DAY 344 --- All That He Has, Can Be Ours

Elder Holland said, "We must take every opportunity... to dream dreams and see visions, and work toward their realization."  We must take every opportunity...  If an apostle, seer and revelator said that we should have dreams and visions and work toward them, what would the purpose be?  What good is a dream or a vision?  Why not be content with where we are?  Why seek for something else?

In my many years in the employment arena, I would suggest that the majority of people today just exist.  Most are NOT happy, they are just enduring their employment, their circumstances.  I was caught up in that "enduring" for many years.  Just make do.  Just endure.  Don't worry about dreaming about something better, with more future, with hope and peace.  Just accept things as they are. 

Even before I found Elder Holland's quotation, I felt the importance, the need to dream and try to see visions.  It is part of my life and part of me.  With Elder Holland telling us all we need to strive to realize dreams and visions, there must be a good reason. 

I feel one of the reasons why we need to identify dreams and visions is because of the Divine Nature within each of us.  We have experienced life with our Father and Jesus Christ in the pre-mortal world.  We have been taught and nurtured by Eternal Beings.  We are God's in embryo.  Our inner self, our spirit, our soul demands something better than we are experiencing today.  We must take every opportunity to look for, seek, stive for, and work toward the realization of those things better, Eternal, and glorious.  It is in our nature.  There is nothing wrong with seeking something better than we have today. 

Father has promised to give us all that He has, if we prepare for it and are worthy of it.  If we cannot find anything in mortality to be our dream, our hope, or our vision, we should at least hope for that promised reward from our Eternal Father.  But perhaps dreaming and having visions are the first step toward earning these things from Father.

DAY 345 If You Don't Watch Out, You Will Get Where You Are Going!

As I try to live down my grandson telling me I was fat and a friend's daughter telling me I was pregnant, I have tried to figure out what the lesson I should learn from it all.  Our desire to realize our dream of a mission hasn't changed.  The many facets of that dream are the same.  But I guess I was pursuing one aspect of that ultimate dream in an erroneous manner. 

I guess that is the lesson I learned about giving birth to a chocolate hippopotomus, you have to know how to go about it.  As we set dreams and goals and as we envision the path to take to get there, we better make sure we are on the right path.  If we are trying to learn how to play the piano, we better not be practicing the violin.  If we are trying to get to the promised land, flowing with milk and honey, we better not be going in circles for fourty years.  If we want to get out of debt, lose weight, achieve a great goal, we better make sure the path we are on is helping us get there and not helping us be pregnant.

I recall the time when the Brother of Jared was preparing for a long journey in his 16 boats.  He approached the Lord and asked.  The Lord asked him what  do you want me to do about your upcoming darkness.  (Sort of, I paraphrased)  We need to make sure the road we are on to reach the summit of our dream is the right one and is going to get us there.  Lack of adequate preparation is preparation to fail.  We need to know HOW to progress toward our glorious goals.  And often that requires asking someone who knows how to counsel, direct, and assist, even if it means eating five meals a day.

DAY 346 I Guess I am Pregnant?

One of our goals was for me to lose about twenty excess pounds.  A few years ago, the daughter of a dear friend asked me, "Brother Partridge, are you pregnant?"  She was serious.  Needless to say, I learned out of the mouths of babes, come truth.  I started thinking that the whole ward knew that I was pregnant or at least largely overweight.  I used to watch others and comfortably say to myself, well he is much more overweight than I am.  I took comfort that others overate, gained many pounds, and that was my excuse. It was my comfort zone.  Then I started to dream that I was in the hospital and prepped to be the first male person to give birth.  The question was, what was I going to give birth to?

I have heard that we are what we eat.  Thus, I had this recurring nightmare (I assume it wasn't a vision, but a nightmare)  that I would give birth to a giant chocolate Easter Bunny.  (I wonder if Bunnies go through pain to deliver a baby?)

Then just this last week, my grandson said to me, "Grandpa, you are fat."  There was no smile with it.  There was no, "I was just kidding."  He was serious also.  Then he ran away to play.  Of course, you guessed it.  I started having that nightmare/vision again.  I was in labor with the doctor there this time.  He said he was worried that I may not make it through delivery cause the baby would be so large.  The baby? What baby?  A baby elephant?  A baby chocolate Elephant?

