“The way a book is read — which is to say, the qualities a reader brings to a book — can have as much to do with its worth as anything the author puts into it…. Anyone who can read can learn how to read deeply and thus live more fully.”
~Norman Cousins


Writing is where we truly learn. Join the Journey.

I read from my scriptures (book), but you can find scripture reference here.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Keep the Commandments


Keep the Commandments: Know your God

When I hear the word command.. What do I think? I immediately rear my back and think.. I'll do what I want. Or he can't tell me what to do. Why do I react this way?
The word command is not meant to bring contention. In looking at the etymology of the word you can find that it means: instruction, direction, request, requirement.
Depending on who is giving the command it can also carry a connotation of: order, edict, demand, stipulation.

When I think about all that God has done for me personally, I think of the more positive feelings. He is asking me. He is beseeching me. Why? Because he knows the laws of nature. He loves us and he wants what is best for us.

I think back to when I was raising my children. As a parent I learned that the most prized thing I could teach my children was the law of obedience. If they could learn to trust my voice and judgment enough to listen to me when I gave instruction, it might save their lives. Obedience to someone who loves you and cares for you is critical in the success of a life journey.

Nephi expounds to his brothers not only the prophecies of Isaiah, but also the many lessons he learned about what would happen to his "seed". This chapter gives a literal interpretation of what was to happen and what has happened to the House of Israel. Reading it is self explanatory.

But Nephi also explained that there are spiritual lessons as well. Today.. when I read it I was drawn to the all powering love of God. How he knows us. He loves us. He will gather us in. He will protect us from his judgments that must fall on those who live their lives and suffer the consequences of eternal laws.

The recent earthquake in Chili is a great example. Everyone was affected by this earthquake. It is a literal physical occurrence that destroyed lives, homes, and hope. But for those who live to know God and his ways, it became a blessing. The mission president's wife of the area mission shared a story of how her husband and she were prompted to prepare everyone of their missionaries for an earthquake. When it hit, all of the missionaries were prepared, protected and kept safe. Why? Because they adhered to the counsel given them and followed the procedures outlined. They were then able to help others and teach the gospel to many.

This example is perfect reflection of Nephi's words "he will preserve the righteous by his power". Why? The righteous listen. The righteous understand the ways of God. ..
"even if it must be that the fulness of his wrath must come". (vs 17)


(Words and Phrases)

(vs 3) both temporal and spiritual - We are spiritual beings first. Sometimes in this life we forget that we are spiritual beings living in a physical body. Isaiah speaks of both the literal scattering of Israel and then their literal gathering in.
Like a family... the children grow ... scatter... and hopefully are brought together again
Literal and spiritual... like reading the scriptures. I read the literal meaning of the gathering of Israel.. and I find a spiritual meaning that brings me peace and strength

(vs4) led away... my greatest fear is that my children (or myself) will be led away.. away from me.. away from our family love.. away from the truth that will bring them joy. carried away to Babylon.. I pray that they will always find strength in God's love.

(vs 12) they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel- I want my children to know. I want them to be able to live their lives so that they know.

(vs 17) he will preserve the righteous - I do not need to fear. God will preserve me "even if it so be as by fire". I'm not sure what this means, but I do know that the best way to fight fire.. is with fire.
(vs 18) it cometh unto men according to the flesh - the blood, the fire, vapor will come if we harden our hearts. What if we don't harden our hearts? Will it still come and we will not be smitten? ?? Will it come both physically and spiritually?

(vs 19) the righteous shall not perish... - I think this answers the questions. It does not say we will not die physically. .it says we will not perish. We all know that if we live spiritually clean lives.. if we keep the commandments.. we can have eternal life. Death does not bring our demise. But to the wicked it does.
(21) Judgment in righteousness - there are many forms of judgments in this world. There are many ways to judge and be judged. I like being judged with righteousness.

(vs 25) he gathered his children - I like the idea of being gathered by a loving Father, who judges in righteousness, who cares for all of his children. who teaches truth, who brings security and safety with his breath.
(vs 21) they know him - It is my hope that I will know the spiritual God of my being. It is my hope that my children will also know him.
(vs 21) in him they shall find pasture - We all look fro rest from the stress of life. We look for it in humor, in sport, in competition, entertainment, education, exercise, knowledge, etc. Where do I find my greatest peace... my greatest pasture comes when I am learning of and serving the Lord
(vs 27) all things must come according to the flesh - What was told by the prophets will happen. Ignoring the prophets will not make it go away. It's like a science project on gravity. Once the ball and feather have been dropped, gravity will continue its pull on both of them. They will both fall. They will both crash. They fall with the same speed. But which would you rather be: a feather that floats effortlessly to its destination and lits softly. Or an iron ball that crashes with great destruction and pain?
(vs 28) all people will dwell safely ..if they will repent - Get the lead out. Lighten up. find some air... If I choose to repent and live the commandments of God, my life is much lighter. It has a greater ability to overcome adversity. If for some reason I cannot manage, God's hand is always there to redirect my path. I need not live in turmoil.

