I'm trying...

What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? What do we have to do to become a disciple of Christ? In Luke 10-14 Christ gives many parables regarding these same questions. I've looked them over and here is a list of traits the we should strive for to become better disciples of Christ:

• Have a Christ-Centered home
• Recieve Him
• Strive to strengthen spirituality
• Pray (doing it properly)
• Seek forgiveness
• Forgive others
• Have faith
• Don't covet
• Don't be worldly
• Seek to bring forth God's Kingdom
• Sacrifice
• Missionary work
• Seek God's will
• Be watchful
• Put Christ 1st
• Keep commandments
• Forsake all we have and are for Him

Now I know there are a ton more, but they give us a good start on our way to discipleship. I challenge those who read this to pick one and start today to improve that __________ in your life!

The one I am choosing to work on is "Don't Covet." This seems to be my vice lately, for whatever reason. I think it is the prospect of building a house in the next year or so and I catch myself getting down and irritated with where I am now. I actually really love our little house and the memories, character, and family history (we live in Dustin's grandparent's house), but I am also feeling oober crammed and jumbled with two kids and two adults in a two bedroom house. I get jealous when I see people in new homes and with all the little comforts I wish I had. I start to get angry and frustrated with my situation and I don't like the person that makes me and how it influences my thoughts and actions. First to vent the little things that drive me crazy, so maybe you can commiserate with me...The floors are old and squeak (wake my kids), the windows are originals and rattle and blow cold air (super annoying durind a windy day/night), the door handles are wobbly and loud (wakes the kids), the kid's door will pop open when you step in verious spots around the house (also wakes them up), I have to place to separte my kids so both can sleep peacefully (again, wakes them up), the nasty hard carpet that stains to easy, we have occassional mice (found one in my washer today...SURPRISE!!), and best of all...our friendly squirrel who visits on occassion. This is not a tiny little chipmunk. I am talking bushy tailed, beady eyed, size of a cat, SQUIRREL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay now that I got that off my chest I can go on. So after countless complaints to my husband and many days filled with bitter hatred for the things I can't change, I decided to fix the things I can change. Instead of seeing all the homes and comforts others enjoy, I work on saving money and getting detailed plans for my own. Also, I am working out my nasty flaws with my Heavenly Father and asking for more patience, humility, gratitude, and ideas of how to better our home. So far, the difference is astounding! Just ask Dusty!! He has come home the last two days to a completely reorganized kitchen and bedroom. I have orders for organizing cubbies on their way and feel that I can be happy in this small space now that I am organizing it. With a shoe rack, a hanging closet organizer, new rug and positive outlook, I am feeling content again. The best part is that I have found great deals and have not spent a lot of money doing all this. I love how Heavenly Father takes my insignificant concerns and lets me know that He cares and is helping me by inspiring me with ideas. Also, I feel that our marriage is better, weird I know, but I think all my nagging and negativity was making Dusty feel like I was unhappy with him and his efforts to provide. This made me sad and I know he doesn't need that burden, so I decided it was time for me to change!

So to relate this back to being a disciple of Christ, I thnk it happens in the little things; our thoughts, our words, our attitudes. Is it wrong to want a new house of my own with more room and new things? No, but my attitude of covetousness was wrong. I shouldn't be jealous and judge based on what others have. I can see how if people keep on this path, that it is destructive and harmful to relationships. And the biggest part to knowing if you are a true disciple of Christ is whether or not you'd be willing to give all that you have and are to/for Him. Would I walk away from my "things" and my new dream home of it was asked of me? Yes. and that knowledge gives me comfort and peace. Worldy goods are useless if we forfeit our eternal blessings. May we strive to seek the Lord's guidance and become better disciples of Christ.

