Cleave

My wireless adapter on my laptop is broken, so I can't blog whenever I have the time to anymore.  I have to go up to campus and use a computer lab, and I feel strange looking up scriptures around a bunch of other students (don't worry, I'm working on my comfort levels of displaying my beliefs in public).

But I would like to say that I've finished the D&C and everything that comes after it.  The only standard work I haven't read cover to cover now is the New Testament, and I'm already a bit into it.

My thought for the day is this: If you die before you read all of the standard works, would you be comfortable?  I do not want anyone to point to me and say, "You didn't even read the scriptures. How can you feel worthy to abide in the Celestial Kingdom?"

Because I haven't, and I don't feel worthy.  I don't think I will ever feel worthy, but I can do all in my power to get as close as I can.  Part of that is doing my best to read all of the scriptures and listen to the prophets.  After all, if I sincerely do my very best, over time my best will become better, and Christ will help me meet the requirements of an Eternal, Celestial life.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

People say that reading your scriptures (and praying) is like putting on the armor of God.  Keeping this in mind, someone (I don't know who) made the argument:

"Why would I put on the armor of God right before I go to sleep?"

This has helped inspire many people to do their scripture studies (and personal prayers) in the morning.  It makes sense.  Start the day with God and continue the day with God.

However, I still maintain studying scriptures before I go to bed.

I pray in the morning.  Sometimes I read in the morning, but it's not a dependable part of my schedule.  My daily reading happens before I go to bed.  Yes, I love sleep and getting to bed earlier would be nice--so why don't I just go to bed at night and read in the morning?

Put aside the assumption that I don't like to wake up early (you're right, but that's not the reason I read before sleeping).

I like to reflect on the day and look for things I need help with, things I'm greatful for, how well I'm meeting my goals, how much I've incorporated the gospel into my life, etc..

I know that I can still reflect on these things in the morning, but in the morning, yesterday doesn't seem quite as fresh, and I tend to have a time limit on how long I can study and reflect on the things I need.  Eventually, I have to leave the house.

I appreciate the night because no one will disturb me, I've finished everything I need to for the day, so my mind doesn't wander as much, and I can take as much time as I need.  I might not face trials at bedtime like I do during the day, but it's not like I forget what I studied the night before as soon as I wake up.  If I go to sleep in my armor, I can wake up prepared for battle.  And it's not as if the armor is uncomfortable.  That armor is one of the best things to go to sleep in.

Studying and reflecting in the morning isn't bad--whatever works for you works for you.  But nightspirituality isn't any less than morning spirituality.  Whatever works for you works for you.

Choose to Cleave.

*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

Stick with me on this one.  It might not seem entirely gospel linked for the first part.

One of my favorite shows is Super Nanny.  Not favorite as in I actively watch every new episode--favorite as in when I'm flipping through the channels, I will stop on it.  I love watching shows that teach "wild" kids manners and crucial social skills.  I like Super Nanny because Jo (the nanny) uses principles that I believe in.  She knows that children want attention and freedom, but they also need structure.  She teaches parents discipline techniques that don't harm the children, that help them learn lessons, and that aren't too straining on parents.

The other day I was watching and Jo was coaching a dad about discipline.  She said something along the lines of "when they say 'discipline with sharpness,' they don't mean you have to be scary.  They use the word 'sharp' in the way that it's effective and wisely timed.  And after you're done, always show them that you love them, because your love should be the motivation behind changing their behavior, not fear."  When I heard this, I thought of one of my favorite quotes:

"The sword can be used to slash or it can be used to merely point."

I've always liked the thought of using the sword as a sort of laser pen rather than a weapon.

Then I came across this scripture in D&C:

"Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou has reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;" (121:43).

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Nanny Jo is a Mormon and she doesn't even know it!

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

From Elder Maxwell in this month's Ensign:

"God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go."

I read that yesterday, and I can't get it out of my head, so I figure I should post it for other people to read as well.  In fact, you should read the entire article here.  It really is great.

