This mini-episode talks a little more about John 1 “We Have Found the Messiah.” I talk about being light. I encourage all of us to try harder to be a little brighter. I talk about a thoughtful lady on a plane and a cool man in Japan that thought about the garbage man. I encourage your kids to help with the dishes or mow the lawn and tell all of us not to kick dogs.
And at the end, I talk a little about Nathanael. That’s a cool story I didn’t know.
That’s it! Love you guys. Shine on.

We have found the Messiah

This episode has a totally off topic section at the beginning about trials and how we can learn to deal with them better. Then I talk a little about Christ before He came to earth and why that is important. I discuss our relationship with our Father in Heaven before we came to earth and why that is significant. Then I speak a little about John the Baptist and the John the disciple Christ. I start talking about the attributes of Jesus that John describes but get stuck on “GRACE.” I go on and on about how amazing grace is and read almost all of President Uchtdorf’s talk called, “The Gift of Grace”. After that I share a few experiences in my life that have brought me closer to my Savior. Lastly, I quote a Christian rock song by Matthew West, because it really helped me through a hard time.
Then I promise you another podcast sometime later in the week which is actually hilarious because I need to finish packing Monday and Tuesday and then finish up closing on a house and then move into said house all by Sunday, which ironically is when I have to prepare and finish Episode 5. Ha Ha. I may have just pranked you guys. We’ll see.

The Gift of Grace
By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf April conference 2015
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-gift-of-grace?lang=eng

Strong Enough Matthew West

Week of Jan 14 – 20, 2019

This episode correlates with the week of January 14-20 in the Come Follow Me manual.  “We Have Come to Worship Him.”  In this podcast, I ramble on about all the great things that have happened this last week and talk more in-depth about the Christmas story and nativity from Luke 2 and Matthew 2. I talk about all the different people who took part in that miraculous event and share a little tidbit I learned about swaddling clothes.  I reference a talk by Marvin J. Ashton.  I discuss different ways that people feel the spirit and then talk about how to help protect our families.  I also make fun of my brother for not being able to exaggerate and throw my aunts under the bus for leaving me at the airport when I was 5. 

Week of Jan 7 – 13, 2019

This podcast correlates with Lesson 2 in the Come Follow Me manual. In this podcast, I talk about what to do while we are waiting for blessings from the Lord.  I interview my beautiful friend Dawn about her current situation with her son who had a brain tumor removed last May and how her family has been dealing with that situation.  It’s so touching!  (You should probably just stop after her … )

I also talk about Mary and Joseph and their examples and give a short story from my family history.  You can find the manual here if you want to follow along.  Come Follow Me manual

Week of Dec 30 – Jan 6 2019

This episode talks about how we are responsible for our own learning. We are taught to examine what we are seeking for and what we want to get out of this year.  I discuss Matthew 19 about the rich man who asks what he lacks and how that parable applies to our lives.  I talk about humility and how sometimes it’s really hard to ask the Lord what we lack and then be humble enough to see it and then desire to change. 

I discuss the scriptures in Matthew 6 about forgiveness and talk more about how important it is to learn to truly forgive.  I quote two talks by Jeffrey R Holland   “Be Ye Therefore Perfect Eventually” and “The Ministry of Reconciliation”

I quoted a Christian author I love named Chrystal Evans Hurst’s book She’s Still There, Rescuing the Girl Inside You. She talks about our obligation to act upon the things we learn in the scriptures.  DO what we learn.  It’s a great read.  She’s very inspiring. In that section of the podcast, I talk about the importance of not just hearing the word of God – but really trying to incorporate His word into our lives. 

I also talk about whining in the MTC, a dead deer in a stream, having the devil in me before church, fighting Satan UFC style and how to bribe your kids to read scriptures with candy and back scratches.