The Power of a Patriarchal Blessing

It was June 9^th 2002 and a beautiful spring afternoon. My husband Manuel, was ready and excited to receive his patriarchal blessing as was I. It was five years prior to this date when I was fifteen years old that I had received my own patriarchal blessing. I had remembered from my own experience the personal revelation I had received and specific promises and blessings that I was given if I remained faithful to the gospel. What a strength that was to me as a young teenager with all the influences and decisions that surrounded me. The blessing I had received at such a tender age would be a bright light guiding the course of the rest of my life. I wanted to strongly to live a life pleasing to the Lord so that I could have these blessings. Many of those promises have since come to pass, and knowing this made me ever so excited for my sweet husband to experience this for himself.

I’ll never forget the peaceful and humble feeling that surrounded us as we entered the home of our stake patriarch, Brother Hamblen. We had never met him before and what a blessing it was to meet him as well as his sweet wife who was wheel chair and home bound at the time. His radiant white hair and clear eyes were full of light and love that day, and there was a strong warmth about him that I can only compare to the feelings felt in the temple.

As he began the blessing I immediately felt a shower of warmth flow down from the top of my head to my feet which I know was the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was as if the heavens had opened and God’s love and power was entering through the ceiling of Brother Hamblen’s home. I knew that this righteous patriarch truly was blessing my husband by the power of God and that God’s words and all that He wanted Manuel to know were being spoken through the lips of the patriarch. What a powerful, testimony building experience this was for me.

Though we had prepared spiritually for this moment and special day for quite some time I soon realized how unprepared I was for what was to come. As the Patriarch began to tell my husband about the life he lived before coming to Earth and special responsibilities he had as well as decisions he had made in the pre-existence I saw my husband in a new light. My love for him grew ten times that day. I believe my spirit remembered what was being spoken and it was testified to me that these things were true.

As he proceeded on he began to mention specific prayers that my husband had prayed quite recently. The Patriarch mentioned each of these prayers specifically and said that Heavenly Father had heard them and was aware of his desires. He then mentioned that each prayer would be answered and each desire would be fulfilled and that the Lord loved him. I could not hold back the tears as I heard the patriarch speak of these prayers that only God would know about. I knew God had heard Manuel’s prayers and that what was important to Manuel was important to Him. It was an amazing yet indescribable feeling to know the God truly does hear all of prayers and He knows what is in our hearts.

As he went on to talk about very specific things in Manuel’s past, and goals he currently had and so many other specific and personal things that the Patriarch himself had no way of knowing it was another testimony to me that God is aware of everything in our lives. He knows us each individually from our favorite colors to our innermost fears. He has known us since the beginning of our existence and he knows what we are truly capable of.

Finally the patriarch spoke of Manuel’s future and all the blessings that were in store for him and our future family which we did not have at the time. He was given a specific guideline to follow in order to receive these wonderful blessings and was promised that all his desires would be fulfilled and all his goals would be achieved as long as lived worthy of these and other blessings. Of course these are very personal and not to be discussed publicly on the internet, so I will end there.

I can’t tell you how much my precious spirit learned that day. It was as if I had begun and completed a four year educational program all within 15 minutes, very overwhelming but undeniably powerful. I knew that God had a purpose for us and for Manuel individually. I could not deny that. I was excited for the rest of our life here on earth together and for what was to come in the hereafter. This knowledge and experience has truly shaped the relationship I share with my husband and the love and respect I have for him.

We both keep our blessings in a safe place within our home where we pull them out often to read and reflect on our progress and what we need to be doing. They truly have been a roadmap and compass in our lives. As we have followed their guidance and counsel from the Lord we have personally witnessed very specific promises and blessings come to pass in the last seven years. This of course has been motivation to remain strong in the gospel and continue to live worthily of all the blessings we have been promised. We are very happy because of this knowledge and testimony.