I just want to say that sometimes I get caught up in regret and wishing that I was a different person, that I was my absolute best already.  But this article, this quote, has helped me feel peace about the things in my past that I have repented of and instilled a deeper understanding that right now, I'm the best that I can be at this moment, and with God's help, my best can improve.  I realized that I will never be perfect in this life, so I will most likely never feel as if I measure up to who I want to be, because I will always want to be better. And then I remembered what my mom said to me growing up: "He only expects your best, and your best changes from day to day."  I just hope that my best increases day to day.

It's strange. Whenever I focus on this principle, it seems that I find more and more ways to make little changes without much effort.  I discover ways of viewing the world that helps me make good choices, and my eyes are carefully and kindly opened as to ways I can refine myself. It's like my cup (in this case figurative of my potential) is half-full, and I'm getting a little more every day, and if I look hard enough, I can see that each drop is making my cup fuller.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving
*Photo: reference

"The Garden [does] for Easter what The Forgotten Carols has done for Christmas..."

To understand that statement (from an item description of The Garden soundtrack), I will briefly explain what the Forgotten Carols are for those of you who do not know:

The Forgotten Carols is a musical written and composed by Michael McClean.  It's about a nurse who has nothing better to do on Christmas so she takes care of an old man (assisted living or whatever).  This old man is perceived as going crazy as he ages, and he tells her stories about ornaments on his Christmas tree, each of them representing "forgotten" moments and characters in the story of Christmas.  There's a song about an infertile woman who gets the chance to hold Mary's baby.  A song about Joseph, saying that he could never consider himself a father of the Christ child because he learned more from the child than he could ever hope to teach as a father.  There's a song about a wise man left behind because he was sleeping, one who is left to imagine what it would've been like to see the Baby in a manger.  There's a song pleading everyone to let Christ into their Inns.  It's amazing.

So, what The Forgotten Carols is to Christmas, The Garden is to Easter.  The Garden is a musical by the same artist and it is simply amazing.  I've listened to it since I was a child.  I would duet with my mothers and sisters.  I was listening to it today and one of my dear roommates looked at me a little funny because she has never heard of it.

I wholeheartedly recommend this musical, and The Forgotten Carols, to anyone who is in the least bit interested in a good natured album of music.  It has helped me learn things about the Atonement, about myself, and about my relationship with Heavenly Father, Christ, and the Prophets.  I could never write anything beautiful enough to explain just how wonderful it is.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

"For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be gloried in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace"(D&C 93:20).

I just have two thoughts on this, the second of them stemming from my interest in spelling.  First thought: the last sentence seemed italicized when I read it in the scriptures (not really slanted, but it seemed different and stood out somehow).  "...you shall receive grace for grace."

You know that eye for an eye rule?  I looked at "grace for grace" that way.  If you do your best to live with grace, act with grace, think with grace....whatever it is you can do with grace, if you give it, you will receive it.  Simple enough, right?  But I love that sentence.  I feel like those few words contain chapters of meaning, meaning that isn't expressed in words, but felt and observed and reflected on.

Second thought: "fulness" is spelled like it is the ending of a word, -fulness, that generally implies the quality of being full of something.  Like thankfulness, helpfulness, sorrowfulness...there are a lot of -fulness words.  I know that these scriptures were written a long time ago and fulness is most likely an alternative spelling of fullness, but isn't it interesting to think that the promise in the scriptures refers to us receiving the qualities of God?  Because isn't that what we're really striving for?  We are children of a god, and children have the inherent right within their very genetics to become as their parents are. We are like flower buds.  We are cute when we are so little, but we are beautiful when we are done blossoming.  Buds aren't meant to stay buds (unless we are talking about buds as in buddies--friends can stay buds). I hope to receive the -fulness of my Heavenly Father.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

I have a system worked out for this blog: read, highlight, then post about what I highlighted.  I'm pretty good at steps one and two...so now I have quite a few highlighted areas in my scriptures to catch up on.

D&C 88:78 says "Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand."