The Good Shepherd

This week the assignment I chose to focus on was how Christ is the Good Shepherd. In John 10:1-11 Christ gives two parables related to shepherds and Christ. First was that He is the shepherd of the flock. The other is that Christ is the door of the fold. He is like the door because His is the only way unto salvation and eternal life. Also, I thought that it could mean that we must pass through Him to get to the Father; He is our mediator with the Father. There is so much symbolism of the Good Shepherd that I never picked up on or realized before a lesson I had a few months back. Our teacher explained the "pens" the sheep are herded into at night. These pens are made of stone or thick brush, have only one opening, and are tall with thorny brambles around the top to keep lions, wolves and other predators away. Many shepherds gather their flocks into the same pen and they take turns guarding the single entrance. If a predator does come to attack the sheep, a "good shepherd" will sacrifice himself to the animal. Usually doing so will satisfy the hunger and the predator will leave the sheep alone. When the shepherds come to gather their flocks, they need only call them. The sheep will only come to the sound of their master's voice. Also, typically the shepherd has a name for each sheep and they respond to their individual name when called. These are all very symbolic of our Savior: Only one way to salvation (doorway), gives us gospel and covenants (green pastures and protective barrier), sacrifices Himself for us (good shepherd), His people know Him and He them (sheep only answer to their master). By giving his life for the sheep it proves his deep love and devotion to the meek and lowly in his care. Like the good shepherds, Christ shows His deep love and commitment to each of us by His willingness to sacrifice Himself for us. It is also a deep honor and a most important duty of the shepherd to put the sheep before himself.
Christ also talks of other sheep in other folds. He mentions the Nephite and Lamanite people as being some of those sheep, but as He spoke to them of other sheep in various parts of the world who had no knowledge of Him. He then left to show himself to those other sheep.

He Walks on Water

Matthew 14:22-33 Is the story of Christ walking on the water. When the Apostles saw Christ, they were troubled, afraid, and cried out in fear. I wonder if the reason they were troubled was because they thought something bad had happened to Jesus (i.e. died). Did they think they were in trouble for leaving Him alone? Were they just superstitious of Spirits? When they realized that it was Jesus and He was whole, Peter basically fell off the side of the boat to get to Him. He had great faith in Christ's power and divinity. He forgot the "world" or the reasoning of men and almost without thinking began walking to Christ after He bid Petrer to come to Him. Then after a few faith filled steps, Peter noticed the rough waters and took his eyes off of Christ. Fear set in and he began to sink. I like how the scriptures noted that Peter BEGAN to sink. He did not fall headlong into the sea, or go completely under, but like the rest of us, only lost a little ground when we are distracted from Christ. Had Peter tried to save himself or turned to the other men for help he may have been in more serious trouble, but he didn't; he turned to Jesus and cried out "Lord save me"! We will all sink; we will all fall, but the true test is not taking the steps, its turning to Christ when we need help and saving. He will not let us tread water and fall in over our heads, but He reaches out immediately and saves us. The main principle that is taught here is found in D&C 88:67 "And if your eye be single to my glory..." If we keep our eyes (goals, lives, etc.) firmly fixed on our Savior we will not fall nor fear.

No Greater Prophet: John the Baptist

When John was in prison he sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus, "Art thou he that should come or do we look for another?" (Matt 11:3). This confused me because I thought John already knew...he had after all baptized Jesus only about 3 months before. Then further reading in the Institute Manuel answered my question. John had a sure knowledge and understanding who Christ was, but John's followers were very loyal to him and seemed to have a hard time "crossing over" to be a disciple of Jesus. John had these two men ask this question, not for him, but for themselves. John knew that his mission was to prepare the way before Jesus and so he was probably concerned that his followers were not accepting Christ as their Messiah.
After these two men had asked their question and departed, Jesus spoke to the people about John and told them that there was "Not a greater prophet than John the Baptist" (Luke 7:28). Joseph Smith, Jr. later expounded on this when he gave 3 reasons why John the Baptist was so great a prophet:

“First. He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. Whoever had such a trust committed to him before or since? No man.
“Secondly. He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great a privilege and glory?
“Thirdly. John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power. The Jews had to obey his instructions or be damned, by their own law; and Christ Himself fulfilled all righteousness in becoming obedient to the law which he had given to Moses on the mount, and thereby magnified it and made it honorable, instead of destroying it. The son of Zacharias wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the Jews, by the holy anointing and decree of heaven, and these three reasons constitute him the greatest prophet born of a woman.” (Smith, Teachings, pp. 275–76.)

I had never heard these things before. During my reading it dawned on me that John the Baptist was the proohet of that dispensation and he was probably loved and revered as much by people of that time as we love and revere Joseph Smith today.

John was also extremely humble in his attitude toward Christ. He knew that his mission had been fulfilled and John was gladly stepping aside so Christ could assume His role of teacher, prophet, and Messiah. I like to do little applications to my life and challenge you to do so also! Let's lose ourselves in this great work! Let's find our missions in life and make Christ at their center. Let's do the will of the Father and be His hands as we serve our fellow man!

Back to School

So for those of you who do not know, I decided to do the (seemingly) impossible and go back to school...mainly through online courses. One of these courses in New Testament part 1. As a small fraction of my homework each week I am required to share about what I have learned. So if you all of a sudden see an influx of religious posts, that is why! Feel free to join in and share your thoughts and insight!