Inspiration/Revelation:  God knows the answers to all our questions and problems.  If we can’t find answers it may be because we haven’t learned how to use the special sources of light that we have been given:  1) We are instructed to use our own gifts of intelligence to figure things out in our own minds.  2) The Holy Ghost will guide us in this process, if we give Him permission.  3) Then we are taught to ask; through prayer, whether our thinking has been guided by the Holy Ghost or by our selfish desires.  4) After we have asked, reading the scriptures gives us a connection to the voice of God and opens an additional opportunity for the Holy Ghost to get involved. 5) If we keep His Commandments, our Sacrament prayers promise he additional influence of the Second Comforter.  6) Trust the Lord’s timetable.  It may be different from yours.  7) Don’t forget that a stupor of thought is one of the possible forms of revelation.  (D&C 9:9) If it turns out the most common form we experience, we probably need to work harder on 1 – 5.

Don’t ask for things you know you can’t or shouldn’t have.  “There is no crime greater than having too many desires.”  (Chinese Proverb)

          

Christmas

           Christmas, Some Challenges it Poses: -- The fact
that there is a historical figure who has been proclaimed the Begotten Son of
the Living God by prophets as well as by that figure himself faces us with some
important questions:  We either have to
accept on faith that He is who He says He is, or accept the idea that He is as
much an imposter as He says Satan is.  He
can’t just be a great teacher or anything else that falls between these two
conclusions.

            We can’t honestly say that we have faith in Him
and accept Him as our personal Savior and not keep His commandments.  Every commandment that we break is a
rejection of His divinity.  We can decide that
we don’t believe He is divine and therefore is irrelevant for us.  Or, we can accept that He is a God, but say
we don't want the things He promises. 
They are not worth the price, even if the promises are valid.  In other words, we can think: “I know more than God knows about what is
good for me.”

            The sad fact is, that if we don’t
follow Jesus according to all of  His terms, we are, consciously or unconsciously,
placing ourselves in Satan's camp and directly subject to his power.  We can then be sure to inherit the misery
which is the only thing that he is in a position to offer.

            

Life Lines: consecration

Life Lines: consecration

consecration

              INTERDEPENDENCE --  Independence, self-reliance, and rugged individualism are long-standing positive virtues in our society; clearly better than attitudes of dependency.  But interdependence is a yet higher principle.  Even our relationship with God is interdependent.  Without his power and love, we wouldn't even be here.  Without his guidance, love, and redemption we would have no chance of achieving the blessings of Salvation, much less, Exaltation.  

         He has no less-clearly stated that, at least a portion of,  his own glory depends on our achieving that goal.  God has nowhere else -- that we know of -- to look to for his joy and success except to his creations.  That includes us!  “This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”  (Moses 1:39) 

THE HOLY GHOST -- The Holy Ghost doesn’t post visiting hours.  He is always 'in.’  His messages are not ambiguous.  They are never followed by disclaimers:  “It was just an idea;” or “I was just kidding.”  The Lord said: “... Verily, I say unto you, that as surely as the Lord liveth, who is your God ... I will tell you in your mind [thoughts] and in your heart [feelings] by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell [Stick around] in your heart. (DC 8:1-2)   The Holy Ghost is not a hit-and-run driver, but he won't stick around forever if ignored.

And when we ask for guidance, we are not expected to present God with multiple-choice questions.  Rather,  He has said:  “… Study it out in your own mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.  But if it be not right, ye shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought which will cause you to forget the thing which is wrong, ...” (DC 9: 8-9)  Stupor of thought is not our first choice, but it is, unmistakably, one form of personal revelation.

         Thoughts on the Importance of the Individual:  If one person joins the Church, or falls away, marries and has five children who follow in his or her footsteps, in the second generation there are six who are either in or out of the Kingdom.  In the third generation there are 31.  In the eleventh generation there would be 2,832,031.  These numbers are arbitrarily applied, and all the possibilities for variants are ignored, but it is an exercise which helps one understand the importance which the Lord places on the individual; and why we must do the same.  

