow journalism, which won over readers with sensationalism, sex, crime and graphic horrors.** 

Pulitzer

Tell that to the approximately 3000 Americans who died in the war of injuries, influenza, and typhoid fever.

Hearst

Recent forensic studies of the wreck of the Maine show that the ship was never bombed.  History now shows us that Pulitzer and Hearst literally created a war because of their personal drives for wealth, power, and influence. 

 

As my dad would say, "The never let the truth get in the way of a good story."

By the way, both Pulitzer and Hearst were Democrats. 'Nuff said.

* Ya Got Trouble

** Wikipedia Pulitzer and Hearts

NEW BEGINNINGS: HOW TO TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND IN SEVERAL, NOT-SO-EASY STEPS; #5 CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

 Confession

In the last step, you made a fearless self-evaluation of your life.  That is a painful process.  I know, because I have done it.  But if you just acknowledge your mistakes to yourself, it’s like noting that you have an infected wound, but doing nothing to clean out the infection.  In that case, it will continue to fester and may become even worse.  The way to clean out the infection is to confess to yourself, to God, and to one other person the exact nature of your wrongdoings.  You should choose a person who is both spiritually and emotionally mature, who can listen with love, and help you work through things.  Some sins may need to be confessed to the proper priesthood authority.  If you proceed with your repentance, you’ll want to do that.  In the meantime, start with God and one other person. Use great care in choosing someone to whom to disclose your wrongs.  Do not share such sensitive information with someone you suspect who might give improper guidance, provide misinformation, or fail to keep your confidences.

Many years ago, my brother-in-law Charlie worked with a man who had developed a small cancer in his mouth from using chewing tobacco.  His dentist found the small white spot and wanted to schedule oral surgery to remove it.  The man looked at the spot, saw how small it was, and refused the surgery.  “Why would I let you cut up my mouth?” he asked. “It doesn’t even hurt.  If it starts hurting, then I’ll talk to you about it.”  Weeks went by.  Eventually, the man’s mouth began to hurt and the white patches had spread.  He went back to the oral surgeon and said, “OK, I’m ready now.” The surgeon took one look and ran some tests of the man’s lymph nodes.  “I’m sorry,” the doctor said, “but all I can do is keep you comfortable while you die.” The cancer by then had spread throughout the man’s body through his lymphatic system. He didn’t live much longer as it had reached his brain.

This is a true story.  When we think of the word repent, we are often put off because we know there will be pain involved just as the man was afraid of the pain of surgery.  But consider the alternative.  Sin is a moral cancer.  When you become serious about ridding yourself of the burden, confession is the first step outside of the privacy of your own mind and heart.  It has the same effect of disinfecting a physical wound, removing sin from a splinter to a cancer, and applying a healing balm.  If it is sincere, you will ultimately feel God’s forgiveness.  Though your sins be as scarlet, they can be white as snow” wrote the Prophet Isaiah. Remember: your sins are what you did; they are not who you are!

Brigham Young cautioned Latter-day Saints not to confess sins unnecessarily.  Some people go over and over their mistakes like a person poking his tongue in a socket of a tooth that has been pulled.  That doesn’t heal the tooth; it only keeps it raw and bleeding so that it is slow to heal.  These people continually rehearse their faults, but never seem to find peace.  Peace in Christ is the ultimate goal. 

The Lord told the Prophet Joseph, I, the Lord, forgive sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask forgiveness. (Doctrine and Covenants 64: 7) How can you have the courage to make such a confession?  Begin keeping a private journal and write in it regularly, at least once a week.  Take time to look into your own heart. Confess your sins as soon as you recognize them.  Don’t allow them to build and fester as you have done in the past. Don’t worry about where you stand with other people.  Be more concerned with where you stand with God.

To Do:

·       Continue to pray and read a scripture verse every day.

·       Continue to work on keeping the commandments, especially the one God revealed to you.

Write in your journal regularly

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson January 2021