Well, I was just barely getting over the shocker of the recurring dreams, being pregnant, when I went to put on my belt.  Why would I need a belt since I am so fat?  If for no other reason, tradition?  The only problem was I couldn't put on my Levis any longer.  I had to wrestle and pull, and do as I have seen women do, (Don't  tell anyone) jump up and down hoping that the legs of the Levis would finally fit around  my pregnant legs.

I finally got those Levis onto my fat body and decided that maybe, just maybe I need to do something else to start losing my extra weight, but certainly NOT eliminating my chocolate.  There has to be another way to lose weight, right?

My beautiful wife says I have to eat to lose weight.  That doesn't make sense to me.  I do not eat breakfast, or a very little.  And once in a while I do not eat lunch and figure that I will lose a few pound in that manner.  However, when I weigh, I find I GAINED two pounds. You have to eat to lose weight.  I don't understand.  It doesn't make sense to me.  So, pass the chocolate and one of these days I will return to the hospital and give birth to a large, chocolate hippo.

DAY 347 Father Knows!!!

It has been two and one half weeks since I started this blog with the purpose of tracking our experience in working toward the realization of our dream.  There are many parts of this dream that has to be worked upon. In one part of this dream, I have totally hit my head against the wall.  I have failed.  I have tried to start on a program where I could lose some extra weight, and thus feel more prepared about serving as a missionary.  Financially, I am not making as much progress toward my goal which is another failure of my original dreams and plans.

I was talking to a neighbor today and he said he was praying for, expecting a miracle.  He needed one, he felt it was in Father's best interest to grant him the miracle he desired.  I commented to him as he was talking to me, "There is nothing too difficult for the Lord."  Miracles have happened and do happen each day.  The scriptures are full of them.  There are miracles not recorded that happen to many of our families, neighbors, and those which we shall never know about.  But whether my friend gets one according to his desires, well, we shall see.

As I consider my failings through about 20 days, and considering the miracle my friend is counting on, I had this whispering in my mind that Father knows all things.  2 Nephi 2: 24, "But behold all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things."

Father knew that though it was against His counsel, good came from partaking of the fruit.  Father knew that though the children of Israel were faced with extermination, He know how to part the Red Sea through His prophet.  Father knew that the death of Joseph (it happened on this date) and Hyrum would not destroy the church.  Father knew that the mission of the four sons of Mosiah would come back and save the Nephites years later from destruction in the war chapters. Father knew of the destruction that awaited the saints we read about in 3 Nephi 1. 

Father knows of my failure in my goals.  He knows of my desires and my efforts.  Father knows how to, and when to assist with my miracles, my friends miracle, and even yours.  They always come in a time which is best, and will accomplish the most in His view.  Father Knows.

Day 348 He is on Our Side

No matter the dream or goal we work toward, whether it is involved with the Kingdom or not, whether it is involved with service to others, correcting wrongs or obtaining talents or strengthening weaknesses, whether it is earth shattering or just reading the Book of Mormon, no matter the seemingly insignificant results of our goal, we need to keep in mind that our Eternal Father is on our side. 

As we keep in mind the confirmation from the Divine Counselors as was mentioned in yesterdays post, and as we pursue toward realizing these visions, we should take great strength and hope knowing that our all powerful Father is right behind us.  He probably won't let us realize our vision all at once, for He knows the value of struggling to achieve, He knows the lessons we can learn, but He also knows our hearts and our desires, the reasons behind  why we are working toward realizing this dream. 

What a comfort it is to know that we have a Father who loves us and IS involved in our life.  Elder Maxwell said often that we would be totally amazed if we really understood how close our Father was to us in our mortality.  He is never far away, and feels our pains, our struggles, our frustrations.  Due to His knowledge of seeing all things, He will not interfere while we are learning, but He is there, ever present, ever watching, ever protecting, and ever loving.  He would never let us go through something difficult that is not required for our Eternal Salvation.  A loving Father would never do that. 

In our striving to make the right decisions to accomplish our goal of being ready to go on a mission, (or any goal or dream) I must take the time to get away from Mortality Moments, and remember Eternal Events from my past and don't let them collect dust and cobwebs, making them hard to remember and keep vibrant.  Our Eternal Father is on our side and will never forsake us.  In the middle of a trail, challenge, or lonely moment, pause, glance upward and know that He is there, smiling, sending forth to your heart and mine His love and His whispering,  "All is Well - These things are for your good, and I will always be at your side."

Day 349 Don't Doubt Your Destination

When I "look" at my goals and dreams, I have all kinds of doubts go through my mind about the importance of them in the eyes of Father.  Are they according to His will?  Should I pursue them?  Are they right?  So many scriptures say that whatever we ask, if it be right, we will receive it.  Are the goals we are pursing "right?"

As we pray about, ponder, and pursue these goals, how do we feel?  Would a loving Father permit us to pursue a dream that He didn't want us to pursue, one that was not according to His approval?  Would He let us waste our time in striving to do His will, realize our dreams and our visions if they were following Satan? Would our loving Father watch as we waste our time when we are sincere and plead for His direction?  Of course not!  If we were following the wrong dreams and goals, wouldn't He bless us with a stupor of thought, a feeling that we were on the wrong road, a reason to quit in pursuing that direction?

Each of us need to indelibly print in our mind a firm commitment, a strong resolve, a Divinely Sanctioned course of action and never forget the answer from Father that we ARE doing His will. The dreams we are following are good, are "right."  We cannot let the adversary steer us away from pursuing these goals.  He will try.  He won't quit in his efforts to get us off the path. 

In Doctrine and Covenants, Section 6 : 23,  Christ is talking to Oliver Cowdery, and reminded him to recall in his mind the night Christ spoke peace to his soul,  "Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter?"  I am sure He gets a bit frustrated saying the same thing to us.  He tells us, then has to remind us what He told us.  Don't doubt your destination, though the road be long and challenging.  Remember the answer to your inquiry you received. Continue, for it is His will that you/we do.

DAY 350 Look How Far We've Come

Many years ago, I was one of the adults on a hike to the High Unitas.  I was "blessed" with the responsibility of walking with the slower, out of shape scout.  We soon were far behind the rest of the group.  My scout was overweight and depressed.  I continued to seek for ways to encourage him.  Finally he sat down on the trail, saying he was not going any further.  He took off his boots, cried as he saw the blood in his socks of both feet.  He would not go one more step.

I prayed and asked how I was going to motivate him.  I couldn't pick him up, he was bigger than me.  I was lost.  Then that sweet Spirit come into my mind and I said, "Hey, turn around look how far we have come.  Look at the beauty and realize what a great accomplishment you have made."  He stopped crying and slowly put on  his boots, and decided to go a "few" more steps.  We were just around the corner from our camp, which neither of us knew, but we did make it.  He enjoyed the rest of the  week in the Unitas.

In any goal, often the road to accomplish the goal is long, difficult and challenging.  Some times we feel like saying, "I will not go one more step toward this goal/vision."  But what we need to do is look at how far we have come.  Look at the accomplishment and decide to try just one more day, one more hour, or even one more minute.  Look how far you have come and know that the destination is just around the corner.  Keep trying.  Elder Holland says to rest a minute, but then get up and fight, go, and win the prize.

DAY 351 Time to Recommit to the Finish Line

It has been two weeks since I started this blog.  The purpose is to track the ups and downs toward a righteous goal.  In two weeks I have seen valleys, failures, threats, lost of sight and focus, and frustration.  I have felt Satan in many areas and road blocks set up to thwart my progress. 

In just two seeks, I have seen the forces of Satan trying to block my focus and vision toward this goal.  I don't believe he is only going after us as we strive to make progress toward this goal, I believe that Satan is doing what he does best.  He is trying to make us lose sight or our commitment toward any progress.  He does that with everyone, every goal, every different vision or dream just to cause us to lose sight of our destination. 

His main goal for everyone on earth is to get between us and our Father in Heaven.  If he can get us to stop focusing on Father, our good and righteous goals, if he can get us to slow down in our steps toward any goal, if he can get us to question or chosen path toward what is good, if he can get us to forget and doubt the correctness of inspiration, he will be winning and happy.  He will also increase his efforts, because he is successful in HIS goals.

