When Life is a Downward Spiral...

Sometimes life feels like this video.  You know it is going down hill, and it is going to be a long hike back to the top.  But, instead of stopping, we just keep on going.  Closing our eyes to the consequences of where we are headed, wherever that may be.  Now of course, the reason I didn't stop running down the stairs was because I wanted to visually capture how tall the tower was that we had visited in Reading Pennsylvania.

However, in life, it feels like there are those things that keep us from stopping, and turning around, from repenting, and returning back to the clearer vision that comes from higher ground.   Sometimes it is fear of how difficult the trek will be.  Perhaps it is pride.  Sometimes it is just the momentum we pick up as we get used to a destructive activity or lifestyle.  I know that for me, Satan convinces me to believe that I can turn around after one more step, after one more level.  He promises me great pleasure and ease "if only I go a little farther."  Unfortunately, I just end up at rock bottom, out of breath, hope, and sometimes desire. 

The miracle of the whole thing, is that Jesus Christ is real, and his power to change us is always accessible.  We have never fallen too far, too often, or too hard.  I've experienced his healing power again this week, and I am back on top.  Yes, the power or repentance is real!
-Elder Blackburn

Quick, Easy and "Cheap as Dirt" trip to Egypt!

I really like this picture.  I was driving down the road and saw that there was a town called Egypt, Pennsylvania and I had to get a picture.  I got much more than I bargained for, and there are many many elements of this picture that I enjoy and I think relate to the gospel:

1)  There are always temptations trying to get us to turn off from our destination, and many times they say "it will only be a small detour.  1 mile here or 1 mile there."

2)  There are warning signs of what may lie down each road.  One will lead to a world of flowers (strange women) and the other to a world of cars and houses (materialism).  If we take the detour, other temptations will only get stronger and closer.

3) God has his own sign from the spirit urging us to "Keep off the Shoulder" or in other words, to "Stick on the Path"

4) One of the signs is broken... I'm not quite sure what this one could mean... but it just makes the picture that much better.

Life is a road trip, and God has laid out our roadsigns through his Spirit, scriptures, and modern-day prophets.  However, Satan has also laid out his signs meant to distract and delay our progress.  Luckily we continued on our way, despite how luring it was to go to Egypt.
-Elder Blackburn

Track Practice

I was thinking today about a principle that I was taught years ago my a friend, Kyle.  As a youth Kyle's father was a track coach at a Jr High School a few towns away from his home.  He and his friends decided to join their own track track team at their local school, in response to the gentle encouragement of his father.

When he went to practice his first day, he saw a circle cut into a grass field.  His coach explained that this circle was the size of a normal track, and that he had measured it out so that they could practice at their school instead of traveling each practice to the nearest track at the local high school.  Kyle and his friends decided to run together a relay, and timed their very first practice race.  Their coach was excited to see that their times were very good, and he expressed very energetically that he had just witnessed a bunch of naturals join his team.

As Kyle returned home each night of practice, his father was equally impressed and encouraging, for the times recorded by his son and his friends were already getting close to surpassing the times of his own team.  And soon they were.  As their first real race got closer, Kyle and his friends were confident that they would win, and they were, fueled by their excitement.