February 2012

Do you believe in free agency?

by Ric on February 27, 2012

We seem to live in a world where we say one thing and do another.

We say we believe in freedom, then we make laws which take freedom away.

We believe in the right of people to choose for themselves and then we make the choice illegal.

We say you have the freedom to worship as you wish then we make fun of those who are not of our faith.

When I say, do you believe in free agency, most will say ‘yes’.  Yet there is not thought as to what free agency means.

It means having consequences for actions in its most basic form.  Their was a war in Heaven about free agency.  It is not something we are given.  It is something we inherently have.  As part of being a human, we have free agency.  It is inherent in our nature.  You can not take it away.  You can restrict it.  You can suppress it, but you can not take it away.

I think we must become more aware of everyone’s ability to choose.  Do you ever say anything like the following.

  • They should make a law for that.
  • Life’s not fair.
  • Why should I…..
  • Why doesn’t he/she do it
  • So and So isn’t doing it

These are all sayings which may intimate a tendency to want to have someone do something in behalf of you, or have a government do something in behalf of you.  We live in such precarious times.  I would like to encourage you to think about things in a different way.

Start to ask these questions?

  • Is it any of my business?  Why do you care how long your neighbors lawn is?  Or if they have chickens?  If you truly believe in liberty you will allow others to do as they wish as long as it does not infringe upon any of your rights.
  • It is not someones elses responsibility.  Asking someone else to do something you should do is not right.  We should not empower an entity to take our money and give it to someone else.  We are to do it ourselves.  We have the responsibility to make sure the person is brought back up.
  • Who put you in charge.  It is not your job to make sure people do things the way you want them done.  Just because texting and driving is dangerous does not mean you get to tell them how to drive.

Remember free agency is for everyone.  We must cherish it and promote it.  We should show the fruits of making wise decisions and also show the consequences of bad ones.

Ric

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Are You looking for the Good?

by Ric on February 24, 2012

We live in a day where there are always two sides of the coin.  There is the glass half full or the glass half empty.

I have someone who lives in my neighborhood who is known as the selfless person.  She is always thinking of others and rendering service wherever it is needed.  Everyone tries to live up to her example.  But sometimes there are others who compare themselves to her, but saying it in a way which belittles her service.  ‘Oh she is so thoughtful, I could never be as good as her.’

You see there is always a way to look at something and see two different things.  This person does good in our neighborhood and there are those which see it as good and those who think she does it for selfish reasons.

As you look at the people of your church, I am sure you will see good, wonderful, selfless, kind people.  But it is also true you will those who are not so ideal.

I ask you to look at yourself.  Are you a person by your nature uplifts, is tenacious, kindhearted, thoughtful or do look for fault with others?  Do you gossip or demean only to make yourself feel better?  Plain and simple, being a glass half empty person is not what you should be doing.  It is wrong.

For where envying and strife is, their is confusion and every evil work

James 3:16

I know it is easy to criticize others.   It is so easy to be in a group and start to talk about a family you do not like.  Remember at all times they are a family of God.  They are trying to do what they see as best for their family.  It is not for us to demean them or talk negatively about them.  We are to show an example of righteousness.  Just because you do it in the quiet of your own home does not mean it goes unnoticed.  We consider ourselves followers of Christ and as such we are to be

pure, … peaceable, gentile, and easy to be intreated, full o f mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  ..the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace.”

James 3:17,18

Just as the plan allows, we have a choice.  We can choose to find fault with others or we can choose to lift them, forgive them, serve them.  I ask that you reevaluate who you are and change for the better.  Go to your Heavenly Father and ask for forgiveness.  Ask for your heart to be changed.  Go to work and it will happen.  Your life will be blessed and you will find greater happiness by seeing the positive in all things.

Ric

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Quote of the Day

February 23, 2012

Our focus should be on righteousness, not recognition; on service, not status.  The faithful visiting teacher, who quietly goes about her work month after month, is just as important to the work of the Lord as those who occupy what some see as more prominent positions in the church.  Visibility does not equate to value… [...]

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Why don’t you have a Garden?

February 22, 2012

Spencer W. Kimball said the following grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property.  Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees-plant them if your climate is right for their growth.  Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments or condominiums can generally grow a little food in [...]

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Staying Safe and Balanced in a Digital iWorld

February 20, 2012

Staying safe and balanced in a Digital iWorld We live a  world where everything is digital.  We have computer tablets, gaming systems, phones, music players, and more.  Just like the internet these things can be used for good or bad. We can communicate with loved ones or ignore our family members. We can use it [...]

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Proper Welfare

February 17, 2012

Binding the Spiritual and Temporal How do we properly provide welfare to those who are in need?  How would the Lord provide for those in need?  Are they different? Sometimes we hear welfare and think, ‘Oh another thing I should be doing’.  It is not just one of the many things we should be doing, [...]

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1-We are all enlisted

February 15, 2012

As I was thinking about what to write for the first post,  I didn’t know where to start.  What am I trying to accomplish here?  What am I trying to do?  I heard a talk in church and the speaker references Elder Hollands talk on “We are all Enlisted“.  I knew this is where I [...]

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