(vs 31) be obedient, endure ..- By living God's word, listening to the spirit within me I can learn to decipher those that would laden me down with unnecessary cares. We are all capable of having God with us.








Tuesday, June 29, 2010

The Mighty One of Jacob

1 Nephi 21

Isaiah has a beautiful way of writing. I have never really understood it. Finally after studying it and thinking hard about it. I came up with this poem. I hope it might help you find some insight into what Isaiah wanted you to understand. This poem tells the story of the Messiah's mission as seen from the eyes of his mother.

The Mighty One of Jacob

Oh the mighty one of Jacob
God hast called thee from my womb
From my bowels have I listened
As he made mention of your name.

As a suckling child I have nursed thee
In the shadows of his hand
From my womb hath he formed thee
To bring Jacob home again.

As a polished shaft he hast made thee
To gather Jacob's tribe,
In his quiver hast he hid thee
By springs of water doth he guide.

From your mouth comes words of sharpness
Like a powerful sword of worth
Use your sword to restore Israel
Spread salvation throughout the earth.

Labor not my son in vainness
Spend your judgement with the Lord
Be a light unto the Gentiles
Set God's standard through his word.

It matters not that men will hate thee
Nor that nation's will abhor
King's shall see thee and applaud thee
Royalty, bow their faces towards the floor

Thou art a gift unto the isles
They that dwellest upon the seas
A servant for a covenant
To his people that you lead.

To the prisoners that sit in darkness
Feed their hunger, quench their thirst
Show them passage through the mountains
From their children lift their curse.

Then, my mighty one of Jacob
Shall God's people come from far
Their daughters riding upon thy shoulders
Their sons resting in thine arms.

Israel shall be gathered
With the power of thy name.
I am the woman that has born thee
To bring Jacob home again.

The poem is a bit rough. I may change it as time goes by and I revisit it's meaning and direction. It was written to bring you new understanding to this often difficult passage of Scripture.


When you take time to consider that the entire chapter is about the mission of the Messiah and all that he was meant to do. When you consider that much of what is mentioned in this chapter has already happened or is in the process of happening, it brings great peace and comfort.

That's all for today. Busy day.












Monday, June 28, 2010

Out of the Waters (My Father's Baptism)




Out of His Waters

Out of his waters,
Come I.
I know, by the
Name of the Lord.
I swear, by the
truth within me.

A transgressor from the womb
I didst not know,
My brass brow,
My iron neck,
My molten image.
Suddenly, I saw.

The Lord of Hosts,
whose right hand spanned the heavens,
And causes us to stand up together,
He has cut me,
He has refined me,
And chosen me, to
utter and tell
with a voice of singing.

New,
and hidden things,
that flow
from the rock,
He clave.

Out of his mouth,
have his words gushed.
Not in secret,
But for the glory
of His name.

For He is the first.
He is the last.
He is the river of peace.
His righteousness is
As the waves of the sea.

Through the desert he leads me,
Staying my soul upon His name.
Multiplying my seed as the sand,
Teaching me profit,
Making my waters flow.

I have seen.
I have heard, and
That his anger might be deferred
I will declare.
The Lord hath loved us. Beware for
The arm of his pleasure shall
fall upon Babylon.

Out
of his waters
Come I.
Redeemed
His servant
Quenched
of my
thirst.
Linda Conkey Shaw C June 28 2010



Isaiah can be hard to understand. But I love the poetry within his words. Nephi told us he read the words of the prophets. One of these prophets was Isaiah from the Old Testament. When I read this chapter I was reminded of the zeal those who are newly baptized feel.

