Second Grand Opening!!!!

So, here I am again intending to launch the blog....I obviously need the 12 step program to help me end my procrastination....more on that later.

I attended a Addiction Recovery Fireside on Sunday Jan 13 and it was excellent! Anyone in the area who has not attended should definitely put it on their calendar. They are once a month and I have not yet attended one where the speaker wasn't excellent! This past Sunday the speaker was Jack Christianson and his topic was on "Healing the Wounded Soul" Some of the points that stood out to me are:

• Contention and anger make us lose the Spirit. As soon as we lose the Spirit we don't see clearly.
• In Moses Chapter 5 (Pearl of Great Price) Satan speaks to Cain and tempts him. It was pointed out that after Cain slew Abel he said "I am free" (5:33) but just five verses later (5:38) he declares, "my punishment is greater than I can bear". This shows that Satan will promise anything to seal the deal...much like many subcontractors (jk) and then drop you and leave you alone to feel the pain and other emotional/physical consequences of your actions.
• Breaking the word of wisdom smells. If lying or gossiping smelled the church building would stink!

• The Lord gives us trials that we may learn to testify of him with authenticity
• The Lord heals us from the inside out
• You cannot force anything that is spiritual.
• President Faust once said People need massive doses of spiritual oxygen. And then, when asked what more can be done for those struggling with addiction, "get them to hold faster and tighter to the iron rod"
• When we truly get into the scriptures, it begins to get inside us and fill the void.
• We are not bad, we are wounded.
• The weakness that God has given us is our body, our humanity.
• President Faust also said, "the scriptures are the best washing machine for unclean thoughts"
• However dim our life may be, the Lord's has been darker.
• Wounds in the Saviors feet and hands shows that pain happens to eve the pure.

I really appreciated brother Christianson's talk. The overall message was that we are not bad but wounded. That our Savior Jesus Christ has been through more than we can imagine and he knows exactly what we need. His last message was to read the scriptures and to keep reading them. If we feel bad, keep reading them and read them more.

I know that I have gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon this past year. I just read the entire Book of Mormon for the first time this past year. I started out reading just a verse or two. Honestly, I didn't get a lot out of it at first. But as I consistently read the words came alive for me. I began reading a chapter at a time and then two. I can now say that I love the Book of Mormon and crave to read it. This year we are studying the Book of Mormon in church. I know that it was written for this time we live in; To help us avoid the temptations of Satan and know that our Savior Jesus Christ both loves us and continually rallies on our behalf.