A Peaceful Sabbath 20 Jan 2019

 

I feel glad and happy because today both Issac and Annabelle finally got their limited use temple recommend. This is to get ready them to go to the Hong Kong Temple end of March this year.

I had prepare the baked chicken chops, baked potatoes and baked broccoli with brown sauce, top with some egg green salads with roasted sesame dressing sauce.

We have our little family home evening and started to learn more about the New Testament and I get the children wrote some of their thoughts in the note.

It is a peaceful and joyful Sabbath when we focus on Jesus Christ.

A Spiritual Goals List

This was what 3 of us were thinking and came out the list of how we can make our home more gospel centred and make our home a holy place? We did this during our small little Family Home Evening weeks ago.

I hope that by starting with this Family Home Evening, we can able to continue what we have started.

What Seek Ye?

Due to I have spent most of my time reading the Book of Mormon for the last week, I did not give much study and attention to our Church newly installed gospel learning “Come, Follow Me”.

I feel fresh today as I joined the first Sunday School this year, the class was so edifying. In the class, our Sunday School teacher Brother Earnest asked a question to the members, “What is the one thing you would do today after you go back to home, which will draw you closer to Jesus Christ?”

The first thought came to my mind was, “I am going to have Family Home Evening this evening.” That was the answer that I given to Brother Earnest. He explained that there are so many blessings that Heavenly Father wants to give us, unless we do what we suppose to do.

This was the same thing that Sister E Chin and Sister Chelsea counselled me last 2 months ago. I learned then. That is why I am trying to do whatever which will invite the Spirit into our home again.

After dinner we gathered together at the living room and having our family evening for the proper one and we learned together about the lesson that we have today – We Are Responsible for Our Own Learning.

“What seek ye?” Jesus asked His disciples (John 1:38). You might ask yourself the same question - for what you find in the New Testament this year will greatly depend on what you seek. “Seek, and ye shall find” is the Savior’s promise (Matthew 7:7).

When I firstly joined the Church, my desire to read the Book of Mormon was so strong and I want to gain a testimony about it. Then after 4 years, I think it is time for me to read the New Testament, because I do not know much about Jesus despite the stories that I used to teach the children but I did not really sit down and read the New Testament itself, even though I have been baptised in His Church.

That is why I seek to know more about Jesus Christ, learn of Him and seek to know more about His attributes. Out of many, I want to learn more compassionate and more kindness.

Besides that, I desire to make my home a holy place, to invite the Spirit come to my home. How to do that? By doing the simple things that we are to do.

Other than my spiritual and home, I seek for a breakthrough or change of heart and attitude in my career so that I can make built up my residual income this year.

To truly learn from the Savior, I must accept His invitation, “Come, follow me.”

What we all must learn – is that being a disciple means giving our whole souls to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We progress in our discipleship as we identify what we lack, change, and seek to more fully follow Them.

Learning from the Savior starts when we strive to understand what He taught. For example, how does your understanding of forgiveness deepen as you explore the following?

a. The Savior’s teachings (see Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35)

• Savior teaches that if we forgive whoever that have offended us, Heavenly Father will also forgive us; If we do not forgive whoever that have offended us, the same as Heavenly Father will not forgive us as well.

b. An example from His life (see Luke 23:33-34)

• Jesus prayed and He asked Heavenly Father to forgive the soldiers who crucified Him because they did not know He was the Savior.

c. However, learning is not complete until we follow the Savior by living what He taught. How can you be more forgiving?

• Try to think about why the other person might have done what he did.
• Think of something good about the other person.
• Pray for help to forgive when It is hard.
• Don’t keep being angry at the person.

I am responsible for my own learning

What does it mean to take responsibility for your own learning? Look for possible answers in Elder Bednar’s statement and in the following scriptures: John 7:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; James 1:5-6,22;2:17; 1 Nephi 10:17-19; 2 Nephi 4:15; Alma 32:27; and Doctrine and Covenants 18:18;58:26-28;88:118. What do you feel inspired to do to be more active in leaning the gospel?

• To take responsibility for your own learning meaning we should take our own initiative in learning.
• A true learner exercising agency by acting in accordance with correct principles open our heart to the Holy Ghost and invites His teaching, testifying power, and confirming witness. It requires spiritual, mental, and physical exertion and not just passive reception.
• I feel inspired to

I need to know the truth for myself

How do we gain and nurture our own testimonies? Write down your thoughts as you ponder the following scriptures: Luke 11:9-13; john 5:39; John 7:14-17; Acts 17:10-12; 1 Corinthians 2:9-11; and Alma 5:45-46.

• We gain and nurture our own testimonies with prayer, search the scriptures diligently and open our heart to the Holy Ghost and Holy Ghost will teach us what we want to know for ourselves.

What should I do when I have questions?