         The same principle can apply to a single act of charity or obedience.  When I was in high school, back when we had Priesthood Meetings and Sunday School in the mornings and Sacrament Meeting on Sunday evenings, I was assigned during my Priests Quorum meeting to visit an inactive member of the quorum whose family was totally inactive and invite him to attend Sacrament Meeting with me that evening.  

         More than 40 years later, at a high school class reunion, Dar Dudding called me aside to thank me for that visit.  From that time he had begun to attend all of this meetings and keeping the commandments.  He was married in the temple and had raised a righteous family.  He attributed it all to that one simple invitation that I had not even remembered I had given him.

          

         CONSECRATION – Consecration begins with the offering of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  It is not the equivalent of being religious.  The people who killed Jesus and those who bombed the World Trade Center on 9/11 were religious to a fanatical degree.  The consecrated person will serve the Lord, the church, and/or his fellowmen at the earliest inconvenience.  Tithing is a baby step in the direction of consecration.  

TITHING - A Pleiades Trilogy

Ten percent of our increase is

The

Tithe

That God requests.

This is to the

True Christian, a fundamental

Test.

The money is not the real issue.  He could grow money on

Trees, or the

Treasures of gold in the earth He could

Take at His ease.  To

Tithe is to show Him that we do believe; that we

Trust Him to open the Window of Heaven and give more

Than we can receive, or conceive.

“This is my promise.

Test me herewith."  He says: "Test my power

To love and to bless.” And

Those who have

Tithed under financial stress are

They who bear witness to God’s

True largesse!

         (c) Robert Lynn Brown

A truly consecrated person has learned to orient all that he/she does in the direction of contributing to the glory of God.  "And if it be that your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things."  (D&C 88:67)  

How can anyone in his rightmind resist an offer like that?

CONSECRATION

The Lord would have me pledge

to Him, with willing heart,

my talents and my time, my life,

and all my means impart;

should all of this--or any part--

be called for to support His Plan

for the rescue and redemption

of the race of fallen man.

He seldom asks more than a tenth

of what we covenant to Him

to build his Kingdom here on earth;

yet He reserves his title to my life and limb.

And though I render all of this,

And more, >tis but a start.

For these are merely stepping stones

toward the throne where I will offer up

... my broken heart!

(C) Robert Lynn Browm

            

            CHERISH VIRTUE --  Last night at the adult session of our Stake Conference, the choir sang a song that brought back priceless memories from my youth in Pomerene.  The hymn, "Dearest Children, God Is Near You," was not memorable because of the tune or the general message, but there were two words, "cherish virtue," in verse two that, as a child, I didn't understand.  Language that I didn’t understand always bothered me, so I asked my mom one afternoon after Primary what was meant by that phrase.  She was wise enough to grab this teaching moment, take me for a ride in the station wagon, while she made sure that I knew what I needed to know about the 'facts of life' and that I understood the principle of chastity thereto attached.  I have always felt especially blessed by the way she handled that little ‘vocabulary’ lesson.

[The following essay was written by my son Paul following a discussion of recent writings by individuals concerning out of body experiences and other types of visions related to the hardships that will precede the building of the New Jerusalem and the coming of Christ.  While the church has formally advised that such materials are not to be included at any level in the curricula of the church, the church has not condemned the writings nor their authors.  It is my belief that these writings have already motivated many church members to refine their thinking on preparedness and will continue to do so, but they should not be taken as direction on when and how to prepare.]         

         Every Wind of Doctrine By Paul Christian Brown -- There are many “winds of doctrine”  (Ephesians 4:14), direction, and motivation that seem  to be blowing around these days.  They come from a wide variety of sources -- even if you try hard to stick with the ones that seem right and good.  There are scriptures; conference talks; church magazines; Stake and Ward leaders and teachers; there are home and visiting teachers; full-time and ward missionaries; parents; siblings; patriarchal and other blessings; church history stories; mission stories; inspirational books and writings about doctrines, afterlife, visions, and personal revelations; including our own personal dreams, inspirations, and revelations we may receive; not to mention the endless philosophies and ideologies of men.

