Cleansing the Fish Bowls of our Lives

We recently got a fish. I've never liked fish or non-dog pets but who can resist a pet for $0.13?  So we got two.  Big bowl, bright fake plant, water purifier, rocks - we were set.  They looked beautiful and happy and peaceful and carefree. So we placed them on the shelf and went on with life, content with our new family pets.

And life happened. Natural life. All living organisms create waste, and before we knew it the water was so dirty that you couldn't see the fish on the other side of the bowl. (We knew this would happen, but not so quickly...) Nasty. Sad. Not we wanted. Not what they wanted. It was time for action.

Luckily, it wasn't too hard to get rid of the old water and give our Goldfish brand new sparkling water. We didn't just drop in some magic pill or portion and hoped that the water would clear up, but we gave them brand new water.  And now they are happy. And we are happy.  And this will repeat itself forever.

It's a lot like life of course.  As we go about day to day, we make mistakes and "dirty" our lives with things we should not have done, should not have said, should not have watched, and on.  We feel worse and worse about our dark, cloudy lives, with any clear direction blotted out by the filth of our sins.  We are unhappy. And our Creator - God, who watches over us - is also unhappy.

But there is hope. It is a time for action.  Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can all be made clean.  As we truly repent of our sins - confess to God and forsake them - He will purify the waters of our life.  When we are Baptized by Priesthood Authority and become truly converted unto the Lord, the Atonement provides us with a brand new life - a clean slate - described as "new creatures" in Christ. Once we truly repent, we do not ever carry the burdens, scars, or filth of our past sins and misdeeds, but we are clean, pure, and at peace with God.

And then life happens again, and the stress of life may cause us to slip and muddy up the waters once again. This is normal - this is life. The Lord has instituted his Sacrament whereby each week we can partake of bread and water in remembrance of His Sacrifice, the Atonement. This sacred ordinance renews our baptismal covenants and we again become pure and clean.  

Personal Daily Repentance and the Weekly Ordinance of the Sacrament are like the electric filters that continually keep the waters of life fresh, pure, and vibrant. And just as the filters require constant electrical POWER to keep cleaning, effective repentance and access to the Lord's Atonement in our lives requires the POWER of the Holy Ghost to sanctify our efforts of righteous living. 

Keeping both the water in a fish bowl and the "water of our life" pure and clean is not a one-time event nor an effortless, automated occurrence, but requires constant care and cleansing. Thanks to the Redeeming power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, staying pure and clean is possible through continual repentance and honest efforts, which enables us to enjoy the purity and joy of partaking of the Living Water.

Visit www.mormon.org

The Slippery Slope of Ebay... and other evil forces

Ever heard of Calico Critters toys? They are cute and fuzzy and collectible and super expensive. Basically, they're a family-oriented doll house collection set. Our friends from the Hopscotch Rabbit Family wanted to introduce themselves.



But they are the very epitome of Allison's childhood dreams, even more than Ralphy obsessed about his BB gun in a Christmas Story. Well with our daughter turning 1 year old, Allison had a sudden surge of nostalgia and became dead set on one idea:  Katelyn needs Calico Critters. 

After paying way too much for way too little at the toy store, I was determined to show Allison how much cheaper they were online... but I could only find full-priced items. Until, that is, we found people selling entire used sets on Ebay which included the families AND buildings AND accessories. We spent a long time looking carefully at each product, seeing if they looked new, how good of a deal it was, what the shipping costs were... just for fun of course. Pay MONEY for these used things? No way. Not me. I would buy our one-year-old daughter a laptop computer before I spent money buying fuzzy critters. I hate critters. And they're girly. Girly fuzzy critters.

...but they are pretty cute.

...and come in cute families with a Dad, Mom, and 2 kids... (you buy twins separately of course)

.... and I kind of remember them from MY childhood too...

... and after all, it's Ebay, so surely someone else will bid higher.  Do you like this one?

... WAIT!  This one is Buy it now!  For HALF the price of the one we bought at the toy store today!  Do it, click! Click! and... Click!  Yes! .... they are cute....and not THAT expensive....

.......  Placing a bid on this other set is probably pretty safe - someone else will bid higher for sure, but ... just in case.

Click.  *Ding!*  Highest Bidder!

.... whoa - this one has squirrels AND dogs !  Click. *Ding!*      Hey check out that one - yeah looks cool.  Yeah...and it doesn't REALLY matter that the dog's ear is chewed off a little bit... *Ding!*

....  An entire house with all the furniture and 17 figures??  Total deal!  *Ding!*

And there you have it. In less than an hour we had become the highest bidder on 13 different products coming to a grand total of several hundred dollars.

