Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing…

  Okay, I ‘m catching up on the last few weeks now. These last few weeks has been full of challenges, and also great rewards.
  I caught a cold and was down and out for a few days. I was asked to speak in our Sacrament meeting (church service). Elliot was sick for a while, then Joni caught it too as that cold wandered through our home. One huge blessing I feel from practicing this plan of NOW is that when I don’t accomplish my goal completely, even though I feel a little disappointment in myself, I am still awaking pretty early, studying the Book of Mormon every morning, and drinking a lot of water.
  How awesome is that?
  I can still be happy with myself and have compassion for myself at the same time that I am being stern and reproving myself with sharpness to do better right NOW.

In Bed             10:30 – 1:00  (avg 11:30)
Awake              6:15 – 9:00  (avg 7:10)
Morning Gospel Study    25 min
Exercise        17 min (dumbbells + walk/run)
Water                            3 Glasses


  I was asked to speak in church about having the Holy Spirit with us, and keeping the Spirit with us. I was really scared and nervous to speak in front of so many people (so many = more than 1 or 2), and so many people that know so much more than me on any Spiritual subject. I labored for a few weeks with all the energy I had, for knowledge and guidance to speak on this subject. I wrote a hand full of talks and had twice as many ideas for talks.
  On the Sabbath day that I spoke, I left all my notes and talks and things at home and decided to put my trust in the Lord and pray for the Spirit to speak. After my sweet Mother spoke, we sang a song, and I stood up to the pulpit to talk. I felt very calm and looked out at all the people in my ward (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in my neighborhood), I saw dear friends and people I truly look up to, and really good people that have always been so kind to me and my family. I felt all my fears leave, I felt love enter my heart, words came to me, and I spoke.
  I am so grateful for the love Heavenly Father has for us all. His wisdom is endless! We always hear people speaking or teaching a lesson say that the experience of studying for the assignment has taught them more than they could ever teach from giving the talk or lesson. THIS IS TRUTH! I think in His wisdom, He calls on everyone one at a time to study and learn and to seek after truth given by the Holy Spirit. Therein strengthening our testimonies and love for one another, learning the doctrine of His gospel from Him personally.
  I’m so grateful to have been taught a path to know for certain for ourselves, individually the truth of anything we truly desire to know. The Book of Mormon has taught me this path over and over it is talked about in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon. Moroni 10:3-5. Look it up again. Ponder how merciful the Lord has been from Adam all the way through all the history of the Earth until right now, how he has been merciful to you in your own life. If you are grateful and feel the love of the Savior as you ponder, that is the Holy Spirit speaking love and peace to your heart and mind. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth! And by the Holy Ghost you may know the truth of all things.  And from the Bible: James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
  The main experience I spoke about, in church, happened when I was in the temple earlier that week…
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
  In answer to my prayers, these words came to me as I was sitting in the chapel of the temple. I thought, “What a great scripture to ponder!” and thanked the Lord for this idea, then asked Him to help me expand this thought. I thought, “Okay, let's say this temple that I am sitting in right now is my body. 
The first thing that came to my mind was that everything is bright and clean and healthy. There are many people that serve the Lord by keeping the temples clean.
I then thought of the outside of the temple, it is always very clean and tidy and the inner parts of the temple are not revealed from the outside. It is a very modest house.
In order to enter the temple we need a temple recommend. This question came to my mind, “Do my thoughts need a temple recommend? Or do I allow any thought that comes into my mind to stay and go as it pleases?”
I thought of the baptisms we do for our ancestors and friends. Do I forgive everyone and see everyone as children of God and my literal brothers and sisters? Do I try to help lift there burdens? Do I see the beautiful and good things in them?
Do I have the covenants that the Lord has given to me in constant remembrance, like a song being sung inside of me throughout everyday?
Am I continually pondering the words of life?
Am I always praying?
Am I always holding my wife's hand?
Do I have a celestial room that is bright and pure and quiet? A peaceful place where I can hear and feel the whisperings of the Spirit?
Am I being found true and faithful to the light and knowledge and covenants I have been given?
Am I receiving errands and commandments to accomplish from Heavenly Father everyday?
Do I report back each night having accomplished everything I have been asked to do?
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Does the Spirit of God dwell within me?
Are there places in my temple that the Spirit would be offended by?
These thoughts went on and on as I served in the temple that day. It seems like these symbols could be endless.
  I spoke of other things also, but I wanted to write about this experience.
  This experience has been a light added upon all these promptings I have been given to improve my life NOW. It has helped me to spread out and improve on every aspect of my life and to do a little more. It has especially brought me a greater sense of gratitude and love for my sweetheart. And for our amazing boy. It has also helped solidify my faith in “laying my treasures up in heaven” and trying to purge my life of selfish passions and desires. It has helped me to look upon life as an opportunity to be of service to my fellow brothers and sisters. It is helping me to hold an eternal perspective. I will work to keep it.
 
Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God; D&C 88:119
 
  I am taking this scripture literally since we are the temple of the Holy Ghost. This awakening has started me on this course of cleansing my inner vessel in trying to establish my body as a house of God. I will continue the trek.
  Joni and I (and Eli) have started on this journey to establish our own house too. We have been cleaning 1 area of our house at a time and organizing things so that our house is not a mess and so that it’s easier to clean when it does get messy. I have seen Joni smile a lot more and this makes me very happy. It feels nice to have a clean home.

Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion. D&C 132:8

  I am nowhere near perfect, but I believe that because of the Savior’s sacrifice I can be. I have to work and serve without delay. There is much love to be claimed right now!
   AWAKE!   ARISE!