17 May 2024, Friday

 17 May 2024, Friday

Prioritized Daily Task

5:40 pm - Abbey's State Competition Track and Field 4X200

Note:  I have time today while I am at home overcoming a cold that has taken hold in my lungs and head.  I am getting better using a nebulizer, taking vitamin C, and resting.  So I am going to write some thoughts I to my children, grandchildren, and all those who come after me.  I have been studying in the Book of Mosiah and how the Lord from the time of Nephi and before had stirred up the hearts of the people in remembrance of God.  He did this by giving them Experiences and Explanations, they are two different things.  My children and grandchildren you may have missed the life-changing experiences I've had. This is similar as it was with the Nephites and Laminates who missed the miracles that their fathers and grandfathers experienced coming to the new world or the children of the Israelites who were led out of Egypt, they did not see but only heard explanations of the Red Sea parting and mana for 40 years coming down from heaven to feed hundreds of thousands maybe a million or more.

Anyone who has had a life-changing experience as I have wants to propagate this feeling for as long and for as many generations as possible.

How do you capture lighting in a bottle?  Passing this experience on can be done; Joseph Smith, Jr. did.  We may not be able to capture lighting in a bottle, but the Lord can and He has.  Getting this life-changing experience to continually be repeated from generation to generation is like catching lightning in a bottle and passing it on; it is not easy, it takes effort.

Conversion experience leads to a conversion lifestyle.  For my children and grandchildren, the order is reversed, they grew up in a conversion lifestyle environment.  A conversion lifestyle does not automatically lead to a conversion experience.  

There was a parable Elder Wilford W. Anderson told on April 7, 2015, at General Conference.  We learn the dance steps to the music with our minds, but we hear the music with our hearts.  The children learn to keep the commandments but don’t necessarily enjoy doing so, because they have not had that life-changing conversion experience that causes them to hear the music with their hearts.

Up at 6 AM, had prayer, and made the two beds downstairs, Ryan and some of the family are spending the night to watch Abbey's track competition today and tomorrow.  Debbie got up but sore sore and hurting from her surgery yesterday.  Debbie called Laura to check on Samantha.  The doctors still have not gotten her infection cleared so they zapped or busted up the gallstone so she can pass it.  This could be a worse situation if all the small stones do not pass; they can grow into large stones.  It could cause many gallstones instead of just one.  Laura got the stitches taken out of her gumb from surgery on her tooth a week or so ago.  She left baby Josie with George.   Ryan, Stephanie, and the children came over for dinner and are spending the night.  Debbie went with them to see Abbey run in the state track meet.  I stayed home and watched 2 sessions of podcasts, Mosiah 16 - 18 and the movie My Favorite All-American on Netflix.  Ryan took some of the children to Pat and Anndalyn's and brought some of theirs back.  We had prayer with Ryan and Mckay and later Debbie and I had prayer together.