I can't believe it's in the 70's there, seems like it's been forever since I've been warm. So...I have a new obsession........wait for it.......essential oils. Look it up! Seriously they work! Apparently it's a Mormon thing, maybe it's a "cool person" thing, either way they Both apply to me! And...well they are Expensive! Doesn't do well for a missionary to have an expensive habit, we are even worse than starving college students.....well, first lets be honest we all know my big tail ain't starving! :)
However living a Christ filled life can slightly resemble the life of a Quaker, I've never worked so hard and been so pocket poor! Which is fine, I'm in no hurry to get back to bills and taxes - I have all I need serving the Lord and spreading his word except...yep, you guessed it essential oils! I LOVE the Lavender Oil I put it on my feet at night, Mom I KNOW you are calling me a weirdo right now...which brings me to my lesson this week, acceptance!
Matthew 7:1-3
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
I guess it is human nature to judge, maybe it's human flaw to judge....often I have thought something "negative" about someone and instantly caught myself and thought, "Why did I think that?" I have focused on this a great deal and I wonder if I have to catch myself and then ask for forgiveness is it the same as not being judgmental? If we judge someone are we accepting them? It is the same thing? I think so. How can we truly accept someone for who and what they are if we judge parts of them or their life? Is it us being vain? How superior we can be sometimes to think this person is awesome if only they did this or thought that...what does that mean, if only they were more like us? Sometimes we are "Christ-Like judgers", meaning we use the cover of saying if they were more Christ-like, the cover of our personal Christ-like beliefs to make our judgement have validity...how perfectly that works to allow us our faults and to make us feel righteous in having them. He smells- She smokes- They steal - They lie - He has a scar - She's divorced - Look at those shoes - Look at that car - Have you seen her house!? SO WHAT!? Different is different, no better, no worse - each of us are different, because we are children of our Heavenly Father and unique in our own way. Parents who laugh at the man on the street unknowingly teach their children being different is unacceptable....being judgmental is unacceptable! This week I challenge you to guard your thoughts, watch your words and be honest, how many are unkind, how many are judgmental....would you think it about our Lord, would you say it to our Lord, if not then...don't! Accept those who have wronged you, accept those who you do not agree with, accept those who are different, accept those you do not understand, accept those that you have previously found unacceptable. We are our Gods children, would we have our son pass judgement and not accept his sister, our daughter - no! Then how dare we act differently! I am not perfect in this, it is something I work on everyday. But, I say to those that have small eyes watching them and small ears hearing them, lead them wisely, no sin is small, no lesson goes unlearned - Judge not, that ye be not judged!
Thank you all for the letters, some days getting the mail gives me the strength I need to make it through. I love getting them and Always wish there was more! Hopefully that doesn't sound greedy :)
I need more pictures, more, more MORE! Mommy & daddy I miss y'all SO much that sometimes it physically hurts! I don't know if it's "socially acceptable" to say how hard a mission is or how home sick I get sometimes but, it's the truth! I would not change a minute of my mission and I long for the next day to serve my Lord and pray that I am doing his will as he would have me to. But, my arms miss holding my sissy and my eyes miss mommy's face and my heart longs for daddy's hugs.
I love you all more than french fries and chocolate shakes!
Sis Z
Oils are a must have! Great post!
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