It is time to commit again to this blog, this vision, this goal Bonnie and I have chosen.  It is time to recognize Satan's influence and once again commit to our final goal and work toward it with vigor and enthusiasm, overcoming the adversary and refocusing on the finish line, though many months away.

DAY 352 Others will Mock

I have found that when we feel impressed or motivated to set a goal, and it is a good goal inspired by our Father, other will mock.  They will criticize and ask who we thing we are to think we can do that.  They will deride and make fun of us, either in front of us, or behind our back.  Even dear friends and often family will question our motives and our dedication.

In fact, often they will even take it upon themselves to see if they can deride us, make us depressed and lose our focus on our goal.  We need to realize that often they do this because they are jealous and know they could never do as we are planning on doing.

Many criticized Joseph Smith for preaching about his vision.  They laughed at him when he said the saints would build a temple.  They ridiculed him when he said that he was going to have his revelations compiled in a book of commandments.  They derided when he said the saints would one day move to the Rocky Mountains.

We could go on reminding ourselves of prophets and others who had a dream, who shared it with others only to be laughed at and scorned. 

The most important thing about deciding on a dream and pursuing it is making sure it is the right one and we have confirmation of it from our Father.  Then who cares if they mock.  Who cares if they deride.  Who cares what the reasons they explain why they mock. 

That shows the importance of deciding, going for it, and working toward it no matter how many "important" people laugh at us.  Focus on the dream, on the time you felt the confirmation from Father, and run, believe, and realize your/our dream.

DAY 353 Continue to Dream and See Visions

It is true that Father uses one's journey to teach lessons and to train.  He did it with the Children of Israel during their 40 years of wandering.  He did it with those involved with Zions Camp in the early days of the church in this dispensation.  I am sure there are other examples where he uses journeys toward a goal to "bless" us with training and teachings.

However, as I attended the temple this morning I was again impressed with Elder Holland's quote.  We must dream dreams and see visions and work toward their realization.  We need to envision the dream/vision and strive with everything we have to focus on realizing our dreams, strive toward achieving it, and plan the way to progress toward our dream every day, perhaps even every hour thinking about it.

If we can  keep focused on our ultimate dream, use the "as if" principle, sure we will learn though the journey, but we MUST feel that the realization of our dreams and goals will indeed, be met and we can realize those divinely inspired goals.

To dream the impossible dream.  To work toward something difficult.  To want to achieve a worthy goal.  To put forth effort to arrive and to fulfill.  These are goals that Father would, and does sanction and will assist in our push to arrive.  I know it.  If you pray about it, the Spirit will tell you as it has me.  Set that goal, that dream, and turn them into visions that will come true, in His time, after our struggles, and we will "see" His hand all along the way. I promise!

DAY 354 The realization or the Journey? Which is it?

Following up what I recorded yesteray, I reviewed Elder Hollands statement.  He said that we should take every opportunity to learn and grow, and to dream dreams and see visions...  Based upon my feelihgs recorded yesterday, perhaps his statement should be, at least considered, that the reasons we should have dreams and visions is to learn from trying to move toward realizing those visions and dreams. 

If we select dreams and visions (such as losing weight, becoming more spiritual, getting along with someone else, being compassionate toward someone we can't stand, etc.) and work toward them, perhaps that is one of the reasons we should dream dreams and see visions?  Is it the journey along the path to realize those goals and not necessarily the act of accomplishing, or realizing those visions that is of value in Father's eyes? 

I don't know if I agree with that or not.  I feel good dreams and visions need to be conceptualized and a path to accomplish them is very important and that is what Elder Holland is talking about.  We need to work toward them, set smaller goals to achieve the larger ones.  But we also need to realize that the journey, the path toward what we really want, may be what Father wants us to accomplish. What was Elder Holland speaking about? 

I know, I am vacilating.  I can see and feel value in both views.  What do you think?  If you care to enighten me, or share your thoughts, either send an email or make a comment, please. Either way, onward with visions and dreams!

DAY 355 "What will ye that I should do?"

There are times in the scriptures where the Lord asks us what we would have Him do.  The quote as the title for this day is taken from Ether.  The brother of Jared was asked by the Lord what he wanted Him to do.  Soloman was asked what blessing he wanted from the Lord.  Once while I was reading the scriptures, I felt that same question from my Father.  What did I really want from Him?  I couldn't and didn't answer.  That is a tough question.

