21 Days: Keep

Today I re-read a passage from 2 Nephi 25: 

(verse 21) Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation, that the promise may be fulfilled...(verse 23) For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. (verse 26) And we ^atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we ^bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our ^cchildren may know to what source they may look for a ^dremission of their sins.

I love the way Nephi words things. What an expansive perspective he lends as he reminds us how important it is to write. Today the book (21 Days Closer To Christ) challenged me to write my testimony of the Savior. To describe an experience that strengthened my testimony of Him and my relationship with Him. You can find one of mine here. It was a sweet experience.

As far as the "keeping" idea goes, I am reminded of Mary in Luke 2:19.

"Mary kept all these things, and ^apondered them in her heart."

I love the importance of writing our thoughts and our feelings, for safe-keeping for generations to follow. But i also think some things are best kept within the confines of our own hearts.

21 Days: Covenant

Humbling.

I read the beautiful scenario of Jesus washing the disciples' feet prior to the last supper. Tonight I reread the account (John 13). By the end of the day I found that passage of scripture to be so tender and pure it almost made me cry.

The book (21 Days Closer To Christ
) challenged me to write down an experience where I felt the Savior minister to me. I recently did that here. And interestingly, that story also refers to the sacrament.

The book also challenged me to remember. Remember the sacrament, and its prayers. Remember Him always. Think before I act. Make every choice honor his name.

Here I failed woefully. But when I reminded myself, things changed. What I learned was if I fall so short when I'm actually focusing, intent, trying...imagine how I forget to remember when it's NOT my daily focus. What's more, it's often in the falling short that we discover how deeply, how often we NEED him. Remembering needs to be a daily challenge...EVERY day.

Humbling.

21 Days: Come

In Mark Chapter 1, disciples Simon and Andrew are casting their nets into the water when the Savior spots them on the shore. They are approached by Jesus with an invitation, "Come follow me." It says they straightway left their nets and followed him.

In her book 21 Days Closer To Christ
by Emily Freeman, she asks us to consider what is in our own nets; what hinders us from following Christ that we perhaps need to leave behind?These are my thoughts:

My net is full to the brim with parenting tasks, most of which may ultimately lead me to Christ by caring for my family. But when seen as mere tasks, they can also be a distraction. The same is true of blogging. I feel like my posts are (for the most-part) uplifting soul-searches. Some more than others. But I feel like there is a limit where blogging is no longer a wise use of my time. So I have on my net-list household tasks like cooking and cleaning, not because they aren't important, but because they compete for my time. Then there are bills and money issues. Even though we live essentially debt-free. And they nag and distract. My own discouragement is next, over weight problems, lack of motivation, and feelings of inadequacy that creep in. Then there are the challenges with the children: discipline, defiance, and disorder.

She then asks us to listen for quiet invitations from the Lord to come and see.
Some of mine from today are: Our Family Home Evening: Josh's lesson was great. We were all laughing, and enjoying each other. He asked us to fast for him to be outgoing and make good friends at EFY next week. I also recognized my invitation from Mary Ellen to speak about Scriptures at Sunstone as yet another invitation to come closer to Christ. I feel a need to rededicate myself and ramp up my diligence in preparation for that presentation. And of course my ponderings in Alma 5.