Sunday Thoughts

We’ve been reading in the Book of Alma for the last while. We’re getting into the part where Mormon wrote in detail of the wars and conflict that went on between the Lamanites and Nephites some 80 – 60 years before Christ was born. From time to time I’ve wondered about why Mormon included all the details about this time of war. From several years after arriving in the Americas until the Nephite nation was finally destroyed some 1000 years later there were wars and conflicts between the two groups. For most of the history Mormon gave us these wars just get mentioned, without going into much detail. So why choose this particular period to give detail? The more I’ve thought about it the more reasons I find, benefits that we gain because Mormon did that.

At the end of one particularly intense period of war Mormon makes a statement. “Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy.” (Alma 45:1) The people combined their prayers of thanksgiving with fasting as a way to show the extent of their gratitude. You don’t often think of fasting as a way to show thanksgiving. At least, I hadn’t. But that is an aspect of fasting, a way to approach the Lord and let Him know the depth of the feelings of our heart.

That’s one facet of fasting. Isaiah gives us another in the 58th chapter of Isaiah in the Old Testament. He tells us “And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” (Isaiah 58:8, 9). One of the main purposes of fasting is to provide for those in need. That’s pretty well known and understood. But when we’re doing that the blessings go further. When we are using our fast to care for those in need the Lord blesses us with knowledge. Fasting is a key to revelation. Knowledge of the things of the Lord, which is what we sometimes call the mysteries of God, will flow to us like a spring of water.

While I started out talking about the record of wars, what I really wanted to say was about fasting. That’s what has been on my mind the last little while. Because I am diabetic I can’t really fast like we think of as the proper way to fast. Because of the medicine I take to help my body use sugar the way a healthy body does, I have to eat on a regular basis to keep my blood sugar from going too low. If I don’t it can have serious consequences. So I don’t have the option of skipping meals for anywhere near a normal fast of 24 hours. But the more I learn about fasting the greater the power I discover there is in it. So I look for ways that I can still tap into that source of power the Lord has given us. I won’t go into detail, suffice it to say that I have come to learn that when we sincerely try to avail ourselves of the blessings of the Lord, He looks past our inabilities to our heart and the blessings are still available. Anyone can do this with any blessing the Lord has promised us in connection with any commandment He has given us.

A New Experience

Blaubeere came over tonight with her two boys. That's always fun.  Brombeere had gone to the store and found that one of the local stores was having a promotional, showing little kids how to fish.  So she called Blaubeere and they went.  Turned out to be a pretty good deal.  And because they were one of the last ones to leave the folks at the store gave them a  whole bunch of stuff, including a beginner's fishing pole, two life kids sized jackets and a few other, smaller fishing stuff; lures, and a grab-bag of stuff.  So they were all set.

The plan originally had been for them to come over and get the kayak out. But the weather was looking a little stormy so we cancelled that idea early one. Now with the fishing stuff and a little boy eager to go fishing we decided to do that instead. So we went up to one of the parks o the river and got started.

First Himbeere, the resident expert, got the line all set, bobber, bait and everything.  This is highly technical stuff, an exact science.  After all, fish are wily little critters and it takes science and all to trick them into taking the hook.  So it took several minutes of close consultation and careful work to get ready.

Then they headed over to the pond, which is so loaded with fish you can see them swimming around all over the place.  Lots of other stuff, too.  But plenty of fish.

There is a small foot bridge about halfway up the pond. They fished off the bridge for a while.  Then they went down below the bridge.  Then the little guy went up above the bridge for a while.  Then his Mom came over and he ended up on her lap.  Its nice to have a grown up near by to help with the tangles.  And there were plenty of those.

But in the end, after staying with it for an hour or so and not catching anything, as we decided it was enough for the first trip out, I asked him if he'd had any fun.  "It was awesome!" was the response.  I'll take that as a "yes."

Three at Once

So my three oldest girls, each of who, have married wonderful guys, have done an amazing thing.  All three are expecting at the same time.  Who would have ever thought this would happen!  Heidlebeere first, then Erdbeere and then Blauberre.  Heidlebeere is keeping no secrets; she's expecting a little boy.  Erdbeere is not telling what she'd getting, even though she knows.  She's keeping everyone guessing as to whether its a boy or a girl.  My official guess is a boy but that's just a  guess.  And Blaubeere isn't telling when she's due.  What's up with that?  Course, with her last one she fooled us by having it a couple of weeks earlier than everyone was expecting.  Maybe there's a pattern here.  I dunno.  I just think its amazing that they all three are expecting at once.  This is going to almost double the grandbaby count.  That is also amazing!  I'm officially excited.