Sunday, January 31, 2010

Day 10

Day 10
How can I notice the daily effects of the atonement?

2 Nephi 2:4
D&C 19:23

*Which commandment could I improve on and live more fully today?

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Day 9

Day 9
How do I show my gratitude for the Atonement?

Alma 34:37
with emphasis on verse 38
Omni 1:26

*What things can I earnestly and honestly thank my Heavenly Father for today? D&C 78:19

President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876-1972) observed: "One of the greatest sins, both in magnitude and extent...is the sin of ingratitude...The punishment of physical pain coming from the nails driven in his hands and feet, was not the greatest of his suffering, excruciating as that surely was. The greater suffering was the spiritual and mental anguish coming from the load of our transgressions which he carried...As it is, whenever we sin, we show our ingratitude and disregard of the suffering of the Son of God by and through which we shall rise from the dead and live forever. If we really understood and could feel even to a small degree, the love and gracious willingness on the part of Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins we would be willing to repent of all our transgressions and serve him." The Restoration of All Things (1945), 199.

Old Testament: Isaiah 53 D&C: sections 19, 20, 29, 76, 88, 93 Pearl of Great Price: Moses

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Peter 1, 1 Timothy 2, Hebrews 2 & 4

Book of Mormon: Alma 5, 11, 34, 39-42, Mosiah 3 & 4, 3 Ne. 27, 2 Ne. 2 & 9, Mormon 8 & 9

Friday, January 29, 2010

Day 8

Day 8
How can I evaluate my current need for the atonement?
Romans 3:23

*What blessings can I claim from the Atonement?

Day 8: "We acknowledge that 'all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God', but we also declare with firmness that repentance and forgiveness can be as real as sin.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ causes each person to be accountable for his or her individual sins. We will overcome the consequences of individual sin by claiming the blessings and benefits of the Atonement." -Elder Uchtdorf

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Day 7

Day 7
How can I know when I am forgiven?

3 Nephi 13:14

*Who can you extend forgiveness to today that will open your heart to receiving forgiveness from Heavenly Father?

"When you have done all within your power to overcome your mistakes, and have determined in your heart that you will never repeat them again, then... peace of conscience [can come to you] by which you will know that your sins have been forgiven" - President Harold B. Lee

"Once we have truly repented, Christ will take away the burden of guilt for our sins. We can know for ourselves that we have been forgiven and made clean. The Holy Ghost will verify this to us; He is the Sanctifier. No other testimony or forgiveness can be greater." -Elder Uctdorf (at the time he was still Elder Uctdorf)

"...extending forgiveness is a precondition to receiving forgiveness... This includes forgiving ourselves." -Elder Uchtdorf

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Day 6

Day 6
What does the atonement teach me about my divine worth?

2 Nephi 26:24
Doctrine & Covenants 18:10-11
The Relief Society Declaration

*Who am I and what is my purpose

Additional Resources For Further Study:
Day 6: "There is a direct relationship between our personal experience with the Lord and with our Heavenly Father and how we see ourselves. The closer were grow to Him, the more clear and complete becomes our vision of who we are and what we can become." -Sheri Dew

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Reading Update

So I've read a few of the books and papers on this list. I've now read both The Luscher Color Test and The 4 Color Person by Dr. Max Luscher and I thought that they were both quite interesting. I've never taken any classes in psychology or anything like that and so a lot of what he talks about is rather alien to me but I found the color test to be pretty acurate and a lot of what Dr. Luscher said in The 4 Color Person made a lot of sense. I highly recomend both of these books.
The False Gods We Worship by President Spencer W. Kimball was also on my list and I read it tonight. It is a very powerful essay (forgive me if that's not the right term). I think what President Kimball said was very true. I was reminded of a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip while reading, where Calvin presents his god or idol of T.V. with a bowl of tapioca to represent his brain... anyway I think it's really true that we get so caught up by things like T.V. that we sell ourselves short of all the other things that are out there.

Day 5

Day 5
What does Jesus Christ save me from?

Helaman 14:15-17
2 Nephi 1:15

*Why does it matter to you that you are saved from death and hell?
*What does the name Jesus Christ, Savior of the World mean to you?

Monday, January 25, 2010

Day Four

Day 4
How do I draw upon the power of the atonement in my daily life?

2 Nephi 32:9

1 Nephi 19:23
John 5:39

*What am I doing to receive the gift of the atonement in my life today?

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Day Three

Day Three
What is my part in the atonement?

D&C 19:16-19

2 Nephi 31 footnote 20d
D&C 14:7 footnote 7c

*Am I doing my part? What more can I do?

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Day Two

Day 2
How does the atonement make salvation and eternal life possible?

D&C 5:3-5 (I'm not sure this one is actually right, it's on the card but I didn't see the connection, if you see it please let me know!)
2 Nephi 2:26
D&C 19:16-19

*What must I do to gain eternal life? Am I doing it?

