Guest Posted February 8, 2018 Report Posted February 8, 2018 (edited) I had mentioned before how much the simple things like prayer and scripture study are so very important. But there are also many common things that we do (or don't do so well at) that are also very important. Yet, I've begun to see a lot of people not giving heed to these things. Fasting was brought up recently as a topic. I was just speaking with a friend in Church the other day. He mentioned how hard it is for his entire family to actually do a full 24 hour fast. His 11 y.o. son declared he was done with his fast about 20 minutes after he woke up in the morning. He also said that he didn't know any families that actually do a full 24 hour fast. I told him that we usually do. He was surprised. I was actually surprised that he didn't. His entire family is probably the most active in the ward. Whenever there is any kind of activity, there they are part of the crew running things. I've been in their home. I've seen how they interact with their kids and with each other. I've seen the behavior of their children at their home, our home, and at church. They are really a wonderful family. Their daughter is one that I'd hope my daughters model their lives after. His wife is whom I'd hope my wife would model her life after. As for him, he and I are actually very similar. I'm not as nice as he is. But this got me thinking about how many little things that we may or may not consider all that important that people don't pay much attention to. Keeping the Sabbath Holy is obviously a topic that is being emphasized recently. But how many people just watched the Superbowl on Sunday? Is that breaking the Sabbath? I'm not sure. But it makes me wonder. We're told to read the Ensign every month. We're told to keep a copy of the Conference Ensign and study it for the next 6 months along with scripture study. I personally only know of three families that do that. And only one of them is in my current ward (we're not one of them). True, many others could be reading it and I just don't know. But many people have mentioned to me in casual conversation that they don't. It makes me wonder. What about simple Church activity? I know the brethren have said not to judge others by activity. And I try not to. They all have their own decisions to make for their own reasons. But I heard a recent convert in our ward give her testimony about how clearly she sees the world now that she knows the truth. Quote When we were out doing something really late Saturday night and we're tired in the morning, we don't ask ourselves whether or not we should go to church. No, we're going to get up and go to church. No worrying. No difficult decisions. We know the right thing to do. Man, are they a golden family. I love them to death. The most damaging of the little things, IMNSHO, is to have conversations in the family whenever we see something in the world that may influence our thinking for the worse. When we see a movie that praises the homosexual character while making fun of heterosexuals, what do we think at the end? When we hear a politician talk about helping the poor through legislation/regulation, what do we think of that act? When we hear a teacher says/does something to influence their students, what do we think of that and why? Quote Please don't get me wrong when I tell you that Tom, while being a very nice guy, is the Devil... What do you think the Devil is going to look like if he's around? Come on! Nobody is going to be taken in by a guy with a long, red, pointy tail! What's he gonna sound like? He will be attractive! He'll be nice and helpful. He'll get a job where he influences a great God-fearing nation. He'll never do an evil thing! He'll never deliberately hurt a living thing, at least not seriously. He will just bit by little bit lower our standards where they are important. Just a tiny little bit. Just coax along flash over substance. Just a tiny little bit. And he'll talk about all of us really being salesmen. And he'll get all the great women. -- Aaron Altman; Broadcast News It's the little things that will make us or break us. Quote Advantage comes not from the spectacular or the technical. Advantage comes from a persistent seeking of the mundane edge. -- Tom Peters; A Passion for Excellence Edited February 8, 2018 by Guest Quote
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