In a world of darkness and confusion it can be very easy to get lost in the chaos and calamity of day to day life. It’s important that we know who we are, what we are here for and where we are going. Without this knowledge we are left vulnerable to the precepts of man, and the temptations, sorrows and deceiving of Satan. We are given several tools in this life such as scriptures, prayer, prophets, leaders, priesthood keys and so many others that if used righteously will give us these answers and the guidance we need.

Let this experience that I have shared with you be a personal witness in your life that God is real and He does know you and love you. In fact He loves you so much he has placed you on this earth at this time for very specific reasons. He has given you a very specific purpose and has arranged certain people to come into your lives at certain times to bless you in certain ways. He has also arranged for you to do the same for others. Nothing happens by chance in this life, it was all orchestrated before we came here. God has a plan for every one of us and he desires for us to seek this plan and receive eternal happiness, a happiness that doesn’t end with death but goes on forever. I know this to be true and because I have witnessed this in my own life it is my strongest desire to share it with you. Having this knowledge changes the way you see yourself, those you love, the decisions you make, your experiences whether good or bad, and your attitude and outlook on life. What a powerful knowledge and a blessing that God desires all to have.

I want to thank you for reading this entry today and letting me share something so personal and dear to my heart with you. I pray that this message touches you in more ways than one and leave a promise with you that if you pray to the Lord about these things that you have read He will give you the answers you are seeking. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Please comment below if you have questions or anything to share. You never know who you might touch and whose words may have special relevance for you.

For more information on Patriarchal blessings and how to receive one visit Patriarchal Blessings

High on the Mountain Top

Yesterday my husband and I had the opportunity to go to the Draper temple. My mom lives in Sandy and she offered to watch our kids so we could go. It was such a cold and snowy day, and there were a few instances when we almost decided it would be warmer and safer just to stay home. I really felt strong about going though, and I knew that this is what the Lord wanted too and that he would protect us on our way there. So off we went!

Though there was ice in the parking lot and storm clouds lingering all around, it was so beautiful to be up there on that mountain. The beauty, peace and friendly faces seemed to instantly drown out the bitter cold air. It was 4:00 and a wedding had just let out. The beautiful beaming bride and groom made their way to the parking lot where we had just come from and it was so surreal to see such happy, smiley people in such frosty temperatures. The bride had on short sleeves and no coat yet was glowing with joy while surrounded by her family. It testified to me of how the temple and the ordinances performed there bring such a great deal of blessings and joy into the lives of those who partake in them.

As we entered the temple the first face I saw happened to be my visiting teacher Natalie and her husband. We both smiled with a look of surprise. Such a coincidence that we both happened to travel from Clearfield to Draper that day both using the excuse of visiting family as a reason to go to the Draper temple for the first time. It was a warm and welcoming feeling to be greeted by a familiar face in such a heavenly and holy place. I was reminded of Heaven and imagined how similar it will be when we enter for the first time and are greeted by caring, loving familiar faces.

My husband and I didn’t realize that the Draper temple doesn’t rent out clothing but it did help us realize that we now know what to get each other for Christmas this year. We had planned on performing sealings but it now appeared we had no choice but to do initiatory. Keeping in mind that all things happen for a reason, I soon realized what a blessing initiatory work would be for me that day. It had been so long since we had done them and I had forgotten their significance. Hearing the words of promises and blessings repeated by the sweet temple workers over and over was just what I needed. The women there that day seemed so familiar and they said the same about me. I knew it was because in the temple the veil becomes thin and a remembrance of our life before becomes more clear. I am sure that I knew these kind and loving women before and I was grateful for their service in the temple that day.

The rest of the day just seemed to flow so perfectly. We went to a turkey dinner that night with family and everyone was in the best of spirits. My husband always becomes more handsome to me when I see him serve the Lord and when we do it together. He really glowed that night. I thought to myself how much I wish I could go more often to the temple so that I could have this peaceful feeling all the time. The blessings that come from going to the temple are so real. But it’s not just about being in the temple that brings these blessings, its about the work that is performed there. This is what our Heavenly Father and our passed loved ones need us to do for them. They rely on us to do this great work and by doing so it blesses more lives than we’ll ever know.

