Week 56 - Sun & Moon Perspective - Think Celestial - Hymns

Today, we had Trade Fair Ward Conference. The messages were powerfully focused on the theme of, "Think Celestial!"

Thoughts from our Bishop - Borngreat Dogbey (isn't that a great name!)

"Please think about this story of a young boy asking his father why the moon shines in the night. The father told him...

The sun shines brightly during the day. While the sun shines, the moon exposes itself to the sun and gathers light. After the sun goes down, the moon can then give light while the sun doesn't shine. 

Proverbs 23:3 - For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.

The way we think, influences everything we do. Think Celestial! Try to think about celestial things instead of worrying about what you aren't doing or what you don't have. As we think celestial, we are motivated with all the energy in our body to do celestial things. Prayer, forgiveness, keeping our covenants with God, temple attendance...

In everything we do, let us Think Celestial."

Thoughts from our Stake President - Pres Adjei

"Remembering means repetition. So I will speak on Think Celestial as well. 

As Bishop Dogbey mentioned, the moon is designed to gather light from the sun. 

When there is darkness and opposition in our lives, the amount of light we have gathered will make all the difference. Think Celestial!

Our choir just sang, Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer. Please listen to verse 2 again:

Precious Savior, dear Redeemer, We are weak but thou art strong;
In thy infinite compassion, Stay the tide of sin and wrong.
Keep thy loving arms around us; Keep us in the narrow way.
Precious Savior, dear Redeemer, Let us never from thee stray.

Please study the hymns. Many are prayers to God. Here is another prayer unto the Lord found in Redeemer of Israel, our only Delight:

Restore, my dear Savior, The light of thy face;
Thy soul-cheering comfort impart;
And let the sweet longing For thy holy place
Bring hope to my desolate heart.

Please buy a hymn book. Pick a few hymns and learn about them. Learn about who wrote them. When we study the hymns, we will Think Celestial. Singing the songs of Zion dispels darkness and brings peace and reverence. As we do this, we will be...

1 Nephi 14:14 - ...armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory."

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Personal thoughts:

Like the moon gathering light from the sun so it can shine upon others when there is no light...

We can personally gather light from the Son of God and share that light with others when there is darkness, sadness, frustration... in their lives. 

Over the past 2 weeks, we haven't seen the sun, except through the Harmattan haze. Many of the Ghanaians even feel a bit "cold" without the intense burning sun shining upon them. 

I captured some pictures of the glorious sun this past week. A zoomed in perspective could almost suggest we are looking at a painting. It is only with the side-by-side full picture, that we can appreciate the reality of, fullnes of, or lack of LIGHT, and where it is coming from.  

Sometimes we get so hyper focused on something, we forget to step back and look at the big picture.

President Russell M. Nelson: "When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws. Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand, eternal reward tomorrow." 

Stephen R. Covey:  "To achieve the life you want, you must start with the end in mind. This means identifying the big picture — the life you want to lead, the character traits you want to embody, the impact you want to have on those around you — and then ensuring each daily action is in line with your ultimate goals." 

Sending much love from Ghana! 💗💛💚