My father was a very zealous convert. He knew it was true and he declared to any who would listen. I am his sand.. that has multiplied. I am the quenching of his thirst. For I have been born to a new understanding (not a secret) but something that has been declared from the foundations of the world. I dedicate this poem to my father for Father's Day 2010 and to the newest members of our ward, the Michael and Sandra Babb family. I thought of their fire and how they accepted "the spirit" that allows him to declare with gladness all that they feel.
It is a joyous thing to be around those who "know" by the name of the Lord and swear by the truth within them.
I hope that you enjoy this poem. I hope to write many more.

(Words and Phrases)

(vs 1) Out of the waters .. Isaiah is speaking of all those who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, either by Judah or by baptism. Waters change us. They clean us. They refresh us and bring us peace.

(vs 1) they swear not in truth - Many of us mention God. How many of us mention him in truth or sincerity. I hope that I can be more mindful of the times I mention his name.

(vs 2) do not stay themselves upon the God of Israel - It is to God that we must look. He has promised he will guide our paths and quench our thirst while he leads us through the desert.

(vs 3) I did show them suddenly - the epiphany. the moment when we get it. The light clicks on. We understand. We find truth suddenly. We feel it and We know. We just know.

(vs 4) thou art obstinate - whoa... I have been very obstinate. I have been brass browed. It is a reminder to me to consider all that I am before I declare what I think I know. God will help me understand. When we declare what we know with the spirit of the Lord, it is received with greater understanding.

(vs 5) my molten image hath commanded them. - I can only think of today's preoccupation with media and image. The molten image to me is our own image in the mirror. This image tends to command what we eat, how we dress, how we perceive ourselves, how we perceive others see us, IT DOES NOT COMMAND HOW GOD SEES US. Only if we allow it.

(vs 6) new things... even hidden things... I love this phrase. Why? Because every time I read the scriptures I find new things. I find hidden things that the spirit teaches me. I find them because I am looking for them. I find them because God helps me to see and this not only teaches me but it puts me afloat upon his river of peace.

(vs 7-9) God's words have always been. They are written so that we can never say... I heardest not. But God know's that we are hard of hearing, he will defer his anger and allow us time to learn, time to listen, time to declare.

(vs 15) I have called him to declare - Once we have heard, and understood, we all are called. Some of us hear better than others. Some of us declare in ways different than others. I declare through my blog. It brings me such joy.

(vs 16) God's ways are not in secret. His words are not in vain. His love is for all who will enter the waters and come out to a new understanding.

(vs 17-20) Isaiah helps us understand the blessings of listening to the words of the Lord of Hosts. We can find profit, peace like a river, leadership, promise for our family (offspring), ... a voice of singing will be within us. He will bring us water...
(vs 22)... no peace unto the wicked - How true. Look at those who refuse God. Anxiety, fret, worry, dismay, sorrow pain, anger, darkness. I know when I am separated from my God when I feel out of sorts. I lose my peace.


Sunday, June 27, 2010

Read Many Things


“You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be—
I had a mother who read to me.”
(Strickland W. Gillilan, The Reading Mother.)


I love
books: Picture books, story books, poetry books, educational books, history books, music books. I love books. I love to read them, analyze them, understand the authors frame of mind, and think about writing one of my own. My daughter found this poem and printed it out as a gift one year for mother's day. I have always cherished it.

When my children were young, I would put them to sleep by sitting in a rocking chair in the middle of our upstairs hallway and read to them. The threshold of my children's rooms converged where I rocked so that all could hear as they listened in their beds. I would often have the youngest in my lap rocking him / her to sleep while I read. Dr. Suess, Shel Silverstein, the Little HOuse on the Prairie series, Magazines, scriptures stories, and science books, are but a few examples. I sang books of poetry to them, laughed when the story became humorous, and cried when the hero faced struggles. My children can never accuse me of not reading with emotion.

Reading brings the world to you. It offers the opportunity for your mind to let go of the mundane and soar with its imagination. But mostly it allows for us to consider all the wonderful wonders that God has created for us, given us, or challenged us with. Reading opens up our mind to ponder the breadth of human emotion. It begs us to live life, to learn of life's instructions, and to listen to the lessons of life past.

As I read how Nephi read many things... to his brethren, to teach them that all things testify of God, I thought of how I have read "life" to my children. I hope that they learned (if not from the words) then from my voice, from my arms wrapped around them, from my love that snuggled them tight... that God lives. Moses taught us this (vs 23) as have all the prophets. But like the wealth that a mother gives to her child by bringing her the world through words, I hope that I also gave my children an awareness of God's love and the witness that words bear of his love. I hope that they read between the lines and used their insight to understand how God's love comes through their mother, through their family, friends, and all of nature. What greater wealth could there be?