Today while reading my scriptures, I thought along that same line or question.  What do I want?  The reason for this blog is analyzing how we go about working and striving to realize dreams according to the direction of Elder Holland.  He urges us us to work toward dreams and visions.  That is what Bonnie and I are doing.  We desire to serve as a missionary couple. 

I could state to Father that I want all obstacles removed preventing us from realizing that dream.  I could ask for our mission call.  But as I think along those lines, I feel that would be improper.  Our decision to work toward that dream was confirmed through prayer and temple attendance.  However, I feel that the road we have chosen to take to arrive there, (in one year) is the path we need to take right now.  Lessons learned, trails overcome, and obstacles learned from is our lot in life at this point.  They will be for our good.  Asking to be removed from this divine sanctioned plan would be wrong and not inspired from Father.  Whether we ever serve a mission is immaterial at this point.  The most important thing is we are working our way toward that goal, which is what He would have us do, today. 

"What will ye that I should do?"  I am still thinking about this question.  How would you answer that question  from Father?

Day 356 What does HE want?

I woke up this morning and paused before getting out of bed.  I realized that in my personal prayers I was totally focusing upon my desires, my goals, my frustrations, and my wishes, my plans how these things should be working out.  I know I am here to prove myself and my petitions of Father should express my desires so I can prove myself worthy of His Kingdom.  However...

I decided that today I would forget myself, my dreams and my own wishes (at least I would try to do so) and offer myself to Father.  If there was bidding I should do, if there were children I should contact and express love, if there were neighbors who may need my attention or even my strong back and work, if there were weeds that needed to be eliminated, I would commit to listening to that Still Small Voice and follow it.

Father has been so good to me, even with this past week of unforeseen challenges, the blessings totally out weigh and out number the obstacles I have.  So, why not remember Him, His goodness to me and offer to be His hands, as we were directed in one of the past conferences. 

I would assume that part of realizing our dream of becoming missionaries, or your dream of whatever, it would entail also following His direction, His whispers, His use our our hands.

DAY 357 Don't Let Him Win!!!

As I sit and review the last few days, I realize that Satan does not quit.  No matter the success or the failure, no matter my attitude or my frustration, no matter what, since our goal is what we feel, or what we know that Father desires, he won't quit.

We can make progress daily, or we can fail daily.  We can lose sight of our ultimate goal, or we can focus continually on it.  Satan does not take a vacation.  We can be put into jail for six months, or we can go for four years without praying, Satan does not give up.

We must remember that the adversary, he who wants us to fail in everything we do doesn't sleep.  If he can get us to lose focus on our goal, he is winning.  If he can get us to value the experiences of today, or even the last week and question our commitment, he is winning.  If we can get us to question whether we really want to carry on, whether we really feel that this goal is according to Father's wishes, he is winning.  If he can get us to even partially slow down or even give up, he is winning. 

If he can get us to forget that Father loves us and is on our side and will always help us through our toughest trials and obstacles to our goal, he is winning.  If he can get us to dwell upon the difficulty of keepin on track he is winning. 

Father watches us.  He is aware of everything we go through.  He wants us to realize our dreams.  He wants us to win the prize, but we must earn it through thick and thin.  We must prove that we really do want our dream and vision. Don't let him win, though he never stops trying to thwart our progress.

Day 358 I COULD CRY!

After the events of the last few days, I could cry.  Being deeper in debt and all falling apart when I try to put a hole in that debt.  Gaining weight rather than losing it.  Feeling my body is falling apart rather than getting stronger.  Counting the things going wrong rather than the things going right (are there any?)  Wondering if this blog, this goal is right and we should continue pursuing it.  I could cry because it all seems to being going exactly opposite the direction I was planning.  Why do good goals seem harder than they started out to be?

Rather than cry, let's look for endorphins.  If we laugh at failures, if we smile at hard times that seem to propel us the wrong direction, if we joke at policemen who don't understand and give us a ticket anyway, we will be able to forget the uglies of those days when everything falls apart.