The Savior himself spent much time visiting and teaching in temples. Temples have been of great importance since the time of Moses when they were introduced to the children of Israel after escaping Egypt as they were required to prepare a sanctuary, wherein Jehovah would manifest His presence and make known His will as their accepted Lord and King. There are many scriptures that touch on the topics of temple work and redeeming the dead.

Mathew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

1 Peter 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

2Nephi 12:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.

3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.


This morning I woke up with the impression that my husband and I need to do the work for his deceased loved ones. It had not been on my mind for a while but clearly someone was reminding me that this is important and should not be put off any longer. Later today at church, each lesson was happened to be about the temple and doing work for our loved ones. Someone has clearly been preparing me, and I recognize the Lord’s hand in all things. We are not just brought into this life to have a great experience for ourselves, we are here to bless the lives of others as well. Time is running short and the Savior’s coming is sooner than we realize.

Mathew 24: 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

D&C 133:17 For behold, the Lord God hath sent forth the angel crying through the midst of heaven, saying: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight, for the hour of his coming is nigh

There are countless scriptures that testify that the Lord’s coming is soon and when we least expect it. I believe that is why temple attendance and genealogy are being emphasized so much in our meetings manuals, through our leaders and by the prophet and apostles.

I am going to make temple work, genealogy and sharing the gospel my life’s new mission. Aside from my busy duties and responsibilities as a mother, wife, compassionate service leader, business owner and all the other hats I wear, I feel this is something the Lord wants all of us to be doing more of. I want Him to be able to count on me whenever He needs me and know that what is important to Him is also important to me. That’s one of the best ways we can all show our love for Him.

I challenge you to make the Lord’s priorities yours as well. You will be amazed at the difference it will make in your life. If you desire to feel needed, have purpose and meaning, make a difference in this life and the next, have spiritual experiences and feel an abundance of love and blessings poured down from Heaven; then become in line with the Lord and His purposes. When you do this you will have a greater understanding of the love He has for all of us and a strong desire to be like Him.

This I testify in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Do You Know Your Purpose?

So for the past 6 months a postal worker at the Syracuse post office has been telling me he wants me to meet this lady that comes in as often as I do. He said that she makes humorous cancer T-shirts and has battled four types of cancer so far. She comes in to mail out shirts and I come in to mail out books. He just has really wanted to introduce us for some reason.

Then my sister has been telling me about a Utah blogger (who was recently on Oprah) who survived a plan crash with her husband and her face was disfigured. I haven't had the chance to learn more about her but I've been hearing about her everywhere. Well, I found out recently that these two women Linda Hill and Stephanie Nielson are winners as well for Wasatch Woman of the Year for other categories. I will finally be meeting these two amazing women that others have been trying to get me to cross paths with all year. This is just another confirmation to me that everything happens for a reason.

You can visit this link to read Stephanie’s story on Oprah, watch the video and also visit her blog. In her interview on Oprah, referring to her time spent in a coma in the hospital, Stephanie said,

“I was with somebody who told me that I could choose to live and have a hard life, you know, embarrassing at times and painful. Or, I could just stay there, and there's lots of work I could do there too," she says. "But I thought of my children and my husband, and it was easy. An easy choice."

I think about amazing individuals like Stephanie and Linda who are given tough burdens to carry in life and yet they have such a clear understanding of what life is all about, why we are here and they know their purpose.

In her blog the Nie Nie Dialogues Stephanie refers to her circumstance as, “Part of the deal I chose”. This profound statement is another testament that we were aware of our life and the challenges we would face before we were born.

Sarah Menet, whom I refer to quite often, learned of this knowledge in her brief encounter with death. She says,

“When it came time for us to come here, we were given the choice, once again, as to whether we wanted to live as mortals for a time on earth or to remain in God’s presence. No one was ever forced to do anything. It was all a matter of agency. After our choice was made to become mortal, we formed Usually we chose to be with those spirits to whom we were closest, the spirit friends we loved the most and from whom we could learn the most.