Friday, January 22, 2010

Pondering The Atonement of Jesus Christ: A Two Week Journey; also a pencil

A few summers ago the Relief Society in my ward gave us a little packet and challenged us to read the things assigned for two weeks in order to gain a better understanding of the atonement. I did it then and honestly I don't really recall what I thought of it but I kept the little packet and I found it the other day when looking for something else. Today I decided to do the two week reading challenge over again, and I decided to share it here for anyone else who might be interested in doing it.

The first card in the pack say: Pondering The Atonement of Jesus Christ: A Two Week Journey
The following card says: Faithfully read and carefully ponder the questions and scriptures on each card. Just one card each day for two weeks. As you take this journey you will find our Savior at your side, and you will more fully understand His matchless gift and come to know him better.

Today's card says:
Day 1
Why is the atonement necessary?

2 Nephi 2:6-8

Alma 12:25-34
Alma 11:42-44 (Resurrection/for all)
John 3:16-17 (Eternal life/ for some)

In other news, I'm pretty excited (in an art-geeky way) because I just got a replacement for a drawing pencil that I lost. I love my Farber Castell pencils.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Music Moment

I really enjoy classical music and I've been listening to it a lot more lately. It's a bit amazing how beautiful some of this music is. Here are some pieces that I really enjoy.
Bolero by Ravel
O Divine Redeemer
Con Te Partiro, I heard this song in my Italian class last year, we were using the lyrics as part of an activity...I think.
How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place by Brahms, we're singing this for Stake Conference, it's so hard to sing but it's so beautiful.
I hope you enjoy this beautiful music.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Ironic

It's ironic that when I was in school I longed for my home library system for movies and novels. I spent most of my college years avoiding the library with the exception of it's computer lab. The last year of school, especially the last semester, I started to realize what was available to me in the library. Now that I'm back with my home library system I have been time and again frustrated when a search of the system tells me that the book I'm searching for is not there, or cannot leave the building (I'm just not a library studier.). I shouldn't complain too much because I can still get to the other library without too much hassle, but I can't check the books there out any more. I suppose what I'm trying to say is make the most of your time at school and the resources available to you, because they won't be forever.

Monday, January 18, 2010

We Shall Over Come...

Dear Dr. King,
I would like to thank you for what you worked for and accomplished in your life time. I would like to thank you for your courage in standing up for justice and equality. You did so much for America, and for so many people through out the world. Thank you for doing what so many just talked about, thank you for having a dream and working to make that dream a reality. Thank you for not giving up.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Haiti

On Tueseday there was a massive earthquake in Haiti, this isn't news to anyone, it's dominated the news since it happened. It's hard to fathom the damage and distruction, I can't warp my head around it. I also don't know what I can do to help. I've thought about getting things to make sanitation kits, or giving blood, but somehow it doesn't really seem like enough. If you have any wonderful ideas, I'd love to hear them. Until then I suppose the best I can do is to keep them in my prayers.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

I would like to recommend this.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Education

I've graduated from college but I've started to put myself through my own education program. I had a lot of things that were recommended to me to read while I was in school but I didn't end up reading most of them. Since I graduated I've had more time on my hands and so I've started making a dent in the list of books and papers that I was told to read over the four years of school. The list is quite a lengthy one. Until recently my reading efforts were nothing that would strain myself, they progressed slowly and without a lot of enthusiasm. I don't recall what changed lately, I suppose perhaps just knowing that I had lots of library books and in the past that I never got to and they just sat on the shelf I decided to launch in. It's a bit like having my own school, with no tests, no homework (other than the reading, obviously) and no GEs that I'm not interested in. I'm getting a lot done and I'm excited about it. It's also really cool because the books that I'm reading, while different and separate from one another, they all seem to be related to one another. I'm really enjoying it and learning a lot.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I just watched this. I've been working on being a better person lately and I've begun to notice that I am changing and for the better, it's really exciting to know that. I've noticed that the change has come as I've worked on trying to always have the spirit with me, to read the lessons for church, to eliminate things that aren't so uplifting, etc. I've been so blessed, I don't know if I'm more blessed lately or just that I've been able to notice the blessings and realize that they're there. I'm really liking the direction my life is going at present.

Monday, January 11, 2010

I finished reading The Luscher Color Test on Saturday and I'm really glad that I did, there was a fair amount in the book that was over my head but what I did understand what quite fascinating. Dr. Luscher's test uses color to better understand a person's personality and any issues or problems they might be having in their lives, I don't know very much about psychiatry etc. but it seemed to me like it worked quite well. I highly recommend this book. This is the first book on the list I made that I've finished.

