The realization that I had on my train ride to the moon: We are circles. (I promise this is spiritual)

I, too, will give a little warning that the daily recaps of scripture study may not be too formal nor coherent.  They may even be half-thoughts...but I'm sure over the week, I or you will find the other half.  I just love how revelation works.  Rarely have I received an answer in a giant, lightning bolt kind of way.  Usually it is a theme that slowly peels itself until finally I get to the core of the onion...but it is a good-smelling, beautiful onion.  Or like the Shrek or Holes type of onion, you know what I mean?

Okay, I got off track.  Back to the studies.

I'm really loving reading through the Book of Mormon because I always find something that I need.  I kept trying to do theme or study plans on the mission and they would always change, so I ended up making "un-birthday plans."  I don't know why I happened to call them that just now, but I feel like that suits my study habits for the moment...everything topsy turvy, mad-hatter ish.  For example, this month I wish to focus on prayer, which I am doing, but I'm just going to go with the flow on how I study it.  Maybe one day I'll feel like I need to study the typical every-day-you-read-a-chapter type of studying.  Or another day I may feel the use-the-topical-guide-and-pick-a-theme type of study.  So disclaimer: these postings may be eclectic and crazy...but why wouldn't they be considering the always-thinking-too-many-ideas-in-her-head author who is writing them?

Today I read part of Alma 43.  So the sons of Alma and Alma himself, because he just couldn't bear to sit at home and rest while his sons were rocking it on the preach my gospel dance floor, went out to preach the gospel.  And they say, "we shall say no more concerning their preaching, except that they preached the word, and the truth, according to the spirit of prophecy and revelation; and they preached after the holy order of God by which they were called."  Sometimes it drives me crazy when they tell you something without telling you!!  But obviously, there is a reason for that.  They wish to emphasize that the MOST IMPORTANT PART of them preaching the gospel is THE SPIRIT.

Then I went on this thought train that took me to Africa and back...I sure did need an adventure.  And while sitting in my little train booth watching the telephone poles zip on by, I realized that oh my goodness, Christ had the Spirit too.  Christ wouldn't be Jesus Christ without the Spirit there with Him His whole life.  That is what made Him special.  He was always pure and all parts of Himself were dedicated (yes, I already read your post) to God.  So He was ONE with His Father and ONE with the Holy Ghost.  Which gave Him power, and authority and He could preach with the spirit of prophecy and revelation and according to the sacred order because of that oneness.  Which is an "of course Rachel!" type of thought, but I enjoyed the train ride quite a bit.  I even saw an African giraffe.  It waved at me.

And now I'm thinking about the Bible where Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan after 40 days of fasting, and when He overcame Satan, he seemed to go at His ministry with so much more power.  I think, and this is just a theory, that his circle, his potential, his wholeness had expanded through that trial.  That is how Christ grew grace for grace.  He was perfect His whole life, yet he progressed?  How could that be?  He is the only whole circle, and His circle was constantly expanding.  Therefore, He was always whole and perfect, yet still progressed.  It makes you wonder what we have in store for us after this life because we will become complete circles like Jesus Christ through depending on Him and Our Father in this life.  And then we will take whatever next steps in our process and expand our circles...Wow!  My mind is blowing up as I am writing this.  The train is taking me to the moon now!  (I'll bring you back some moon rocks...but not moonshine he he...)

I just want to say that I am so grateful for the Atonement in my life.  We are incomplete circles, because of our sins.  We need Jesus Christ to complete our circle.  But despite that, we can live the commandment "Be ye Therefore perfect" by doing one thing: using the atonement of Jesus Christ.  I know that if we constantly depend on that, we can be whole and become a whole circle, just like God and Jesus Christ are.  This post took a different turn, but that is God for you, He always gives us a little mystery in our lives to keep things interesting.  I love that He wants us to know what He knows, but He is only going to give it to us when we are ready.  So on we go, using the Atonement, being imperfect and developing children of God that have such full potentials to become great.  Thanks Heavenly Father for seeing us as we can become, rather than as we are.  We've just GOTTA remember to quit being so hard on ourselves and enjoy the adventure!

Love ya!!
Rachel