         I think that some clarifications may be useful as we try to sift through and prioritize these influences in our lives, for example:  the difference between DIRECTION and MOTIVATION.

The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 4:12-14, instructs us about the Lord’s pattern for the ”perfecting of the saints.”  He gives us the Priesthood organization of prophets, apostles, evangelists (patriarchs), pastors, and teachers  for the “edifying of the body of Christ:”  this is how we are to receive DIRECTIION, through the keys of the priesthood organization, from the Prophet, all the way down through the Teachers and Deacons Quorum Presidents.  DIRECTION given from these sources, we can be assured, is from the Lord; and they include the scriptures, conference talks, patriarchal blessings and direction give to us from general and local priesthood leaders.  This also includes the DIRECTION that the Lord gives us personally through prayer, inspiration, and revelation for the enlargement of our own stewardships and personal growth.  If we follow their direction we cannot go amiss.  It is our reluctance to wholeheartedly follow these DIRECTIONS that keeps us from becoming pure in heart and Zion worthy – “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the fullness of Christ:”

Through modern media there are many voices out there, many carrying wonderful messages, and stories brimming with spiritual experiences, teachings, revelations, dreams, and explanations of doctrines.  I believe that these can be important forces for good as they knock on the doors of our minds and hearts and create opportunities for the Spirit to MOTIVATE us to turn to Christ and seek after Him more fervently, and to follow more faithfully the DIRECTION we receive from Him and His authorized sources.  I think there is a growing and dangerous trend where many, perhaps unwarily, are allowing other sources to DIRECT them, instead of simply being MOTIVATED by them towards the correct sources of DIRECTION.

I think that as we strive to become a Zion people, we need to seek all learning and sources that inspire and MOTIVATE us to turn to Christ and to be ever more willing to be DIRECTED by Him, by means of the proscribed sources of revelation. “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”

         GIVING & RECEIVING -- If it were not blessed to receive, how could it be more blessed to give?  Be assured that it is also blessed to gratefully receive.  No receivers, no givers!

                    

God Loves A Cheerful Receiver

To give, more blessed is, than to receive. 

What Jesus Said is surely true. 

But if the one is 'more,'

                     the other must be 'blessed' too. 

For every gift that's given

there must a receiver be. 

So it seems who is more blessed          

is quite a matter of degree. 

Sure, both giving and receiving

have brought blessings unto me.

Consider, too, how blest are those

who learn to live

according to the gifts

The Savior died to give! 

                     So, as God loves a cheerful giver,

we also must believe

that they are also duly blessed

who gratefully and cheerfully receive.  

         LEADERSHIP – There was a press conference today after the PM session of the General Conference of the Church dedicated to the introduction of three newly sustained members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  A reporter from the Salt Lake Tribune mentioned that President Hinckley had once told her that he had a problem with the adulation with which some church members felt and expressed with regard to the General Authorities.  She then asked the new apostles how they proposed to deal with that.

            Among the cogent comments made by the new leaders was this statement, which rung a strong chord with me:  “You lead by serving.  You don’t serve by leading.”  What a subtle but powerful insight on the subject of attitude!  Like a good poem, it suggests things that you sense are real, but which you can’t quite put into words.

            I have seen essays on the difference between administration and ministering in the church.  That subject, to me, vibrates on a similar wave length as the above concept.

            Another comparison which resonates in a similar fashion with me is the relationship between leadership and discipleship.  (See my blog on DISCIPLINE which follows.

            DISCIPLINE – Early in my teaching career I learned the real meaning and importance of the word discipline.  The word derives from 'disciple;' which means 'follower.'  It is only logical that if you expect people to 'follow,' you have to be going somewhere that is of interest and value to your potential disciples.  

I saw examples all around that affirmed this observation.  Real classroom discipline, for example, is the natural result of classroom leadership; not political control – although the latter might be sometimes called for in establishing sufficient focus so that true discipline can develop.

