Walking on Water

Matthew 14:22-33

 22 ¶And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to ^apray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

 25 And ^ain the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good ^acheer; it is I; be not afraid.

 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was ^aafraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little ^afaith, wherefore didst thou ^bdoubt?

 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

 I love this powerful story of the Savior. The Apostles were afraid, unsure of what they were seeing, but as soon as the Lord assured them of his identity, Peter expressed a desire to join Jesus on the water. What a frightening thing, to be out on the storm-tossed sea. It's no wonder that Peter's faith and determination faltered, when the reality of his situation began to distract him from his purpose of joining Jesus. What does the Lord want me to learn from this story? I learned that first, it is vitally important to completely rely on Jesus Christ. When I'm going through my own storms in life, if I can rely completely on the Savior, I won't falter, and not only will I make it, but I'll walk on the water! I won't be overcome by the challenges that life will throw at me, I'll be able to see how to make it. The second thing I learned is, if I falter, and I probably will, the very instant that I cry for help, Jesus Christ will save me. I'll feel his hand reach out and rescue me. I'll feel his words comfort me and give me guidance and direction and he'll send his followers to help me. I know this is what will happen, because I've felt his sheltering hand over me and my family when storms have threatened us in the past. I just had one other thought. These storms are distractions that would blow us off course and keep us from reaching the Savior. When we keep focused on him and express through our words and actions, our desires to keep his commandments and live his teachings, we'll be able to hold our course and make it back to him. His hand will always be held out to help us stay on course, we just have to ask.What do you think the Lord wants us to learn from this story? I'd love to know!

The Calling of the Twelve Apostles

This week, I spent time studying Matthew 10:1-4 and Mark 3:13-19 in order to learn about the twelve apostles. They were Simon Peter, his brother, Andrew, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the publican, James, son of Alphaeus, Lebbaeus also known as Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaaninte and Judas Iscariot. Some interesting information about three of them: James, son of Zebedee was one of the inner circle of three chosen to be with the Lord during certain events, he was also beheaded by Herod. John, brother of James, was also a part of the inner circle of Christ, we also believe that John 21:20-23 means that John has not died, but has been allowed to remain on earth to continue the work of the Lord until the second coming. What I especially loved about these two brothers, is that they were named the Sons of Thunder by the Savior. I'm looking forward to learning more about this. In reading up about the apostles, I enjoyed learning that Philip's name means lover of horses. I'm sure that by looking at my blog, you may have realized that I have a thing for horses. Philip was also from Bethsaida.

 What does it mean to be an apostle? In the Bible Dictionary, it states that the word apostle means one sent forth. An Apostle is set apart to forth into the world as a special witness to the divinity of Jesus Christ and to the reality of his resurrection. In Matthew 10:5-42, the Savior prepared his disciples for their responsibilities in proclaiming the gospel. His teachings prepared the disciples to deal with the many situations they would encounter as they proclaimed the gospel. He taught them not to worry for their food, clothing or shelter, but that all would be provided. He taught them to go serve in his name by healing the sick, raising the dead and casting out devils. He told them where they should go and preach and what they should do if they were or were not received. He taught them that they would be presented to all manner of men in his name and they should rely on the spirit to guide them in what they were to say. He taught them to not worry about losing life, but to fear those who would destroy souls. And finally, he taught them to declare his name and serve without thought for gain and reward and that they would receive the greatest rewards for doing so. These teachings taught the apostles what their duties would be, when to leave without regret and move on to the next assignment, that the Lord would care for their shelter, food and clothing, and that the spirit would speak through them when necessary.

I loved reading up on the twelve apostles and the calling of Peter, James and John was particularly touching. The Savior approached Simon Peter and came aboard his ship. He asked Peter to push out somewhat from the shore, and then proceeded to teach the people on the shore. When finished, he instructed Peter to cast his net in a certain place. Peter had been fishing and unsuccessful all day and stated as much, but nevertheless, he cast his net. Immediately, his net was full to overflowing and broke. He called his partners to come and help and the filled both ships to overflowing. Simon Peter fell to his feet and in humility, expressed his belief that he was a sinful man for doubting the Savior. Simon Peter's partners were James and John, sons of Zebedee. They, too, were overwhelmed by the miracle of their overflowing nets. Then Jesus reassures them, telling them that from now on, they would be fishers of men. They got to shore, and Peter, James and John dropped their nets, their very livelihood, and followed the Savior without question. Their prompt response reminds me that I can apply their action to any calling I may be asked to do or any spiritual nudge I may receive, and quickly go and obey the Lord. When someone is on my mind, or I think of an act of service, that is the Lord asking me to follow him. Sometimes it’s hard to drop what I’m doing and I’m so easily distracted by my hectic life, but when I stop what I’m doing and immediately and humbly follow through, I know that I’m showing the Savior that I’m willing to follow him. He knows that I'm imperfect, faltering and weak. But I know that when I make the effort, he'll help me and my hectic, crazy life will be the richer for it.