I was really excited about the promise in this scripture, and it stuck in my head until I started thinking that one of the differences between the great teachers and the so-so teachers might be diligence.  I know that most teachers try to make their classes good ones, but sometimes trying doesn't seem to cut it.  There must be a difference between trying and diligence.  So I looked up the meaning of diligence. The definition I found has 3 parts:

1. Conscientious in paying proper attention to a task; giving the degree of care required in a situation
2. Persevering determination to accomplish a task
3. Application; a diligent effort--"It is a job requiring serious application."

So I think teaching is a "job requiring serious application," which means we can't settle ourselves in with excuses of "I'm too busy," and "It won't be hard."  It is a job that requires a degree of attention and care in order to succeed, which means that we can't just read through a lesson and be prepared because we "know" what it is about.  And teaching a great lesson doesn't include a one-time performance.  There must be a "persevering determination."  Persevering implies that there is time passing in which the determination doesn't fail.  I take this to mean that from week to week, you never lose the desire to teach well, and you don't stop looking for ways to prepare yourself.

Teaching is important, and teachers who apply themselves with diligence can be blessed with the knowledge of that which is expedient for them to understand.  I also know that teaching will bless them in other countless ways.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

D&C 89:15: "...study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people."

In the past, I've had discussions with people regarding scriptures and how they help me become a better person.  Sometimes I've expressed interest in reading things from other religions, maybe some Buddhist stuff, to see what kind of things they can teach me about being a better person.  Some people encouraged me, some people laughed, and there were some people who freaked out a little and asked if I was okay and if my testimony was strong and if I was looking to convert to something else.  It was funny because they were so puzzled.  They couldn't understand that I would want to read something for another religion without being interested in actually converting to that religion.

I just wanted to make note of this scripture as I came across it, because we've been told to seek out the good books of the world.  Just because they are from a different religion doesn't mean they won't benefit us.  Not saying to go join another Church because they have something right. I believe most if not all religions have some truth and goodness in them, otherwise they wouldn't have followers.  But we've got the truth all put together here.  As we learn more about the gospel, we learn more about how the puzzle pieces fit together.  And as we learn more of the good things the world has to offer, the easier that puzzle will be to solve.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

I have been reading but not blogging.  I apologize.  I might make several posts in the same day, but that doesn't mean anyone should feel obligated to read them all.  Remember, my first priority is to document my own thoughts about what I study so that I actually learn something and so that I don't forget what I learn.  I don't expect you to read everything, whoever it is that you are.

D&C 88 talks about the varying degrees of kingdoms and such, but when I read verses 44-45, I thought of it in a little different way than I think most people have thought of it.

"And they give light to each other in their times and in their seasons, in their minutes, in their hours, in their days..."(44). "The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun giveth his light by day, and the moon giveth her light by night, and the stars also give their light, as they roll upon their wings in their glory, in the midst of the power of God"(45).

Okay, so here's what I thought about this passage regarding the cosmos:

The "They" in verse 44 represents us, God's children, and the "light" we give to each other is our service, our friendship and love, the gospel...you know, all that good wholesome stuff that light represents.  So 44 says that we brighten each other at various times throughout our lives.  In 45, it says all of us (we are the earth, sun, moon, stars) are going about our lives (the rolling of the earth is the turning of the earth, and that's what the earth does, it turns.  what we do is live our lives), and as we go about our lives, we give light at different points of time for each other.

Or another way to interpret it along the same lines: the earth doesn't really shine, so imagine you are the earth, and there are all these different factors of the gospel that are continually present, but for some reason, specific parts of the gospel seem to shine brighter at certain points in your life.

Either way, I think there's more to these scriptures than just the shallow interpretation that the sun, moon, and stars shine at different times.  I see a lot of symbolism there regarding the light we give and receive.  I'm sure there's even more, but I don't want to make this any longer.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

"The shepherd and his flock have been ever-present symbols of the Lord and the people of His pasture.  The ancient role of a shepherd was much more than an assignment to herd sheep.  The shepherd loved his sheep, he knew them, named them, provided for and protected them.  In return, the sheep responded to their shepherd and recognized his voice.  His call alone could bring them back from their wanderings in unfamiliar paths.  If lambs were lost, he sought them out and brought them back to the fold.  Those who hear the Master's call and then seek to follow His path will find Him and there enjoy contentment and safety at His feet"("Lost No More" Item Description at The Original Greg Olsen Art Gallery).