As we made this choice, we were shown some of what our life on earth would be like. We were given small glimpses into our future life. God could somehow look into the future and show some of the things that would happen to us. He was able, to a great degree, to show us some of the joys, some of the suffering, and some of the challenges we would face. Even with that we were still excited for the opportunity to come to earth and experience mortality.

Our circumstances differ with the families we come into, the time when we are born, and so on. All this was measured for our good. All of us chose to come to earth because we knew the experience as mortals was the plan of God for His children to achieve their greatest potential, with the possibility to eventually become more like Him and Jesus. God showed us some of the bad and unhappy circumstances so that our decision to be born would be a choice based on complete understanding of what lay ahead.”

So, leading into the topic of today’s message Sarah goes on to say,

“Almost everything that happens to us in our lives, including every person that we meet, is part of a plan for each one of us. Very little is by accident. Our lives and the surrounding circumstances are all part of a huge plan that we are part of. What we do and how we react when those trials happen is up to us, and so the choices we make have a great deal to do with it as well. But there are forces working hard to arrange circumstances for us and then influence our decisions in responding to them. Both good and evil spirits pull strings in our lives to make events happen. ..God arranges things so that everything that happens to us can work for our benefit. If we allow it to.”

Knowing that we chose to come to earth at this time, and we chose to support our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness, and we accepted the trials that lay ahead as well as our purpose and all that we could do for the good of others, ourselves and God, gives our life more meaning.

All of us have a mission here. We are all a part of an intricate design, and are put in certain places at certain times for certain reasons. We came here with the desire to return to our Father’s presence and be more like him. Do we still have that desire?

Nephi testifies of the importance of this truth and the blessings that come if we are faithful.

2 Ne. 31: 18, 20

18 And then are ye in this ^astrait and narrow ^bpath which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which ^cwitnesses of the ^dFather and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.

• • •

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a ^asteadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of ^bhope, and a ^clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and ^dendure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have ^eeternal life.

I believe that were fired up, excited and anxious to come here and reach our full potential. We were strong spirits held in reserve to come to earth at this time where we could do the most good. Now, there are pros and cons to being a strong spirit. If you choose the good path in life you will be strong in righteousness and be blessed. However if you follow the path of sorrow (Satan) you will be strong in all that he stands for. The forces of righteousness are strong and Satan knows this. He needs strong armies to compete with the strength of the Lord so he is always recruiting. Choose carefully in life what you are willing to do and who you are willing to follow. The world and God are two very different teams.

After passing through the veil our memory of our prior life was erased and we became subseptible to the temptations and false truths of Satan and his angels. If we could really remember the reasons why we are here and the conversations we had with our Father in Heaven before we left His presence, if we could remember it like it was yesterday we would never have the desire to stray from the straight and narrow path. There are many confusing, scary, and lonely roads in this world, but there is only one path that leads back to God - it is straight and narrow.

You have a purpose and you need to know this. If you are not sure what it is then you need to seek after it. If you are living your life in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and all that He stands for then He will make that purpose known to you. This life is short and what greater regret will you have in the next life than that of wasting your time here.

I challenge everyone to evaluate your life as it is right now. Why are you here? What really matters most? If you were to die today would you feel worthy to stand in the Lord’s presence? What are you going to take with you when you leave this world? Are you focusing on this each day of your life? Does this knowledge influence your daily decisions? If not, change what you are doing and you will be blessed.

I know this to be true with all my heart. I can personally testify of the peace of mind, comfort and security that comes from knowing this and living it.

This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Are You a Fence Rider?

Years ago in seminary, I had a teacher who gave a powerful lesson one day on righteousness. He said that there was no such thing as riding the fence in the gospel. Good and evil is black and white and there is no gray. At the time, this was a new concept for me but it made sense. He quoted Matthew 6:24 which reads:

“ No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.”

