General Update

From Paul:

Cycle 9 week 3

This week has involved less walking than in past weeks, but there were some beautiful days on which we enjoyed walking. Moving is painful for Doris at this point.  But it is also clear that not moving hurts more! Therefore, we try to fit in a walk most weekdays.

One morning this week I was studying in The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I was reading in the book of Jacob. Jacob is one of my heroes.

1 But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction.

2 O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever.

(Jacob 3:1-2, emphasis added)

I pondered on what “firmness of mind” means for me in my life. As I considered what this phrase means, I reflected on the record of who Jacob was. He was a child who endured some hardships during an eight-year trek his family made in his early childhood. He was born during that eight-year journey in what is called a wilderness. Yet in those times he must have learned a great deal, because when his father Lehi during his last days spoke to Jacob, he said, “…thou hast beheld that in the fulness of time [thy Redeemer] cometh to bring salvation unto men. And though has beheld in thy youth his glory;…” (2 Nephi 2:3, 4)

In Jacob’s own writings, he described how “our faith becometh unshaken”.  (Jacob 4:6) It seems he is describing how his own faith had become unshakeable. Later as he encountered the anti-Christ by the name of Sherem, he described the extent of his strength, and I might add, his firmness: “And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken.”  (Jacob 7:5, emphasis added).

I concluded that firmness of mind is built on faith, but I believe there is more than that. Faith is work. Focusing on faith rather than fear is also work. Certainly, it is necessary that we have faith to begin with. But we need to feed our faith and keep our minds firm and focused on that faith. Knowing that faith in its perfection must be centered on Jesus Christ, we also need to feed our faith by learning of Him, striving to follow him as true disciples and serving Him.

We are blessed to have a savior, whom we know as Jesus Christ. In our current journey we are discovering even more deeply that Jesus is our joy, our comfort and hope. His is the only name through which salvation can come.

From Doris:

Listening

My father was often interviewed by his grandchildren on the topic of the Great Depression. Once he expressed his frustration to me about these interviews. He told me that his grandchildren were so eager to ask their next questions that they did not bother to listen to his answers.

I am guilty of doing the same thing to my Heavenly Father. I have an infinite number of questions for Him, but I do not often stop asking long enough to listen for His answers.

One of the blessings of this cancer journey is a slower pace of life. I can’t jump from one activity to another anymore. So I am making a conscious effort to listen. Sometimes I listen for sounds around me with my eyes closed to see if I can identify those sounds.

Instead of finishing my daily prayers and hurrying off to the day’s activities or to bed, I sit on our couch and stay still. Sometimes ideas come to my mind. Sometimes they don’t, but each time I feel closer to Heavenly Father. 

My prayers have become more focused on expressing gratitude. I am not asking as many questions. Could it be that I am learning how to listen?