About eight months after Mark began his “journey” he wrote, TODAY I STRUGGLE WITH BEING A BETTER, MORE CARING, LOVING, EFFECTIVE FATHER.

I THINK IT HAS BEEN AWHILE SINCE I’VE BEEN FILLED WITH THE JOY OF [the Gospel of Jesus Christ], THUS I HAVE BEEN LESS DESIROUS (OR JUST NOT AS CONCERNED AS I SHOULD BE) WITH MY CHILDREN FEELING THIS JOY.  (This was where, as the mom, I used to feel sabotaged at times.)

MY NEXT STEP IN THE JOURNEY IS TO BE FILLED WITH THE JOY OF THE [Gospel]. I NEED TO FEEL THE LOVE OF GOD.  THEN I WILL BE MORE DESIROUS TO SHARE WITH MY CHILDREN.

DESIRE

HOW CAN WE ALIGN OUR DESIRES WITH THE LORD’S DESIRE FOR US?  ISN’T THIS CHARITY?  I DON’T KNOW.

IF WE DESIRE EVIL WE FOLLOW SATAN.  IF WE DESIRE GOOD WE FOLLOW CHRIST. SATAN PUSHES HIS DESIRES ON US AGGRESSIVELY.  THESE ARE THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH, SEX, FAME, DRUGS, MATERIAL POSSESSIONS.  CHRIST ALLOWS US MORE AGENCY.  WE NEED TO SEEK CHRIST, HE DOES NOT PUSH US AS AGGRESSIVELY, BUT HIS REWARD IS SO MUCH BETTER.

SO HOW DO WE BREAK THROUGH THE NOISE OF THE WORLD AND KEEP FOCUSED ON RIGHTEOUS DESIRES?  HOW DO WE BE IN THE WORLD AND NOT OF THE WORLD?

THOUGHTS DRIVE DESIRE. WHAT DO SCRIPTURES TEACH ABOUT THOUGHTS, DESIRE AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO?

THOUGHTS

STUDYING ABOUT THOUGHTS AND THE LORD’S COUNSEL TO US ABOUT THOUGHTS HAS BEEN ENLIGHTENING.

WE TALK ABOUT TIME MANAGEMENT AND HAVING TIME TO DO ALL THE THINGS WE MUST DO.  BUT…. HOW MUCH OF TIME MANAGEMENT IS REALLY THOUGHT MANAGEMENT?

WHAT IF A PERSON STARTED THE DAY WITH A LIST OF THINGS TO “THINK ABOUT’ THAT DAY?  THEY COULD ACCOMPLISH MUCH MORE BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH DOWNTIME IN THE DAY… STANDING IN LINE… DRIVING IN THE CAR, ETC.

THINK OF ALL THE TIME SPENT IN IDLE THOUGHT DURING A DAY OR A LIFE TIME AND YOU CAN SEE THE LOST OPPORTUNITY TO THINK OF OTHERS, LEARN NEW THINGS, ETC.

PERCEPTION

MUCH OF OUR REALITY IS HOW WE PERCEIVE THE SITUATIONS WE EXPERIENCE.  TWO PEOPLE CAN EXPERIENCE THE SAME SITUATION BUT THE WAY THEY PERCEIVE IT AND THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT IT CAN BE VERY DIFFERENT.  SO… A PERSON CAN ALTER THEIR REALITY BY CHANGING THEIR PERCEPTION.  THIS CHANGE IN PERCEPTION MAY HAVE A GREATER IMPACT ON THEIR REALITY EVEN MORE THAN CHANGING EXPERIENCES.

SO HOW CAN YOU CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE?

THE “HEART” IS THE CENTER OF BOTH PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL BEING.  IT IS OFTEN SPOKEN OF AS BOTH THE SEAT OF EMOTION, THE INNER CORE OF BEING, AND THE RECEPTOR FOR SPIRITUAL INFUSIONS.  THE TERM “HEART” IS USED FIGURATIVELY AND FREQUENTLY TO SUGGEST QUALITIES OF CHARACTER EITHER NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE.