Selecting Areas to Focus on This Year
SCRIPTURE: “To every thing there is a season, and a
time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a
time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill,
and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to
weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast
away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a
time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to
keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to
keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time
of war, and a time of peace.”—Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
God had an
orderly plan for the creation of this world. He worked for six days and then
rested. He began from the very basic and progressed to the most complicated
creation of man himself. Start looking for areas of focus within your patriarchal blessing,
but start simple. We will talk about how to set goals within these areas of
focus next blog.
The authority to establish order through
voluntary obedience is called “priesthood.” What a remarkable gift God has
given us of the Priesthood and how special that he wants us to be a kingdom of
priests, and a holy nation.(Exodus 19:6) It is by Faith that this is
accomplished. Thus we will ask God to help us in ordering our annual goals. He
has given us the blueprint in our blessings. Now we must prayerful, then execute an
orderly plan in faith.
Select General Areas of Focus Found in Your Blessing
Let’s
select a few areas of Focus. I have found that if I have more than four, one of
them suffers. So perhaps start with three. You decide. Here are some possible areas that may be mentioned in your blessing: Family, Spouse, Mission, Community, Spirituality, Personal and so on.
MY QUESTION FOR YOU: Did you discover your “Nineveh”?
Review my blog for February 8th, "What is Your Nineveh." This should be one of your areas of focus. Yes, I
know, you don’t want to think about that this year. I really, really understand because I, too, have my
Nineveh and it will have to be addressed this coming year. Sigh! Remember the Lord gives us weaknesses and then helps us turn them into strengths if we will let Him.
MY SUGGESTION:
You should list the areas that the Lord has revealed to
your patriarch are areas in your life that you might focus on.When you've found phrases that reflect an area of focus, list them on a sheet of paper and write the chapter and verse/ or paragraph and line where they appear so that you can refer back to them easily. You can find how I've suggested you retype and organize your personal scripture in my blog of January 28, 2012 entitled "Organizing Your Patriarchal Blessing to Get the Most Out of It." Then you will see what I mean by Chapter and Verse. I entitle my Blessing as "The Book of Beverly" and can tell you that my Nineveh is found in Chapter 3 Verse 5 or in shorthand Bev 3:5.
Now, prayerfully select the ones
you feel the Lord wants you to work on next year. Remember you will always have
more areas of focus than you can work on at any one time.
‘To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
Now Here is One area of Focus that Might Be Your Nineveh
QUOTE: From General Conference Talks November Engsign
2011
“The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn” by Elder
David A. Bednar pages 24-27
To
the youth he says, “Your fingers have been trained to text and tweet to
accelerate and advance the work of the Lord—not just to communicate quickly
with your friends.”
“I invite the young people of the
Church to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah. I encourage you to
study, to search out your ancestors, and to prepare yourselves to perform proxy
baptisms in the house of the Lord for your kindred dead (see D & C
124: 28-36). And I urge you to help other people identify their family
histories.
“As you
respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The
promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts.
Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to
these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for
your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior
will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the
intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this
holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives.
“Parents
and leaders, please help your children and youth to learn about and experience
the Spirit of Elijah. But do not overly program this endeavor or provide too
much detailed information or training. Invite your people to explore, to
experiment, and to learn for themselves. Any young person can do what I am
suggesting, using the modules available at lds.org/familyhistoryyouth.
“You also will
count your many blessings as young people devote more time to family history
work and temple service and less time to video games, surfing the Internet, and
Facebooking.”
“I testify
Elijah returned to earth and restored the sacred sealing authority. I witness
that what is bound on earth can be bound in heaven. And I know the youth of the
rising generation have a key role to play in this great endeavor.”
QUESTION: Does your blessing mention temple covenants,
remembering your ancestors, the Spirit of Elijah? Write down this area of focus where
goals may be set for next year that will bring eternal joy.
THOUGHT: Review what promises were made to “the
fathers”by rereading the excellent quote from Elder Nelson’s talk on Covenants
from my last blog.
Here is another quote from General Conference in the
November 2011 Ensign that you may wish to consider at this point:
“Waiting upon the Lord: Thy Will Be Done” by Elder
Robert D. Hales pages 71-74
“The purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened”
To
wait upon the Lord means …to hope, to anticipate and to trust. “To hope and
trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering,
keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end.”
“It means
pondering in our hearts and ‘receiv{ing} the Holy Ghost’ so that we can know
‘all things what {we} should do.” –2 Nephi 32:5
“As we follow the promptings of the Spirit, we
discover that ‘tribulation worketh patience’ –Romans 5:3 and we continue in
‘patience until {we} are perfected.’—Doctrine and Covenants 67:13
“In my life
I have learned that sometimes I do not receive an answer to a prayer because
the Lord knows I am not ready. When He does answer, it is often ‘her a little
and there a little’—2 Nephi 28:30 because that is all that I can bear or all I
am willing to do.
“We may not
know when or how the Lord’s answers will be given, but in His time and His way,
I testify, His answers will come. For some answers we may have to wait until
the hereafter. This may be true for some promises in our patriarchal
blessings and for some blessings for family members. Let us not give up on
the Lord. His blessings are eternal, not temporary.”
MY SUGGESTION: Are there
some areas in you patriarchal blessing that may have to wait until the hereafter?
Could these areas be used as topics for study, prayer and inspiration now while
you are setting goals?
I hope this blog inspires you to look into your patriarchal blessing and become familiar with what areas of life the Lord would like for you to set goals in, that you may progress and become the best that you can be.
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