A Lesson on Jesus

Last week in Primary I was supposed to share a lesson with my 6 year olds about how "Jesus Said to Love Everyone".  Rather than drone on about stories that my class has historically not enjoyed, of late I have ended up winging the lesson.  Not to put the parents into a state of worry, let me clarify.  We certainly study the scriptures and learn of God, but not in the recommended fashion.  See, we actually open up the scriptures, and devote most of the class to direct scripture.  Yes, they are only six.  But they seem to love it a lot more than the stories in the pink manual that really don't edify.

This past week we focused on this verse:

"And behold, I am the light and the life of the world..."

taken from 3 Nephi 11:11.  (Angel numbers there.)

Does Jesus mess around, when he talks?  Does he insert twists and half truths, or is it ALL truth?

I reaffirmed in this class that Christ is God, the source of ALL truth.  We discussed what LIGHT is.  What is light?

We turned off the lights.  We turned them on again.  We talked about the sun, and how the earth circles around it.  We talked about how without the sun, there would be no life.  The plants would not grow, for without the sun, photosynthesis would not take place.  (Ok, didn't use that big word!)  Gardens would not grow, we would not see one another.  We talked about the darkness that preceded Christ's visit to these people, and how after all the destruction, the tempests, the whirlwinds, the earthquakes, the cities being raised up and buried by ocean waters, how there was NO light for three days.  The light and the life of the world was removed, symbolically and literally.  Three days of utter and complete darkness.  I wonder if the Holy Spirit was permitted to remain with those righteous, or if all influence of God departed.  There was certainly a great amount of weeping and wailing.

Think about it.  Electricity is energy.  The sun emits energy, constantly.  Without the sun's radiance, we would have no life.  No purity, no cleansing, no fire.  The breath we take, every moment, every unconscious, unthinking second, every breath comes from God.  Christ is the center of it all.  Without him, we have no life.  He is within us, and without our spirit's connection to his, we would be nothing, for when his influence on our body leaves, it is left but a carcass.  Christ is the life of the world.

It was a very enlightening class.  I was touched to hear one of the children's mothers report on Facebook that her son (in my class) was excited to see a bright light in the sky and thought it was Jesus coming.  I always wonder the same, and wonder when it'll happen.  Hoping I'm ready, but realizing that I'm not there yet.  Thank Jesus for an atonement.

~Jen<3

Spirit Sensitivity

Dear Daniel,

I'm DONE!!!  Today I took my final examination required to become a massage therapist.  When I began this blog over a year and a half ago (?), I never expected that this "major shift" would turn me into a massage therapist!  But here we are, and I'm almost done.  In a few days you'll have your mommy completely home again, and we can make as many messes as we want.

(Thank you for the beautiful flowers! xoxo!)

I've missed getting to spend my days with you and Austin.  Sure, the older ones were at school all day, and mostly I'd be here for them.  I hope you and your siblings weren't traumatized by hanging out with your pappy and daddy half the days.  I know lots of people do that situation, where the mom just isn't able to be in the home.  But this decision felt hard for me, despite its rightness, because it didn't make sense in so many ways.  I remember worrying to one of my classmates, saying those exact "I hope my boys aren't traumatized" words.  She said to me, "They'll be just fine!"  Hopefully time proves her right. You seem to be just fine.

There's a magical discovery that happened during these months of school.  There is a power in our bodies that few of us realize, and it is the power of one's spirit.  Generally we neglect, and many even deny, that such a thing is there.  But when we die, it is our ever-living spirit which carries on, while our bodies return to the ground from whence we are told they came.  In practicing massage, I have learned to greater feel my own spirit, and the literal impact it can have on the spirits of others.

I remember several years ago, not quite understanding why my own spirit seemed so unique.  Some situations bothered me more than they would bother the average person.  WaWa always said that I needed to "toughen up" my skin, and not be so sensitive.  At times she's right, but I'm observing that it is my sensitive skin that is in fact a gift.  I don't need to necessarily please other people, or worry about holding up my pride.  It doesn't matter if I'm the only one to ever apologize for doing something wrong, while the other party feels their pride in "being right".  It'll work itself out.  I trust that being sensitive and impacted by the spirits and energies of others is part of who I am, and part of the gifts that God has given me.

Perhaps this might not be that insightful for you, and perhaps it will be.  Some people take offense at things that should not be taken offense at, and it will be up to you to forgive them, and not let their negative spirits cut into your beautiful, sensitive spirit.  You seem to be as easily affected by others' energies as I am, so will warn you that this can hurt, when you are unprepared.  But get prepared.  Take care of your body, and show it respect, so that you appreciate and protect the gift that is inherent in you, as it is in me.

You are my sunshine...

I'm so glad I get to spend more time with you.  It is the biggest relief, to know that I can now be home with you each and every day if I want to.  I hope that with accomplishing this remarkable goal, it will bless your life as you grow.  It certainly has awakened a power I never knew existed.

xoxoxoxo
~Mom<3

Genuinity

About a year ago, I learned from a mentor about the notion that we send signals to people that they "hear" before we ever say a word to them.  It's so true.  Do you ever notice certain phrases we say, without ever thinking of it, that are linked to this principle?  Two examples:

• A dark cloud followed him everywhere he went.
• Her excitement was contagious.

Does that mean literally that a dark cloud follows someone?  Like a cartoon?  Or that her excitement was contagious as a bacterial strain is - just by being in the room, people automatically lose all their boredom and are infected with excitement? 

Often people across the country will have a "feeling" that a loved one needs a phone call, an email, or some other uplifting communication.  These are the channels through with unseen yet present energy works. 

In the last month, I've paid particular attention to the idea of genuinity.  I'm not sure what has drawn my attention to this, but perhaps it's the feeling I get energetically.  It seems to me that there are a lot of "fakes" – people pretending to be something they're not.  A few examples.

Some people I know pretend to be wholly spiritual.  They walk the walk, preach how everyone is to be, but when it comes down to living the faith, they do everything but live it.  To bring it "full circle", they tend to have a way of judging others when they falter, not seeing the hypocrisy in themselves.  Are they genuine?
 
Others pretend to be quite friendly.  They make a good congenial appearance, but behind closed doors, they are excellent at throwing others under the bus.  This is a tough one for me, because of wanting to feel like I fit in.  It's as if disparaging someone else when they're not present somehow elevates me in the eyes of the one I'm communicating with, who was perhaps offended by the person now under the bus.  We often use the term "validation" to excuse this behavior.  Does that make it right?  Does that make me genuine? 

Some people pretend to be rough and tough, but beneath it all they are gentle and kind.  Is this genuine?  Is there integrity in putting forth an act that might not be true?  Is that genuine?

Does everyone live an act?  Do we all feed our ego (aka "personality"), trying to maintain the persona that we work so hard to put forth? 

It seems to me that regardless of our common weaknesses, I really prefer honesty in presentation.  If you're a snob, I tend to think I'd like to know it at first junction, so I don't bother exposing my open book personality to your energetic, verbal, and visual darts.  If you're kind and giving, I'm sure your reputation would precede you, and the 6 degrees of separation (which supposedly connect all of us) would get you to my attention before your physical body ever would in person.  Either way, regardless of anything that is said, more and more I notice it's not that hard to tell if someone is genuine in what they put forth. 

So be careful.  People like me are picking up messages that you may not even know you're sending. ;)