The Apprentice

I am a child of God, but I am an adult child of God. The method is modeling, the goal is independence.

Being Sent

A suggestion in conference was to "say in prayer to Heavenly Father, 'here I am, send me.' Then listen."

I've always been afraid to do that, fearing that he would send me to Equatorial Guinea without purse or scrip, But when I listened, He told me that He is sending me where I am already going to be kind to someone who needs kindness, and that He would let me know who it was that needed it.

This... I can do.

Purpose and Confidence

What would happen if I started each day feeling purposeful and confident?

RTFM

Are you happy?

Did you read the instruction manual?

Don't Negotiate with Terrorists

Endurance athlete David Dack on running (and life):

"No one tells you running is 10 percent cardio and 90 percent negotiating with the voice begging you to quit."

Note: substitute any good thing you do for "running".

Mortal and Finite Love

The currency of love is time.

Being mortal and finite, it's not possible for me to love everyone.

Jesus walked by hundreds of people every day without stopping.

I am not expected to outdo the Savior.

We are not commanded to love everyone. We're commanded to love our neighbor. 

My neighbor is the person in front of me. I don't need to go looking for him.

Proof of Learning

I haven't really learned something unless what I've learned changes me.

-Sr Bednarek 

Put Something Down

"The problem with keeping your options open is that every option requires energy to hold. And a shelf full of maybes is often heavier than a hand holding one yes. Put something down."

-James Clear 

How Would the Savior Minister unto Me?

Slowly, with patience, without judgment, and filled with peace that fills me too.

Murmuring

"Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord."

Exodus 16:8

He's never trying to hurt me, and doesn't deserve murmuring 

Slow Peace

The key to peace is slowing down.

Normally I'm on edge and in a hurry.

Which doesn't invite peace. It doesn't work.

If what I'm doing doesn't work, I need to try something else. Anything else. Because this isn't working.

I'll try slowing down and see if that works.

Feelings: Keep or Toss

All feelings are telling me something. After I recognize what a feeling means, I can choose to keep it or to focus on something else to bring up a feeling I'd prefer to experience. He will help me if I ask.

Be Present Now; Invite Peace

I feel afraid a lot. I need to check for time travel. Am I projecting future disaster? Am I reliving something unchangeable, agonizing over wanted to go back and change? The answer is always: come back to the present and invite His peace.

There's Really No Other Reason

 The reason I spend time with God is so that I can feel good.

Love God Love Others

I am to love all of reality and existence as it is right now. I can plan to change it, but I can't make my love conditional upon that change coming to pass. 

Love of what is as it is, is loving God.

Kill Fear

"Only attempting more will reduce fear."

- James Clear 

Power of Prayer

"Prayer transforms the quality of our action"

-Lisa Wang

What a Handshake Means

A handshake is how Men of Honor show respect one another.

It should be brief, warm, and dignified.

The grip should be firm, but not painful. The message is "this strong hand would be honored to serve alongside you."

In shaking hands with a woman, the message is "this strong hand would be honored to protect you".

On Peace

Worship means finding peace.

Savior says "just be peaceful like me".

I should act like a man who is feeling His peace.

To Murder Frustration

The hardest part of emotional management is heading off frustration. When something is simple and should be so easy and go off without a single hitch, but hitches arise unexpectedly, and I think "I should be done with this by now, and I am not." 

This feels like a deliberate attack from an enemy. It feels life threatening. I feel anger welling up in response.

I want to train myself to say "Huh..." and slow down.

It's hard