The Baptism of the Savior

This week, I want to review the baptism of the Savior. Why was he baptized? If he was a perfect and sinless man, why did he need to be baptized? Even John the Baptist questioned the Savior when he approached him and entreated him for baptism. In Matthew 3:14, John reacts to this request. " But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" How could he, John, an imperfect man, baptize the Savior, when baptism is supposed to be a symbol of becoming clean from sins and accepting Christ as one's Savior? The Savior explained that it was to fulfill all righteousness and John accepted, proceeding to baptize the Savior. When Christ arose from the water, the Holy Ghost descended like a dove and the voice of God was heard from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

What does it mean to fulfill all righteousness? In 2 Nephi 31:6-11 gives three reasons for Jesus Christ being baptized.

1.   To show the Father that he would be obedient in keeping his commandments

2.   To be an example to the children of men

3.   To show the children of men the way to return to Heavenly Father by making the first commitment to keep his commandments

Baptism is a gateway for the path of repentance and obedience that, if faithfully followed, will lead us back to Heavenly Father. The Savior was absolutely perfect and by entering the waters of baptism, he showed that even he who was perfect, would enter into a covenant with Heavenly Father to be obedient in all things and keep the commandments of God. He submitted himself to the will of the Father in this as he did in all things, humbly and meekly, showing us by his deed and how he performed his deed, how we can become the children of God. 


In reading this I came across a bit of confusion. To preface, I need to state that I believe the Godhead consists of three separate individuals, God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. While they are one in purpose and action, they are three separate individuals. This scripture passage, Matthew 3:16-17 seems to support this as all three were present and manifested in three separate ways. First, Jesus Christ was in the water, as soon as he arose from the water, the Holy Ghost descended like a dove, and thirdly, the voice of God was heard from the heavens proclaiming that Jesus Christ was his son, in whom he was well pleased. My confusion comes in when discussing the appearance of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost doesn't have a physical body but his appearance would still be that of a man. Did John see the dove and the Holy Ghost? Seeing the dove was part of a predetermined sign that would indicate that this baptism was in accordance with God's will and sanctified by him. After reading the student manual, I'm still confused. Did John see a dove, did he see the personage of the Holy Ghost and his descent was like a dove? Or did he see both? 2 Nephi 31:8 stated that the Holy Ghost descended in the form of a dove and Matthew states "descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:" When I have experiences of feeling the Spirit move me, it makes me think that John saw the personage of the Spirit descending like a dove and lighting or enveloping the Savior. It would cause a sweet and undeniable feeling of joy and gladness. In the end, it doesn't matter that I'm now quite sure how this should be visualized. All I need to know is that it did. I'm grateful for my Savior, for his beautiful example of perfect humility and submission and obedience. I'm thankful for John's example of humility and his righteous desires. It's a lovely thing to study this story and examine myself to see where I can improve and try to be faithful to those baptismal covenants I made long ago to try to follow the Savior. He is my hero.

Who was John Baptist? An LDS Perspective.

Artwork by Liz Lemon Swindle

The purpose of this blog entry is to fulfill a class requirement, help me deepen my understanding of the New Testament and share what I've learned.

This week, I've read Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2, and John 1 and 17. In order to help me deepen my understanding of the scriptures, I chose to work on studying up on John the Baptist and why his ministry was important. I was drawn to this particular assignment because I was touched by the two assigned chapters from John. I was excited to be studying the words of such a great man, who's birth was surrounded by miraculous events, and who was called to be the preparer of the way for the Savior. In the LDS Bible Dictionary, it states that John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, the first of the New Testament prophets and the bringer of the priesthood into this last dispensation.

