Week 47

 

April 5, 2023

This week was a really good week. Especially since Sunday. Since about January I've felt like I've been lacking something very important. Even though I've been working hard there was just something missing. Well after hearing the two talks from General Conference about Patriarchal Blessings, I decided to really study mine. So Saturday night I did some studying and I did some fasting on Sunday as well.

God answers prayers. Not always in the time we want, and often we have to show what we're willing to give for the answers, and in the process, He strengthens and prepares us to receive, not the answer we want, but the answer we need, exactly when we need it.

I received a lot of needed guidance, and God helped me to recognize some of the things I needed to work on, as well as some challenges and responsibilities to prepare for. I believe I'll be seeing some changes in my personal experience here in the mission pretty soon.

I've been really focusing on having a close and constantly open communication with God recently, and it's been very enlightening. Every night, I'll go to a quiet and separate area to pray aloud. Rather than speak in a prayer format, and just talk with my Father. I try to imagine Him close by as I speak, and most importantly, I've learned to listen. Prayer is a 2-way communication. After I express some of my feelings, I listen. God places ideas, thoughts, and feelings in my mind and heart. I've learned what it means to ALWAYS have His spirit to be with me. Any moment I can pause what I'm doing and feel that He is with me.

I've also started to notice recently the difference between when Father, Christ, or the Spirit is communicating with me, and their separate roles in helping me along my way. It's not something I actively try to study or look for, because frankly, that's not a topic or concept that's ever been brought up, nor taught to me. But when I'm actively searching for guidance, there are times when I can feel their distinct presence, because each of them is a different person, with a personal relation to me, each with a different role and purpose for communicating with me. Just something interesting I wanted to share.

I also noticed a large change in myself these past few weeks, especially these past few days since General Conference.

To summarize: I know God lives. I've never seen Him; like the wind, we can't see it. But we can see how it affects our environment, and more importantly, we can feel it. God is a real person. He's not some foreign conceptestrangedd from us, rather, He is our Father. He's placed us here for a purpose that we don't remember. His greatest desire is that we learn of Him, His Glory, His Nature, His creations, of which we are. We are created in His image. Look around at the Earth around you. Everything testifies of Him. He wants us to learn, the good and the bad, for without both, we could not know of one or the other. He desires that we come to know of His love for us. It is tremendous, Infinite, and perfect. He wishes dearly that we'd talk to Him, walk with Him, learn of Him and His love. Often times we're too short sighted to see the whole plan, and we fall into complaint, blaming, giving of excuses, loss of hope, indifference, etc. "Man is that he might have joy." Take a moment, breath, live, search for the beauty that is life. Take the time to talk to Father. He misses you. He loves you. He wants to help you, be with you. The more you give your life to Him, the more life you will really come to have.

I so testify, both in the Earth and Heavens above, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

~Elder Owens


I tried to play soccer barefoot.


Cicada in the tree, it's the size of the drawing on my hand.

 

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