*Lord, Save Me*

The first time I saw this painting was 4 months ago when I was at the MTC (Missionary Training Center).  Three weeks before that I had gone to a singles conference in Medford, OR where we went to the temple, had a few workshops to choose from, a service project, and of course dinner and a dance!

One of the classes that I chose was about scripture study and really understanding the doctrine behind the stories in the scriptures. A passage that we focused on during the class was that of Peter walking on water to Christ. Click HERE to read the passage of scripture depicted in this painting.

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 What I find most fascinating is that we are usually quick to judge Peter and think that this story is about him losing his faith. I think I was in that same boat (har har. lame pun NOT intended) until I went to that workshop in Oregon. The instructor asked us to reread verses 31 and 32. Um, how did they get back into the boat? That part of the story is left out! I believe that Peter, after looking up at the Savior and recognizing the need for his direct focus on Him, walked arm and arm back to the ship with Christ.

Think on that a while!

The Parable Project

For the next 6 weeks the missionaries in our zone (all of the missionaries in the Nashville area) are focusing on parables found in the scriptures. I love that Christ taught in parables so the principles He shared would be understood only by those who were searching for truth. Remember when I wrote about ships and how I love the nautical stories in the Bible? Well I'd like to share another parable that I love!

This painting of the parable of the 10 virgins has always inspired me because it holds so much symbolism! One semester in college I took a course called Spirituality in Art where we analyzed symbols in paintings, sculpture, architecture, and music. Go click on that link to learn about the symbolism behind this great painting by Gayla Prince!

Have you read about the 10 virgins before? It is found in Matthew 25. At the time Christ told this parable it would have seemed to the Pharisees that he was just telling a story about some silly bridesmaids that didn't have light on their way to a wedding feast. What I love is that with further understanding and study we find that each one of us is one of those virgins on the path to the Savior. The oil in our lamps is our effort and preparedness. If there isn't enough oil in my lamp I'm not going to be prepared to meet the Savior at the end of my journey!

I'm going to do my best this week to apply the parable of the 10 virgins to my life so I will have oil in my lamp!



Maybe My focus Isn't That Great

I've recently written a post about baptism and I'm already kind of losing steam on the mini-series (why does that always happen??) So click HERE to go back to the post about baptism :)

Some suggestions for scripture study are 2 Nephi 31:4-8 , Matthew 3:13-17 , and Moroni 8:25-26

Faith Is Like A Little Seed

Alright, here we are at post #1. Faith. Something I should know a little bit about considering the title of my blog and my current full time work as a missionary. But then again faith is something that is always changing, growing, and extending! 

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The lessons we teach every day come from a manual called Preach My Gospel. You can go ahead and click on that link and read it yourself if you like. I know that it helps me so much in my scripture study and as I have come to understand basic principles such as faith and prayer my testimony of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has grown to a point I never even knew it could be. Here's a quote from the manual that explains why that is. 

"When we have faith in Christ, we accept and apply His Atonement and His teachings. We trust Him and what He says. We know that He has the power to keep His promises. Heavenly Father blesses those who have faith to obey His Son."

Faith is an action word! Did you notice that about those words in bold? Accept, apply, trust, obey, those are all things that require action on our part! Faith is not just a nice complacent thought, it's acting upon our understanding of God's plan for us! 

In the Book of Mormon there is an excellent parable that is like an equation; try this thing and then you will receive an answer! You can find it in Alma 32:26-36. In these verses the prophet Alma compares the word of God, or the scriptures, to a seed. If scripture study is treated like planting a seed what does that require? When I have gardened in the past it has taken constant daily care to make sure the soil is good, there is enough water, sunlight, no weeds are growing, no bugs are getting to the leaves, it's not exactly like you just thrust a seed into the ground and expect tomatoes or flowers the next day! 

It's the same idea with growing a testimony of the Savior. First you have to just open the scriptures up to get to know what Christ even teaches in the first place! Then application becomes necessary. Try out some teachings! 

Time is short and I have to run. Remember how I said this was going to be a mini series? Well it's going to require some action. Go read that scripture in Alma and when you comment let me know what your plan of action is!

Worth of a Soul

Sister Warwood and I cleaned out the bookshelf in our front room the other day and we found some small cards with pictures of Christ at different points in His ministry. It's interesting to me how depictions of Jesus Christ are so personal. I didn't feel a connection with the represention of Jesus on those cards, but I knew they were nice so I left them on the shelf for someone else to find and enjoy.

This painting, Worth of a Soul by Liz Lemon Swindle is one of my absolute favorite images of Christ. I like it for a few reasons. One is that it is tranquil and calm. There is so much turmoil in the world and I know that the Savior suffered for every pain of every individual. He is there to succor us in our afflictions.  I love how innocent children are, and we are all admonished to become like little children and put off the "natural man" to become like Christ. Mosiah 3:18

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I am also drawn to Byzantine icons of the Savior.  My love for this artwork stemmed from a class I took in college titled Spirituality in Art.  These likenesses of Christ are not intended to soften the heart and do not in any way reflect that "Jesus is my homeboy" attitude (I really don't like that phrase). These illustrations of the Savoir remind me that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God. They bring reverence to Him.

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I know that having representations of Christ in my home and around me in life are essential as reminders to be like Him.  What are some of your favorite portrayals of our Redeemer?