Sabbath Thoughts

Sunday is "Share a Spiritual Thought Day" at the Dean Home. We probably've got more than one thought to share, but we'd figure we'd start sharing one thing each of us learned on Sunday.

Chris: "In Sunday School we were talking about Job, and it reminded me about when we first moved here and I was riding my bike what seemed like a million miles every day, and it was really hard for Jen to find a job. Every morning at 3:00 AM I would leave the house in work clothes on my 1987 Peugeot and ride to UPS. The 12-mile ride gave me time to think about life, and often I found myself asking questions like, 'I wonder what I'm supposed to get out of this?' or 'Why is this happening to me?'. Two points that I was reminded about today that hit me: First, Elder Scott said that it's okay to ask questions during trials, but not all questions will get you somewhere. Second, the Lord is always protecting us, but sometimes allows us to pass through trials so that we can be refined and purified. I am grateful for the events, both good and bad, that the Lord allows to come my way, and I know that He is there to help me through them."

Jen: "I was called to Young Women a couple of months ago and it's been an adjustment. I've never taught Youth in Church, just nursery kiddos and new converts. I'm trying to find a way to adapt my teaching so it connects with the girls. Today's lesson was on self-mastery, I was so grateful for the manual to have simple activities to illustrate the principles being taught. I think it truly made a difference to show rather than simply explain. One of the things that stood out to me was this: "Decide what you're going to do, find the steps to accomplish it and then make yourself mind it so you can do it." Self-mastery doesn't come in one day and we sure need to take things one step at a time. We don't become perfect in one day. The important part is to choose one goal at a time, find how we can accomplish it and then do it. And build on from there.
This little exercise stuck to my mind: We sow our thoughts and reap our actions, sow our actions and reap our habits, sow our habits and reap character, and from our character we reap our destiny. What kind of destiny do I want? Exaltation and Eternal Life. With that in mind, I can't give up, I must keep trying. I love that Heavenly Father takes us as we are and refines us. We just need to trust in Him."

Happy Sabbath from both of us.