Full Court Press

   What is a full court press? In most situations in the sport of basketball, when a team is playing defense it usually waits until the team on offense gets to about half court or maybe a little earlier to apply defensive pressure. In crucial situations, such as the team being down a few points late in the game, when they need a key defensive stop in the middle of the game, or when they want to apply added pressure to a certain player,  the team will call for a "full court press." Meaning that the team will be right up in the opposing team's face right as they touch the ball at the far side of their court, thus applying defensive pressure the entire length of the court. Is this tiring for both teams? Yes. For the defense, it is a sign that they have a sense of urgency. They strive to take the ball from the offense, or in other words, to cause a "turnover" in a key part in the game. This usually flusters the offense and makes their offensive scheme less effective and sometimes even break down.
   Now, that being said, how does that have anything to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ or being a missionary, Elder Lee? Well, let me tell you. To address the elephant in the room, yes I have very little time left on my mission. But also, I have plenty of time. Yes, it's "late in the 4th quarter" for me, so to speak. But that means I still have some game left. I haven't taken off the jersey and ran into the locker room just yet. There are still numbers on the game clock that aren't zero. And now it is time for me to put a "full court press" on Satan and his teammates. I will apply the most pressure to him and his plan that I possibly can these last 6 weeks. I want to frustrate his offensive scheme and break it down. How do I do that? Making every second count. Taking what I have learned these past 22 1/2 months and applying it to full force. That's what makes an effective full court press. Making every second count and not letting your arms down or stance slacken the entire time, and applying what you learn in practice. Will it be tiring? Yes. But worth it? Absolutely. This stuff doesn't come free!
   Satan needs a little "pressure" to his plan. We can fluster him and cause him to "turn the ball over" by doing the things God wants us to do. Reading our scriptures, praying at least twice a day alone, and going to church every Sunday. That is how we keep constant pressure on him. Because we have the best teammate on the face of the planet. He also happens to be the best player. WAY better than Kobe Bryant, LeBron James or Blake Griffin. His name is Jesus Christ. With him on our team, we cannot lose. He is up there in the front of the full court press formation, doing the hardest work. We just have to follow his lead and we will be lead to victory. Jesus Christ wants us to win. He is on our side, even when we aren't playing our best game. Of course we are going to miss a few shots here and there, and turn the ball over once in a while, but he is always on the court waiting to help us. There always will be opposition, but we always gain victory
as we follow Christ's lead and seek to give Satan a good ol' fashioned "full court press."

Where Is The Love?

   The world we live in today can sometimes be a cold one. I am not talking about the temperatures, the wind chill, or the 3 foot long icicles hanging off of your roof. I am talking about love. Where is the love? There is actually a really good song by the Black Eyed Peas called "Where is the love?" It talks about how this world is going downhill. People don't love each other any more. There's always somewhere to be, something to do. And anyone that stands in the way is just an inconvenient obstacle and they are treated as such. How often do we wave at our neighbors, smile and say "hi"? Or bring over cookies to a new neighbor, or to someone who is down in the dumps? How many times a day do you talk to someone who you didn't know before?
   There is this thing the scriptures talk about a lot. About how if we don't have "it" we are nothing. And if we are found with "it" at the last day, it will be well with us (see Moroni 7:47). This thing is called charity. Charity is the "pure love of Christ." It's doing things that Jesus would do. Cliche I know, but true. Happiness is a choice. No one makes us mad. No one makes  us do anything. We have the choice. Choose to be happy. Choose to love. Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to love God. And the 2nd most important one is to "love thy neighbor as thyself." It's a commandment to love. Jesus loved everyone. He didn't turn anyone away. There is no evidence that he turned anyone away from being healed or taught. He loved everyone. We are supposed to be like Jesus. It can be really simple...serving someone out of love, not out of obligation,  but out of sincerity of heart. Be a little kinder. You don't have to be in a hurry everywhere. Try to make someone's day. You never know how meaningful a simple smile, wave, or a "how are you?" can really be. Try it out. You will feel great, I promise!