If we look beyond the stumbling blocks on our path to realizing our goals, then we will admire the black and blue toe we have after stubbing it on the rock. (Isn't that a pretty color of blue?)  If we compare our fat stomach with a fatter one, we will feel great. (At least we don't look like a Santa Clause?) If we realize we don't have debt the size of small countries, we will smile. (very small countries.) If we count the pounds we are accumulating and count the higher the number, the smarter the person, we shall be comforted.  (I am brilliant) If we give thanks that we are privileged to be in mortality and prove our worthiness, we will feel peaceful.

Lastly, if we always remember that we have a Father and Mother in Heaven who are always watching, smiling, loving, and monitoring each of Their children, knowing that we will not experience ANYTHING that is not demanded for our Celestial reward waiting for us, we will have peace and a perfect brightness of hope.  Not just a dim candle of hope, not a 40 watt light bulb of hope, but a PERFECT BRIGHTNESS of HOPE no matter the rocks that blacken our toes, the tickets we get, the failures we endure, we will smile.

Day 359 Everything Falls Apart

We have our focus on our mission.  We have financial woes to take care of resulting in losing my business in Brigham City.  So as we do it, we are so careful with our finances.  We know Father will bless our efforts.  Well yesterday, I found out I had two charge offs on my credit report which dropped my scores, thus I could not refinance our loans to a lower interest rate.  I checked into it and found it was a few debt from that business that I guess I had my name still on.

Thus they could not collect, since I did not know about them, thus the charge offs.  Nice surprise.  Our hard earned money for our mission has to go to paying off those debts I knew nothing about.

Then today, minding my own business, I wasn't minding my driving business and I received a traffic ticket.  Once again taking money away from our mission.  "Things" are trying to get us to lose sight of our focus on our ultimate goals of a mission.  We could be upset about those two debts.  We, or rather my good wife, could be upset about my traffic ticket and the  money going to pay that off.  We could be depressed because we are not making  the progress we planned on.

However, I felt to laugh and just shake my head, knowing that He is in charge and though many things can and do get in the way of progressing toward the ultimate goal of our mission, we shall "rest on our swords for a time, but fight" longer for our dream. 

There will be set backs, frustrations, and tickets, surprises that delay us, but we must continue our focus, right? 

Day 360 He knows more that we would like!

Our "other" elder brother, Satan know us.  He  knows our weaknesses.  He knows where we are and who we are. He is going to try to get us to quit focusing on our goals and dreams.  If he can get us to forget our dreams and visions, he will get us to stop working toward them.  If he can get us to return to old habits, then we will delay progress in our goals.

When we stop in our progress, we often feel discouraged, and that is one of his greatest tools.  If we feel discouraged enough, we may even forget continuing in our progress, forget our goal, and he wins the battle.  For we are continually fighting a battle with Satan.  Once in a while we will, indeed. lost a battle.  Once in a while we will lose our focus and our dedication to our goal.  He takes great pride in that and increases his influence on us.

We must get up, fight some more, remember our determined commitment to winning the battle and realizing our dreams.  We cannot let one or even two lost battles indicate the the loss of the war. 

Sadly, he knows how to get to us.  He knew us before we came to earth.  He knows our weakness and knows how to get us to lose sight, concentration, and knows how to subtily get in our mind.

Knowing that he is there, every influencing us, and striving against us, we must fight, focus, continue in our commitment and dedication, and we will go on to win the next battle.

Day 361 BREAK IT ALL DOWN

When Elder Holland said that we need to see visions and dreams, as we choose one dream to work upon, we need to break it down.  Even dream will have many different facets to it. To realize a dream, we need to work toward each different facet of that dream.

Our mission coming up in 361 days has at least four different facets to it.  We must work toward each one.  As we separate and then analyze each one, we can give concentrated effort for each different aspect.  (ie: physical, financial, spiritual, emotional.)

I am sure that every dream or vision has many different levels or phases or facets.  When those are identified, then we can set goals, details, and mountains to climb involving each one.  For instance: Losing weight:  We need to check out our eating habits.  We need to look at our exercise program.  We need to check out our  sugar intake. Etc.  That can, should be done for every goal or dream.

We need to work toward the realization of each aspect, broken down, detailed, and then run, fight, and be victorious.  Set goals, make effort each day, and expect your dream to be realized.  There should be no reason why it won't be realized other than lack of effort.

