Birthday and P-Day

I am blessed beyond my own comprehension by being able to serve in this beautiful place.  They say that some days are diamonds and some days are stones.  John Denver put that phrase to a fun musical melody before checking out of this life several years back.  I have experienced one diamond after another in my life.  Today may have been a 5 karat day.  My lessons are prepared for the coming week and I had a bit of free time.  After checking the tide levels, I drove out the road to Echo Cove for a morning of fishing. 

On a clear and sunny day the mountains north of Juneau greet you like this. . .

 This black bear was not concerned in the least that I was outside the Subaru taking his picture.  Even whistling at him would not take him away from his salmon berries.

 I came around a corner in the road and there was this skinny young black bear.  He walked right past my driver's window and then in front of the car.  His objective was the salmon berries on the hillside next to the road.

These 3 lb pinks take about 3-4 minutes to tire out enough on a fly line that you can get them up on the shore.  In 2 hours I was able to deceive a dozen of them into surprising me with their solid strikes.  I'm fairly certain they were even more surprised to realize they had been duped.  As they were coaxed nearer the shore the more frantic they would become, and each would thrash around in a fruitless attempt at release from that tenacious barbed hook.  I then hauled them out of the water onto the gravel where I gently released them from the menacing and scarring hook.  I took them back to the water and washed them clean.  I then carefully placed them belly down, and while holding them by the tale rubbed their belly and side until I was sure they were breathing well on their own.  I thanked them each for the thrill and let them quickly swim away for the spawn.  

I believe Satan is the great deceiver.  He also thrills in the strike when we mistakenly take one of the many vices that can be presented to us.  There is no gentle release from the hook.  There is no thank-you.  And their is no return to the comfortable and safe confines of our homes. There is only disappointment, sorrow and a deep penance due for our mistakes against the laws of God.   But there is a way to gain absolution.  The way places us deeply into debt.  But the reward is a merciful and grace filled release from guilt and bondage.   It comes  through absolute trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ.  And the wonderful thing is, he wants to pay for us.  The requirements are for us to repent (change), and become divine by nature rather than being a natural man, which is our nature.  It matters not the state or size of our bill; the depth of our behavior, or the color of our skin.  The Savior's Atonement is Infinite in nature and applies to any and all who want that change in their lives.  His mercy and grace will span the gap between us and our Father in Heaven.  The width of the plank across that gap is dependent upon the sincerity of our repentance, the nature of our change, and the nature of our heart.  All of these things are taught in the Book of Mormon and in the New Testament.  The Savior himself taught these things while walking the earth.  Peter, James, Jude and Paul and John testified of these things in very stark detail in their individual writings.  The prophets today (Thomas S. Monson & the twelve apostles) second those testimonies with their own. 

I have noticed that people from many countries around this world have checked in regularly to our blog.  I hope this little bit today might peak your interest in the message of the missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints.  Next time you see LDS missionaries on the street, or in your neighborhood, I hope you might be inclined to invite them to share their message with you.  The message is life changing.  The message is one of peace, love and hope, in spite of the condition of the world as it has become. 

 

I might suggest visiting mormon.org online for more information on who Mormons really are.  It is time to check the original source rather than the rumors and fables.