1. Seek understanding through divinely appointed sources.
2. Act in faith.
3. Keep an eternal perspective.

The Parable of the Sower

Finally we talked about the parable of the sower, and what can we do to cultivate “good ground” in our home? A good living environment that we can learn the gospel together.

How we can make our home more gospel centred and make our home a holy place?

And, here are some of our lists that we can think of and we want to tick off at least one of the them each week!

Blessed Sabbath

Today started with a quite messy morning. It seems like my mind was still blank during I was driving the children to the Church for our normal Sabbath routine.

It was a fast and testimony Sunday. I had been released from my calling as the second counsellor of the Primary Presidency today. I was feeling as little bit of my burden have been lifted, for there was times that I was unable to concentrate on my calling. I still will help out in the Primary till end of this year.

Our lunch in the home was a quite one, as all of us were so hungry! Then I spent the whole afternoon prepare the dinner as Elders and Brother Kok Cin will come to our house at 6.00pm.

We have cooked a mushroom soup, baked potatoes, baked chicken wings, braised broccoli, and Aglio Olio Spaghetti. All the dishes was not big portion and it took me 3 hours to prepare all these. It was just in time when Elders called that they have arrived at the Puchong Prima LRT station, so that I can go out and fetch them.

Issac and Annabelle were helping to set up the table and eventually we have a great dinner together with Elder Teng, Elder Pack and Brother Kok Cin. We did video called Alvin before we have our dinner. Alvin invited Elder Pack to say the opening prayer.

During the dinner time, we shared how we got to know the gospel and the Church, how our family able to come back together because of the Lord and able to seal as eternal family in the temple.

Elders shared with us Light the World message as this is December, a special month of the year and the birth of Jesus Christ to this world. Towards the end of the visit, I requested a blessing of comfort from the Elders as I expressed out the desires in my heart to overcome challenges and bring the Spirit into our home again, and raised my children to be strong in the gospel.

I was astonished when I heard the words that Elder Pack spoke, it was a beautiful blessings that have given unto me, and I can feel Heavenly Father’s love to me and my family. When I thanked Elder Pack, he just smiled and said, “It was from Him.”

Initially I was quite hesitated to make a commitment to accept the invitation from the Elders come to our home for dinner, because previously it was Alvin whom is the better cook in the house. And now, I can only depend on myself and my cooking skills for the dinner of 5 – 6 persons.

I have survived today! And after all it is not too bad in the end. Everybody likes the meals except may be the baked chickens a bit too “tasty”. We almost finished all the dishes.

I feel glad and happy that I have made a right decision to accept the invitation from the Elders to come to our home, I can feel the Spirit in the home while they were here, especially during the blessings, I can feel as the words spoken was from the Lord Himself, the assurance that He given to me.

I love missionaries! They have bring light to our small little home! I can feel the peace, comfort and love within me now.

I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me. I know that Jesus came and atone for my sins so that I can go back to Heavenly Father one day. I know that I will go back one day together with my family . I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church on earth. I say all these in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Family Home Evening @ Sister Saffron’s Place

Sister Saffron invited our family to her home for a family home evening dinner. We rested for a while after we came back from Church, had our lunch and did my household chores. We left to Sister Saffron’s house at 5.00pm from our home.

There were already a lot of brothers and sisters at her home, including new investigators of coarse. Sister Saffron always help our branch missionaries in doing missionary works.

All the sisters and girls were gathering at the kitchen to make the dumplings. Some sisters were making the dough, some sisters were rolling the dumplings skin, some sisters were wrapping the dumplings. All of us were enjoying each other companions and kids too were having fun doing their own dumplings.

We sung the opening hymn and prayers before the Elders shared with us their messages, before we have our dinner. It seems like we have the biggest ever group that hold the family home evening at Sister Saffron’s house tonight.

Christmas Celebration @ Brother Lim Place

Brother Lim family invited our family for a pot luck dinner at his house for the Christmas celebration. We arrived there around 5.00pm with our cut water melons. I have already saw Phoebe and Sister Chee Mun, Sister E Chin already there helping in preparing the dishes.

Here are all the sisters in Zion whom preparing the food – Sister Shiyi, Sister Peggy, Sister Carol, Sister Amy, Sister E Chin, Sister Chee Mun and me.

We have some pizzas, fried chickens, salads, fried vermicelli, mushroom soup, baked beef meatballs, steamed brocolli and water melons fruit.

Fried chicken by Sister Shiyi.

Beef Meatballs by Sister Amy.

Pizzas by Sister Chee Mun

I also joined them and learn to cook the mushroom soup, and the beef meatballs too. I was with Sister Amy and help her on preparing this 2 dishes. I learned these 2 delicious dish from her. It was indeed delicious.

We had our Christmas dinner together with the Elders. There was lesson shared by the Elders and we did have a sharing on how did the Christmas means and to every one of us.

It was a great night for us and spiritual too!