Random thoughts on a computer

I have been reading a real good book and there are some things in it that have given me some good insight. It is called "The Miracle of Forgiveness" by Spencer W. Kimball. It is a good look into sins, the repentance process and how to overcome the battles in your life.

Many people I have talked to say it is like taking a hammer to the head. As I am reading, I keep waiting. I am about half way right now and a lot of things President Kimball wrote make sense. Maybe I am just one of those people. In no way do I consider myself perfect and I see that there are many things I need to work on.

So far, the chapter I have been most intrigued with is "As a Man Thinketh." So many of our acts begin with a little thought and so much of what we do, or do not, become comes from our thoughts. "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." (Prov. 23:7)

You are what you think you are.

I was watching "The Ron Clark Story" with a friend last week and this was exactly the sum of the story. A class of fifth-graders in Harlem, NY is labeled as underachievers with diciplinary problems. Mr. Clark comes in and tells the principle that he wants that class. He trys to help the children see what he sees - those who have dreams to achieve more than those who went before them.

He teaches the children to dream, to get off the streets and into the books. Mr. Clark almost gave up once, but had some sounds advice to go back. He does and, eventually, the children begin to see the 'vision' and start to work hard. At the end of the year, his class scores higher than the honors class and he even has one student who scored perfect on Math and English.

Mr. Clark taught these children to dig deeper inside and pull out some dreams. He saw their potential and pushed them to achieve it.

So it is with you. There is a hidden genius within you, something you can do better than anyone else in the world. You must dig deep into your soul and find out what it is and develop it.

When things get hard, take a step back and assess what you can gain from the experience. As long as you continue on this path of life and learning, you will constantly be yanked from your comfort zone. As you develop and learn new things, your circle become bigger.

President David O. McKay said:
"Your tools are your ideals. The thought in your mind at this moment is contributing, however infinitesimally, almost imperceptibly to the shaping of your soul, even to the lineaments of your countenance... even passing and idle thoughts leave their impression. Trees that can withstand the hurricane, sometimes yield to destroying pests that can scarcely be seen except with the aid of a microscope. Likewise, the greatest foes of the individual are not always the glaring evils of humanity but subtle influences of thought and of continual association with companions."

I really like this quote because it sums it all up. Everything you do either contributes to or takes away from who you are.

Your thoughts also leave their mark on your physical appearance. The person with downing thoughts, tends to develop hard lines on his countenance. Whereas, the person seeking the positive has serenity about them.

President McKay liked to quote the following:
"Sow a thought, reap an act;
Sow and act, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character;
Sow a character, reap an eternal destiny."

Elder Robert D. Hales in the April 2006 Conference gave a wonderful address about choices and agency. He gave some suggestions to help you:

- "Choose to act in faith and obedience"

Faith and obedience go hand-in-hand. You cannot have one without the other. As you are obedient to the commandments of the Lord, your faith grows. Many times you will not know why you are being asked to do something, but you do it anyway. Faith is hard because you do not know what the end result will be. However, you step one foot into the darkness and depend on the light of Christ to help you see what is before you.

- "Choose to accept you are a literal child of God; that he loves you and that he has the power to help you"

This is my favorite. Elder Hales hits on a very important, yet often overlooked, truth. When you truely understand you are a child of God, you begin to understand your divine lineage. Because God has the power to do anything, so do you. As you begin to look up, your aspirations will also begin to be higher. God hopes the best for you and waits until you too see what he sees.

- "Choose to put yourself in a position to have experiences with the spirit of God through prayer and scripture study... When you begin to feel the influence of the spirit you're beginning to be cleansed and strengthend and the light begins to come in"

In realizing our dreams, they become so much more vibrant when painted with the Spirit of God. In the last weeks, I have been able to feel the light come into my life. There are many struggles in my life, however, this is my refuge from the world and what helps me to be what I think I am in my heart.

- "Choose to believe in the Atonement of Jesus Christ"

This has probably had the biggest influence in my life over the past few weeks. We are perfect spirits having a human experience on this earth. Jesus Christ, however, allows us to dream big and capture the big picture. It is His Atonement that gives wings to our spirits and allows us to rise higher toward a perfected and exalted state.

You are the maker of you and your destiny. You have the ability to become what you want to be and God has the power to help you realize it. Little by little you will realize who God already knows you are. You are divine, unique and special.