012326, Friday

 

Daily Vitals: Wt. 236.7, GMI: 7.0, Steps (previous day): 1,706, BP: 122/72, Pulse: 63, Reported Sleep: 7:00

Journal Entry

Today is Friday. My toe surgery was only two days ago and I'm really tired of keeping off my feet. My blood glucose levels are high partly from the surgery, I'm told, and partly from no exercise. Plus Cathy feeds me too well. My GMI is back up to 7.0 and at this moment my glucose level is 149. I haven't had anything to eat, of course, all night so that seems high but everyone says it will come down once I get going again which should be Sunday but more likely Monday. We'll see.

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 4: 8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

"Cain killed Abel. The scriptures say that he did so “for the sake of getting gain,” the flocks of his brother. Seeing this, the Lord asked Cain, “Where is Abel thy brother?” Cain first attempted to cover his sin with a lie: “I know not.” Then he added a rationalization: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 

Are we our brothers’ keepers? In other words, are we responsible to look after the well-being of our neighbors as we seek to earn our daily bread? The Savior’s Golden Rule says we are. Satan says we are not…. We live in a world where many look on the marketplace as a ruthless arena where the buyer must beware, where no one is obligated to do more than the law requires, and where fraud isn’t fraud unless you can prove it in court.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ have a higher standard. President Harold B. Lee said, “The standard…in the Church must be visibly higher than the standard…in the world.” We are commanded to live the Golden Rule."

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Apostle 

Moroni 10: 18 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.

19 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men.

20 Wherefore, there must be faith⁠; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.

21 And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope.

22 And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair⁠; and despair cometh because of iniquity.

012226, Thursday

 

Daily Vitals: Wt. 236.9, GMI: 6.9, Steps (previous day): 2,184, BP: 111/68, Pulse: 61, Reported Sleep: 4:07

Journal Entry

I had my foot surgery yesterday and so far it has gone quite smoothly. I should be able to remove the dressing in a couple of days. In the meantime, I still have the waterproof shower gear that I got when I was originally injured and hospitalized. So I can easily take showers.

Cathy is taking good care of me of course but she seems to be still suffering after effects from her deviated septum surgery. Fortunately I don't need much care. I'm hoping she might want to drive me to Del Taco fir a breakfast burrito. I won't be driving 'till probably Sunday or Monday.

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

The narrative accompanying this verse in the We Believe app seems to emphasize that we are bordering on useless because we were "dust" and will become "dust" again. Of course I don't see it that way. I believe that this is an explanation that Father Adam's body was originally created from the dust of the earth, in other words from earthly matter and that his physical body will become dust again once his spirit leaves that body and moves on to the other side of the Veil.

Of course there is much more to it than that but I found it a little disturbing the way it was described in the app. 

The more complete story found in Genesis 3:17-18, helps:

Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:

cursed is the ground for thy sake;

in sorrow shalt thou eat of it

all the days of thy life;

 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee;

and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face

shalt thou eat bread,

till thou return unto the ground;

for out of it wast thou taken:

for dust thou art,

and unto dust shalt thou return.

012126, Wednesday - Foot surgery

Daily Vitals: Wt. 231.0, GMI: 6.8,  Steps (previous day): 4,361, BP: 117/70, Pulse: 73, Reported Sleep: 5:20

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Moses 4:3-4

 3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; 4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.

We need to be constantly aware of Satan's tactics and desires and always strive to have Heavenly Father's spirit and influence in our lives.

Paul Partridge 

012025, Tuesday

 

Daily Vitals: Wt. 231.9, GMI: 6.8,  Steps (previous day): 7'362, BP: 116/69, Pulse: 60, Reported Sleep: 6:41

Journal Entry

Come Follow Me 

Moses 4: 2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

"The first quality of the Savior is humility. Jesus Christ was very humble from the premortal life. At the Council in Heaven, He recognized and allowed the will of God to prevail in the plan of salvation for mankind. He said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever”. 

We know that Jesus Christ taught humility and humbled Himself to glorify His Father.

Let us live in humility because it brings peace. Humility precedes glory, and it brings God’s favor upon us: “Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble”. Humility brings gentle answers. It is the source of a righteous character."

Elder Alfred Kyungu of The Seventy

011926, Monday

 

Daily Vitals: Wt. 230.3, GMI: 6.8,  Steps (previous day): 2,155, BP: 114/69, Pulse: 71, Reported Sleep: 6:32

Journal Entry

I went to choir practice yesterday for the first time this year. I'm a decent singer at the ward choir level but by no means more than that. It's actually a bit of a sacrifice for me to be involved in the ward choir but in small way I believe I add to the overall quality of the choir. And the choir is a nice addition to the ward Sacrament meetings on those occasions when we sing. It's basically pretty easy for me to be involved in the choir. It's a good thing and I need to do good things. So I'm going to continue to try to support the choir in my own small way.

Come Follow Me 

Moses 4:1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.

"In the Grand Council in Heaven, when the great plan of salvation for God’s children was presented, Jesus responded, “Here am I, send me,”  and “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.”  And thus He became our Savior. In contrast, Satan, who had been highly regarded as “a son of the morning,”  countered that he would come and “redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost.”  Satan had two conditions: the first was the denial of agency, and the second, that he would have the honor. In other words, something had to be in it for him. And thus he became the father of lies and selfishness.

Taking up one’s cross and following the Savior means overcoming selfishness; it is a commitment to serve others. Selfishness is one of the baser human traits, which must be subdued and overcome. We torture our souls when we focus on getting rather than giving."

President James E. Faust, Apostle 

011826, Sunday

Daily Vitals: Wt. 233.4, GMI: 6.9, Steps (previous day): 4,318, BP: 122/45, Pulse: 71, Reported Sleep: 6:46

Journal Entry

We went to the Payson temple yesterday and I did an Endowment session for:

Franklin Perry Patterson,  1906-1989, G6K3-XZW

I am going to try to put the names of men I do work for in my journal. Franklin Patterson is a distant cousin whose name I got on Family Tree. 

Come Follow Me 

Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made⁠; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day⁠, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made⁠.

"How do we hallow the Sabbath day?...I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don’ts. When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, “What sign do I want to give to God?” That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear.

...What sign will you give to the Lord to show your love for Him?"

Elder Russell M. Nelson, Apostle 

011725, Saturday

Daily Vitals: Wt. 233.6

GMI: 6.9, Steps (previous day): 3,344

BP: 116/65, Pulse: 80, Reported Sleep: 5:05

Journal Entry

The ScripturePlus app that I have been studying along with the We Believe app is going through some seemingly very positive updates. Very helpful.

Come Follow Me 

Abraham 4: 18 And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed.

"...[D]o not feel oppressed by obedience. Obedience is a wonderful and a great privilege. In Abraham 4:18 it states, “And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed.” What if the elements had not obeyed? They would have been damned or held back. So it is with us. Obedience to God is truly the only way to really be free and exercise our agency. Satan teaches the opposite and, with each wrong choice, binds us with chains. I promise you, obedience is a wonderful privilege."

Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone of The Seventy