11-26-12

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

We actually missed it entirely without realizing it here. They don't
celebrate it here. Kinda funny.

Things are going well. Got my new companion Elder Beck. Nice laid back
guy. We are getting along very well so far.

Spiritual Thought!

Today, I would like to talk about the Sacrament.

Think about how much you respect the Covenants you have made.
Especially in the Holy Temple if you have. Think about how much those
mean to you. How much those mean to God. Think about the wording.
Maybe even go study the wording a little. It can be very specific and
meaningful. Think about how big of a deal they feel to you.

Now let's think about the Sacrament. The Sacrament is a wonderful
Ordinance that we are priveleged to take part in every week. In this
we renew every covenant we have made. Every time we take the
Sacrament, we are essentially remaking those Covenants. Those
Ordinances we have done to come to God are re-enacted in our hearts.
We promise to keep God's commandments and to think about Jesus Christ
in return for a complete forgiveness of our sins, and a complete and
wonderful renewal of all Covenants we have made, as long as we have
repented of sin. How wonderful is the Sacrament?

So, my encouragement today it to try to love the Sacrament more. Try
to see it more and more as the great and wonderous Ordinance that it
is. Try to feel the Spirit more. Treat it like you do the Temple in a
sense. It is just as Holy. I testify of these things in the name of
our Good Shepherd, Jesus the Christ, amen. :)

Have a great week everyone! I wish you all the best! God be with you.
Remember to smile and look for happiness. :)

- Elder Michael Miles

*Editor's note: Michael is a senior companion, as well as a district leader.

11-19-12

Hey everyone! Trying to save time today, so I don't have much time to write, but I wanted to say hello.

Just had transfers, and I am staying in Köthen. An Elder Beck is coming. I am excited to get to know someone new and build a new friendship.

As far as a spiritual thought, I would like to leave you with some quotes from a book that my grandmother was telling me about. The book is called: Divine Signatures

'Coincidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and the pulleys.' - my comment: God has the plan. He knows what He is doing.
No worries. Just do what you can in your sphere of influence. :)

"God loves His children and it pleases Him to bless them, especially when they are striving to do His will. These blessings, also called 'tender mercies,' come in many different forms and in many different ways.  Sometimes, the Lord sends His blessings in such a highly unusual, dramatic, or precisely timed manner, that it might be likened to a 'divine signature.' It is as though the Lord 'signs' the blessing personally so that we will know with certainty that it comes from Him.
In doing so, God not only give us the blessing, but at the same time, He also strengthens our faith and deepens our testimony of Him." - I can testify that sometimes God gives us very specific blessings to help us remember Him and to think about His Love. He cares so much.
You can trust Him. He's watching out for you. He's on your side. :)

I hope you guys are all doing well. Have a good week. Go search out happiness and make a good week. :) Love you guys. Keep close to Christ.

- Elder Michael Miles

11-12-12

Today I would like to share one simple thought. God has a plan. As a matter of fact, God has The Plan. He knows what's best. He cares. He won't let things get out of hand. He will take care of you as long as you let Him. As long as you keep following Him. Trust Him. He loves you. I can testify of that, in Christs name. John 20:27 "- and be not faithless, but believing." God's got your back, as long as you let Him be there.

Have a great week everyone. Keep close to the Light. Talk to you all next week. :)

- Elder Michael Miles

11-5-12

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great Halloween. Interestingly, it is recognized, but not really celebrated here. It is actually the year anniversary of, I think something to do with Martin Luther. I may have been the day that he posted the Thesis, I am not sure. But they call it Reformations day, and it is a work holliday. Some children go around doing trick-or-treating, but hardly anyone had decorations out, and I really only saw a hadful of children out. Kinda sad to me. Our English class is going well. People are bringing there friends, and we are getting more and more opportunities to share smaller, condensed messages from the Gospel with people we may not have otherwise reached, or gotten to really talk to. Wonderful experience, and great to see the work move forward. Nothing can stop this work. I can testify to that. Spiritual thought for the week. I have been memorizing a scripture: Alma 37:36-37 36 Yea, and let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and withersoever thou goest, let it be in the Lord. Yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord continually, yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. 37 Council with the Lord in all thy doings, and He shall direct thee for good. Yea, and when thou layest down at night, lie down unto the Lord, that He may watch over you in your sleep, and when thou risest in the morning, let thy heart be full of thanks unto God, and if you do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. What I really have come to love about this scripture, is that it so often says 'let'. It testifies to me that we know where to go. We can feel what we should be doing. We know how to do right. We know how to follow God. We know the Lord personally, and He knows us. Now the question is, are we letting ourselves know these things and see these things? Are we letting ourselves acknowledge the way we should go, letting go of our unrighteous desires? Are we letting the desires of our heart, who know the Lord and want to follow Him, truly follow the Lord? Are we letting ourselves be close to Him? It can be very simple when we set our minds to do good and to be close to our Loving Creator. As we are truly honest with ourselves, and with all of our heart let go of evil, letting our natural good desires drive us, and carry us to follow Christ, the way becomes easy. The burden becomes lighter. Christ is with us as much as we let Him be. He can't force us. He would never want to. But He is imediately there when we let Him in. I testify to that. He loves me. He loves you. He knows you, and you may know Him better than you realize. And I testify of all these things in His name, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Have a glorious week everyone. Keep close to Christ. Look for the happy things, and try to remember to smile. :) I love you guys. God be with you.