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Sunday, January 22, 2012

continuing (I usually (as today) publish cold, no editing

I think/hope getting to share on here will help me focus on what is MOST important. Maybe I will type on here what I have gathered in my notes, as that might help, and also then I can know that even if God HAS inspired me to write something in my notes, but I miss giving it in my talk, he could direct others to it here.

So, I plan to just barely expand on the often one word note,
not in order of importance, but in the order I wrote them down.

As the saying goes, it takes a lot more time to prepare a short well organized talk on a subject, than to be able to ramble along and manage to pack tons in.

So back again to the topic given-- speaking on what priorities there are in life that God has given us with setting goals for what our mission is to do while here. (I do wish he had given us the topic written down, as I was in a bit of shock, just to be asked and then we had to remember the topic, and not just a one word topic either!)

so- expanding on my notes just a little (not in order!)

---"An immaculate house is the sign of a wasted life"
---patriarchal blessings - are guides to what our gifts are, what to watch out for in life.
---prioritize, pray first (night and morning and all through the day) for help with what is most important to do-- it is like a compass check, to be sure we are on course
--- my blog, might be of some help, ironic how the topics match
--- my hobby questions-- I have for years enjoyed a hobby, of when I am having to wait in line, or on an airplane etc, asking some person around me my two hobby questions. the first is "What do you do for fun?" (this is important to me as I tend to focus on work so much myself, and also that it helps the other person relax in speaking with me and in answering questions. --- Second question is "What is the purpose in life?". I have had so fascinating conversations from these questions.

One answer to the second question, was from a rather wild looking guy who rides motorcycles, as he said he guessed the purpose was to survive. I questioned that as nobody does. That took him back a bit and then he said he would have to think on that, as he didn't know.

To me, the answer to this second question is so important, as if you don't know what you are here to do, the likely hood of your accomplishing it is really low. I doubt we are here just to have fun or to "get the most toys before we die".

I feel to jump from my notes a bit (though this is in my later notes) as part of the topic is also contained in "Why am I here, where did I come from and where do I go when I die." Which all presupposes that we are not just a body, but that we have a spirit/intelligence that is eternal.

Speaking of eternal, one suddenly can't become eternal, as to have a beginning (of all-- not just a part of us) is to not BE eternal, you can't just add eternal like frosting to a cake. We can add things TO our eternal core- like adding a physical body to come here is doing that, and then switching that to a resurrected body after the death of this mortal body. But the CORE must be eternal, though it can be growing all the time.

Which gets me to part of the possible ways to my subject or points to make, that I was thinking about last night. Matter is or seems to be eternal-- it can be changed to this or that molecules, but it does not disappear and I understand it can be turned back to what it was before-- even like oxygen. So if things "matter/materials" do not cease to exist entirely, why should we assume that we will?

In a story I read long ago, a man comes to consciousness, alone in the desert, but has lost much of his memory. He does not remember his name or his past, how he got there etc but he does remember mundane things and finds he has some urgent feelings. As I recall it, he feels like he is in danger from someone trying to kill him. He discovers that he must have parachuted down, as he is still attached to a parachute, and he feels he needs to hide/bury the parachute asap and he does. Now he needs to find someone he can trust to help him answer the urgent questions he has, as he had some mission to do but can't remember that either, and he feels that his life is in great danger! Besides being in the desert (no idea which one in the world even) with no food, water, survival equipment or even which direction to go to find what he needs, or if any people he finds will be able to be communicated with in his language.

In a few ways this is like life. We come into life, helpless, feeling emotions, and physical needs.

What is the first thing we NEED? Did you think of --- air ---- but most of us do not go around thinking about air, or talking about it, measuring it etc, it is even something we need to be taught to be careful to have and see that other people have, and that is what will kill us about the fastest if we don't have!

We also probably do not realize (with our minds)) that we need to feel safe, that we can trust that there will be help to fulfill our needs, and even respect/love with that trust. How does a baby learn about trust? From how the caregivers handle them, and fill their needs. Are they left to cry for help, hungry and cold, and when help finally comes, are they lifted gently and are kind loving words/tones used to sooth them? When this happens the baby learns to trust, which is a HUGE thing in life.

Without learning this, life is so much harder, though it is possible with a LOT of work, to learn to trust later. There are levels of trust too, you might trust that someone loves you, but not others, or you might trust that they love you, but they don't know how to intelligently protect and care for you. Issues on issues!

So back to wondering where we came from, and why that is important.

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