(Words and Phrases)

the prophecies of my father... and many of mine own prophecies (vs 1) - What is a prophecy? It seems it is to predict the future. Why should we write them down? To see how closely we listen to God in our life.
I recently ran across some old photos that captured my children's predictions of what their lives would be like. Now that my children have all left the home, it was with great interest that I read what they supposed their life might be like. Prophecies are more than predicting the future. Prophecies are based on past behavior and patterns of behavior.

wise purposes (vs 3 ) - When we write what we are supposed to, we make a permanent record. This record can be used for wise purposes. If words are not written, they cannot be used for a wise purpose. Written words are much more valuable. Written words can be read, remembered, and recited with much greater ease. Written words extend the author's power to change not only his own life, but that of his readers.

one prophet to another (vs 4) the preservation of words comes through men who honor God's commandments and respect his wisdom. The purposes of the Lord would be wasted if the words of God were not passed down through his prophets.
others set at anaught (vs 8) Although there are many things to read, not everyone will read those things with which will bear testimony. Or even if they do read them, they may not respect the purpose or power by which they were created. They may choose to set them a naught... aside with no value. Words read however ring within our minds for all time. They can be set at naught, but they still sleep within us.

written unto my people - (vs 18) written words are meant to persuade. Nephi wrote his words to convince his family that Jesus was the Christ. He also says he wrote unto all the house of Israel.

I did read many things to them (vs 22) ... other lands other people. concerning the Lord in other lands.
God is not a respector of persons but esteemeth all flesh as one. He loves us all.

I did read unto them many things written in the books of Moses. ( vs 23) Moses has his own source of energy and power that might convince them to believe. Isaiah taught us to liken all scripture unto ourselves.
By doing so scripture brings us profit and learning... and "great wealth" ...

that ye may have hope (vs 24)... this is why we write.. this is why we read.. this is why we remember...
We must always have hope, for in hope we find great wealth .. a wealth beyond anything tangible or gold.





Saturday, June 26, 2010

THE BUILDING OF A SHIP

1 Nephi 18

This very long but beautiful poem by Henry Longfellow tells a story of the building of a ship and the wedding of the shipbuilder's daughter to his young apprentice.

Scattered throughout the poem are highlighted words of truth. As I read how Nephi built his ship (not like unto man) I was reminded of this poem. As I read how Nephi built his ship I likened the building of Nephi's ship unto the building of our family's and our lives. It is a beautiful poem. Long. but well worth the read. I have highlighted several famous lines that I felt went well with the chapter of 1 Nephi. I choose not to comment on these well known lines. I hope that you will read this chapter and then read Longfellow's poem. Maybe you will find similar insight. Maybe you will find different. But no matter, both deal with the building of a ship. Both can be likened to how God helps us build our own ships, our own lives, our own dreams. Longfellow eloquently echoes many of the words of wisdom that Nephi hopes to teach us.

The Building of the Ship

BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

"Build me straight, O worthy Master!
Stanch and strong, a goodly vessel,
That shall laugh at all disaster,
And with wave and whirlwind wrestle!"

The merchant's word
Delighted the Master heard;
For his heart was in his work, and the heart
Giveth grace unto every Art.
A quiet smile played round his lips,
As the eddies and dimples of the tide
Play round the bows of ships,
That steadily at anchor ride.

And with a voice that was full of glee,
He answered, "Erelong we will launch
A vessel as goodly, and strong, and stanch,
As ever weathered a wintry sea!"

And first with nicest skill and art,
Perfect and finished in every part,
A little model the Master wrought,
Which should be to the larger plan
What the child is to the man,
Its counterpart in miniature;

That with a hand more swift and sure
The greater labor might be brought
To answer to his inward thought.
And as he labored, his mind ran o'er
The various ships that were built of yore, (HISTORY)

And above them all, and strangest of all
Towered the Great Harry, crank and tall,
Whose picture was hanging on the wall,
With bows and stern raised high in air,
And balconies hanging here and there,
And signal lanterns and flags afloat,
And eight round towers, like those that frown
From some old castle, looking down
Upon the drawbridge and the moat.
And he said with a smile, "Our ship, I wis,
Shall be of another form than this!"
It was of another form, indeed;
Built for freight, and yet for speed,
A beautiful and gallant craft;
Broad in the beam, that the stress of the blast,
Pressing down upon sail and mast,
Might not the sharp bows overwhelm;
Broad in the beam, but sloping aft
With graceful curve and slow degrees,
That she might be docile to the helm,
And that the currents of parted seas,
Closing behind, with mighty force,
Might aid and not impede her course.

