Forgiveness and a Forgotten Birthday

Well, it is April 8th, a significant date if you were waiting for a card on your birthday.

Yesterday was my littlest brother Max's birthday, and I failed to send off the card I got for him.

Don't worry, guilt has embraced my heart, and I will be sending it off this Monday.

This little thing, wishing a Happy Birthday, can mean so much to people. I have very limited contact with my family, and every time it is someone's birthday I mail them a card, usually telling how much I love them, or something like that. Me failing to get my card sent this week, could lead my little brother to think I don't care about him or that I forgot his birthday. Both are untrue. He is my little buddy, and though he probably didn't hear it, I wished him Happy Birthday yesterday.

I think we have all have had events like this in our lives, where we are either on the failing end, or the forgotten end. Whether it is something small like a birthday card, something a little larger like a name. It could even be something even more devastating, a big favor that we promised a friend or a loved one.

To my brother I apologize, I should have gotten it out early, I hope you'll forgive me.

To you who have offended someone, though you didn't mean it, apologize. It will make yours and their lives lighter. To you who have taken offense, forgive. There's nothing else to do. Love helps us realize what is truly important, and helps us get past the flaws and imperfections of those around us. Strive to love those around you, your life will be happy and filled with joy.

Christ was the perfect example of one who forgave. As we approach this Easter season who can forget His merciful words on the cross, to His father in behalf of the very soldiers who nailed his hands to the cross,

"Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do."

May we all follow our Savior's example and forgive, no matter what someone has done to us.

P.S. Happy Birthday Kaylie! (Her birthday is this Sunday...I will be sending you a card on Monday too!)

Field Runners

Alright, so who of you have run through a field? ........Alright I can't see any hands so either no one has ever run through a field, or I am asking a question generally in hopes that someone will read it.

So moving on from that question...When you run in that field, remember those things that get stuck in your socks? Those are burrs. These burrs are carried about with us, sometimes knowingly, sometimes not. We can carry them around with us for miles, or we can carry them a few feet before ridding ourselves of them.

As they cling to the loose threads of our socks, they are actually doing this for survival purposes, they are seeds from a plant, and they are using you to plant them in an additional location from their mother plant. Ending up with the trails littered with plants that will make these burrs, which continue to produce burrs that stick to your socks and are led to an additional location than the mother plant. Ending up with the trails littered with plants that make... I think you get my point.

So what are the burrs in life? What spurious thing likes to hook itself onto unsuspecting people and allow them to carry it to others around them, and spread their infectious influence as wide as they possibly can?

I can think of a couple...

Selfishness, Laziness, Negativity, Rebelliousness, Anger, Deciet, just to name a few.

So how are we to pluck from us the burrs of life and move forward in our personal progress, as well as helping others, instead of spreading burrs?

1. See the Burr. Recognizing the burr is often a huge part of fixing the problem. So pay attention to how you act during the day, and seek to remove any negative things. Ask others what you can do to be a better person...see what they say. And probably most important Ask Heavenly Father to help you find the burrs that you should pluck, and ask for His help.
2. Pluck it out. Probably one of the harder steps, but slowly making changes in your life to rid yourself of these burrs will help you to feel greater peace, and it will help make the 'Hike' a lot easier...if you get my drift. Prayer is an important part of this one as well. Be praying to help you have the strength to change certain things, and then push with faith that God WILL help you...Because He WILL!

Alright now take preventative efforts, tuck your pants in your shoes, get some hiking boots, and enjoy your hike. If you want to know what the tucking pants in your shoes, and hiking boots are in the real life sense, Go to http://mormon.org/plan-of-happiness/ if you still aren't getting it, shoot me a message on Facebook... Elder Nathan Hancock

Building Our Lives

A great Missionary Elder Jones is with me today, as my temporary companion. He has some great insights about something that is coming up this weekend. Take a glance, and take his challenge. I know it will help!

As of late I have started over my reading of the Book of Mormon and came across many things that never have struck me before. One of the passages did just that struck me, and is found in the book of 1st Nephi chapter 18. As I read the scriptures I try and apply the things that are being taught to myself, and to my surprise this was an easy one to relate, not only to me but to all those that read this. It all begins in verse 1 and it says:

1. And it came to pass that they did ^aworship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious ^bworkmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ^cship.

Nephi tells us that from time to time the lord did show unto him how to build the ship, the same ship that would take he and his family to the promise land, now I took the ship and replaced it as my life and how from time to time the lord shows me how to build my life. Now stop and think of all the ways that the lord shows us from time to time how to build our ships. Yes, we have the scriptures and we have revelation that is given to us, but we don't always think of one of the most important ways.That important way being, GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! This is one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to this earth, a way for the world to continue receiving revelation from God and Jesus Christ. We often take too lightly the importance of all of this, this is our Savior Jesus Christ showing us from time to time just as he did Nephi how to build our lives in such a way that we can return to our Heavenly Father. Now Verse 2 says:

2. Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.

Now take this and think about it, anything, any struggle or problem there is in life there is a solution to that problem in the world. On the other hand, with General Conference, as stated in Verse 2, we can learn how to build our lives up by the manner of the Lord, that same manner that helped Nephi build a boat that stood against the waves and storms of the sea. I can promise you all that if you seek this weekend during General Conference for a way to build your life up in the manner of the Lord, problems that you are facing will have a new light shed upon them. A light that will lead you to solve the problem and bring you closer to your Savior Jesus Christ and Heavenly father.

So tune in. General Conference