Green Eggs and Ham

Green Eggs and Ham had to be one of my favorite books as a child. If I ever had a chance to have someone read it to me, I would take it. The story is pretty simple. The main character spends the whole book trying to convince Sam I Am that he isn't going to try his green eggs and ham. He is given many situations to try it, and he consistently refuses to try it. At the end of the book, he finally tries it just so Sam I Am will leave him alone. Suprisingly he decides that he likes it! He tells about how he will eat it anytime, and anywhere.

I can relate a lot to this, because I have never been a big fan of trying new things. Now lets be honest, green eggs and ham is pretty strange (refer to picture). If I saw any green food, you would have a hard time getting me to touch it. Generally green food means it has been out on the table for WAY too long. So because of things I have heard, ( I haven't ever actually tried moldy green food) I would stay away from the green eggs and ham.

 I think we all have a tendency to stick to the things that we are comfortable with. It is easy to say, "I'm good, I am content with what I have." This is especially easy if we have heard bad things about something. If we don't go out of our comfort zone and try it for ourselves, we may never find out that we are missing something good. We have our own "I AM" trying to get us to listen to him. He gives us the gospel, and asks us to just try it, "Prove me now herewith." He promises that it is good, and if it isn't then we don't have to eat anymore. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is good. It is the best thing that we could ever "try out!"

Awake My Soul

"O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me...My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions... He hath filled me with his love... He hath confounded mine enemies... Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge... And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high... O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions? And why should I yield to sin...? Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.... O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness...O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever!"    -Nephi  (2 Nephi 4 17-34)

Often over the past few months I have thought of this scripture and applied it to my own life. Why do I do the things that I know will not make me happy? Why is it hard to do what the Lord has asked of me? I feel like I can relate with Nephi when he talks about all the great things that the Lord has done for him. All the things that Nephi has learned from the Lord. But despite this, I still am not perfect.

I like towards the end however, where despite his faults, Nephi looks forward with faith and a desire to be better. This is what the Lord wants from us and is asking us to do. Leave behind the things that we have done wrong. Learn from them and trust in the Lord! Jesus Christ lives, and he is our redeemer! I know he is there for us. Herein lies true happiness!

Walking on Water

Most of us have heard the story told in Mattew 14: 25-31. It begins with the Apostles in a boat on a stormy sea, "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

This story shows us how we need to trust in the Lord. We are all in the boat of our beliefs sailing on the stormy waters of the world. The world we sail on can be scary at times, and we feel that we are safest in our "boat". At some point in our journey through life, Christ will come to us. We may not recognize him at first, just as the Apostles didn't. In order for us to know for sure that it is him, he will ask us to take a step of faith and come to him. We have to allow him to change our ideas.

As long as we trust in the Lord, and press forward, we will be kept safe. If we take our eyes off Christ and stop trusting him, if we look at what the world says should happen (sink in the water), we will begin to sink.

Sometimes in our journey to follow Christ, we don't see why following a commandment will help us. We think that we need something else. If we trust in the Lord with everything. If we put him and his commandments first, we will be fine. We will walk on the water and be happy and safe! I know this is true from my own experiences. I can see it every day of my life.

Forgotten

I don't know about everyone else, but I think we have all had the experience where a friend or family member tells us about something that happened to you and you can't remember it to save your life! Usually when this happens to me, the person telling me spends some times trying to convince me, and then if I don't remember, they eventually give up.

In first Nephi 7: 9-11 it says, "How is it that ye have not hearkened unto the word of the Lord? How is it that ye have forgotten that ye have seen an angel of the Lord? Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten what great things the Lord hath done for us, in delivering us out of the hands of Laban, and also that we should obtain the record?" In this scripture Nephi is trying to tell his brothers about the amazing things they have experienced, they even saw and angel, but they won't remember.

Quite often I find myself forgetting the things that the Lord has done for me. After a long enough time, they are gone. Thankfully however, we have the Holy Ghost, our "friend" who is remindind us of the things that happened. We don't have to listen to him, and if we don't, he will stop reminding us. I love to think back about the things that have helped me, and I'm grateful for the help of the Holy Ghost in reminding me of my treasured experiences.