My home teachers last school year gave me a postcard with this picture because last year, my testimony grew faster and larger than it had ever grown in my life.  I've grown up in the Church, but it was easy for me to just ride along with everyone else and trust what people were teaching me.  Last year, I really began believing it.  I watched as my roommates read the scriptures on their own, not just because they had to, but they looked really into it.  And I heard about how long my one of my roommate's personal prayers always were.  I wanted that.  I wanted to look forward to scripture study and to be lost in prayer.  So I read the Book of Mormon cover to cover and for the first time, I really paid attention to what I was reading.  It was an amazing experience, and I still get something new out of the Book of Mormon each time I open it.  That book was a way that I was brought back into the Lord's presence.  Not that I ever entirely left it--I just hung out on the edges of the herd most of the time.  And now one of the thoughts that most often runs through my head is "What should I read today?"

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

Doctrine and Covenants 82 is a great chapter.  I knew it was going to be a great read from the very first verse:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, my servants, that inasmuch as you have forgiven one another your trespasses, even so I, the Lord, forgive you."

How many times have I read this verse and heard this verse in Church?!  Right, a lot.  But this time for some reason, something completely jumped off of the page and bit me in the nose.  Lately I've been thinking about how we are our own worst critics, how we forgive our family and friends so much more easily than we forgive ourselves.  But lo and behold!  This verse offers comfort!

I've always heard this verse interpreted as we must forgive each other in order to be forgiven.  Today, I interpret it a different way.  I see that even as I readily forgive my family and friends, and even strangers, the Lord readily forgives me.

That doesn't mean he'll forgive me just like that (you didn't see it, but I just snapped my fingers on the word "that").  At the beginning of this verse, the Lord addresses His servants.  That means this applies to people who are striving to live in accordance to the Lord's will, the people who try to obey the word of God.  So yeah, you have to put forth some effort in order to change (by the power of the Atonement in order) to be forgiven, but the Lord is willing to forgive you, even as you are willing to forgive a family member or a friend who has done something wrong, feels bad, and who wants to fix it.  When you know they are sorry for what they have done, isn't it natural to forgive those who you love?  The Lord loves us, and He forgives us our trespasses.  Believe this.  It's an important concept to grasp, or He wouldn't say "verily" twice in this verse.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

"The beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it pours knowledge into our souls and shows things in their true light. With that enhanced perspective, we can discern more clearly the choices before us and their consequences. We can, therefore, make more intelligent use of our agency. Many of God’s children fall into unanticipated traps and unhappiness because they either lack or ignore gospel light. They are unaware of their options or are confused about the outcomes of their choices. Ignorance effectively limits their agency"(D. Todd Christofferson, "Moral Agency," Ensign, Jun 2009).

I know that most of my problems in life are my fault--I've been ignorant of something the gospel teaches, or I've ignored what I've learned.  Strange how ignorance and ignore use the same root, isn't it?  Just like the saying money is the root of all evil, maybe ignor is the root of all problems.  I've been looking up what ignor or ig might mean in Latin, but that is my assumption that the Latin language holds the answers.  I couldn't find this word, but the word ignorance is based on the word ignore, so I know the history of this word will be interesting if I can figure it out.  I will have to ask my linguistics professor from last year if he knows anything about it.

The point is, though, that I think ignor is the root of our problems, and the simple answer to fighting ignor is to become educated, to study the gospel and be educated in the world.  But that isn't simple.  You can't just expose yourself to the answers.  You have to study them out in your mind and think about how to apply them.   If you don't apply them, you'll forget, and that's just as bad as being ignorant or ignoring what you know.  If you can't read the stop sign, that doesn't mean you'll be safe not obeying it.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

Tomorrow is my last day in my Doctrines of the Gospel institute class.  For a while, I was really sad about this, but then I got a picture stuck in my head right before I went to sleep, so here I am blogging at an insane hour.

I usually dread the last of anything.  The last bite of a cookie is a simple example.  The last night I spent at my apartment last school year with all of my roommates.  The last hug from my mom before we both return to our homes in different states.

