Reactivation

Its been a pretty spiritual weekend for me here.
Elder Cook at the Institute on Friday, Stake Conference Friday night and Sunday morning.
And then tonight a fireside where Elder Perry spoke.

Elder Perry talked about how there seemed to be less....spirituality in the youth at this moment in time.
Nobody seems to be believing in God.
And he challenged us. The youth of the church, to get people reactivated in their beliefs.
I got the sense that he didn't really care if the people were of the same faith/church as us.
What matters is that they believe in God. And go to him in their time of need so that they can find guidance and comfort when they need it most.
What matters...is that we, as the youth of the church need to be an example to those who are struggling with what they believe.
Perhaps all it takes is a friendly smile and a hello as you pass by someone in the hall.
Or maybe a challenge to do something.
If a friend's life seems to be on the down low. Challenge them to read a single verse from the scriptures and slowly increase their amount of reading time.
Or perhaps to kneel down when they have no where else to go, and pray to their Father in Heaven for help and guidance.
Then we ourselves...also need to pray that we will be able to somehow help a person who needs help.
Perhaps we can provide service for someone who needs help without expecting anything in return....

...this was the general impression I got from the talk that Elder Perry gave
And I ended up going on a thinking tangent because of what he said.

How would I reactivate my believes....when I was struggling?
And I had to think back....
Scripture study....I'm still working on improving...but what got me reading them everyday?
The thought that...If I don't do this now (now that seminary had ended where I was required to read the scriptures daily to get the reward of a 'completetion necklace' -soo shiny! must have!!- :) lol) I never will do it again because now there is no particular reason why I have to.
So I decided to keep reading. And not slack off. If its a single verse...or 4 chapters...I still read.
The same thing with journaling happened to me. If I didn't continue to do it...I wouldn't do it...
Then Prayer as well. Its a slow progression for me.
Praying to my Father in Heaven....I started praying occasionally. Then I started saying my prayers (I think it was a moving away to college thing and my sister's example that got me saying my prayers more often) before I fell asleep at night in bed, warm in my covers. I would pray occasionally on my knees.....when I really felt I needed help, when I needed something.
Then I decided......You know....I don't like those people who only talk to me when they really really need something.
I didn't want to do that to my Father in Heaven either. Pray deeply and sincerely only when I needed help.
So I started crouching on the side of my bed each night to pray.
And then I slowly moved down to my knees. Where I would take the time to pray.
now...I'm still not perfect. I fluctuate between saying something meaningless just to say I prayed, and being really meaningful in my conversation to Heavenly Father.
And I still totally struggle with saying prayers in the morning....
but when I look at my life.....what I see is a general progression.
I didn't jump in the deep end of the pond expecting to be able to keep afloat.
I started on the edge of the pond with my feet completely dry.
And slowly, but surely with the right events influencing me...I got wet.
And I would move deeper into the pond with every small step I took.
Building up my endurance so that when I do reach the deep end of the pond...
I will be able to keep afloat and not struggle to keep my head out of the water.

So, when Elder L. Tom Perry gave the call....to basically reactivate our fellow youth in their beliefs....
I admit...I was and am...quite stumped.
How can I help others in their unbelief?
Do they need to be picked up and forcefully pushed into the pond to sink or swim?
Or do I need to carefully lead them, guide them by example to a way of life that will be happier for them.

It really depends on the person I think....
But I wonder...how can I help?
The best I come up with right now is to lead by example.
Just be myself.
Continue to keep my own standards up.
Perhaps I can help others through this blog....

Dear Reader....
Can I help you today?

Sincerely Sarnic.

lol. Perhaps. Perhaps somehow through influence something I say in one of these blog posts will trigger something.
It will spark that barely glowing ember.
And gradually with the right reinforcement and fuel added
the ember will grow into a bonfire.
A beacon upon the hill that will in turn help others to light their own darkened embers.

We must be examples to each other. Be the best that we can be...
but not do it in such a way that people think. "Oh I can never be like that."
Its like baby steps. Slowly and surely if we take a step at a time we will move somewhere.

I hope I can help. I pray that somehow I can help someone
to reactivate themselves in their relationship with God.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi


The Dream



The glass door was foggy so I couldn't really see out, and I knew it was cold.
So I opened the door to let in the two kittens. Zairo and Drifter (Zairo was probably actually Ecli) Zairo was black with a few white hairs here and there, Drifter was fluffy and black with white socks and belly.
I let them inside so that they could get warm.
Dad introduced his coworker to me. He introduced me to her as "My oldest."
I wasn't really paying much attention I was too busy rubbing Zairo's belly.
And then I got distracted...or worried that Dad didn't want the kittens inside.
So I shooed them outside..I think.
And I went into my bedroom (college bedroom) where I was watching a movie (Megamind) and my sister was in there.
We were watching the movie and she suddenly realized that her favorite white 'teddy bear' had an ugly purple stain on it. From when my brother and dad had been...pickling prunes?? Making grape juice? Prune juice? It was a purply pink color.
She freaked out about that.
I wanted to make sure my own bear (panda pillow pet) was alright. so I picked it up off the ground....
and it had prune juice in its white fur as well...but more then a single splash mark like my sisters.
I showed her that mine was worse....but she wasn't comforted.
so I left the room and went into my parent's room (back at the house) to 'comb' the stain out. I had a comb and i was brushing the panda's fur to get the juice out.
My mom came into the room.
And she said something along the lines of "I told her a thousand times to pick her stuff up from the floor because somebody might step on it and ruin it."
I nodded in agreement.
And then my mom asked me to brush her hair.
So I did...
She somehow had it front of her face so I..or she...lifted up her hair...and hanging down from her hair (it was thick hair) were....cephalopods....they were like centipedes...but they curl up? I don't know...they made spiral shapes in her hair.
I thought they were from when we went swimming at that one place a day or two ago....it was kinda disturbing but understandable because my mom's hair was thick, so it made sense that something could hide there.
Anyway. She lifted up her hair so I could comb at the roots.
And there were these huge....like 4 inches long.....worm type creatures.
They were pale. A cream, white, translucent green color. With heads that were round and then bodies that kinda had legs...but kinda different.
I wasn't going to touch the things. *Shivers*
So I said to my mom "Uh...mom you have a worm there."
She was pretty calm about the whole thing. And pulled it out of her hair and...placed it somewhere....
So I went to comb again...and there were three more of the creatures.
I guided mom to where they were in her hair.
One of them...she grabbed the head...and the head came off and the body didn't follow.
But she was still patient because she really wanted me to brush her hair.

But the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away...
and I became myself again.

And that...
is why the fox never came home. :)

-S.N.D