In the ship-yard stood the Master,
With the model of the vessel,
That should laugh at all disaster,
And with wave and whirlwind wrestle!
Covering many a rood of ground,
Lay the timber piled around;
Timber of chestnut, and elm, and oak,
And scattered here and there, with these,
The knarred and crooked cedar knees;
Brought from regions far away,
From Pascagoula's sunny bay,
And the banks of the roaring Roanoke!
Ah! what a wondrous thing it is
To note how many wheels of toil
One thought, one word, can set in motion!
There 's not a ship that sails the ocean,
But every climate, every soil,
Must bring its tribute, great or small,
And help to build the wooden wall!

The sun was rising o'er the sea,
And long the level shadows lay,
As if they, too, the beams would be
Of some great, airy argosy,
Framed and launched in a single day.
That silent architect, the sun,
Had hewn and laid them every one,
Ere the work of man was yet begun.
Beside the Master, when he spoke,
A youth, against an anchor leaning,
Listened, to catch his slightest meaning.
Only the long waves, as they broke
In ripples on the pebbly beach,
Interrupted the old man's speech.
Beautiful they were, in sooth,
The old man and the fiery youth!
The old man, in whose busy brain
Many a ship that sailed the main
Was modelled o'er and o'er again; —
The fiery youth, who was to be
The heir of his dexterity,
The heir of his house, and his daughter's hand,
When he had built and launched from land
What the elder head had planned.

"Thus," said he, "will we build this ship!
Lay square the blocks upon the slip,
And follow well this plan of mine.
Choose the timbers with greatest care;
Of all that is unsound beware;
For only what is sound and strong
To this vessel shall belong.
Cedar of Maine and Georgia pine
Here together shall combine.
A goodly frame, and a goodly fame,
And the Union be her name!
For the day that gives her to the sea
Shall give my daughter unto thee!"

The Master's word
Enraptured the young man heard;
And as he turned his face aside,
With a look of joy and a thrill of pride
Standing before
Her father's door,
He saw the form of his promised bride.
The sun shone on her golden hair,
And her cheek was glowing fresh and fair,
With the breath of morn and the soft sea air.
Like a beauteous barge was she,
Still at rest on the sandy beach,
Just beyond the billow's reach;
But he
Was the restless, seething, stormy sea!
Ah, how skilful grows the hand
That obeyeth Love's command!
It is the heart, and not the brain,
That to the highest doth attain,
And he who followeth Love's behest
Far excelleth all the rest!

Thus with the rising of the sun
Was the noble task begun,
And soon throughout the ship-yard's bounds
Were heard the intermingled sounds
Of axes and of mallets, plied
With vigorous arms on every side;
Plied so deftly and so well,
That, ere the shadows of evening fell,
The keel of oak for a noble ship,
Scarfed and bolted, straight and strong,
Was lying ready, and stretched along
The blocks, well placed upon the slip.
Happy, thrice happy, every one
Who sees his labor well begun,
And not perplexed and multiplied,
By idly waiting for time and tide!

And when the hot, long day was o'er,
The young man at the Master's door
Sat with the maiden calm and still,
And within the porch, a little more
Removed beyond the evening chill,
The father sat, and told them tales
Of wrecks in the great September gales,
Of pirates coasting the Spanish Main,
And ships that never came back again,
The chance and change of a sailor's life,
Want and plenty, rest and strife,
His roving fancy, like the wind,
That nothing can stay and nothing can bind,
And the magic charm of foreign lands,
With shadows of palms, and shining sands,
Where the tumbling surf,
O'er the coral reefs of Madagascar,
Washes the feet of the swarthy Lascar,
As he lies alone and asleep on the turf.
And the trembling maiden held her breath
At the tales of that awful, pitiless sea,
With all its terror and mystery,
The dim, dark sea, so like unto Death,
That divides and yet unites mankind!
And whenever the old man paused, a gleam
From the bowl of his pipe would awhile illume
The silent group in the twilight gloom,
And thoughtful faces, as in a dream;
And for a moment one might mark
What had been hidden by the dark,

That the head of the maiden lay at rest,
Tenderly, on the young man's breast!

