Happy Monday, another weekend gone means one more weekend closer to the start of the school year. Sigh!

I have been thinking a lot about the Holy Ghost, baptism, and truly coming to know what you believe--or in other words, who you are.

G read A WRINKLE IN TIME this last school year with her teacher, so I promised to read it too. I have just finished it. Have you read this 4th grade novel? Many of the book's central messages are contained in the lessons of life that Meg, the central character, must learn in order to successfully complete her quest. First, she must learn to overcome her desire for conformity and appreciate her own uniqueness as an individual. She must secondly learn is that she cannot know everything. And yet another theme of the book and an important lesson for Meg is the inadequacy of words. Aunt Beast tells Meg that "it is not easy at all to put things the way your mind shapes them." Finally, there is the chance to apply the theology of Christianity. Jesus is the first figure cited by Mrs. Whatsit as a fighter against the Dark Thing. Indeed, the whole imagery of light vs. darkness is traced back to the New Testament by Mrs. Who in her fondness for quotation: "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." In addition, Mrs. Whatsit translates the musical dance of the creatures on Uriel into the Biblical words of the prophet Isaiah, and Mrs. Who's second gift to Meg is an excerpt from St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians. It gave me great pause to see the Bible in a science-fiction book for youngsters.

I have been thinking so very much about these lessons: the dangers of seeking conformity (keeping up with the Jones'), relying on words for understanding and seeking to have full understanding or expecting others to have it and how much this in indeed a universal issue for not just teens (as Meg is) but ALL--and how THESE are the very things the BIBLE speaks to--as evidence of how much God knows each of us, and how by design He knew what trials we would have just by the nature of our beings. So, can we say that these things are some of the procreators of our unhappiness:

1. reliance on one form of communication

(the spoken word of man over the unspoken whisperings of the holy ghost)

for understanding

2. conformity

3. desiring full knowledge immediately

????

Certainly the Bible thinks so.

Yesterday at Church I had an ahh-ha moment. I had a confirmation of my own testimony--a reminder that a testimony is something that is built moment by moment, precept by precept. But I also was reminded what a TESTIMONY WAS. Webster (Ren likes to quote Webster) says that a testimony is: " a firsthand authentication of a fact." Did you know that? It's a fact? So when we offer our testimony, we offer an authentication of the FACTS of the plan of God--the existance of GOD. God is a FACT. He is not theory, or supposition or faddish fancy, but a FACT. He IS and I can authenticate that first-hand by listening to the holy spirit and expressing through the holy spirit my knowledge. I know I KNEW that, but it was good to be reminded at Church Sunday. When I feel TRUTH--a reiteration through the spirit of the FACTS of life (the plan and prescence of God) I feel the swell of my own testimony and build-up or authenticate GOD himself. What a gift God has given us to be able to do this! Indeed, GOD IS GOOD, all the time! Ohh, and I also looked up CULT... of which I may or may not have been accused of belonging to. A cult by definition is to mean:

"formal religious veneration (respect or awe inspired by the dignity, wisdom, dedication, or talent of a person)". So sorry to all--I am apparently in a cult afterall.....A Christian (of or for Christ) CULT.

Phew, I feel better all ready--powerful! AND YOU CAN TOO! Wanta join? We have eternal happiness, ABSOLUTE FACTS, and A SURE PLAN on how to have it. And if you sign up today, I'll throw in peace, joy, charity and love...All you have to do is number yourself among the believers, proclaim your place as a child of a God (who wouldn't want to be a child of a GOD?) and follow your brothern into the pure life that is the waters of baptism taking upon you the name of TRUTH. That's all. Yes folks, its that easy....

;)