Fred's Musings

Crys is always asking me to contribute to our blog so this is my first post!

Over Thanksgiving, Crys and I stayed at her parents house. While there, I took some time to work on my car. While I was working, I happened to step in a big mud hole and got one of my shoes dirty. I then spent the next 5 minutes or so trying to clean my shoe and it got me thinking. Have you ever noticed that once something is dirty, it takes considerable effort to get it clean again?
The same goes for water. Once something gets wet, it takes a lot of time and energy to get it completely dry, and for things like paper, the object is never the same again. It's the same with mud and dirt. It completely ruins certain objects and they never get completely clean again. It's odd how we can spend all of our time, effort an energies trying to keep something dry and clean, and one little mistake, one moment of carelessness when we are not paying attention where we are laying a precious book, or photo or not watching where we step, and instantly, the mud seeps up or the water permeates the entire page/book and we are stuck with a ruined book or at the very least, a book that every time we look at it, it will remind us of our carelessness.
I have often wondered why water/mud was so persistent. Why is it that water will instantly, in a matter of a second, 2 at the most, seep into anything that's dry, our clothes, paper, even our own skin! And yet, for as easy as it is to get muddy or wet, it can be ridiculously hard to get those stains out.
While I was cleaning my shoe off on Thursday, it hit me. This is just like the gospel! We go months, years even a lifetime taking every precaution, doing our absolute best and then one moment of carelessness or not watching where we step, and instantly we are changed forever. All it takes is one instant on the wrong TV show, or movie or hearing the wrong conversation at work, and we are stuck with that "dirty" spot on our souls. And it is SO hard to get them out of our minds once it is there. It is only with the help of the Atonement that we can remove those spots and get rid of the stain.
Fortunately for us, unlike water spots/stains, the Atonement, if used properly leaves no spot and it's like the incident never happened! How lucky are we to have an elder brother in Jesus Christ, who loves us so much that he came down and took upon him all of our pains, sorrows and sins. I don't know how he did it. I'm absolutely disgusted with the world we live in at times to the point of tears.
As Crys will tell you, I am very sensitive to other people's spirits, even if they are not around me. I won't watch certain shows like CSI because they have such an awful spirit around them. All that horrible evil in the world. I don't like to be reminded of it. In that way, Crys and I are a lot alike, she can sense falseness in people and if they are having an emotion strong enough, it will bleed over into her, but she has to be near them. Not so with me. It will even come through books or TV as I mentioned above. I am SO grateful to Jesus for doing what he did for us. I'm not sure I could have done it. I think I would have been willing to try, but I don't think I could stand all that evil. Crys will also tease me because I won't watch certain movies. I love scary movies, but only ones that could never happen. Ghost stories and such. It is possible it could happen, I don't like watching them because again, I can feel the evil of those people. I don't like to be reminded that there are evil people in the world who kill for the enjoyment of it, or who quite literally worship the devil. I much prefer the good things in life.
Sorry, I've gotten quite off topic and seem to be rambling. I will end with my testimony so that all of you may know my love of the Savior and know that I know he is the Christ. I know that Jesus lives. I know he performed the atonement and that through his sacrifice we can overcome our natural man inside each of us. I know that Thomas S. Monson is his prophet here on the earth. I know God loves us and is reaching out to us and all we need to do is accept His help. I leave that testimony with you in His name, amen.

Sorry if this is disjointed and hard to follow, but then again, it is my musings so deal with it! :) - Fred