Day by day the vessel grew,
With timbers fashioned strong and true,
Stemson and keelson and sternson-knee,
Till, framed with perfect symmetry,
A skeleton ship rose up to view!
And around the bows and along the side
The heavy hammers and mallets plied,
Till after many a week, at length,
Wonderful for form and strength,
Sublime in its enormous bulk,
Loomed aloft the shadowy hulk!
And around it columns of smoke, upwreathing,
Rose from the boiling, bubbling, seething
Caldron, that glowed,
And overflowed
With the black tar, heated for the sheathing.
And amid the clamors
Of clattering hammers,
He who listened heard now and then
The song of the Master and his men: —

"Build me straight, O worthy Master,
Staunch and strong, a goodly vessel,
That shall laugh at all disaster,
And with wave and whirlwind wrestle!"

With oaken brace and copper band,
Lay the rudder on the sand,
That, like a thought, should have control
Over the movement of the whole;
And near it the anchor, whose giant hand
Would reach down and grapple with the land,
And immovable and fast
Hold the great ship against the bellowing blast!
And at the bows an image stood,
By a cunning artist carved in wood,
With robes of white, that far behind
Seemed to be fluttering in the wind.
It was not shaped in a classic mould,
Not like a Nymph or Goddess of old,
Or Naiad rising from the water,
But modelled from the Master's daughter!
On many a dreary and misty night,
'T will be seen by the rays of the signal light,
Speeding along through the rain and the dark,
Like a ghost in its snow-white sark,
The pilot of some phantom bark,
Guiding the vessel, in its flight,
By a path none other knows aright!

Behold, at last,
Each tall and tapering mast
Is swung into its place;
Shrouds and stays
Holding it firm and fast!

Long ago,
In the deer-haunted forests of Maine,
When upon mountain and plain
Lay the snow,
They fell, — those lordly pines!
Those grand, majestic pines!
'Mid shouts and cheers
The jaded steers,
Panting beneath the goad,
Dragged down the weary, winding road
Those captive kings so straight and tall,
To be shorn of their streaming hair,
And naked and bare,
To feel the stress and the strain
Of the wind and the reeling main,
Whose roar
Would remind them forevermore
Of their native forests they should not see again.
And everywhere
The slender, graceful spars
Poise aloft in the air,
And at the mast-head,
White, blue, and red,
A flag unrolls the stripes and stars.
Ah! when the wanderer, lonely, friendless,
In foreign harbors shall behold
That flag unrolled,
'T will be as a friendly hand
Stretched out from his native land,
Filling his heart with memories sweet and endless!

All is finished! and at length
Has come the bridal day
Of beauty and of strength.
To-day the vessel shall be launched!
With fleecy clouds the sky is blanched,
And o'er the bay,
Slowly, in all his splendors dight,
The great sun rises to behold the sight.

The ocean old,
Centuries old,
Strong as youth, and as uncontrolled,
Paces restless to and fro,
Up and down the sands of gold.
His beating heart is not at rest;
And far and wide,
With ceaseless flow,
His beard of snow
Heaves with the heaving of his breast.
He waits impatient for his bride.
There she stands,
With her foot upon the sands,
Decked with flags and streamers gay,
In honor of her marriage day,
Her snow-white signals fluttering, blending,
Round her like a veil descending,
Ready to be
The bride of the gray old sea.

On the deck another bride
Is standing by her lover's side.
Shadows from the flags and shrouds,
Like the shadows cast by clouds,
Broken by many a sunny fleck,
Fall around them on the deck.

The prayer is said,
The service read,
The joyous bridegroom bows his head;
And in tears the good old Master
Shakes the brown hand of his son,
Kisses his daughter's glowing cheek
In silence, for he cannot speak,
And ever faster
Down his own the tears begin to run.
The worthy pastor —
The shepherd of that wandering flock,
That has the ocean for its wold,
That has the vessel for its fold,
Leaping ever from rock to rock —
Spake, with accents mild and clear,
Words of warning, words of cheer,
But tedious to the bridegroom's ear.
He knew the chart
Of the sailor's heart,
All its pleasures and its griefs,
All its shallows and rocky reefs,
All those secret currents, that flow
With such resistless undertow,
And lift and drift, with terrible force,
The will from its moorings and its course.
Therefore he spake, and thus said he: —

"Like unto ships far off at sea,
Outward or homeward bound, are we.
Before, behind, and all around,
Floats and swings the horizon's bound,
Seems at its distant rim to rise
And climb the crystal wall of the skies,
And then again to turn and sink,
As if we could slide from its outer brink.
Ah! it is not the sea,
It is not the sea that sinks and shelves,
But ourselves
That rock and rise
With endless and uneasy motion,
Now touching the very skies,
Now sinking into the depths of ocean.
Ah! if our souls but poise and swing
Like the compass in its brazen ring,
Ever level and ever true
To the toil and the task we have to do,
We shall sail securely, and safely reach
The Fortunate Isles, on whose shining beach
The sights we see, and the sounds we hear,
Will be those of joy and not of fear!"