But then I remembered the phrase we hear so often at church: "The Last Dispensation."  I don't dread the end of this dispensation.  I try my best to be prepared for it, and sometimes I get worried that I won't be my best by the time the end comes, but I don't dread it because I know it's just a beginning of something magnificent.

Most of the time, things don't end.  Not the good things anyway.  And the end doesn't have to be bad.  It's like climbing stairs.  Getting to the last step means getting on with what you really need to be doing.  And if this institute class is a set of stairs, I'm glad I climbed them, and I can't wait to see what's on this floor.  Hopefully it's as enjoyable as Doctrines of the Gospel.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

President Monson was talking about gardening, and he taught a really good gospel principle with it:

"Self-reliance is a product of our work and undergirds all other welfare practices.  It is an essential element in our spiritual as well as our temporal well-being"("In the Morning Sow Thy Seed," Ensign, Jun 2009, 40-43).

I've already discussed what I think about welfare a bit.  Right now I just want to say that a lot of us forget that we have to be spiritually self-reliant, too.  We have to be strong in ourselves and use that strength to carry forward through life by choosing the right and looking for ways to improve ourselves and our surroundings.  We need to depend on ourselves to read the scriptures and ponder what we learn from them and what we learn in Church.  We need to strengthen ourselves in our ability to feed our spirit.  We need to know where to look and who to call on when we need help coming out of the darkness.  Once we have established our self-reliance, we will be able to and desire to help others become self-reliant as well.  We need to have a garden of spiritual veggies and fruits.  That was my thought today.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

"In most of the world, we have been experiencing an extended and devastating economic recession.  It was brought on by multiple causes, but one of the major causes was widespread dishonest and unethical conduct, particularly in the U.S. housing and financial markets.  Reactions have focused on enacting more and stronger regulation.  Perhaps that may dissuade some from unprincipled conduct, but others will simply get more creative in their circumvention.  There could never be enough rules so finely crafted as to anticipate and cover every situation, and even if there were, enforcement would be impossibly expensive and burdensome.  This approach leads to diminished freedom for everyone.  In the memorable phrase of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, We would not accept the yoke of Christ; so now we must tremble at the yoke of Caesar.

"Our increased reliance on laws to regulate behavior is a measure of how uncivilized we've become" (D. Todd Christofferson, "Moral Discipline," Ensign, Nov 2009, 105-8).

I think that just about says it.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

Let me quote Proverbs 29:7 before I say what I thought about it.  It's a short one, but it says more than what its length implies:

"The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it."

I'm looking at one word: cause.  The righteous are considering the reason people are poor.  Once the righteous identify the cause, they can eliminate the effect, they can make the poor people not poor anymore.  We can't just give people fish, we have to teach them how to fish, and if they already know how to fish, we then don't you think we should give them a rod?  They can figure the rest out from there.  I believe in helping the poor not just by giving to them, but by helping them become self-sufficient, self-dependent.

The wicked don't look for the cause of poverty.  If they aren't stirred by the Lord's words in Matthew 25, "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," then maybe they should continue reading the chapter to discover another verse: "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me"(v 40, 45, italics added). Personally, I'd be more worried about what I didn't do to the Lord rather than feel content about what I have done for the Lord.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

"...the uninvited enemy called death enters the stage of our mortal existence and snatches from our grasp a loving husband or precious wife and frequently, in the young exuberance of life, our children and grandchildren.  Death shows no mercy.  Death is no respecter of persons, but in its insidious way, it visits all.  At times, it is after long-suffering and is a blessing while in other instances, those int he prime of life are taken by its grasp" (Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Nov 1994, 68).

This quote stood out while I was reading this talk because my great-grandmother recently passed on, and it was really a blessing because she was suffering for a while.  I've been focusing on the blessing part of it, but death is still death, so it's not an entirely happy blessing, if that even makes sense.

For now, I am very thankful that I am not a parent and I have not had the terrible experience of a child dying.  I am also so thankful that I have not lost any of my sisters or precious friends to the grave.  I'm grateful that my parents are all living and well.  I've seen people lose people they love, and I am not looking forward to the grief of losing any more of my loved ones.

