The Work of (our) Salvation

Picture: me in the bathroom (CR) with the pail and blue bucket.
 So you fill the bucket with water and use the
 orange pail to shower and "flush" the toilet. :) 

September 16, 2013

So this week: Just a spiritual thought. (Man, I am seriously struggling with english today. I have to keep re-writing my grammar. Yes- it is bothersome but also exciting. 

okay-- tangent: So you know when you get hurt your reaction is pretty immediate and reflexive. Hopefully the first word out is ouch, if not it may be another word that is not so nice. But whatever comes out is usually just habit. So my goal has been to change my ouch. Because here the automatic response to pain isn't "ouch" it's "aray". So I usually will say ouch and then follow with aray. Well the other day I stubbed my toe hard and the first word out of my mouth was aray. I was so excited it almost didn't hurt that bad. haha! Anyway just a fun culture story for you.) 

So now spiritual thought: It's about missionary work! So I was sitting in ward conference and the bishop started to speak about missionary work and my first thought was Great! and my second thought was "I wonder when if the members are gonna get sick of hearing about missionary work and I know that a lot of them are struggling with other commandments wouldn't it be better to focus on those commandments." But then I realized (of course) that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan and my mind was opened to how great it really could be if all the members just focused on missionary work. Other things wouldn't get missed or stop functioning if everyone focused solely on missionary work, everything would just get stronger and better.  Stay with me. First, when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. What's more important than serving God? (Hopefully, you don't come up with an answer) When we are involved in missionary work we are fulfilling a duty that Christ and Heavenly Father have given to us. Second, missionary work is all about the commandments and coming closer to God.  Sometimes we get stuck thinking for members to get involved in missionary work they have to give a referral to the missionaries.  But there are other ways. One of which is going on visits with the missionaries to less actives and investigators. Your fellow shipping and testimony, as a member of the ward, can do things the missionaries can't. So please volunteer to go with them to anyone they want.  Be ready to listen and then testify to what they have taught. And most of all just get to know the person they are teaching on a none gospel level so that you can become a friend that they can then see at church.  

Another way to get involved is home teaching and visiting teaching. Pray about what they need to hear and testify of the things you teach.  It's really hard to teach about tithing and testify if you aren't paying it. So as we get involved in teaching others and avoid hypocrisy we make sure we ourselves are living the standards that we teach.

Another way is to simply study the missionary lessons in Preach My Gospel. As you prayerfully study these lessons I promise your testimony will grow and you will become more excited to share this gospel. So suddenly as we focus on missionary lessons our testimony and charity are growing, we are fulfilling covenants we have made to serve God and we ourselves are becoming closer to God.  As our charity and obedience grows blessings will be poured out and the ward will become stronger, we will individually become closer to Christ and thus living a happier life.  So missionary work is really the key. :) Find a way to get involved that works for you and begin to see the beauty of missionary work and the joy that each member can receive from it! 

I love you all. 

Have a great week!

Sister Hamm

Another one:  consider this an action shot :)