Then the Master,
With a gesture of command,
Waved his hand;
And at the word,
Loud and sudden there was heard,
All around them and below,
The sound of hammers, blow on blow,
Knocking away the shores and spurs.
And see! she stirs!
She starts, — she moves, — she seems to feel
The thrill of life along her keel,
And, spurning with her foot the ground,
With one exulting, joyous bound,
She leaps into the ocean's arms!

And lo! from the assembled crowd
There rose a shout, prolonged and loud,
That to the ocean seemed to say,
"Take her, O bridegroom, old and gray,
Take her to thy protecting arms,
With all her youth and all her charms!"

How beautiful she is! How fair
She lies within those arms, that press
Her form with many a soft caress
Of tenderness and watchful care!
Sail forth into the sea, O ship!
Through wind and wave, right onward steer!
The moistened eye, the trembling lip,
Are not the signs of doubt or fear.
Sail forth into the sea of life,
O gentle, loving, trusting wife,
And safe from all adversity
Upon the bosom of that sea
Thy comings and thy goings be!
For gentleness and love and trust
Prevail o'er angry wave and gust;
And in the wreck of noble lives
Something immortal still survives!

Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State!
Sail on, O Union, strong and great!
Humanity with all its fears,
With all the hopes of future years,
Is hanging breathless on thy fate!
We know what Master laid thy keel,
What Workmen wrought thy ribs of steel,
Who made each mast, and sail, and rope,
What anvils rang, what hammers beat,
In what a forge and what a heat
Were shaped the anchors of thy hope!
Fear not each sudden sound and shock,
'T is of the wave and not the rock;
'T is but the flapping of the sail,
And not a rent made by the gale!
In spite of rock and tempest's roar,
In spite of false lights on the shore,
Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea!
Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee,
Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears,
Our faith triumphant o'er our fears,
Are all with thee, — are all with thee!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Out of Bondage

1 Nephi 17

The Woman in the Mirror walking past the mirrored glass,
I take a timid peek, I see a woman staring back,
I'm too choked up to speak.
The puffiness is gone, the skin is pink and glowing,
The many pounds that melted off, finally, is showing.
Hard to believe, till recently, this same woman was dying,
Stuffing food to ease the pain, heartbroken and crying.
Life revolved around each snack, she lived for every meal,
Anything to numb the hurt, she didn't want to feel.
When did she get so pretty?
When did God remove the grief ? How did this miracle happen?
Who provided the relief ? What a gift! A second chance!
I thank God every day, for His grace in showing me,
There IS a better way.
I walk, I dance, I make love too,
My heart is filled with gladness, I'm out of bondage, out of pain,
There is no room for sadness.
This woman in the mirror, Smiles softly back at me,
She has good cause to be so pleased, she's finally been set free.
Author Unknown

I chose this poem.. not because of its theme about overeating, but because everyone of us has our own "thing" that keeps us bound. The author of this poem allowed God into her life and he helped her overcome her addiction to food. I have my own issues that I lean on God for help. In an effort to help his brothers understand his (God's) perspective, Nephi goes to the history books and relays to his brethren the history of his people. He reminds them of how God has delivered them in the past and how greater blessings lie ahead if they will persevere with faith.

A famous quote on the importance of history can be found by Lord Bolingbroke. It says that "history is philosphy teaching by example and also by warning".
Nephi uses many examples to stress this point. He is hoping that the examples will be enough to motiviate.

(vs 23-33) children of Israel - first example. .. they were in bondage. Moses was commanded to do lead them to safety. Nephi relays the example. As I read it I think of the poem above. I think of how he can help me and my family face every challenge. I think of how I can emulate the faith of Moses? I have children. I have a family. I have generations that will follow. It is important for me to emulate good men, good women, and the learn to listen to the voice of God.

(vs 35) Behold the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one -
I know this to be true. I know that God loves all of his children. I have many friends and I love them all. I love people. I love being around people that bring life to my days.