Stick It To The "Man"

   The scriptures mention a lot about a "natural man." What is the natural man? In the "Guide to the Scriptures" it states: "A person who chooses to be influenced by the passions, desires, appetites, and senses of the flesh rather than by the promptings of the Holy Spirit..." We also read that the "natural man is an enemy to God.." (Mosiah 3:19). So yielding to those desires of the natural man is contrary to God's will for us. As a missionary, I have experienced the natural man in a lot of ways, some I didn't expect. To me, the natural man is someone who wants to take the easy road. The "path with least resistance" as they say. The natural man will look for any way to get out of doing something hard. As missionaries, we have a pretty rigorous and strict schedule:

6:15am Arise and pray 
6:30-7:00 exercise 
7:00-7:55 shower, get dressed, eat breakfast
8:00-9:00 personal study
9:00-10:00 companionship study
10:00-11:00 language study (Spanish)
11:00-12:00 lunch 
12:00-9:00pm work, work, work. 

  That is the schedule we keep, rain or shine, sick or healthy, sore or not, even on Christmas Day, Sunday or your birthday. There are a lot of things in this schedule the natural man doesn't want to do. The natural man doesn't want to wake up before the sun is up, kneel down and pray. He doesn't want to exercise for at least half an hour before 7am every single morning (except Sunday). He doesn't want to be all ready by 8:00 to study for 3 straight hours. He doesn't want to be on his feet non-stop for 9 hours, talking to people on the streets, getting yelled at, kicked out of apartment complexes and ridiculed. What he really wants to do is sleep in, eat whatever and whenever he wants. Sleep instead of study. Stay inside and play video games or watch TV instead of always being on the move, being productive. The natural man doesn't want to be productive and effective. So if the natural man is an enemy to God, we cannot afford to yield to those things that the natural man wants to do. Otherwise, it puts us in a sticky situation with God. In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 2:14 says "...the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit." We can't receive spiritual knowledge or progression if we continuously yield to the natural man. How can we overcome him? Studying the scriptures. Praying. Going to church every Sunday. Fulfilling our callings in the church. And much more.
   Now, hear me out. I am not saying that I have completely overcome the natural man. I am far from saying that. Is it hard for me to get up EVERY morning between 6:15 and 6:30am? Yes. Absolutely. Is it hard for me to leave the apartment at noon, knowing it could be 92 degrees outside, and knowing I won't come back for 9 hours? Yes. I fight with the natural man every day. We all do, in our own ways. Do I yield to him sometimes? Yes I do. But I keep fighting. I ain't perfect. We may lose battles here and there. We just have to win the war. 

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." Mosiah 3:19

Back In The Saddle

   Well after a brief break from blogging of about 2 months, I am back! And I can't believe it is the year 2013. I was thinking about doing a really cliche post about how it is a new year and so we should all set goals. We know we need to set goals to be better. Everyone sets goals this time of year: losing weight, exercising more, saving for a new car, getting a better job, something. But I have decided to do something a little different. I have been studying about the topic of "mercy" the past few days. What is mercy, anyway?
   The definition found in the Guide to the Scriptures reads "The spirit of compassion, tenderness and forgiveness. Mercy is one of the attributes of God. Jesus Christ offers mercy to us through His atoning sacrifice." God loves us. We are all His children. As a loving father, He wants what's best for us and wants us to make the right decisions. He has given us so many gifts. He really gives us everything we have. But one of the most precious things He has given us is the gift of mercy, through His Son Jesus Christ. How does one obtain this mercy? Some people say you don't have to do anything. That mercy is a free gift from Christ's sacrifice. In a way, they are right. His sacrifice redeems all of us so we can be resurrected. But we must repent and live the way he lived to earn the full effects of Christ's mercy. Christ's mercy is the only thing that can save us from the "demands of justice." 

  "And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption." 
-Alma 34:16

  Mercy is was what saves us from the fall of man. If we have faith in Jesus Christ and repent of our sins, and try to do our best everyday, mercy will have claim on us. And the opposite is true as well, as you saw in that scripture. Jesus Christ is "mighty to save." But, his mercy does have conditions. Each person will have to experience consequences for their acts here on earth, whether that be good or bad. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ's atonement. And the role is plays in our lives. Yes, we all make mistakes. Yes we aren't perfect. But if we just get up one more time than we fall, we will be OK. So I guess if I absolutely have to set a goal for this new year to satisfy my readers, I would say...do whatever I can to qualify for Christ's mercy at judgement day. Oh...and maybe to lose a few pounds too. 

http://mormon.org/me/7QF5/Nick

In a World of Chaos, Where Can I Turn For Peace?

