Come Unto Him

Today in a portfolio devotional, one of our managers gave spoke of the incident where the Disciples are on the ship, in the midst of a great storm. The Savior walks onto the water. They all call to him, to save them. Yet only one of the 11 has the faith to put one foot over the boat, into the raging storm, and walk to the Savior.


Oh, how I feel like that is my life in many ways. I’m in a little raft and the storm is raging around. I’m crying to the Savior to save me, to calm the storm and make peace once again. Yet I do not step a foot off the raft, to meet Him. What would happen if I left my fears back, and stepped into the unknown, the wild winds, and walked towards the Savior, instead of waiting for Him to do something while I sit and do nothing, where it is safe.

This relates back to a couple posts ago, when Elder Bednar spoke on being an agent, versus an object.

Love,



Brittney

Easter

God's Grace

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.

Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak....

"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.

I stopped the lad and asked, "What do you have there, son?"

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time.."

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"

"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"

"How much?" the pastor asked again. The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other.

I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you are done with them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.

"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"

"How much? He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life."

Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.

Love,
Brittney

Hmmm....

I fell out of my chair at work yesterday. I was wearing a floor lengths flappy skirt and boots. I tucked my leg underneath me, and when I stood up, I went right over on my face and knees. No one saw but Julie. I scraped my knee pretty good. She said I needed a first aid kit. I decided to tough it out. It made me feel a little redeemed for having just fallen out of my chair.

I went snowboarding yesterday. I love to snowboard. The mountains are so beautiful. It is so peaceful and utterly perfect. Serene. It’s times like that, sitting on the lift in the dark with the mountains and snow surrounding me, all cuddled in my coat and hat and gloves with my beautiful baby blue board strapped to my super-cute and soft and comfy boots, my hart beating quickly – that I don’t know how people don’t believe in God. He is everywhere, up in the mountains.

Every time I fell on my knees, I thought I might die – due to the damage done when falling out of my chair. But I lived.

I went to St.George last week and spent some really good quality time with my grandparents. I don’t get to see them as much as I would like. I truly had so much fun just being with them, and being spoiled. Living on my own, I don’t get spoiled very often. It felt nice. I was sick – and they heard me coughing on the phone as I was telling them what time we’d pull into the condo. They called me as they went to bed – letting me know they had left cough syrup and Nyquil on the counter for me. It almost made me cry, that gesture. I didn’t say anything about being sick – but they could tell, and they left the medicine for me, because they love me. I’m just so used to being… alone and independent. It made me feel really, really special.

We went to Zions, saw a movie in the IMAX, went to the dinosaur museum, went shopping, went to Jacob Hamblin’s home, and of course – ate out a copious amount. It was perfect.

I don’t appreciate my grandparents enough. I think I take them for granted. There is a quote I stumbled upon forever ago in the book The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, and it’s never left me:

“It’s strange to remember someone you’ve known all along. It’s like returning to the home you grew up in and noticing how it left its shape on you, how the walls you’ve raised and the doors you’ve opened since then have all followed the design you saw for the first time there. Its closer to returning home and seeing your mother or sister, who are old enough not to have grown since you last saw them, but young enough not to have aged, and realizing for the first time how they look to everyone else, how beautiful they would be if you didn’t know them, what your father and brother in law saw when they judged them most and knew them least.”

That is how I felt being with my grandparents. I know them so well, for my whole life, I think in a way I just saw them as I’ve always seen them, and not focused on who they are and their strengths and what makes them absolutely unique and special.

My grandma is so loving. She really does love me, and wants to spoil me. I don’t like them spending money on me, and I always get frustrated with them spending money on me, and being what is in my mind, superfluous. But this weekend, I just relaxed and let them do what they wanted. I didn’t encourage any expenditures, but also did not freak out about it either.

My grandma is so sweet. She really has a heart of gold and wants me to be happy. Everything she does is thinking of her family.

Grandpa is so service oriented. He never misses home teaching, and is such an example to me about reading the scriptures and always seeking knowledge. He seriously knows everything. And I’m not just saying that because I love him. He knows the elevation, population and geographic area of every place we go. He’s always reading. He has good hobbies that keep him happy. I love how much he loves rocks and how much pride he takes in making his family members jewelry.

My grandparents are truly special people.

I have pictures for the Alpha Officers tonight. I am tired and my eyes are puffy (a friend asked me if I had been crying when I got to work today. Lovely) and I want to be in sweats and curled in my bed. I am going to look like the troll in the group tonight. Haha.

I miss my little brother a lot.

I miss my little sister (Bob) a lot too. Even when she looks like this:

This is my new favorite picture of Christ:

I am reading 3 books right now, and that makes me so happy. I love to read, but my life is filled with so many other things, I don’t read like I used to. It makes me feel a little lost, and a little less like myself.

I’m reading:

• Jesus: A Biography, from a Believer by Paul Johnson

• 1940 by Jay Neugeboren

• Forgiving Ourselves: Getting back up when we let ourselves down by Wendy Ulrich

The first one is because I want to know my Savior better. I don’t feel like I truly know Him. I’m trying to change that. The history and context into the world Jesus was born into is great. So far, I can’t put it down! I love it! Next challenge: Jesus The Christ.

The second one, because I’m fascinated with WW2 and Hitler and Nazi’s and history. And because Becki left it at my house. I’ll mail it to you soon, Bex!

The third one, because it was given to me by Wendy Ulrich, who wrote it. It is great so far. I highly recommend it!It brings up some great points, and really helps understand the difference between sin and weakness.

Anyways, those are some random thoughts and updates.


Love,
Brittney