Welcome to Gaia! ::

Sorry I wasn't here on Wednesday everyone. There was no internet in my house at the time. But I see that hardly anyone else was here either. So I shall try to go into Elder Garrett's subject a little bit more.

How Do We Talk To Those Who Have Fallen Away Or Are Starting To Fall Away From The Church So That We Can Help Them On The Road To Full Recovery In The Church

When I saw this a hymn popped into my mind

Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not then I have failed indeed.

Has anyone's burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to shar?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

This song really hits home to what should be important in life

That's too true Sister Lucentas. Over the last week I've noticed something that only a really great friend could help me see. We can't help others if we can't help ourselves first. The only way we can help ourselves is by losing ourselves in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Something happend to me to where I only focused on myself. I wasn't happy. I kept focusing on things that only depressed me. I didn't like it. I'm usually the one to not do that. All I thought about was myself. I can't help others if they're problems aren't as big as my own.

So once we get past our own stumbling blocks, how could we help others who would need help?

So if we do that then we would have to open up to others, wouldn't we?

Isn't the Lord's will for us to also be happy?

So if we open up to others and that doesn't make us happy, why would they open up to us? And if we don't open up to others because it makes us happy, why would God continue to ask us to do things that would go against our happiness?

The thing is sacrifice. God knows what's best for us. More than we will ever know ourselves. So if God asks us to do something that we don't really want to do, we either change so that we do love it, or we'll stop hearing God ask us to help him.

Now I'm not saying that God will ever stop talking to us. But we know that God never changes. He never moves. So if you don't feel closer to God today than you did yesturday, who moved?

To help is to love. We love them. We care about them. It's has to be real love because if it's fake, then they will surly fall back down the unstable steps that we tried to build for them.

So once we show them charity and open up to them. What could we do next?

It's not enough to just befriend someone. The thing that stands apart from an aquantance and a great friend is someone who cares. What are the three things that every member needs? It's a friend, a calling, and nourishment by the good word of God. Now if every member had that would anyone fall away?

(Of course if we were doing everything we were supposed to do then there would be no home teaching, visiting teaching, etc etc.)

So to befriend someone, is to be a friend with someone. Show them that you care. Invite them to activities. Invite them back to church. Get your other friends to know him/her too. Many friends can make a person feel good. One great friend can make a person feel spectacular.

Well on that note, I gtg. Sorry I was late. We had FHE tonight and then Scripture study. I'll try to be here on Wednesday, but I can't promise anything.