John's parents were descended from the lineage of Aaron, they were very righteous and obedient followers. His parents, Zacharias and Elisabeth, had been unable to conceive children. They both were visited by the angel Gabriel at different times and told that Elisabeth would bear a son and he should be called John. The birth of this child would cause them to have joy and gladness and many others would rejoice at his birth. Zacharias was serving in the temple at the time and seemed to harbor some doubt, and was given a sign by being struck dumb. Elisabeth felt the babe within her leap, when Mary visited her and she knew that Mary carried the Son of God. When John was born, the Elisabeth said he should be called John, but the people attending thought she was wrong and went to Zacharias, who, still being dumb, wrote that the child should indeed be called John. Immediately, his dumbness left him and he was able to praise the Lord and prophesy that his child would be a prophet of the Most High.These miracles testify of the greatness of John and the importance of his mission on earth.

John's mission was to prepare the people for the ministry of the Savior. He did this by teaching salvation and remission of sins. He baptized the Savior and knew he had done so because of the prophesied sign of the dove. He prepared the disciples to follow the Savior. The Savior praised him for his faithfulness and diligence in fulfilling his mission, he referred to John as “a burning and a shining light” (John 5:35). The prophesy that many would rejoice in his birth has come true. Every follower of Jesus Christ must rejoice that this great man was born and exemplified what a follower of Jesus must do. He did many things that only he could do, but his humble example shows how we might follow the Savior and bring others to him by diligently following his word and sharing the gospel.
 

Abby-don't miss it!

Do you ever wonder why I call my blog the Island of Misfit Animals? I am the dumping ground for animals that couldn't make the grade with their other families. Of all my misfits, Abby has the most unusual story...


Once upon a time, there was a cute little dog who needed a good home. She lived with a very lovely Family of royal name (Prince) but alas, she tinkled everywhere and caused much dismay. The royal family tried and tried, but the cute little puppy would not change her incontinent ways. With many tears and heartrending cries, the royal family shipped the puppy under guardian of a certain king and queen to the Head of the Family Stables, Kennels and Falconry (or chicanery). The morning after the puppy's arrival to the new environs, the Head of the Family Stables, Kennels and Falconry (or chicanery) (henceforth referred to as the the HFSKFC) noted a large fixed and rigid mass protruding from the said puppy's abdomen. The HFSKFC's eyes widened, her heart palpitated with much rapidity, and she hastened the sweet princess pup to the royal Vet.
A long ride and a longer wait finally found them in the Vet's office, awaiting diagnosis of the mysterious lump that felt like it accounted for half the weight of the little dog. The vet casually entered the examination room, ready for another routine visit, but he was shaken out of his normal routine when he examined the little dog, feeling the size and mass of the lump the protruded so obscenely. His eyes widened as he let his fingers gingerly press around the edges of the great bump. "You just can't have normal, can you?" He questioned the HFSKFC, a reference to other misfit experiences of late. He prescribed treatment, hoping it was a blockage, and not the tumor that it felt like, with instructions to bring her back after several days of treatment with laxative type qualities. But no amount of time would make a difference in this case. At the end of the week, the pup was again in the vet's office, where he eyed her with bewilderment, trying to puzzle it out. At last, he made the pronouncement that nothing short of surgery would solve the mystery. She would be scheduled for the following Monday, but first he would x-ray her, hoping that would shed some light. This is what he saw...

Upon showing her these radiographs, he asked if the HFSKFC knitted much. The stunned response was no, but maybe the royal family did!


The royal family was consulted and it was determined that perhaps the puppy had consumed large amounts of vegetable-dyed yarn right before leaving home. This was the only plausible answer any could come up with. But the day of surgery revealed something much more disturbing.






























Apparently, the young Abigail Charlotte, also known as Abby, had consumed 121 hair bands, two shoelaces, several ear plugs, and other bits of unidentifiable plastic. The royal family stopped wondering why they had never been able to find hair bands, the vet was amazed that the young dog had such an astonishing constitution, the HFSKFC breathed a sigh of relief that her latest misfit aquisition would live to get into other mischief, and Abby settled in to her new home, perfectly content to resume her responsibilities of tinkling away.

Riding "O"

Whoa Nelly! Or Orlando! I never posted any pictures of my first experiences on O.












I promise I'm not that heavy, just hold still!!!

Easy, don't fall over...

And, woo-lah! (My daughter once shouted woolah, she meant voila, I'm sure you see why I use it, it is terribly charming.) Here we are! Now we get to start the whole process over again, it has been nearly a year since I really rode the poor fellow. Maybe his back is stronger. We worked on forward, reverse and whoa. He has a very good grasp on reverse.

Happy Birthday to ME!

My birthday is next week and I couldn't wait, I found this little guy and gave him to myself for my birthday. He is a 5 month old australian shepherd, perfect for a girl who has saddled herself with livestock and poultry.