1. "What significance has the first 6 months of 2020 played in my eternal progression?"
I have had a wonderful year thus far! I have learned many lessons.
The lessons have been difficult. One lesson I have learned is that it is important for good people to make their voices heard in the community and in the government.
The last six months have been challenging. I have had many chances to pray about what is true and right, where I should be focusing, and what to do or say at particular times. I have learned that I can only help inasmuch as I KNOW how to help, so I need to increase my knowledge because I want to help more. I have learned that my children have their own choices to make. I have learned that I can influence my children for good or evil, destructive, or productive.
Another lesson I have learned is that Satan is more sly and cunning than we supposed him to be. He has been laying up all kinds of plans to divide us from the inside out and from the top down. Seeing the country divide when I was taught that it stood as one nation under God is hard. To watch the crimes that have been committed on a government level and on a civilian level has been gut-wrenching.
What is the significance of all of this in my eternal progression? I believe that prophets have been preparing us for this past six months for the last 100 years! There have been so many tender mercies. I know that one of them is that God told me to homeschool my children sometimes. This has prepared me for the spring we just had with the kids at home, as well as helped me be able to help other people. It has also put me in a place where I could hear presenters talk about these times as prophesied years ago by latter-day prophets! We've always known - since the days of Isaiah and Jesus that the last days would be hard and that we need to put on the whole armor of God, and our beautiful garments and go and meet the bridegroom. What does that look like? I believe that this looks like testifying. Also a lot of service. I believe that I should pray for a clearer vision of what this looks like.
This past 6 months has played a crucial role in my eternal progression! I feel like this is what I am here for.
2. "When difficulties and challenges arise, how do I respond?"
I respond with a sorrowful heart. I have also responded with prayer and humility, or defensiveness and anger. I have found this time to be extremely sensitive for the majority of people and I am no different here. Sometimes my head hurts or my stomach hurts, and I lack clarity... which reminds me that I need to be praying like all the time!! And so...
I have a hard time, though, balancing all of what is going on with being a parent, and a good person all around; a good wife, daughter, sister, and friend.
Sometimes I respond to challenges and difficulties by "freezing" or wasting time. I have found that my usual time wasters, though, are causing some of these challenges and difficulties. It reminds me of the tactic of the Lamanites when they attacked the Nephites in their places of resort. The things and places that they would "resort" to. Which for me, has been social media or google, or fact-checking, or my family and friends. I have seen many temptations in my dealings with all of these. Facts are not nearly as easy to check as they used to be since google has joined a biased agenda (and so will also only show me what they want me to see when I am just surfing) and I don't think I need to explain social media being a problem... That is where most of the contention is getting heated in my opinion.
So, how have I responded to my places of resort being attacked? With fortifying activities such as resting elsewhere like in the scriptures, testifying, prayer, meditation, and journaling. Yoga and other self-care activities have also been a resource of strength for my spirit; focusing on feeding my body food that edifies, drinking enough water, taking nutritional supplements, and fasting.
I also have overcome difficulties and challenges by remembering that my Jesus has saved me before, from my depths of captivity and sorrow. He has delivered me from the pain of infection, and childbirth. He has delivered me from the captivity of lies and deception when I have turned to him for help. And he has empowered me with His infinite love and through His atonement. My patriarchal blessing has also been a safe and fortifying place.
3. "We are nearly 6 months into the Come Follow Me curriculum, how am I applying or utilizing this resource?"
I have been liking the Come Follow me as a guide and resource for holding to the rod. We have utilized it in our family scripture study. It has been very helpful in guiding us through the scriptures in a more thoughtful way. I am sad to say that I have not been using it as much as an individual reference for my personal scriptures study. I hope to make changes there with that. I do read scriptures, but it's sometimes hard for to stay focused on a certain book or topic. Sometimes I have better purpose and focus if I use the CFM manual to guide me.
The lessons have been difficult. One lesson I have learned is that it is important for good people to make their voices heard in the community and in the government.
The last six months have been challenging. I have had many chances to pray about what is true and right, where I should be focusing, and what to do or say at particular times. I have learned that I can only help inasmuch as I KNOW how to help, so I need to increase my knowledge because I want to help more. I have learned that my children have their own choices to make. I have learned that I can influence my children for good or evil, destructive, or productive.
Another lesson I have learned is that Satan is more sly and cunning than we supposed him to be. He has been laying up all kinds of plans to divide us from the inside out and from the top down. Seeing the country divide when I was taught that it stood as one nation under God is hard. To watch the crimes that have been committed on a government level and on a civilian level has been gut-wrenching.
What is the significance of all of this in my eternal progression? I believe that prophets have been preparing us for this past six months for the last 100 years! There have been so many tender mercies. I know that one of them is that God told me to homeschool my children sometimes. This has prepared me for the spring we just had with the kids at home, as well as helped me be able to help other people. It has also put me in a place where I could hear presenters talk about these times as prophesied years ago by latter-day prophets! We've always known - since the days of Isaiah and Jesus that the last days would be hard and that we need to put on the whole armor of God, and our beautiful garments and go and meet the bridegroom. What does that look like? I believe that this looks like testifying. Also a lot of service. I believe that I should pray for a clearer vision of what this looks like.
This past 6 months has played a crucial role in my eternal progression! I feel like this is what I am here for.
2. "When difficulties and challenges arise, how do I respond?"
I respond with a sorrowful heart. I have also responded with prayer and humility, or defensiveness and anger. I have found this time to be extremely sensitive for the majority of people and I am no different here. Sometimes my head hurts or my stomach hurts, and I lack clarity... which reminds me that I need to be praying like all the time!! And so...
I have a hard time, though, balancing all of what is going on with being a parent, and a good person all around; a good wife, daughter, sister, and friend.
Sometimes I respond to challenges and difficulties by "freezing" or wasting time. I have found that my usual time wasters, though, are causing some of these challenges and difficulties. It reminds me of the tactic of the Lamanites when they attacked the Nephites in their places of resort. The things and places that they would "resort" to. Which for me, has been social media or google, or fact-checking, or my family and friends. I have seen many temptations in my dealings with all of these. Facts are not nearly as easy to check as they used to be since google has joined a biased agenda (and so will also only show me what they want me to see when I am just surfing) and I don't think I need to explain social media being a problem... That is where most of the contention is getting heated in my opinion.
So, how have I responded to my places of resort being attacked? With fortifying activities such as resting elsewhere like in the scriptures, testifying, prayer, meditation, and journaling. Yoga and other self-care activities have also been a resource of strength for my spirit; focusing on feeding my body food that edifies, drinking enough water, taking nutritional supplements, and fasting.
I also have overcome difficulties and challenges by remembering that my Jesus has saved me before, from my depths of captivity and sorrow. He has delivered me from the pain of infection, and childbirth. He has delivered me from the captivity of lies and deception when I have turned to him for help. And he has empowered me with His infinite love and through His atonement. My patriarchal blessing has also been a safe and fortifying place.
3. "We are nearly 6 months into the Come Follow Me curriculum, how am I applying or utilizing this resource?"
I have been liking the Come Follow me as a guide and resource for holding to the rod. We have utilized it in our family scripture study. It has been very helpful in guiding us through the scriptures in a more thoughtful way. I am sad to say that I have not been using it as much as an individual reference for my personal scriptures study. I hope to make changes there with that. I do read scriptures, but it's sometimes hard for to stay focused on a certain book or topic. Sometimes I have better purpose and focus if I use the CFM manual to guide me.
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