Each Day Is a Gift

No running today.  Busy day.  To minimize walking in the afternoon heat, we stayed in the de Jong Concert Hall for all 3 Ed Week Classes.  Brent L. Top's great lecture on "A preparation for life - knowledge about DYING teaches us about LIVING."  Ask ourselves the "So what?" test.  "What we do hereafter will determine where we are in the hereafter.  What we do with the knowledge we have will determine where we are in the hereafter."  "Let the solemnity of eternity rest upon your minds." D&C43:34.  St. Jerome: "Begins to be now what you will be hereafter."  Epicetus: :Let death be daily before your eyes, and you will never entertain any abject thought nor too eagerly covet anything."

Some guiding principles of Living to die:

1.  Things won't change that much.  Who/what you are now, will not change much.  Alma 34:33-34: "Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end....for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time ye go out of this world what same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world." 

2.  What goes around comes around.  "We will have a bright recollection of our righteousness being clothed in immortality."  Alma 12:12-14 "We will be seen for what we really are, what we really love.  We will be spiritually transparent.  It is about allowing the Savior to change us, we become new creatures in Christ.  We receive through His atonement a new spirit.  Every thought, every action will be imprinted on our spirits.  Those things that we are repented of will be remembered no more.  God the Omnipotent knows all and remembers all, but it matters not because He will see the NEW you for who and what your are.

3.  Sweat the Small Stuff.  (in a positive good sense)  The little things IS the big thing, e.g. being kind, how I treat others.  "Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.  And out of small things proceedeth that which is great."  D&C 64:33.  The small stuff (deeds) will yield what you are really like.

4.  Don't chase after the shadow.  Pres Hinckley:  "Do not follow after a priority or a practice that will bring you later regret...you may find that you have lost the substance while grasping at the shadow.  Seek for the real thing, not the artificial.  Seek for the eternal things of God, not for that which is 'here today and gone tomorrow'."  What do we spend our time, money, hearts and devotion on?  What are the substances:  our relationship with god, with others.  Angels seen and unseen mentioned by Joseph F. Smith in D&C 138 are our families, they are the substance.  William Shakespeare:  "Be still prepared for death, and death or life shall thereby be sweeter."  The veil is just that, it is not a wall.  Our departed loved ones are not far from us....they are pulling for us in the spirit world just as they were pulling for us here.  

The next 2 classes were Janice Kapp Perry and Vanessa Joy both accompanied by Marvin Goldstein.  Great uplifting comments with inspiring music.  Standing ovations and tears! 

We've been eating out at fast food this week.  My tummy must've caught a bug.  So carb-loading was not successful...but I kept a good hydration plan.

Got home from Ed Week around 7pm.  Did laundry.  Ate one baked potato.  Took a Tylenol PM at 8:30.  Went to bed at 11pm.  Tomorrow's LONG RUN is going to be FUN! :)