"Remembering Lot's Wife"

One of the shortest verses found in the canonized word is spoken by Christ when he stated "remember Lot's wife". Elder Jeffery R Holland gave an amazing discourse on what this meant last January at BYU. I hope that he will not be too offended by borrowing some of his ideas about what it means to remember Lot's wife. We have just started a new year, and we all have made some kind of resolution to complete something that will only last till monday. I would like to suggest something that we can learn from Lot's wife on what we should do everyday, but maybe it is something that we should take a extra effort to do around this time of self-assessment, accountability and hopes of a brighter, skinner, tomorrow. It seems to me that Lot's wife's sin wasn't necessarily that she looked back to those sin filled cities of Sodom and Gomorra, but that she longed to go back there. She didn't think anything could be better than living it up in those cities. She didn't feel that the Lord had anything better for her in tomorrows of her life, but all the good times were found in yesterday. She felt that yesterday held such a brighter future for her than did tomorrow. In other words, she lacked the faith to believe that tomorrow could be better than yesterday. How often do we foolishly look back to yesteryears and think how much better life was back then, with its security of knowing how things have turned out? How often do we look to our own personal undiscovered countries (the future) and paralyze ourselves with anxiety of the unknown? How often do run with fear from the very things that will bring the greatest happiness? Let us all resolve in our hearts this day, that we will fuel our hearts with the faith of a brighter, happier tomorrow. Let us establish forever in the battlefields of our souls that hope will triumph over the agonizing fears of what could had been. Let us press forward and always remember that "(our) God doth undertake, to guide the future as He has the past." ("Be Still, My Soul")

"What seek ye?"

As a good investigator, one has to be interested in one thing and one thing only, finding truth. Why is discovering the veracity of a incident so essential? Is it not to correct where needed, reward where deserved and to protect where victimized? Christ Himself gave another reason which I feel has much more importance, depth and application. "The truth shall set you free." Is that not true? When we uncover and live by truth does that not set us free? Yet how many of us float along in life, never caring how the boat floats or how the current carries us? Yet we could be much more effective at avoiding dangerous water if we learned how those principles worked. The seeking of truth has to burn with in us! That brings me to the topic. "What seek ye?" This phrase was asked to some of the Apostles at the beginning of Christ's ministry. What kind of response to we give to this question? Will we answer with a shallow answer as they did or will we say teach me? But yet this question is not meant to be answered with words. It is meant to resonate from our hearts. What seek ye in your heart? What is your true intent? How often do you just take something at its face value and not really explore the depths of it? How often have you thought a situation was the way that it was and in the end you were wrong? We must create an environment in our souls where the passion for knowing truth can burn in our hearts. If we seek truth, it is hard to be deceived. Let us be wise investigators and consider all angles and positions. Let us upturn every rock and every possibility in our misunderstandings with others, and by this we shall show what we are really seeking.

embarking

Fairly recently I read a blog that inspired me. As I was reading this certain blog, a desire seemed to wash over me to begin my own blog. As I embark on a somewhat futile attempt to explain my feelings and thoughts in a manner that will inspire, stir and spur others to look at themselves, their lives and individual circumstances, my hope would be that both you and I are able to investigate our own lives, to view life through new lenses. I have named this blog "investigating life" in hopes that we can embark on a adventure as investigators of life, never passing by a friendship, never overlooking the small but very important blessings and at times putting to good use a magnifying glass so that we can appreciate the aw inspiring beauties of lighting, even in the most daunting, fear causing storms of our lives. It is also my hope that on this investigation of life, we are able to see the hand of God revealed in our lives, to take time and meditate on some of the profound things in life, such as the satisfaction of wonderful friends and of course the blessing of family. May God help us in this endeavor. Make it so!