   Over the past few months, I have come to the realization that this world is becoming more and more chaotic, hectic, selfish, evil, and unreliable. These can be scary times...but they don't have to be. Yes, Jesus is coming again. When? We don't know. All we know that it is soon. It is easy to see that. But we do not have to fear. The Lord tells us in Genesis, "fear not, for I am with thee.." (Gen 26:24). What have we to fear if we are on the Lord's side? Because "...God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Tim 1:7). The Lord protects His servants.
   So where can we turn for peace in this world that offers none? To Jesus Christ. His gospel. His plan. His Sacrifice. His word. The gospel is the only thing that can save this world. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, found in its fullness in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a gospel of hope and strength. It is a beacon of peace. We don't have to fear if we trust in the One who was perfect. Jesus Christ beckons "Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Mat 11:28). We will find rest and peace as we search Him. How do we do this? Read the scriptures. Pray with a sincere heart. If you feel fear, stress, or frustration or anything else...let your Heavenly Father help you. He is always there. He wants to listen to our problems, or fears. Let him. He loves us.

  I post this because I am the one that needs this. And if I need it, I doubt I am the only one. I have felt fear for the future lately. But since I have been praying for peace in my heart, I have received it. No matter what happens, God is there. He is mindful of us as His precious children. He will never let us down. All we have to do is trust Him, and look to His Son for guidance...

The World of "Me" and "I"

   We have all heard that pride is the root of all sin. It's true, is it not? When we sin, we are always, in some way, just thinking of ourselves. If someone is drinking, they don't care about other people's opinions, about hurting family and friends, they just want the "buzz" or the "thrill." If someone is committing adultery or fornication, they are only thinking about their own personal pleasure. It all comes back to pride. We live in a world that teaches us that it is OK to think about ourselves, that the world revolves around us. But we know that that is not the case. Alma 38:11 says
 "See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength."
   All of us do it. Including myself. I am probably the worst at this, which is why I am studying it this week. Most of the time we think only about ourselves. We have the "what's in it for me?" mentality. We talk about ourselves more than we talk about others. I am as guilty as anyone. But what if we were to stop? Jesus Christ is the perfect example for all of us. What if he just said "Wait a minute, this is way too hard. I am outta here"? We all would be lost, with no hope. And of course, he teaches us to try and be like him. If we are to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father, we must acquire attributes of His Son, Jesus Christ. He always was serving, so selflessly. And you know what they say about service, right? "...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17) Prideful people don't serve, prideful people don't put others before themselves. We don't have to lay our lives down for someone or save their life to be serving them. We can do daily things to serve others. There are millions of ways to serve each other. A smile. A greeting. A "how are you today?" Remembering someone's name. Remembering someone's birthday. Find a way to make someone ELSE happy. We make ourselves happy all the time. And it feels good to make someone else happy, doesn't it? Why don't people do it more often? Pride is the root of all sin...
   This is what I have been studying this week. Humility and pride. Humility is one of the Christlike attributes I have the most trouble with. This was for me. Service is the best medicine!

The Standard Will Never Be Lowered

   In the game of basketball, the stand that holds up the basketball hoop is called the "standard." In almost every league, organization, or gym, the standard is held at 10 feet high. I have been playing basketball in gyms and churches since I could barely walk. The hoop has always been 10 feet high. I am a basketball fan. More so of college basketball, but I like the NBA too. And what I have noticed is this...no matter if it is little Johnny's 12 year old "rec league" team, or Lebron James and the Miami Heat playing the Los Angeles Lakers, the hoop is always 10 feet high. Isn't that interesting? The hoop isn't lowered based on one's ability to play basketball. Imagine if the hoop was lowered based on who was shooting the ball? So Kobe Bryant plays with the same standard as my high school team's. What can we learn from this? Let me tell you...
   That is exactly how the gospel of Jesus Christ is. The standards are high. Christ expects us to keep a code of conduct that the world doesn't keep. The world wants the standards adjusted, even lowered, to meet their wants. The Lord expects us to love one another, attend church every Sunday, keep the Word of Wisdom, save intimate relations until after we are married, and many other things. Difficult? Sometimes. Unreasonable? Absolutely not. The Lord will never lower his standards just because the world does. We must step up our game. The standard will be "10 feet" and it always will be. Even if we are "Lebron James" spiritually, or if we don't think we have much skill or if we don't care, it will always be 10 feet. It can't be adjusted. Christ expects a lot out of us. Salvation is not free. The best we can do is practice, practice, practice. Why sell our selves short by shooting on a lowered hoop? In the end we will still have to shoot at a 10 foot hoop. We can't sell ourselves short in the gospel. We must put it to practice to master it.