I came across the Thoughtful Faith Podcast this last week and have listened to a few of the episodes. And then as algorithms go, I discovered our own Jacob Hess was a guest on a recent episode. Listen, and then come back and give us your thoughts.
This morning as I was contemplating my day, I realized it was Good Friday. I remember as a child thinking this day was horribly misnamed. After all, what was “good” about Jesus being nailed to a cross and suffering?
As I’ve been making my way thru the Old Testament with the Come Follow Me curriculum, I have been struck by a few “good” things. The Lord really, really wants us to be on the Covenant Path. Everything in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is set up to help you and I get on that path, and stay on that path. The Lord is waiting for us; cheering for us. He wants us to follow Him. His love for us is so very real.
Today we remember Christ overcoming our sin with his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. Sunday we will celebrate Christ overcoming death by His resurrection. When Moses was called to be a prophet he asked the Lord, who do I tell the people you are? The Lord answered back, “I am that I am.” The Lord is everything: leader, healer, bread of life, living water, He who overcame all, wonderful, counselor, our stone of help, the rock of our foundation the prince of peace, the Great High Priest Whose Name is Love, and His names are endless and eternal as are the works of His hands.
Hey there, coming up from the depths of homeschool and holiday making to share a song. As I was listening to songs today, this song by the acapella group GLAD came across my play list. While it is not specifcially a Christmas song, the message of the lyrics is so very Christmas:
Him the God of all the glory
Love was all there was to know
Pure, innocent, and free
Like we were meant to be
Long ago
Afraid we followed after love
And pain filled the Father’s eyes
And ohhhh from the first He knew
What He planned to do
To bring us home
Happy first Sunday of Advent!
I know we don’t formally celebrate Advent in the LDS Church, but we all need some more Jesus in our lives right now. We all need to see the light thru the darkness we seem to be wandering in right now.
The story of the beloved Christmas hymn, “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” as told by David McCullough and the Tabernacle Choir.
When I was a young child, my family lived two blocks south of the Mesa Temple on Udall Street. There is a story in the family, and I remember it being told, because I remember it happening. I would wake up very early and unlock the front door and run down to the temple and splash in the reflecting pool. The security guard, thankfully, was a member of our ward and would fish me out and walk me home. At three years old I remember my Dad being really, really mad and my Mom crying about it. Soon after these escapades Dad put a new, and higher lock on the door. My days of water shenanigans were over.