(vs 40) He loveth those who will have him to be their God - I know this to be true. I know that those who love God, bring life to their days and enhance the lives of others. I can think of great men and women in my life, who have not only been polite, but have exuded their lives with sincerity and a desire to serve. I feel safe around them. I feel God's love. I want others to feel this way about me.




Thursday, June 24, 2010

Building our ships

1 Nephi 17


Anchored to the Infinite

BY EDWIN MARKHAM

The builder who first bridged Niagara’s gorge,
Before he swung his cable, shore to shore,
Sent out across the gulf his venturing kite
Bearing a slender cord for unseen hands
To grasp upon the further cliff and draw
A greater cord, and then a greater yet;
Till at the last across the chasm swung
The cable then the mighty bridge in air

So we may send our little timid thought
Across the void, out to God’s reaching hands—
Send out our love and faith to thread the deep—
Thought after thought until the little cord
Has greatened to a chain no chance can break,
And we are anchored to the Infinite!


What was different between Nephi's view and that of his brothers? Why did they doubt he could build a boat? Why did Nephi believe he could build one? When I ancho myself and my thoughts to to the infinite being that made me, when I find strength in his "reaching hands" I find that I can find "a greater cord" to build upon.

As I think about this poem and compare it to Nephi's courage to "listen" to God's spirit within him, I believe it is much like the "cable" that the architect flew across the gorge to build his bridge. In my own life I have many things that I must build: lives, love, relationships, family, weddings.:) There are so many things that I must rely on God for. So many things that I don't see or understand. Like the bridge builder, and like Nephi I must practice anchoring myself to the voice and direction of the infinite.

(Words and Phrases )

(vs2) So great were our blessings of the Lord
- I wonder how often I receive blessings and don't take time to realize where they came from. I've lived long enough to recognize that coincidences are not random acts. I know that as I reach out "to God's reaching hands" God, it is his love that anchors me.
(vs 8) Thou shalt construct a ship- I may not be a shipbuilder, but I have many things in my life that God expects me to do that I do not believe I can do on my own. I have learned that as I send out my "little timid thought" ..."across the void"... God's reaching hands finds that string and helps me build... line upon line until I have a cord, and then a rope, and then a cable and then a bridge or a ship that I can use to cross deep waters. If I build it with "love and faith" it will anchor not only myself, but those that follow me (family).
(vs 13) I will be your light in the wilderness.. I will prepare the way before you, ...if ye will keep my commandments. Why is it a hard thing for us to keep the commandments? If God were a flashlight and all we had to do was change the batteries would we? change the batteries? so that we could have light? I have learned to change or charge our batteries by following God's love at church, in the scriptures, and in keeping his commandments. I love this verse.
(vs 13) ye shall be led to the promised land.. and ye shall know it is by me ye are led ..- I have my own boat and my own bridge that will lead me to my "promised land". I have know that there are many "unseen hands" that lead me and catch my kite string helping me recognize who exactly is leading me. It brings nothing but joy to realize I am not alone in the wilderness. It brings great peace to know that I am led by a hand that will anchor me.
(vs 17) he thinketh he can build a ship - in all of life's accomplishments there will be opposition.
Opposition has its place. It drives us forward. It challenges us. I wonder if Nephi would have accomplished building the ship if he would have faced apathy? I wonder if he might have considered staying in the land Bountiful? ... But what I realize is that it wasn't Nephi that "thought" he could build a ship... that is what his brothers thought.. they thought that Nephi thought he could build a ship. Nephi knew he could... Why? Because he had been commanded to do so. How many times in my own life have I accomplished something much greater than I myself could do because I simply followed God's commandments and allowed God to tudor me? God gives me strength, knowledge, and wisdom beyond my own.
(vs 18) complain ... might not labor... did not believe... - I see a pattern of behavior. Doubt leads to complacency.. which leads to laziness... which leads to doubt... a cycle really. If I don't want to do the work... if I haven't been trained to the joys of work. if I want to be selfish.. then all I have to do is complain. I can find a cycle of complacency that will lead me nowhere or.. I can believe and find a cycle of faith that will lead me to my own promised land.
(vs 20) foolish imaginations of his heart ... I have often contemplated this phrase. What if the great inventors of our time were not led by their imaginations? What if they didn't believe in what they could accomplish or in someone greater than themselves? What if mankind had never known the voice of God in the wilderness? Consider how God's hand was involved in the making of America. Why do those who do not understand God's voice in their life call it an imagination?




























































































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