What's past is prologue - William Shakespeare

Happy new transfer and Happy October!  We've finally gotten out of that pesky "no holidays for this month" phase of the year and I am proud to announce that for the rest of 2015, there will be a holiday each month!  The stores here are already getting the St. Nicklaus stuff out:)  

Anyway, let me just say, that General Conference is the best thing that could happen to anyone, anywhere and although I still haven't seen the last session (blasted time difference), I am so grateful for the personal love I felt from my Father in Heaven and my Savior as I watched and listened to the messages.

Zone P-day

Van Gogh Museum 

This week was a week of flat tires and "acherroping" (not really sure how to spell that because I'm pretty sure it's Nederengels - Dutch/English).  Anywhoozles, my back tire deflated gradually over the days and then eventually it just gave up, so that needed a'fixing.  But the work must continue!  So, 2 Zusters + 1 bike=acherroping. So, I biked and Zuster Hanny just jumped on behind me and we went on our merry way:)

Then, the next day after my bike was fixed, Zuster Hanny's bike decided to go flauw and needed a new insider tube; but the show must go on!  So, in total, we biked about 12 km with Zuster Hanny sitting on the back of the bike whilst I pumped us both to our appointments (that just happened to be on the other sides of the city from each other). But that's all in the past now.

I also met a guy while we were contacting who was wearing his underwear on the OUTSIDE of his pants.  And I can describe the underwear to you, it's every color that a highlighter is.  Those were his underwears...I cannot stress enough the under in underwear, meneer (sir).

Huge Dutch spiders

Okay, this is what I've come across the past few weeks-
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describe us as follows, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

We rarely see ourselves clearly; the glass, mirror, that we used is dark, obscure. Our understanding of not only who we are, but who we are to become is clouded by the reflections of the world, the darkness of doubt and pride.  As we go throughout life, it's difficult to imagine that the random weirdo on the street is a child of God, a being of worth, predestined to become something much greater than we can imagine. 

As C.S. Lewis says, "There are no ordinary people"  The glass become clearer, our purpose more defined, as we allow the light of God pour out light onto that which is shadowed.

Two extraordinary children of God

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

As our knowledge and more importantly, our understanding grows of who we are, and God's love for us, light appears in our lives and it naturally radiates.

True understanding and application of Gospel principles allows for us to undergo a continual process of conversion, where we consistently and sincerely turn our hearts to God, submitting ourselves to His will and love.  We know that because Christ died for us, He in turn gave us back our lives; not just physically, but because of Christ, we have that promise that we can be spiritually whole again, if we let Him.

Paul goes on to say in 2 Corinthians 5, "And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."

As we consecrate our lives to the Savior, acknowledging our nothingness without Him, we begin to see things as He would see them; we gain an eternal perspective. And we become new, better through the loving power of the our Savior. Therefore is any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Old things pass away and we become new creatures, the way we are supposed to be, the way that God our Father sees us. And thus, the glass in which we view ourselves becomes all the more clear as we invite the light of God into our countenances and seek to become more like our Savior, line upon line "glory to glory."  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Elder B. H. Roberts stated: "The man who so walks in the light and wisdom and power of God, will at the last, by the very force of association, make the light and wisdom and power of God his own, weaving those bright rays into a chain divine, linking himself forever to God and God to him."

Have a magnificently autumn week:)
liefs, Zuster Dobler

  

Autumn in Nederland