WHAT???  On Toys???

Yeah, yeah. That's okay - it's an investment into the future... future imagination and... growth. Yes, all is well.  We totally meant to do that by the way. Our intention the whole time.  Totally.


And thus it is with so many things in life. Now both these toys and the website are actually great things, but the process illustrates a good point. The adversary has many tactics to use against us to get us to do things we never even dreamed of doing - in such a short time. Drugs, drinking, smoking, pornography, cheating, lying, infidelity, immorality, stealing, gambling - the list goes on. Nobody wakes up in the morning and decides they will try a new vice that day. The world's evil forces uses a carefully prepared path for each of us to lull us away into a false sense of security and carefully drift us on a path to pain and regret. 


"And others he will pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: Allis well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well - and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell."  The Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 28:21) - CLICK to learn more 


 It is the same process - the same slippery slope - that we got caught up in on Ebay.  (I was going to provide examples below for vices other than online bidding - but that would only be suggestive rather than helpful. We all know what these steps mean.)


1. We begin to "harmlessly" entertain an idea.
            Maybe we could get just a few little critters...


2. We innocently rationalize why it might be okay to try... just once.
            They're nostalgic, and someone will surely bid higher - it's safe.


3. The "first time" creates this excited thrill of "danger" that muddles our thinking and understanding.
            Well we got that one pretty easily - no harm done. Lets get some more. 


4. We continue to do it under the false notion that "it's not hurting anyone" or "no risks involved."
            It's just bidding, not actually buying. It's safe. We won't end up paying for it. Lets just try it and see.


5. Finally we have the fleeting thought that maybe we made a mistake.
            We don't actually need 100 critters do we?


6. We quickly justify our actions and tell ourselves that it is all for the better.
            But we'll play with them. It's a good thing. We can just cut the grocery budget in half...for a few months...


7. The pain and regret finally sets in when the real consequences hit hard.
            We just might win all the bids and pay for every last critter we never really wanted anyways.  Ouch.

While the Adversary would like us to stay forever in this unhappy and awful state, the Savior Jesus Christ has prepared a way for us to overcome the pain of sin and the heartache of trials in this life. The Atonement provides a way to return to the light by following another set of steps of repentance (Click here for a PDF of a complete 12 step addiction recovery program):


1. Admit honestly to yourself, God, and others that you made a mistake and make a resolve to change.


2. Do your best to right the wrongs you have committed.


3. Ask forgiveness of your Heavenly Father in prayer, pleading for his love and mercy.


4. Continue to live righteously and resolve to avoid similar mistakes in the future.


I know that through the Atonement of Christ all pain and sorrow can be turned into light and joy. However, we are never "better off" or "stronger" having endured the pain - we are ALWAYS better off having completely avoided the trial. And although we may be able to sell back the toys we purchased in our bidding frenzy, correcting the wrongs of immorality or infidelity are not so easily resolved. I am grateful that my wife and I could learn this scary lesson in the relatively safe environment where our mistakes can easily be turned around. The world is not so forgiving. 


We must put forth our very best effort to help ourselves, our children, and our friends break the addicting cycle of vicious sins and vices. More importantly - we must put forth an even GREATER effort to help ourselves, our children, and our friends avoid the slippery slope of sin entirely. If taught correct principles and shown a consistent righteous example, those individuals standing on the top of the slide looking down and "entertaining those harmless thoughts" will hopefully remember the things you taught them. Learn more about strengthening families at mormon.org.

The path to God is straight and narrow, but there will be plenty of fun swirly slippery slides all along the way offering you a "shortcut" to happiness. One game of snakes and ladders is enough to realize that no one is completely safe from falling - we're all at risk, and must all be on constant guard.


We cannot win on the slippery slope of sin. 
We must avoid it all together. 
We must seek help and repentance as soon as possible. 


Otherwise - we'll be stuck with 5 little dollhouses, 112 figurines, and more miniature chairs, sofas, and beds than an entire hotel. 


But hey... they're cute and fuzzy... right?

Learn more at Mormon.org

Rock Climbing and the Atonement

For years, my dad and I have loved to go Rappelling and Rock Climbing. We do what's called a top belay, where he stands on top of the rock and

belays the rappeller down and then pulls the climber back up. Both he and the rope are connected back to a huge boulder that's part of the mountain, using 18,000-lb. fabric truck tie-downs (aka super safe). I've always felt very safe leaving his side and hopping over the cliff and rappelling down below. Climbing up is always a fun challenge.

