Ink-tober Days: Shyin' Away

The prompt 'behind' this one is "shy".

.....Oh, I guess I should say a bit more, eh? Well.... this is definitely not too far off from the way I was when I was about Sheldon's size. In fact, I think every kidlet goes through something like this. Even if it's not as a visible shy-ness, every child relied on their parent for protection in some way. In the best of cases, that reliance will lessen, but never completely fade. For example, give it a couple hours and Sheldon will come out from behind his Mother's dress. But if he ever needs her, Linda is still always there for him, like any good mother. And she's always lovingly encouraging him to explore the world beyond the radius of her dress once again.

Wow, that turned into like, some kinda metaphor for life! Too bad nobody ever reads these things. Don't be afraid to venture beyond the dress radius, and keep on, keepin' on!

   

Just in time for Easter!

Once again, the celebration of new life is upon us! Personally, with my Religious course on the life and ministry of the Savior ending just in time for Easter, my thoughts have been turned to Christ and his role in our Spiritual progress in this life. (Actually, today's drawing and my final project for that course have some incredible similarities!) 

As is quite common with the Scriptures, the Savior's instruction to various people during His life can be applied to our own lives. He said; “Come, follow me.[ Luke 18:22] For, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me;[ John 14:6] therefore, be not afraid, only believe,[ Mark 5:36] all things are possible to them that believe.[ Mark 9:23]” The Savior also never failed to emphasize throughout His ministry that His will and that of the Father were in constant unison.[ Matthew 12:50, Luke 2:49, John; 4:34, 5:30, 6:38, among others.] Thus we see that the Father and the Son both truly love us and wish our redemption and exaltation, our immortality and eternal life.[ Moses 1:39] As Elder Holland said, “Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience to His commandments, lift us to eternal life.”[ “Where Justice, love, and mercy meet”; Elder Jeffery R. Holland, April 2015.] 

So, much like Peter in his attempt to come to the Savior on the water;[ Matthew 14:25-31] as we stay focused on Him, through the Atonement and the Holy Ghost, the Savior is with us every step in the right direction that we take. “For with God all things are possible.”[ Mark 10:27] When you put it that way, it's quite apparent we’re loved the exact same way as the men Jesus himself handpicked to hold His Priesthood and teach His word. As I see it, this shouldn’t lower our leaders to our level, but rather raise us to their plain. The Lord’s servants, all of them, are equal, and have the same job; to pay forward the help we receive from the Savior, spread the good news, find and feed His sheep.[ John 21:15-17; “Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd”, 4th verse, Hymns no. 221 ] Coming full circle here, the biggest part of our God-given responsibility as servants of Him is to lift other’s up to join us, as our Savior first lifted us up. He that ascended up on high, has also he descended below all things… that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth”[ Doctrine and Covenants 88:6]. 

Yeah, I've put a lot of thought into this. Happy Easter, and keep on keepin' on!