FOCUS, on what?? 362 Days Left

When Peter stepped out of his boat, he focused on  the Savior. He WALKED ON WATER.  Then when he let the waves, the wind hitting his face, the fear of drowning attack his mind, he started to sink.  Christ asked him where was his faith.

I have found that what we focus on, we think about.  What we focus on we are either joyful or it leads us away from Christ.  If we focus on our dream or vision, if we exercise faith that we WILL obtain our goal, we will feel joy and contentment. If we focus on the winds of the adversary, the waves of doubt, if we focus on the fear of what may be coming to destroy or goal or dream, we will sink in our effort to realize our dream. 

I would assume it would be a great practice to greet every day with a focus.  Write it down.  Put it somewhere that we see often during the day.  I promise there will be wind, waves, doubt, questions, frustrations, and more presented to us by Satan to get us to start sinking, forgetting our dream, and crying out as Peter did, Lord save me. 

What will we focus on today?

BUSY DAY, NOT MANY THOUGHTS Day 363

Today was a busy Saturday.  Family outings, family responsibilities, and duties.  In the end, I did not think once about this major goal we have started to pursue.  Yes, we did do many things that were good and correct, but I did not think once about my upcoming mission in about one year.  I did not do anything about arriving at that ultimate goal.  Therefore, in my striving to accomplish this goal, is it necessary to think about that goal every day, every hour? 

That is such a major goal, a life time dream, I figure one has to work toward, strive, and fight as Elder Holland says, to make progress every day.  Did I do that today?  Have to think about that.  "Work toward their realization"  Does that mean every day?

Guess I am going to have to think about that, and ask Father what He thinks about that.  For He is the one who is directing this blog, this goal, this dream and this vision.  Perhaps in a round about way we did work toward this vision. 

IS IT ACCORDING TO HIS WILL? DAY 364

Helaman 10:4-5 Nephi is given a blessing because of his unwearyingness.  He is told that he would not ask anything that is contrary to Father's will.  We need to evaluate our goal, dream.  Is it contrary to Father's will that we realize our dream?  Is it against His desire?  If not, then we need to be committed as Elder Holland counsels.

We have a goal to go on a mission in one year.  President Monson was pleading for Senior Missionaries in April Conference 2011.  I know our goal is right.  Make sure your goal is right also.  Then pursue it with all your heart. Rest on  your sword if need be, but get up and fight more.  Father wants us to dream, envision, and work toward these goals...  Make sure your goal is according to His will, and then go for it, work toward it's realization.

GETTING STARTED June 9, 2011 365 DAYS LEFT

I have been "impressed" or I should say that I have felt inspired to create this "blog".  I have not really understood what a blog is, but that sweet whispering to my soul has motivated and pushed me to start a countdown to when Bonnie and I have been married for 40 years, and soon thereafter head out to the mission field to serve the Lord. As I have talked to some of you, and checked out the ins and outs of a blog, I have recognized Satan trying to stop me from doing so.  Whenever that happens, I feel there is something that may hurt his domain, thus I proceed with stronger conviction.

I really don't know where this will go, if anyone will be reading this, or if this is solely for me to try to keep my FOCUS on our mission in one year, I often do not know the why's of inspiration from Father, but I am trying to learn to "go and do" according to those soft quiet voices in my mind and heart.

This will be a one year journey, at least to begin.  I figure that the lessons learned through this journey to June 9th, 2012, the struggles we will have to overcome, the challenges to be tackled, and the seeking for these dreams and visions could be applied to any dream or vision, spoken of by Elder Holland.  

If anyone has a dream or vision, often those goals lose significance, often they are forgotten, often they are influenced by the adversary and they are lost.  Elder Holland said that we may have to rest, but "we MUST get up and fight.."  That is what this blog is all about.  We must work toward these dreams, these visions and accomplish them, and with God, all things are possible.  "Nothing is too difficult for the Lord," spoken to Sarah when she was told she was going to have a baby.

I thank you for reading this.  I commit that as either I, or Bonnie keep this blog going, it will certainly help us recognize miracles, Satan influenced struggles, and we will record how to continue, how to realize our dreams and visions.