There is a certain place we have gone to for about the past 10 years along the Appalachian Trail. It's about a 60-ft rock and has many different routes back to the top. Up the middle is the hardest. The beginning isn't too bad, and even the middle part isn't extremely difficult, but that last little part - at least for me - is nearly impossible.

Mainly because the rock juts out about 3 feet, so in order to reach the top of the mountain, you have to go up, around, and over this big ledge that hangs out above you. Yikes!

For years and years I would attempt the climb up the middle, hoping that maybe this was the time I would make it over that last little ledge. But almost every time, I would get to a point where I just couldn't go any further, and then my dad would have to pull me up a few feet until I was over the hardest part. Or I would totally fall while trying, and he would catch me as I dangled, and allow me to keep trying till I got it. I would always finally make it back to his side, after a long climb, and thank him for his help, but feel a little disappointed that I didn't really do it on my own.

But then I realized that's what the Atonement is all about. Before this life, we lived with the Father on top of the Mountain and enjoyed being in his presence, but we knew we needed to experience a mortal life and descended (rappelled) down to earth where we can no longer physically see our Father. But we can Hear his voice every now and then - through prophets. And there are others who are down on the ground (earth), like our parents and family, helping us know what to and where to go as we make our climb back up to the Father to once again live in his presence.

Most importantly, we are connected to the Father with the rope - or the Spirit, His Power. I know that just like my dad pulled me up the rest of the way over that last ledge, the Atonement of Jesus Christ helps us overcome that last obstacle of death and sin, AFTER we have done all that we can do. My dad won't just pull me up from the bottom of the rock. Nor will we be able to live with God forever by simply asking. We must do. We must climb as hard and as much as we can, and then the Atonement of Christ will make up the difference and pull us up the rest of the way. The good news is, since we're all different, all we have to do is our best. All that we can do. That is the power of the Atonement: to do for us what we cannot do on our own.

But I later realized that Atonement is much more than that. As I climbed up the rock, I of course felt the rope - my dad's power - pull me up over that last obstacle, but when I thought about it, I also felt that upward lift every step of the way. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is NOT just for the very end of life, but it is in fact for every foot and hand hold of the Climb of Life. Because Christ suffered, we do not have to. Christ suffered for our sins and death - yes - but also for our pains, sicknesses, stresses, problems, anxieties, weaknesses, and concerns. He knows how we feel in any situation, and His Grace is sufficient to make us strong and whole and happy and at peace. As I climb up the rock, I feel that upward tug of the rope as my dad keeps the line taught. Heavenly Father will do all HE can to help us every single moment of our lives, as long as we continue to try out best.

I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and the Redemptive and Enabling Power it has. Redemptive Power to help us all over that last obstacle, or ledge, that is impossible on our own, and Enabling Power to encourage and uplift us and to help us have peace and joy along the journey, doing things that we normally couldn't do alone. The Atonement is real, and is available to all men everywhere. All that God asks is that we believe in Him, repent of our sins, be baptized by immersion, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. Through prayer, we can call on God to bless us with the healing power of the Atonement. Ask and ye shall receive!

He also asks, of course, that you don't take off your harness in the middle of the climb. As long as you keep your harness on - that is, keep your Faith and Believe in Him - you will never fall, even if you let go of the rock. As long as we keep our Harnesses of Faith tight and secure, The Father will lift us up to safety and help us once again return to live with Him. He is always watching from above and is mindful of every step we take.

The Atonement makes it possible to return to God, to be free from sin, and to simply be happy!

Chopping trees and Avoiding Spears

When I was a boy, perhaps 10 or so, I was outside in the backyard one day doing "yard work." Normally, at age 10, "yard work" meant jump on the trampoline and watch dad mow the lawn, and then move the trampoline when he needed to mow underneath it. "Yard work" also included watching all the fun little rivers and tributaries that the garden hose creates in the down-hill mulch when left running for hours.

On this particular day, "yard work" meant playing with a shovel. It was large shovel. And I don't remember what exactly I was doing (or supposed to be doing, rather). But we had two trees on either side of our patio. At the time, they were tiny trees, with the trunk only a few inches thick. I guess I thought it looked like an evil bad guy from playing too much make-believe, so I began whacking the tree trunk with the shovel. Just enough to shave off about a foot-long chuck of bark. Good. Bad guy dead, I probably thought. Uh oh - fun over, I next thought as I saw my dad drawing nearer. He admired my handiwork with a loud voice and angry eyes. Bad Nathan.