I cannot imagine dealing with death if I didn't have the comfort of the gospel.  I cannot imagine how different I would be without knowing the plan of salvation.  What would I think the purpose of life is?  Would I be afraid of my own death?  How would I live and treat people if I didn't think there was something after this?  Would I still feel so strongly about family?  I'm not sure.  Just some questions that came up during my study.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

"Daily simple, sincere, and mighty prayers lift our lives to a higher spiritual altitude.  In our prayers we praise God, give thanks to Him, confess weaknesses, petition needs, and express deep devotion to our Heavenly Father.  As we make this spiritual effort in the name of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, we are endowed with increased inspiration, revelation, and righteousness, which bring the brightness of heaven into our lives"(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Prayer and the Blue Horizon," Ensign, Jun 2009, 4-7).

I think this quote is a good reminder of everything we should be doing while praying.  Also, if you consider that you should be praying always, maybe you don't have to be literally praying, but you could be looking for things to pray about throughout the day.  You can look for things praiseworthy, things you are thankful for, your weaknesses you'd like to overcome, the needs you have, and why you love Heavenly father.  I think that this will help us say prayers daily because we will realize just how much we have to pray about, and it will help our prayers be "sincere and mighty" because we will have been dwelling on our prayers long before we say them.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

Another late night post...I need to change this pattern rather quickly here...

I read half of D&C 76 tonight.  Verse 29 says that Satan makes "war with the saints of God, and encompasseth them round about."

It was a reminder that we are in a war and that we are surrounded by an enemy that is both visible and camouflaged.  If I were a general in an army, and I saw that I was surrounded by legions that outnumbered my army as far as and farther than the eye could see, I would not give up, but I would not delude myself into thinking I would survive the battle.  It would take a miracle.

Luckily, we live in a miraculous period of time, the miracle simply being that we were born where we can receive the Gospel and all the blessings that come with it.  We cannot fight this war alone, and even with the support of other members of the Church, we cannot fight this war alone.  But we are blessed enough to be part of this Church and to know that we have the support of our Father, His Son, the Holy Ghost, and the armies of Heaven, which are about two thirds as large as the forces of Satan.  We are as the army of Helaman.  We are the Lord's Warriors.  The only way we can lose is if we disobey orders, or disobey commandments.  So prepare your armor, ready your sword, and start fighting, for yourself and all the ones you hold dear.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving

Sorry for another late night or early morning post.  Sometimes that happens.  But here's a strange coincidence: the beginning of my day matched the end of my day, and this is a very simple statement to explain.

In institute today, we learned that we are instruments in the hands of the Lord and we need to be in tune in order to be worthy to receive true revelation.  My instructor related us to pianos with the fact that even if an expert pianist were playing an out of tune piano, it still wouldn't sound great.

Just a few moments ago, I was with my roommate/friend correcting some tabs to "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" so that she could learn it and we could play a guitar duet.  Something was wrong with her lowest string, and it took us a while to get it to sound right.  It was because the tuning was off.

But I think we need more than tuning.  We also need practice, or we won't be ready.  My roommate/friend is excellent at picking, and I am not.  Mostly it's because I'm comfortable with strumming, no matter the strumming pattern, but it takes me longer to understand and play a picking pattern.  I know that if I would just stick with it and practice until I developed my skill level a bit further, I could pick as easily as my roommate/friend.

I related that to the gospel too.  If we only serve the Lord in ways that are comfortable to us, we aren't going to learn all of the skills that would make us better instruments in His hands.  It might be awkward at first, but we are here to learn, so we shouldn't worry about making mistakes or being slow.  We should just worry about doing our best for however long it takes for us to master the skills that have been set before us.

So I made a goal to learn a song by picking.  I need to develop the talent of reading tabs and learning picking patterns without being scared or frustrated (too much).  I don't know what song I'll do yet, but I'll pick it by Sunday night.  I'll post what song I've chosen on this blog, so if I forget, give me a hard time.  I don't want to forget about this goal.

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving