Wellness goodies number two

September 13, 2014

On several occasions in my life I have found the need to move, mentally, outside myself. In each of these occasions I was cold, scared, away from friends and family, and completely outside my comfort center. For those of you who are believers you will understand that without the elements of faith, hope, and charity, things get really difficult. For those who are unbelievers or doubters, you can find this inner peace through meditation and self-hypnosis. The Spirit of God is always with us even when we do not wish it to be so. Over seven decades I have come to feel extremely comfortable with the prompting and association I have with spiritual guardian angels.

On one occasion while in US Navy boot camp in San Diego California on a cold December morning we were all awakened by a crazed, drunken company commander who decided that we had done something to irk him and he was there to extract his pound of flesh. In our underwear we were marched outside in the rain at three in the morning. With blood shot eyes and slurred speech he demanded that we stand at attention in company order. I can remember his eyes to this day. He was missing something in his life and had no idea what it was. We stood at attention in that freezing rain until sun up when he suddenly dismissed us and told us to get ready for inspection. We were kids, eighteen years old and scared out of our minds. It was in that quagmire that I recalled the teachings of Christ and love and hope and in the power of God in our lives.

I learned that day that there is a place we can individually go when things are intolerable. I have shared the idea of personal space, out of bounds to any and all by you. I learned that I can call on God in the name of Jesus Christ to protect me from the elements. I learned that I can go to that private place in my mind and be at peace even though the world around me is ravaged with sin, torture, and self loathing. A place much like the sacred sanctuaries we call churches, temples and synagogues. The power of God’s love and the atonement are the most powerful elements in the world and can and will triumph in the lives of each of us.

On many occasions I have experienced difficult health. On most, if not all of these occasions I have asked for and received blessings from priesthood holders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. On each of these occasions I have been given the opportunity to move through the infirmity, continue my earthly life and do whatever else I might do in supporting and honoring my commitments to family, country and God in the flesh. I have experienced the power of God’s hand lifting me from one abyss or another. Would I still be here on earth had I not experienced these great blessings? I have no idea. I have seen the most ornery, blood sucking cretins live hard, hurt everything they touched and live to be ancient of days. And, I have seen beautiful young babies straight from the hands of God taken after only a few breaths.

The purpose of mortal life as given us by God is to come to earth, receive a body; use our minds, talents, and earthly goods in blessing the lives of others. In thinking back on my life I see clearly the times I have let old scratch (Satan) beguile me into saying and doing things that were not only mean and cruel, but completely out of character for the type of person I would like to be. The most important thing I need to remember in living each day is the need to be constantly in tune with the Holy Ghost as he guides each thought we make through promptings. It is only when we get too haughty and too full of ourselves that we determine we don’t need and can’t be bothered with such nonsense that we stumble, fall, and are once again, forgiven and move forward hanging on to the iron rod (the word of God) with all the strength we can muster.

May God bless each of us that we can keep mustering, keep loving, keep giving, and keep moving forward on toward the gift of eternal life.

Duane Jacobs, grandfather, father, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend