Jacob and Esau

Don't you love it, or maybe sometimes not love it, when you're reading in the scriptures and you come across a verse or chapter that puts you in your place?  Well, lets just say this.  As a family this morning we were reading in the Old Testament about Jacob (Israel) and Esau.  We were at the part where Jacob gives Esau a gift to try to rebuild a terrible relationship from 20 years before.  In the end of that chapter it pretty much tells us that we need to serve our enemies, or our friends or family whom we are upset with.  Well, let's just say that I'm headed out to do a little service.  I needed put in my place today.

Heeding Promptings

I had an experience a little over a month ago that built my testimony about the power of listening to the warnings of the spirit tremendously!  I thought I'd share it with you!

It was a Friday and my friend Elaina and I were planning on doing a 12 mile run the next morning.  On my way into town with my family I all of a sudden had a little panic attack that something bad was going to happen.  I didn't know what it was or what it was related to so I just shrugged it off to my own crazy thoughts and put it out of my mind.  That night I didn't sleep well.  I tossed and turned and only got about 6 hours of sleep when I had to wake up to get ready for our run.  On our way up the mountain to where we would start our run, I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach.  I thought it was just because I didn't sleep well and that I thought I'd have a terrible run.  I put it out of my mind again.  Well, our run was going great!  I felt great and it was a beautiful day!  A little more than 1/2 mile or so away from the end of our run, we were coming to an intersection where we would turn right and onto a busy road for the last 1/2 mile stretch to my car.  Just before getting to that intersection I had the thought, "Cross the road and run against traffic."  Normally, my friend and I run in the direction with traffic because the shoulder is much wider and we can run a few feet off of the road.  Running against traffic has a smaller shoulder so we would be running right on the edge of the road.  A second time the thought came to my mind, "Cross the road and run against traffic."  So as we approached the intersection I was about to tell Elaina that we should run against traffic but she had had the same impression.  We crossed the road.  About a 1/4 mile down we heard a very loud noise coming up from behind us.  We stopped running, turned around and saw that a truck pulling a trailer that was filled with garbage and debris was coming towards us very quickly.  The trailer had come off of the truck and was barreling down the road behind it.  The tongue of the trailer was causing sparks and such as it went down the road until it finally turned right, into the dirt of the shoulder, and after several yards finally came to a stop about 10 feet off the shoulder of the road.  The trailer and truck had stopped right across the road from where we stood.  Had we been running on that side of the road, like we normally do, there is no doubt in our minds that we would have been run over by that trailer and seriously injured, or worse.  We would not have had enough time to get out of the way of that trailer. 

This experience has taught me to listen and recognize more carefully the promptings and warnings of the Spirit.  Sometimes it might be a panic attack!  Sometimes it might be a bad feeling or even a thought put in our minds.  I'm glad I finally listened that 4th and final time!  I'm sorry it took that many times to get through but I'm SO glad the Lord didn't give up on me!  I'm grateful that the Lord has given us the Holy Ghost to guide us and to protect us through our lives.  I know He lives!  I know He knows us individually and knows our needs and that we need to tell Him of our needs!  He may know them but he wants to hear it from us!  I love the Lord SO much! 

Blessed are they...

It never ceases to amaze me that the Lord knows us individually!  It's been on my mind lately that I want to be more righteous.  I want to be able to raise righteous children.  There are so many times when I have a hard time recognizing whether it's the Holy Ghost speaking to me or if it's my own thoughts.  When I do recognize that it's the Holy Ghost, WOW!  It's a sure feeling that I could never deny!  I just don't recognize it every time. 

I came across a scripture this morning in the Book of Mormon.  It's simple but it hit me like a ton of bricks today!  It's 3 Nephi 12:6  This is where the resurrected Jesus Christ has come back to his people in the Americas.  He's teaching them the Gospel and ordains 12 men to baptize.  Here he's teaching the Be-Attitudes.  This one specifically answered my prayer.

 "And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost." 

So, as long as I continue to truly want to be righteous, to look for ways to be righteous, the Lord will bless me with the Holy Ghost!  I believe that not only will I be blessed with it, but I will also be more often able to RECOGNIZE it!  You can imagine my joy at having this scripture pop out at me the way it did and answer my prayers in the way it did!