He then proceeded to teach us that if you aren’t serving the Lord, you are serving Satan. By not serving the Lord, that pleases Satan as this is a service to him. He gave examples of circumstances when people may not be living the gospel to it’s fullest but because they are still kind to others and believe in God they are on the Lord’s side. In reality they are not on the Lord’s side because they are not attending their meetings, keeping all the commandments, or serving in their callings. They are just riding the fence. They may not be committing adultery or murder but they are not keeping the Sabbath day holy, being honest in all their dealings or truly standing up for what is right. They are lax in their standards and good works. They believe in God and the gospel but they are not living in a way that would reflect what they believe. They are at a place in their life spiritually where they consider themselves in the middle. Doing just enough to get by and justify that they are on good terms with the Lord. They go through the motions of attending church or reading scriptures but then talk bad about others or have poor integrity. Becoming casual in the gospel or doing things that you know are wrong outweigh the good and please Satan in more ways than one. You may despise Satan and all he stands for and would never dream of following him. However you are doing just that when you “ride the fence”.

There is God and there is Satan. There is good and there is evil. There are no other choices. This is why there is no gray. You are only kidding yourself if you believe there is. It just makes sense. Satan would prefer that we think we are following the Lord and hear us justify to ourselves the reasons for our bad choices and actions. It's easier for him to get us to make bad choices when we think this way.

We are held accountable in the next life for what we know here on Earth. If we know that there are certain things we should be doing that would be very pleasing to the Lord and we are not doing them, we will have to answer for that. Often times when we are not serving the Lord we are not doing it deliberately. We are not trying to rebel or purposely sin, or hurt the Lord. Most often we just aren’t thinking about the repercussions our choices have. We aren’t understanding the grand scheme of things or looking at our life with an eternal perspective. We are just living in the moment for the here and now.

I met a man the other day who was a very talented piano player. As I sat and chatted with him in a lobby he began to tell me how depressing and disappointing his life was. He weighed 350 pounds, was diabetic, suffered from arthritis, just had all of his teeth pulled, had foot problems, asthma, severe back pain, was on oxygen and spending his days lying in a hospital bed in his son's living room never leaving the house. He was retired, divorced and living with his son's family. He was not involved in any activities outside of the home. He did not have friends, hobbies, work, or anything that occupied his time. He had nothing to look forward to and said he was very lonely. After talking with him I learned that he had the ability to drive, walk, use the computer, talk on the phone, lose weight and so forth but he chose not to. It was easier for him to sit on a bed all day and not have to do anything. All he did was eat and sleep all day. The depressing and lonely feelings had caused him to become very bitter and negative. The remarkable thing about this was that he was very talented on the piano (as I got to hear him play earlier that day) and he attended his church faithfully each Sunday and played the organ. That's where he drew the line though. On Sunday's he went to church but the rest of the week he sat in bed and loathed in self pitty. He was not paralyzed, did not suffer from anxiety, mental illness, or social disorders. He had just simply made a decision to keep to himself and had become lazy. He figured he was still a good person and as long as he didn't bother anyone he wouldn't have to worry about sins, relationships, conflict or any other troublesome issues. He would just simply "exist" but not truly live.

Sarah Menet passed away in 1979 and shortly later was miraculously revived. During her death she crossed over to the other side without being permitted to pass through the veil into the spirit world. She was taught and shown many things that would later help her change her life for the better and help others.

Interestingly, she was taught something about people who fly below the radar. She says:

"This person doesn't progress, help others, or care. In a way, he or she just takes up space, doing nothing worthwhile. Unfortunately, I learned there are a lot of spirits who come to earth and become this way. They live to "party" and spend countless hours trying only to entertain themselves or satisfy their wants, which they will never fill because these pleasures are empty and have no lasting or eternal value. They do nothing to elevate mankind or contribute to the improvement of the world. Such positive contributions may be large or small because all do not have the same power to make a difference, but the important thing is to try. Even very small acts of kindness can make a big difference. I believe that many souls in the world will thank us for what we assumed was unappreciated or insignificant."