My dad - being the handi-man-mr-fix-any-and-every-thing that he is, wrapped the damaged tree trunk with some special Tree Bandaid stuff. Slowly, over the next few weeks, months, and years, the tree looked more and more sickly, while it's companion on the other side of the patio continued to grow strong and beautiful. Eventually, much to our dismay, the poor tree died. Finally I accepted the truth. It was cold-sapped murder.

For years, the mulch circle where the tree once stood remained vacant, as if it was the memorial grave of a dear friend. Finally my dad had the brilliant idea to transfer a small sapling from the corner of the yard to the old gravesite. I did the transplant myself, in solemn retribution for my wickedness years before. Well, it turns out the "tree" I transplanted was actually a very large, very tree-looking Weed. (See previous post for a separate discussion on this stupid Wower-Tree of a Plant). Needless to say, it has not grown at all. As you can see in the poor and depressing photograph (in grayscale, just like all the Infomercials when they show the poor old folks bending way over to pick up their rotten tomatoes from the ground, and then the infomercial switches to bright color when it shows the Topsi-Turvy that hangs plants upside down...) the poor weed-tree simply quivers under the massive beauty of the old-timer on the other side of the patio, that has continued to grow strong and beautiful all these years.

Now. The utterly unfortunate thing about all this, is that we love to eat out on the patio, usually while the sun is still out. The sun is hot. The sun is normally low on the horizon. The sun hits the patio from exactly the left upper corner. Right where the poor tree once stood. So now, when we are in desperate need of shade, all we get is - well, nothing, actually. The patio is 100% exposed to the sun all hours of the evening. However, the large beautiful tree on the other side of the patio DOES offer simply perfect shade to the grass. But we don't eat on the grass. We eat on the patio. In the sun. Because Nathan killed the tree.

And Mother Toone reminds him every meal we eat outside. "Sure wish we had some shade here...Nathan." "Boy, it really is hot out here in the sun....Nathan." "Wow what a lovely and tall weed we have growing by our patio....Nathan."

For years - literally years - I have been thinking and thinking trying to come up with some wonderful metaphor that would justify why it is BETTER to have the tree cut down. And here is my final conclusion: There is no metaphor. Life is NOT better without the tree. Nothing good has EVER come from me killing the tree. Nothing good ever WILL come of it. And herein lies the glorious lesson.

One of the finest lines in all of Life's Philosophy is that between a "Thorn in the flesh" that we were born with and a "Spear in the side" that we ourselves inflicted. Both of these are trials. And we learn from trials - yes. We learn from all trials - yes. Life is better because of trials - well....kind of. Life is better because of ALL trials - No. Just like we do not enjoy shade when we eat on our patio because I made the big mistake of killing the tree, we will sometimes to feel the repercussions of sins for a long long time.

And certainly, we can learn much from making mistakes and sinning. I know to not hit little trees with shovels. When I touch the hot stove, I will learn to not touch it again. When I go out and do (insert wicked and evil thing here) I know that next time I will definitely NOT want to do (insert same wicked and evil thing here) again.

But we cannot ever ever say that my life is better for having sinned. My life would be so much better right now had I never killed that tree in the first place. Imagine how great if I didn't have the burn mark on my hand. It would be simply wonderful if I never had created those awful memories of that time I went and (insert that same wicked and evil thing from before).

The fine line is this: If the tree would have been blown away in a tornado or it by lightning in some thunderstorm or magically vanished in some freak accident, THEN we could say it was the Will of God, and that somehow - for some reason - our life is better because of it. Trials make us stronger. We grow by enduring trials. The Great Blacksmith purifies us and makes us beautiful by casting us into the Refiner's Fire.

Trials make us stronger. Sinning makes us weaker. Even though when we finally recover from the ill-effects of our sins and end up at a point in life better than before we sinned, imagine how much BETTER off we would be, never having sinned in the first place. We can never ever say that my life is better because I sinned. If that was the case, Jesus Christ must have missed out on a lot of opportunities to grow. But He didn't. He paved the perfect path by not sinning at all.

Life is best when we endure the thorns life's trials and avoid the self-inflicting spears of sin.

Sorry, Mother, for killing your shade tree. I have learned my lesson, and now - officially - I have used it as an object lesson to teach the Gospel. But my life has NOT been blessed by that foolish shovel-chop over 10 years ago.

