Must Focus

Here is the photo I tried unsuccessfully to upload yesterday. 

And another of the birthday girl getting breakfast in bed. 

  

And another to show off C's glasses-free look. Her hair hadn't been brushed yet, but isn't she a beauty?  I need to get a really, really big stick to keep the guys away from these two.

We had a nice lesson on repentance in Relief Society today.  (Relief Society is the womens organization at church).  It struck me that I really don't remember hearing of that principle before I became a Latter-day Saint.  I know it's in the Bible, but all I remember hearing other religions speak of is forgiveness of sins.  Repentance is a very important step in coming unto Christ.  He didn't suffer and die for our sins so we could keep a constant cycle of sinning and being forgiven.  in Matt. 3: 2, 8, 11

 2 And saying, ^aRepent ye: for the ^bkingdom of heaven ^cis at hand.  8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:  11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

I'm sure there are churches out there who do teach repentance, but I sorrow for those who haven't been taught this liberating principle.  

In the discussion, I commented about how I used to consider myself a victim of abuse and would justify my hatred and speaking ill of my abuser.  Eventually I came to realize I was hurting myself far more than him.  I ruined my own reputation in sharing his faults.  Once I got past this stage and on to applying the atonement to heal me of my emotional wounds I was in a position to advance to a stage where I could see that many of my own faults were similar to his, whether by genetics or environment, I inherited some of the qualities I despised.  I've used the repentance process once again.  This time to be more understanding of the faults of others, to see the beam in my eye before the mote in other's eye.  It's painful and humbling, but worth the effort.

Several years ago, a friend's adopted daughter gave a talk in Sacrament meeting that touched me deeply.  She was adopted at age 8 after she and her brother experienced horrifying neglect from their mother.  Her adopted mother shared with me the horrifying situation of neglect they faced before being removed from the home of their birth mother.  When I suggested to her that she should submit her daughter's story to the Ensign (church magazine), her reply was that she did not want her daughter to label herself as a victim.  An article such as I suggested would have brought much attention to her past that would not have been healthy for her future.  I appreciated those words of wisdom more than she'll ever know because I had labelled myself as a victim for far too many years.  It had stagnated my progression a great deal.  I know many others who have done this to themselves as well.  It is a canker.  I read a quote once that said "Resenting another person is like  taking poison and waiting for the other person to die."  Oh so true!  This same mother gave a lesson several years latter in which she said that when we fail to forgive another for their trespasses, we can be damning (meaning stopping) their spiritual progression.  I feel horrible that my resentment created a hostile environment which may not have stopped another's spiritual progression, but at a minimum given them cause to withdrawal further from the Lord because of my self-righteous attitude.  I didn't feel self-righteous, because I knew my own faults very well, but when we are baptized, we take God's name upon us.  If I reject another because of their sins, it to them like God is rejecting them.  When they are not close to God in the first place, it causes them to withdrawal even further away to the point where they feel He is of no use to them.

Wow!  That was heavy.  I sat down to type about how I had volunteered to bake 2 dozen cookies for an event tonight and how I'd better get to it.  I don't know where all that other stuff came from!

If you made it through all of that, thanks.  You must be a good friend or really bored!

Happy Sabbath!