FEEL AHEAD

    FEEL AHEAD --  We are taught to look ahead; to plan ahead and guard against looking back.  I advocate also learning to feel ahead.  When making a decision or anticipating an action, think ahead of its probable end results, try to imagine how it’s going to feel if you do look back on what you have done.  I found this especially helpful in maintaining church standards during the courtship process.  I never dated a young lady in my youth that is not still a friend in my old age.

          

         WEEDS --   "God didn't trust Lucifer to sufficiently test the gardener or the farmer, so He created weed."  This thought came to me repeatedly this morning as I helped the High Priests Group weed and groom the the large front yard of a widow with a sick child.
         God never wanted us to have a level playing field.  To qualify for God's Kingdom, we have to keep ALL his commandments and enter into and abide by all the covenants which He offers us.  All we have to do to qualify for Satan's domain is to fail in just one of these divine requisites.   Is that fair?  Of course it's not.  
         But, as Elder Neil Maxwell has taught, if life were fair, we wouldn't be sufficiently tried, tested, and stretched to be able to function in the celestial environment for which God is striving to prepare us.
         As every farmer and gardner knows,  weeds have been given a similar advantage over the plants we wish to grow.  They try harder.  They thrive no matter how we strive to make life difficult for them, while the plants we depend on for our nourishment and pleasure often require unreasonable levels of TLC.
         I'm beginning to believe it.  God didn't trust Satan to sufficiently refine us, so He gave us weed!

         BY THEIR FRUITS -- You cannot say you know me until you are acquainted with at least a sampling of my posterity and something of the fruits of my labors -- for good or not so good!

            DISCOURAGEMENT – “Only encouragement comes from the Lord Jesus Christ!”  This is the one line from the blessing I was given by Elder John Longden, when he ordained me to the office of bishop in 1958, that stayed with me through the years.  

         President Dieter Uchdorf has taught, additionally, that no matter how negative certain chapters in our lives might be, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the final chapter can exceed all our expectations.  

         We are told, “Be still. and know that I am God.”  (D&C 110:16).  Knowing God and trusting Him is what will enable us to ‘be still’ through the troublesome times that everyone will experience.

       

         BINDING SATAN -- We understand that Satan will be 'bound,' rendered totally incapable of tempting mankind, during the Millennium.  The good news is that he can be bound even now, in great measure by the righteousness of the people.  Whenever an individual fully masters a principle such as tithing, honesty, or chastity, Satan has lost the ability to influence that person with respect to that principle.  It is our job to put him out of business, one principle at a time.  Why wait for the Millennium?

         BEING RELIGIOUS -- Being religious is not, in itself, a virtue.  The people who crucified the Savior were among the most ‘religious’ peoples of all time, as were those who destroyed the twin towers of World Trade Center in New York City in 2001.  Being religiously exercised is not what saves people, but rather the faithful adherence to the principles of Eternal Truth, as defined in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and participation in its essential ordinances.  Hugh Nibley has noted that “True knowledge never shuts the door on more knowledge, but zeal often does.”

         "FAMILIES CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER" -- In church we teach our children that families can be together forever.  Indeed, family ties will continue to exist eternally in the highest echelons of the Celestial Kingdom.  But I wonder at the viability of the pictures that this slogan puts in the heads of young members of the church.  Who knows what our family relationships may be like as we busily progress toward the ultimate blessings promised to the faithful saints.  
         "As man is, God once was."  As God is, man may become."  (Joseph Smith Jr.)   As we get into creating and populating worlds, I wonder how I will then relate to my parents, my siblings, and my children.  And what will be the nature of our relationship with Father Adam and Mother Eve?  Could it be that, in that exalted state, we might all know and love each other as siblings in the family circle of our Heavenly parents?

Creation

When God sets out to make a world,

does He,

himself, shape every stone and bird and tree,

... and personality?

Or does He somehow stir in Natures Pot

then watch and wait to see

the shape of ocean, hill, and lea?

