Inspirational Sunday

So, I went to church this morning and there was a nice young man that spoke. He is leaving to go on a mission to Sweden Wednesday, so this was the last time that he was going to address our congregation for 2 years. I was taken aback by this young man and the talk that he gave. It was well thought out. It had a beginning, middle, and end. His talk really hit me and it wasn't just because he knew how to structure it. He actually had some important things to say and they affected me and I haven't been affected by a meeting since Tucy was blessed.

He had 4 things that he talked about that will bring us closer to our Heavenly Father:
1- Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts Unceasingly
I have always labored with this, because I can let my mind run wild. It is a real challenge to control your thoughts. Over the last couple of years I have become a bit better at it, but I still find myself lost aimlessly in my thoughts from time to time.
2- Scripture Study
This has been a huge deal for me, to read my scriptures every day. I pick them up, if I'm lucky, once a week. This is truly something that I need to work on more diligently.
3- Daily Prayer
We say our morning and nightly prayers together as a family. We have been really good about that, but my individual prayers are really suffering. I have always struggled with the communicado between me and the "Powers that Be".
4- Paying an Honest Tithe
Now, this is something that Michael and I have been talking a lot about lately, because it is the one thing that we do 100% with out any error. We have complete control over it and we make a conscience effort to make sure that it is the first thing that we take care of every month.

Okay, so I can honestly say that I have been true to 1 out of the 4. That's not to say that once I pray, or study, or think something good once that I have been true to that as well. Hearing this young man talk about these things today just made me realize how much I need to actively do these things all the time. To "draw closer to Thee" is a constant journey. We never stop on the road of life. We are either traveling forward or backward. Forward through progressing and trying to better ourselves everyday. Backward by not doing the things that help us progress, because if we stop doing the things that we need to do in order to progress and the ones around us are... they are passing us by and therefore we are farther behind than we were when we stopped in the first place.

I don't know if this makes any sense, but I just had to make a note of this talk and some of the thoughts that I have had since having the privilege of hearing it.