Plow in Hope and Keep moving Forward...

And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.  

Luke 9:62

Last Saturday evening I had a great experience reading the scriptures.  I was praying and pondering, meditating about life and a few questions I had.  I felt lead to read Chapter 9 in Luke in the New Testament.   As I read, I wondered what is it that I am suppose to be learning here?  Vereses 37-62 seemed to be my focus.  I read them several times.  Then my eye caught it vs 62; "no man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven."  A few weeks ago someone said to me "I don't look back".  That kinda hit me for some reason.  There are always things to look back on,I thought. But what I've discovered for myself this week is I have been, for the last several months driving forward while looking in the rear view mirror.  

Thus I have made some changes, extreme some may say but I am having hope in the future and digging in with my Plow.  This I am sure will give me more and strengthen the faith I already do have, especially in reading the scriptures, patience and Hope. The Lord's timeing is definitely not always, rarely ever my timing.  But in the last year, I have learned about timing and the importance of handing it over, in Faith, after all that I can do to Him.  Thy will be done.
My theme or motto for myself this year is "Exert yourself, Be Considerate!".  As I read, prayed and pondered over these scriptures Saturday night I thought; to "put your hand to the Plow" is an action it is actually work, it is exerting yourself!!  In my mind I see that if you aren't focused the furrows will be rough and crooked allowing weeds and pour nourishment to flow.  But on the other hand to really drive forward, hold my hand to the plow exert myself I would come clean and have nourished, straight, beautiful furrows and a harvest worth the reward.
In my opinion we should look back to Remember the learning pattern so not to repeat the same mistake.  As the saying goes "We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience."  While treating ourselves poorly, staying down, not getting back up we are not reflecting the character of Christ.  Surround yourself with positive people you trust who want to exert and dig in with you.   Set goals, go back to the "primary answers" Say your prayers (get on your knees in helps in that whole humility thing!), and read your scriptures asking questions and for direction.  
I promise the light will come.  
I felt prompted to do something that scared me after this experience so I ask Richard to give me a Blessing.  This week I've got my hand to the plow, I'm fully engaged - out with the "old me" and in with the new!  No more Depression (cold turkey), I am eating healthy (14 days no Black Soda!), I am cleansing my inner self (fasting), and I plan to go outside my house (be patient with me God!) outside scares me!  Confidence in yourself is sometimes very hard to grasp, I believe with God's help we can forgive ourselves, others and put our hands to the plow and exert ourselves with full confidence   RIght now for me, that might just be a seed of belief, it's a process and writing this is part of that process. In the verses pervious to 62 the man makes excuses for NOT digging right in, I pray to not make excuses for myself not let the bumpy terrain throw me off course, but if it does - to grab the reins and the plow and dig in again, not looking back and falling into darkness but instead, moving forward.  I hope you will too.

For our sakes, no doubt, this is written that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of His hope. 
 1 Cor. 9:10

He's a Distraction

Yep!  I had another dream!!!!

In this dream I see a traveler. Long road canyons, rivers, mountains and trees, cant see who it is, but the scenery is beautiful.

The family is at an event.  I can't tell what it is and we seem to be inside and outside.
  
Then the POWER to the whole place goes off and we move the event, it first looks like a drive Inn then it turns into an inside movie theater.  I can see lots of seats. not so many people.  it's dark I can feel the darkness.  A girl is talking to someone but she has her arms stiff out in front of her.  

She leaves to go outside to see / talk to a guy on a motorcycle!  The sky is blue the grass is tall and yellow they seem to be rather tense.  
I go out to talk to her and I see myself shaking my finger at her like a lecture.  

Then I see a little blonde girl with a white sign the letters are written with Red paint and on it say "Bulbs / Flowers for sale Satsop Bulb farm".  I talked to her I'm not sure what was said but it completely changed my mood.  

So I go sit down to talk to the girl (it's Ayris) explaining she needs to not keep people at arms length so strongly and that the guy on the motorcycle is a "distraction" she needs to get back over to the people, the "event" and be Fun, look fun and be interested in other people.  She should try it out = much like planting a seed to see if it will grow, she could just try it to see if it changed her outlook on life.

When I come back into the theater it's dark again I can feel the darkness.  people are starting to mingle now more people are coming in and out then I see the girl talking and laughing with other girls and boys.  

I see a sparkle in her eye, she definitely has a sparkle in her eye and just as I see it,  the place lights up. 
The Power is back on the light is there again!  The traveler is there now, he is talking to her in the circle of friends they are one and having fun, I try to see who they are, who he is, but I can't....

I'm awake!

I feel like as I write these dreams down, I am seeing the same props (if you will!) and do you know how long it takes me to find the image that really represents what I saw in my dream?  Ridiculous!!!!  Weird, frustrating, interesting, enlightening - I don't know, maybe someday when I look back I'll understand them all!!!

Interp:

Motorcycle - To see or ride a motorcycle in your dream symbolizes your desire for freedom and need for adventure. You may be trying to escape from some situation or some other responsibility in your waking life...maybe you're moving to fast.

Highway - to see a highway in your dream represents your sense of direction and your life's path. Consider the conditions of the highway which will reveal how much you feel in charge of your life. A smooth, straight highway signifies inner peace, while a winding, bumpy road reflects emotional distress/disharmony.

Movie Theater -To dream that you are in a movie theater indicates that you are attempting to protect yourself from your emotions and/or actions. Your subconscious is trying to protect you from experiencing them directly.

The Power is OFF - To dream that the electricity is fried or out indicates your lack of insight and perspective on a situation. 

 so in retrospect after I've writeen this all out as they say "Whats that mean?!!!

A Righteous Woman and they need me

This woman wrote:

“I have a wonderful husband and children, whom I love deeply. I love the Lord and His Church more than I can say. I know the Church is true! I realize I shouldn’t feel discouraged about who I am. Yet I have been going through an identity crisis most of my life. I have never dared utter these feelings out loud but have hidden them behind the huge, confident smile I wear to church every week. For years I have doubted if I had any value beyond my roles as a wife and mother. I have feared that men are that they might have joy, but that women are that they might be overlooked. I long to feel that I, as a woman, matter to the Lord.”

I would like to respond to the issue that underlies the concern of this faithful woman. Does the Lord respect women? Do women matter to the Lord? The answer is yes—a resounding yes!  ...

... "Just as the Savior stepped forward to fulfill His divine responsibilities, we have the challenge and responsibility to do likewise. If you are wondering if you make a difference to the Lord, imagine the impact when you make commitments such as the following:

A righteous Mother!

“Father, if You need a woman to rear children in righteousness, here am I, send me.”

“If You need a woman who will shun vulgarity and dress modestly and speak with dignity and show the world how joyous it is to keep the commandments, here am I, send me.”

“If You need a woman who can resist the alluring temptations of the world by keeping her eyes fixed on eternity, here am I, send me.”

“If You need a woman of faithful steadiness, here am I, send me.”

Save a Girl! Save Generations!!!

Between now and the day the Lord comes again, He needs women in every family, in every ward, in every community, in every nation who will step forward in righteousness and say by their words and their actions, “Here am I, send me.”  ....        M Russell Ballard

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2002/04/women-of-righteousness?lang=eng

I am so proud to know, observe and associate with Righteous WOMEN - my girls ROCK!