Also for anyone that likes the show Chuck, the third season started yesterday and episodes are online!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

In the months since I graduated from college, I find that some of my belief, enthusiasm and knowledge has slowly drained away. I graduated with a BA in Visual Art feeling very confident that I could and would become a sucessful artist and would make a living off of my art. While I still dreamed of doing this, I allowed myself to be influenced by the unbelief of others. Almost anyone I meet has no great oppinion of the chances of making a living on an art degree; many of these people have urged me to do something else, even before I left school, these people were not out to get me but on the contrary were worried about me. I have found that it might be easier to face people who wish you ill than it is to face those who love you and worry about your well being and I've been caving a little and begun to wonder if perhaps they're right. I've prayed to find out if maybe I really should be doing something else with my life, begining to despair of my dreams but each time the answer has been that art is my path in life.
I had made great plans for myself when I left school, of how my life would be, but I once again forgot that God's ways are not my ways and that he generally has a better plan in store for me than I have for myself, even if it is a longer or harder way that I would have planned for myself. When I was in high school I planned on being a writer, and that as my desired school did not offer a creative writing major I would simply obtain a degree in English with a creative writing emphasis, I also planned that I would minor in art. As my senior year progressed I found that I was miserable in my English class and that my art class was my favorite class and thus switched my major to art and vowed that I'd minor in English instead. The minor never happened and one of my first art teachers changed my life by showing me a whole world that I'd been unaware of previously. The above mentioned art teacher became my mentor and not only taught me to improve my skills and to make art that was real and meaningful and gave me a succinct definition of art (something no other teacher before had been able to give me) but this teacher also gave me hope of making a career out of art and taught me that it was completely possible to support myself by my art. This teacher did not need to teach in order to make his living, like so many other teachers, this teacher drove a porsche.
I was able to take the required class: Business Practices For Artists, from this mentor and he had us read Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. The book tells the tales of many successful people and invites the reader to utilize the book to join those individuals. Now when reading this book for my class I think I must have been less than convinced because I remember that reading it took far longer than it needed to and that I was a bit embarrassed to be reading a book of such a title, although I don't know quite know why, I suppose I didn't want to seem like I was a gopher in a get rich quick scheme or something like that.
I started reading the book again today, I've been praying and fasting for help in my art career and I think the idea to read this book again was a prompting. In musing why the book didn't seem to have worked for me the last time I was reminded of the story of Moses putting a snake on his staff in order to heal people who'd been bitten by the flying, fiery serpents. While looking at a snake on a stick seems like a fairly simple and easy way to get healed, there were people who refused to look upon the snake and died of their bites. I might have been one of those people who refused to look. So I'm reading the book again and I'm going to go for it this time, it certainly can't hurt and it could very well help.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Why I love Amazon:
  • Because you can find books that are out of print
  • Because you can often find those books gently used for a fraction of their original price ( I've gotten books for a few pennies before...it's more with shipping but still.)
  • Because you can find almost any book on amazon
I am a book lover but not one with tons of money to spend on books and I have had some really nice scores on Amazon. I'm really excited because on Saturday my latest Amazon purchase arrived and I am thrilled. I learned about The Luscher Color Test by Dr. Max Luscher, from one of my teachers and decided to read it. The book is out of print but the library had a copy so I got that. The book uses colored cards which punch out and are used with the book, the copy that the library had was missing its cards so I was foiled, not only by that but by other homework, etc. From time to time I've looked on Amazon for a copy in my price range but I worried that I'd end up with a copy without the cards. A week or so ago I browsed again and found a copy that seemed certian to have the cards, it was an acceptable price and so I bought it and waited nervously to find out if the book really did have the cards with it.
It did! I am now excited to take another crack at this book and find out what Dr. Luscher knew.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Reading List

There are so many things that I've been meaning to read and so I thought I'd try to put together a list of them to see the things that I'm still needing to read.

Timaeus by Plato
The Royal Tombs of Egypt by Zahi Hawass
Red Land, Black Land by Barbara Mertz
The Four Color Person by Max Luscher
The Luscher Color Test by Max Luscher
The False Gods We Worship by Spencer W. Kimball
My Life's Review by Benjamin Franklin Johnson
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Jesus the Christ by James Talmage
Approaching Zion by Hugh Nibley
Grimms Fairytales by the brothers Grimm
Hamlet's Mill
Leonardo's Notebooks by Leonardo da Vinci
Introduction to water gilding

There are many more but I think just the ones listed could keep me busy for a long time, years I believe.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year

It's 2010. The first day of a new year. It's funny, it always seems that maybe on the first day of the new year or on my birthday that things should feel different, perhaps that I should feel older, but I never do, I still feel like the same person I was before, which really makes a lot of sense. Some things change so gradually that you can't see or feel them happening until you look back to where you started out. I suppose that's why every day is a new beginning, another chance. It's 2010 now and we have yet another chance to improve ourselves so lets make it a good year. Happy New Year!