What if . . .?

What if, when a baby is staring at her hands, she isn't trying to figure out what those things are? What if she's learning to focus on objects and is practicing on her hands?

What if we can improve our own vision by practicing how to focus - even if it looks weird or our brain screams that we can't see that thing clearly, even though we obviously can?

What if we can take that a step further and look at spiritual things with new eyes, learning how to focus clearly on what really matters?

What if we had a vision from God, very clear and loaded with meaning, but believed it was not a real vision from God because it was only a few seconds long, and neither angels nor God was in it, let alone them speaking words to us?

What if we are sorely in need of learning how to focus on all the messages and abundance God is giving directly to us, but we don't recognize it because our focus is off?

To those who are suffering

 - especially at the hands or words of others.

May I offer up the words to this hymn. (It is found on #285 in the 1985 green LDS hymn book.

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful Saints fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan his works in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain

 Some background:

One of the ways I receive things is through pieces of songs playing in my mind. Most of the time, they prove prophetic. Sometimes, they're more on a comforting level. So, I was going through a week that felt like hell, with so many things pressing down on me. I reached my breaking point over and over again. I was at the point where I was wondering if God was even real - and if God is real, do they really have any actual power to help alleviate the hell this place is?

And after a week, I broke down yet again and told God that I wanted to believe. (I mean, there's no other direction or being for me to focus on, so it's them or no one.) "I want to believe . . . but I can't." And pieces of the above hymn started playing in my head, and all that day pieces from that hymn played. It was "louder" than I've ever "heard" the songs in my mind - and more constant. I would like to believe, and I do think, it was God/heaven communicating with me, to let me know there is a purpose for this suffering. Some day, at some point, it will be made plain.

And so, to you who are reading this blog post, I offer up the song in the hopes that it will likewise give you comfort in the trials, unjust suffering, and even hell you are going through when you read this.

Thoughts on the coming total solar eclipse.

A new thing about the April eclipse came to light for me a few days ago. On April 21st, a comet will be the closest to the sun in its path. That means it will appear about 25 degrees away from the sun during totality, which means it might "photobomb the display."

The interesting thing about this comet is that one of its nicknames is "Devil Comet" because it appears to have horns.

It makes me wonder about the symbolism. The sun (representing God) leaves the sky, making the only thing visible the Devil's presence. Luckily, it is temporary, just like the gross wickedness and gross darkness covering the face of the earth is temporary - lasting until Jesus comes to reclaim the planet.

My source for the information about the comet came from here, and I would recommend reading the article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/stunning-comet-could-photobomb-this-aprils-total-solar-eclipse/

Church of the Lamb of God

The Great and Abominable Church/the whore of all the earth has dominion over all the earth, among all nations kindreds, tongues, and people. This Church includes everyone who is not a part of the church of the Lamb of God. All the nations of the Gentiles fight against against the Lamb of God.

But

There is also the church of the Lamb of God (I made it small c because it isn't a legally organized entity of any kind, nor does it try to hold itself up as some kind of authority that tries to force others to obey its every whim). The people belonging to it are also all over the planet, even though there are very few of them in comparison to the earth's population.

The saints of the church of the Lamb of God and the covenant people (I find it curious that it's worded as two groups - or is it saying that the "saints" of the church of the Lamb are also the covenant people?) are armed with the righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. That description deserves a lot of humble pondering and self-introspection.

At some point, Satan will have no power because of the righteousness of the people. He has no power over their hearts. I think that also deserves a lot of humble pondering and self-introspection.

Sources: RE 1 Nephi chapter 3, paragraph 28

RE 1 Nephi chapter 7, paragraph 5