What Is Your Personal Ranking?

"What is your personal ranking? I thank God we have the right and responsibility to determine that ourselves." Marvin J. Ashton

No one else determines your ranking. Only YOU DO!!!!!

He gives us a few steps to follow as we determine our personal ranking before God:
Remember the Good examples of those around you
1. Act Instead of React (LOVED this one)
2. The Lord Loves Men and Women of Integrity
3. Go Forward Humbly
4. Remember to Take Courage
5. Build Your Foundation
6. Be like the Good Samaritan

"Remember with God's help we can know and share good cheer and happiness now and in all the days ahead. Today is a new beginning. Today is a new opportunity."

Boo-ya! Cause sometimes... yesterday was crap. (excuse my g-rated french) Today is always a fresh slate. Living today because of something in the past that was not so great or not so nice has never gotten me too far. Living like today is a fresh chance to start a new...? Now THAT is where it's at. To DO that...? There's the challenge. It's hard, but it's possible. It takes 'higher thinking' (more on that another day)

I personally have found that people who are happy are happy in spite of their circumstances and in spite of what others think of them. A persons satisfaction or dissatisfaction with life tends to rub off on the people around them, whether they intend it or not. I liked Ashton's talk. It was a good reminder to me to REMEMBER the good examples around me. At the end of the day, it's our personal ranking with God and not man that matters and that's how I think we should respond in our personal attitudes, words and actions; to God's opinion of us, not man's. Each day we choose happiness or misery. Like he said, it's our right and responsibility to determine our personal ranking.

For more insight and awesome examples, here's the link to the talk I reference above. Marvin J. Ashton BYU Devotional Nov 1984. Not to mention it's the year BYU won the national championship, so there are plenty of football accolades lacing his talk. :)

A little about this man. Marvin J. Ashton. He was called as an apostle December 2, 1971. This was reported after his call:

Soon after Elder Ashton’s appointment was announced, he was asked by a reporter if the call shocked him. His answer was, “No, the call didn’t shock me; it surely surprised me, but it didn’t shock me. No one who is striving to do his duty in the Church should ever be shocked when a call comes.”

AMEN!!!! Shouldn't we ALL be prepared for ANY call that may come our way? And respond to ANY call with equal enthusiasm and determination to fulfill it? I love that. I agree whole heartily. I like this guy. Growing up, I always remembered him as the 'smiley apostle'. He passed away 25 February 1994.

A couple of favorite quotes:

“It occurs to me that there are probably hundreds or even thousands who do not understand what worthiness is. Worthiness is a process, and perfection is an eternal trek. We can be worthy to enjoy certain privileges without being perfect” (Ensign, May 1989, p. 20).

“Young people, bearers of the priesthood, God wants us to be victorious. He wants you to triumph over all of your foes. Stalwart and brave we must stand. God is at the helm. There is no reason for defeat” (Ensign, Nov. 1989, p. 37).

And one last one:

“When we have a yearning and don’t know what it is for, perhaps it’s our soul longing for its heartland, longing to be no longer alienated from the Lord and the pursuit of something much higher, better, and more fulfilling than anything this earth has to offer,” “May our yearning for home be the motivation we need to so live that we can return to our heavenly home with God our Father on a forever basis” (Ensign, Nov. 1992, p. 23).

'nough said.

Sacrifice is sometimes an Investment

"You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make." Gordon B. Hinckley

The loyal camel

I have heard it told that camels, although rather temperamental creatures (spitting, jumping, etc.), are in reality quite loyal to their masters. They will allow their master to place a load of burdens on their back and walk with them for miles and miles. At the end of the day, the camel will kneel down and then allow the master to unload the burdens for the night. The master will then inspect the camel for worn, red or swollen spots so he can adjust the load the next day so as to not harm the camel so it can continue the journey, pack in tow.

The analogy and challenge issued with this little tale, is to kneel down at night and allow God to take my burdens of the day, for the night. Trusting that in the morning, I will be ready to take them again and continue my journey. Trusting that He will adjust the load in a way I can manage and handle. No need to carry the burdens alone. No need to let them drag you down or wear you out. Loyal to the master and allowing Him to take care of me when He gives me a few loads to carry each day, walking with Him each day.

Flying like an egg?

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad. 
C. S. Lewis

A couple of quotes for me... and a thought or two.

"If we can trust the answers God has already given, why not the answers yet to be given, including patiently awaiting the data from our first estate that will illuminate the imponderables of our second estate?"
Neal A. Maxwell

"Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we may learn from our experience without being condemned by that experience." Elder Bednar quoting Elder Bruce C. Hafen

Life is hard. Having faith is hard. It takes just about all of my effort to not only have faith, but to act in faith. And what do I have faith in??? Faith in Jesus Christ, that he is the Savior and Redeemer. Without that first, all of the acting in faith in the world would amount to a whole lot of nothing. So, I have faith that He lives, that He will come again and that I have a purpose in all of this crazy stuff called life. And then, I ask questions. I get answers and exercise faith in things not seen and I act. One step at a time, into the dark. Waiting for the light to come on. Trusting that I am not alone and that something I do will matter to someone, somewhere. Trusting that I can make a difference to someone or somewhere. And... when I mess up. (which happens more frequently than I'd like to relate here) I fall back, once again, on the faith that comes first. The Atonement. So, I believe and trust all over again as I get up, brush myself off, and try again. When I think I am too tired to do one more thing or take one more step, I do anyway because that's when I know I'm in the thick of it and there's one thing I know about myself. I like to be in the thick of the battle of life. I need to be there. Standing still doesn't do it for me. One thing I know is there is more to be learned and more to do, so I keep insisting that God continue to lead me along and show me the way. No matter how daunting and INSANE some of the roads I walk down may seem at first. My view is narrow and limited and so I trust God's guidance, through His Spirit that the feelings, impressions and promptings I get are meant to teach me and help me progress, regardless of the timing or the outcome. And every once in a while, like Abraham, it seems like I'm climbing a mountain to do something I'd rather not do and I don't understand why I'm doing it; an angel is sent at the last possible moment to save me and God lets me know my willingness to obey was enough. So, with faith and gratitude in my heart for all of the angels He has sent and the roads He has led me down and illuminated as I go, I say, bring on the data of that first estate, the experience of this life and the imponderables that will come. Bring it on...