The Voice of God

I sit in a pew
I ponder questions and circumstances
That have troubled my soul for days, weeks, months.
I have this moment to myself,
silent witness to my own personal spiritual turbulence.
There is no speaking in this chapel,
to do so would violate
the unspoken decree of reverence at this time,
That moment in time just before the Lord speaks.

I feel transported in time
Back, back, back
to moments when multitudes waited
at the foot of
Mt. Sinai, The Mount of Beatitudes,
at the entrance to Jerusalem.
I am one in that multitude
spread across a hill or a cobblestone street back then,
In chapels, homes, and meetinghouses across the world now
To be here, in this moment, just before the Lord speaks.

God speaks to Man doesn't he?
Doesn't He love us?
Isn't that why He sent His Son?
He spoke then,
why not now?
For this reason I have come to this place
Now, then, across streams of time and generations
of people.
Hungering, asking, seeking.
To know and have my questions answered by the voice of God.

The moment ends.
The reverence is broken.
The session begins, the prophet descends from Sinai
to the pulpit.
God's Word on his lips and the Spirit
bearing record.
The tablets of the law shine eternally bright
through these corridors of time;
their words in full affect now as then.
God does still speak to Man.
My heart is at peace and I recognize

The Voice of God.

Cloud 999

There have been many times in my life when I have asked myself, "Self, could life get any better than it is right now? Could you really beat your own record for happiness in one single day? Is that even possible?" and I answer emphatically, "NO WAY MAN! This is Cloud 9 bruthah! This is fo' realz!". Yeah, the conversation really goes like that....

But seriously, I have had times in my life where I wonder how things could possibly get better. How things could become even happier and well run and awesome than they already are. And so I tell myself "no it can't" and I just keep going.

And then the Lord opens my eyes a little bit. He places a little drop of Celestial Glory on my brow and wipes my eyes clean and says one simple word: LOOK.

And then I see it. I see His Benevolent Hand everywhere. I see miracle after miracle after miracle. I turn every which way and examine my life as presently constituted; I study it, take it apart, analyze it, put it back together in different ways to see what happens. And thus, I stand corrected. LIFE CAN GET BETTER. IT DOES GET BETTER. Often. Every day. In every waking moment. And I ask myself the same question: "How is this possible? How is the Lord so good to me? How can this get any better or improve in even the slightest way?". In fact, I have asked myself this question so often after being blessed so many times and awed and astounded by such blessings that I attempted to figure out truly why. There is a scripture that I think proves very instructive on the subject....

"For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have."

2 Nephi 28:30

It is this attitude described in the verse above that we must take in order to continue being blessed with an outpouring of love so great we sometimes don't fully understand it. I have come to know this is true. Why? How? Because looking back (seeing as how hindsight is almost always 20/20) on those times when I was so overwhelmingly blessed as to prompt such thoughts as I have described, I realize that along with those thoughts and having my eyes opened to the great goodness of the Lord I was filled with humility and gratitude. Such humility and gratitude in rendering the glory and honor to the Lord for His multiplicity of blessings in my behalf qualifies me for further blessing and love. It made my heart open and receptive. I was willing to accept the great blessings the Lord had in store for me, for which He Himself was always willing to bestow upon me as long as I was willing to receive.

Brothers and Sisters, the Lord is good to us. Our Father in Heaven loves us. Jesus Christ lives, and so does our Heavenly Father. They have a direct hand in our lives; they interfere for our benefit. Always. As long as we are willing to accept the extended hand. I know this to be true. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Father to Son Talk

[Child]
I have chosen to go to Earth
To show you my Father,
What I can do.
But I am afraid. I know what I will face.
I'll go through pain and sorrow
When I'm sent down to that place.

[Heavenly Father]
Oh, my sweet Child,
Peace be to You.
You'll face this only a while.
With faith you'll make it through.

Remember this:
I will always love You.
And I will send My Son down to die for You.
Look to Me, I'll always be beside You.
Remember this, until we meet again, 'til then.
'Til then.

[Heavenly Father]
I've raised You as my Child.
And taught You oh so well.
If you heed to what I've taught You,
You can make it through.

Remember this:
I will always love you.
And I will send My Spirit down to guide you.
Look to Me, I'll always be beside You.
Remember this, until we meet again,'til then.
'Til then.....