I have many friends, family members and acquaintances who fly below the radar. They do the bare minimum to get by. They talk the talk but fail to walk the walk. They don’t go out of their way to serve others or the Lord. They have the knowledge but they don’t practice all that they know to be true. Yes, they are still good people and kind to others but just being kind won’t be enough on judgment day. We need to serve the Lord. We are here on His business. This life isn’t just for our benefit. He needs us to help Him, to do His work. We are His hands here on Earth.

In the hymn “Who’s on the Lord’s Side?” the chorus sings

“Who’s on the Lord’s Side Who? Now is the time to show. We ask it fearlessly; who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?”

The battle of good and evil has been going on since the beginning of time. This battle is real and we are all in it whether we choose to be or not. We know from the scriptures that eventually the battle will end and good will prevail. We should all want to be on the Lord’s side and help fight the fight.

In any battle, a soldier that let’s down his guard our sits on the sidelines will eventually meet his fate. Don’t let that happen to you. Stand up for what you know is right. Live what you believe. Serve the Lord faithfully in all you do. Don’t sit on the sidelines, fly below the radar or ride the fence. You are not defending or serving the Lord when you do this. This is not a situation you want to find yourself in. When you are not strong you are weak. When you are weak you are vulnerable to the influence of the adversary.

Sarah Menet talks about this battle in her book There is No Death when she says:

"There is an evil kingdom here on earth that is directed by Satan. There are people on earth who serve him, just like there are people who serve God and Jesus. Many people knowingly serve Satan while others serve his purposes without understanding how they are doing so...The adversary's armies, born and unborn, are all over the world working towards his goal."

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said:

"We too easily and too often get caught up in seeking the honors of men rather than serving the Lord with all our might, mind, and strength."

We have been taught time and time again in the scriptures about the importance of serving with all our mind, might and strength.

Autn:ID - 9731

2 Nephi 25:29

And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out.

Autn:ID - 16871

Doctrine and Covenants 4:2

Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.

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Doctrine and Covenants 98:47

But if the children shall repent, or the children’s children, and turn to the Lord their God, with all their hearts and with all their might, mind, and strength, and restore four-fold for all their trespasses wherewith they have trespassed, or wherewith their fathers have trespassed, or their fathers’ fathers, then thine indignation shall be turned away;

Autn:ID - 18138

Doctrine and Covenants 59:5

Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, saying thus: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.

Autn:ID - 17476

Doctrine and Covenants 33:7

Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the field is white already to harvest; wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength.

Autn:ID - 43945

Moroni 10:32

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

My Conclusion

Ok, so why is this message so important and how can we make sure we are on the Lord's side?

In our time music and the media is Satan's biggest weapon. There are so many top 40 songs that contain lyrics that completely defy God and all He stands for. The melodies are catchy and popular and its so easy to want to tap your feet to the beat and get these songs stuck in your head. There are so many movies with great reviews from the critics, and they receive awards, praise and recognition by the world but they are full of questionable content that also defy God and all He stands for.

When we bring these "weapons" into our homes and minds we are unknowingly fighting against the Lord. lWe are serving Satan and supporting his purposes. Filthy language, pornography, premarital sex, vulgar talk , jokes and imagery are all things that even if we don't personally participate in them we are supporting them by watching them and laughing at them.

We need to be more careful and clear in what we really stand for. I will not watch rated R movies and I will walk away from PG-13 movies that are offensive to the Lord. If they are offensive to Him they are offensive to me. We should be more careful that we do not become desensitized by all of this. We should find these things offensive.

If we are standing up for what is right, and fearing God more than man we are serving the Lord and fighting for His cause. Doing this in addition to serving others and putting effort into our callings and all we do to serve Him will keep us where we need to be to embrace judgment day and not fear it. Go above and beyond in all you do and you "shall not fear". The Lord will bless you or your efforts.

Tell me what you do in your daily life to fight the adversary. Comment below.