HOWEVER. In the other corner of the backyard are about 3 pines trees who have died ... just because. Naturally. The difference? Somehow - in some way that we may not understand until after this life - that is one of life's natural trials that actually is a blessing in disguise.

I love blessings in disguise and look for them every day. Although sinning, or the repercussion thereof, cannot be blessings and cannot make our lives better, we can still learn from our mistakes. We must do all we can to cheerfully endure the natural trials of life and do all that we can to avoid cutting down any poor, helpless trees with rusty shovels.

Flowers, Weeds; Wowers, Fleeds.

For a service project last year we helped to weed a flower garden. It was in deep need of a makeover, and was overrun with weeds all over. But there were still lots of perennials and nice bushes, strawberry plants, and a few budding flowers. Before we began, we carefully asked what exactly were we supposed to be pulling. She pointed out some examples of weeds - thistly or viney, but always ugly - and some examples of flowers - delicate and beautiful. Easy enough.

As we delved into our back-bending labor, we quickly discovered that there were a host of plants that didn't fit into the black and white categories of Flower or Weed. 

There were some nice perennials that simply didn't have any flowers yet and sure looked like weeds; there were also some nasty weeds that happened to have colorful, tiny flowers. "What about this one?" we would ask, pointing.  "And this one?" It soon became apparent that we just weren't as skilled in botany as the owner whom we were helping. She had to direct our every move. Then finally she announced: "Ok, whatever. If it looks like a weed, pull it. I'd rather have a few flowers pulled than leaving infectious weeds. If in doubt, pull it out" (or something to that effect). 

And so that began a mad rush to get done as soon as possible. "Everything must go!" Of course, a beautiful flower or delicate leaves would stop us quickly, and we would carefully work around it. But anything that looked anything like a weed was gone without hesitation. The poor non-blooming flowers were now just as evil as the thistles and flowering-weeds alike. Only the beautiful, blooming flowers could stay. And thus, the task was accomplished. 

In the few hours it took to pull all the weeds, I thought of how - of course - it was metaphor! In life, there are Flowers and Weeds; Good and Bad; Light and Dark; Disciples and Destroyers; Beauty and Ugliness; Love and Hatred. But more and more in today's world we are seeing not only Flowers and Weeds, but also Wowers and Fleeds. 

Wowers are those nasty weeds who have learned that if they grow some flowers, people think that they're beautiful. Dandelions, for example, are nothing but vicious wolves in tattered sheep skins. The media has made gambling and alcohol and smoking and drugs and promiscuity and attacks on the institution of family into colorful Wowers - evil weeds pretending to be "good" and exciting because of the "wow" factor of the activity. Yet Wowers will often suck the life right out of the true Flowers around it, leaving nothing but dead and dried-up waste. We must avoid these evil Wowers at all costs!

Fleeds, on the other hand, are those naturally-born flowers who have sadly decided they don't want to shine their petals any longer, and lose their flowers to look more and more like a weed. Perhaps due to the peer pressure of the weeds around them, they become ashamed of their true inner beauty and begin acting in a way that is certainly unbecoming of their true nature. Fleeds are in desperate need of help. For when the Gardner comes to clean out all the weeds, the Fleeds will be taken just as quickly. We should all want the Master to easily recognize us as a True Flower - or adding just an "ol" - a True Follower!

This simple service project turned into a marvelous learning experience for me. I want to be the biggest and brightest and bestest Flower that I can be! I want everyone to know that I believe in God and in His Son Jesus Christ. I believe in the redeeming power of the Atonement. I believe in the everlasting salvation of God's Plan for each of us. Christ said himself, let your light shine forth, or in other words - make sure that everyone knows that you are a declared Flower. Share your beauty. Drown out the ugliness of the weeds beneath you by rising above in beauty, stretching ever more towards the Life-giving Light. 

Just as there are some weeds that look like flowers and some flowers that unfortunately look too much like weeds, there are all sorts of people in the world, at every single step from Purely Good to Purely Bad. It's my hope that anyone who ever looks at me, and my life, and my Fruits will have no problem knowing where I stand on that spectrum. For truly one day the Weeds, Wowers, and Fleeds will all be hewn down, allowing the Flowers to then reach their full potential.

Note: all pictures were taken by me within the past few months

The Eternal Potential of Leftovers

One of my trademarks in the kitchen is my unique creations. When living in Moscow as a missionary, I lived in a house with 5 other Elders. We always went grocery shopping on Wednesdays, making Tuesday the last day to have leftovers before our new yummy food. It soon became Chili Tuesday, as every Tuesday we would make a large pot of "chili" using all the leftovers in the fridge to make room for the new. The best was after thanksgiving when we had everything from spaghetti sauce and two-week old turkey to eggs and sour cream. Awful, I know - but the beautiful thing is - it always comes out so wonderful! 

In the picture above I'm demonstrating how a soup one day can evaporate overnight into a nice pasta slush type casserole. Just last week we took scraps of ham and nasty frozen veggies that were mostly ice and cut and friend them all up into a wonderful ham-potato-veggie stir-fry. I 

consider it a successful meal if we're able to get rid of any packages or containers - finishing off the last bit of anything. More room for the new! In this picture are 3 different sculptures we made out of old ice cream (and then still ate them...)

Over the years we've made pies and cakes and cookies and soups and casseroles and omelets and pastas and smoothies and a host of Microwave Miracles and One-Pot-Wonders. (and maybe even combined them all together!)  For me, cooking is an art and a hobby. You take raw materials and combine them in such a way that the result is always spectacular. Some see leftover ham scraps and think: trash. I see them and think: yum. I think I've been blessed with the gift to see a "second life" in most foods, using them in ways never thought possible. 

The joy of creation and the deliciousness thereof are simply to die for (which of course is the risk I take using old food...ha). 

But on a more spiritual note, aren't we all just old leftover food? We're all tired and worn out in one way or another. So many times we've thought - in whatever situation - that's it - I can't go any further! And then somehow, with some Extra Help From Above we just keep going and going. That's because a loving Father in Heaven sees in us an eternal potential. God does not see us for who we are or what we've done, but rather who we can - and will! - become. He knows our true potential, and despite all odds, will help us obtain our divine inheritance. 

Food was meant to be eaten, not thrown away! I always try to do my best in helping all foods - regardless of origin or color - reach their fullest potential (how's that for political overtones?). When we throw leftovers away, we in essence say "you are worthless." How grateful I am that The Lord will never tell us that we no longer have any worth in his eyes. We are all His precious sons and daughters here on earth en route our epic journey to return once again into His presence. A chick is hatched to one day become hen and lay eggs of her own. A pup is born to become a full-grown dog with a family - his own sons and daughters. And we, being spiritual children of our Heavenly Father - The God and Creator of all the universe, likewise have the potential to one day become perfect and inherit all Godly attributes and powers that are naturally born in each one of us! THIS is our Eternal Potential!

In my creative little mind, I can look at a plate of cold leftovers and see a glorious meal just a few minutes away, pending a little work on my part. In God's merciful and and almighty powers, He looks at each one of us and sees a Glorious and Perfected Heavenly Being, once again pending a little work on MY part.  Let us all do our part in remembering our own Eternal Potential and Live our lives as true sons and daughters of the Almighty God!

...and be a little more creative with leftovers next time!

Vacuums and Repentance

The other week I was helping the vacuum the church building, using what they call "the wart hog." It's an industrial vacuum that has the motor and dust bag on little maneuverable rollers, and then a long 10 ft hose with the suction part at the end (similar to our red friend in the picture, but older, and the dust bag was more like a fabric bagpipes than a plastic bucket.)  As I was cleaning in and out of every pew, I couldn't help but realize that the bag on rollers kept following me around! I couldn't get away from it!

What's more, is that it kept hitting things. One time, it fell over and a nice poofy cloud of dust - the dust and dirt I had already vacuumed up - went fluttering into the clean air. Another time it whipped up quick behind me and bit the back of my leg for a nice scrape. I began to wonder - why in the world, am I carrying all my old dirt and dust around behind me like a ball and chain?  Why can't the dirt just disappear once I take care of it?

I realized this was a lot like sins. So often when we sin, for whatever odd reason, we continue to carry them around behind us like a ball and chain. They weigh us down. We can't get away from them. They continue to cause problems and hurt us over and over again. The Lord doesn't want that! I know that Christ suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane so that once we vacuum them up out of our lives - once we repent by calling on God's name and confessing to Him our wrongdoings and then (most importantly) forsake our sins, we DON'T have to keep carrying them around. The Lord remembers them no more, and neither should we!  Christ's Atonement is that perfect vacuum system that makes the dirt and filth of my past life completely disappear once I properly take care of it! Satan wants nothing more than for us to continue carrying around old baggage. He wants that dust bag to hold us back and weigh us down. But the Lord wants us to be free from our sins - and we can be!

What a blessing it is to know that the Atonement works so much better than even the best industrial vacuum: we don't have to keep toting around our past sins, but can become free, clean, new creatures in Christ!