Understanding Greatness: Did you do your homework?

Did you read the 4 scriptures? 'Cause you should. No kidding. They're great. I don't know if I have the brain power to properly explain all of it right now... but here goes:

So first in Moroni 7:45 we're given a shopping list of things we should be doing/becoming. And I dunno about you, but I look at that and think, "I should be fired, because I'm not that cool. I'm not sufferething long very well right now. I'm not doing a very good job at thinking no evil all the time (there's an elder here who I don't love. I should because he's a child of God, and he's been set apart and ordained to do His work, but he's also kind of a turd.... I know, I know. I'm working on it.)." Ok. So I'm seeing this list of things I'm not doing just right.
And then read Ether 12:27. I love the promise there. Shared it afore: "If men come unto me I will show unto them their weaknesses..." Sure does!
Here's the connection: being shown my weaknesses (inability to suffereth long, etc.) is a direct result of me coming to Christ! Wahoo! I'm doing something right! (Qualifier: Christ only reproves with love, not self-bashing. So knock it off already.)
Ok, ok. So then I think to myself, "Self, you need to get a work on these weaknesses. And pronto." and then King Benjamin, that wise old man, says, "let all these things be done in wisdom and in order..." Holy smokes! Order implies that one thing must be done before the other, that implies that one thing can be done at a time. THAT implies that I am not even expected to overcome all these weaknesses all at once! Wahoo! I can work hour by hour and day by day to overcome.

Through the power of faith and humility (per Ether), and wisdom (per Mosiah) I can eventually obtain charity (per Moroni)... lemme e'splain:
Moroni 7:48. This one made my head explode the other day. So we's gots'ta "pray with all energy of heart" to get charity. It's not something I can obtain through my own merits. It's a gift. And how does it come? I pray with all energy of heart (check), I work to be a true follower of Jesus Christ (check), I become His (Christ's) son or daughter (in this case, daughter)** (check). Then we get the promise: when we see him we shall see him "as he is" because we will "be purified even as he is pure", because we will have "become like him". Did you get that? This process of desiring to be like Christ, being shown weaknesses, working through those with faith and humility and praying with all energy of heart means that we will eventually understand Christ entirely. This process is what allows us to know Him. And because I'll really know Him, I'll understand Him, and I will be LIKE Him. Someday I'm really, really going to be like HIM! I'm going to have perfect patience, perfect understanding, perfect hope. Why? Because I'm weak now. AMAZING! I think I'm starting to get why Peter and Paul gloried in their weaknesses. They understood that it was through those that they could become like Him who has no weaknesses. It kind of makes my brain hurt a little to think that the things that separate me from perfection now are the very things that will allow me to be perfect in the future. Wow.

So I dunno if you're as amazed about all of this as I am. I mean it's stuff I kinda knew in the back of my head in the way that I know China exists. But now I've proverbially been to China, and it's a sweet place!

**note: we become his sons and daughters through baptism, see Mosiah 27:25, Mosiah 5:6-8. Reason #14 why baptism is a good idea.

Now on a slightly less spiritual note:

Elder Hatch, District Leader and comedian.

Sister Hogge at the Building For Kids, channeling her inner Executive...

Wisconsin at 4:00 pm

California at 4:05 pm

late afternoon, on the way to an appointment.

I think this is part of the Fox River, but I'm not 100% sure.

Sister Hogge and I.

I taught Sister Whiting how to make a pillow case! (Thanks the the know-how, Miss Sandy-Sue.) We made the cases for a local women's shelter. The instructions didn't make any sense, but I'd seen Sandy do it a few times, so I sat down and figured it out. Pretty cool, eh?

This is a list we found on the kitchen counter at the Thiel's house:

Poison
Ties
Shovels
reflectors
2 3-way plugs
white lights, green wire
Baby Jesus
ceiling tiles

Don't worry, Mom! Everything's fine. I hope.
(ok. actually the poison is for mice, the baby Jesus is for the manger scene in the front yard, and the shovels are for snow, not bodies.)