Did He design Yosemite,

and wonders such for me to see;

or are there forces working,

and He merely turns a key?

Are there eternal laws of truth

that He obeys, as well as we?

Or, does He manage now the forces

that once worked

to bring Him forth to Be?

We  have no other God=s before him,

but He must have a Father, same as we.

I=m starting now to see.

My glory mostly will depend

on Gods who will descend from me!

8 Robert Lynn Brown 4/28/04

         ON BEING A PECULIAR PEOPLE -- Whenever and wherever the true church of Jesus Christ is established, it will create a new society within the larger culture in which it exists.  

         The Gospel, if lived closely enough to be exalted by it, will make of its adherents a sub-culture of peculiar people.  The Lord requires that his people will be recognizably different from those around them.  To be so is not optional.  It is a commandment!  (I Pet 2:9)  He wants us to stand-out, not to blend-in!

          ATTITUDE -- Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.  Some pain and suffering are inevitable; but misery is a choice.

    APPETITE -- Appetite, under proper control, contributes to healthy bodies, free minds, strong families, joyful hearts, prosperity, eternal progression, Eternal Lives, and eventual Godhood.
     Appetite, when it has control over a person, leads to addiction, obesity, abortion, children born out of wedlock, broken homes, broken hearts, broken health, broken lives, poverty, crime, physical and spiritual bondage, damnation of all forms of progress, desperation, and/or death.  

                  APPETITE

         Appetite for food keeps us

         Alive.  The yen for love

         Allows for family life

         And fellowship to thrive.   All appetites

         Are geared to help us prosper

         And survive,

         Assuming they are used and not abused.

         ADAM AND EVE AND "THE FALL” – Two Sides of Easter

Much of the world’s focus is on a dark side of the Easter theme; that is, “The Fall” caused by Adams transgression.  But there is a better view.  I pose two questions: 

1.What was lost in the Fall of Adam?  Life in the Garden.  Adam and Eve lost their life of ease in a garden where no progress could be made.  It was no loss for us because we were never destined to go there anyway.

            2) What was gained?   Spiritual Death -- Isolation from the God is not always fun, but we needed the opportunity to exercise our faith and our agency.  No free choice; no personal growth!

            Mortality:  Adam fell that men might be.  No mortal life, no body, no death, no resurrection, no Exaltation!  “Adam fell that men might be” exalted!

            Access to Pain, Sickness, Hunger, other exigencies of the flesh, and joy.  Without tasting the bitter we could never have known the sweet.  No pain, no gain!

          The Lone and Dreary World:  No one has savored the taste of bread like he who has earned it by the sweat of his brow.  The 11th Commandment:  “Thou shalt Sweat!”

         A Phyical Body:  We learn to manage the tug of hormones and other appetites; to have kids who will pile glory upon our heads!  “These things shall give you experience!”

         The Earth:  which was created and ‘cursed’ for our sake.  We needed an obstacle course for our important training program.  “We will [im]prove them herewith.”

         The Atoning Sacrifice:  No sacrificial Lamb, no Redemption.

 The Gospel of Jesus Christ:  Soon after his expulsion, Adam asked for guidance and received the handbook on how to negotiate the earthly obstacle course and come out, not only ‘alive, but with Life Eternal; Glory!  “Eye hath not seen …”  2 N 2:25

I am personally moved by the knowledge that we were all there together when the PLAN was wrought in the wisdom of Him who knoweth all things, (2N 2:24) and that we gave it our sustaining vote; and that we sustained Adam in his calling to be the Head of the Human Family, along with Eve, our Earthly Matriarch.
Father Adam and Mother Eve fell from God’s presence, but not from the circle of his love.  Adam knew what he was doing.  It was not an act of rebellion but of fulfilment.  He fell into his place as Patriarch over all the Earth.  He is still Michael, the Archangel.  Let us appreciate the Fall as a team effort made for our good

The 11th Commandment

God told Moses not to lie or steal;

     to covet nor to kill.

We know those Ten commandments,

     but there's yet another still:

The one He gave to Adam

     we must also not forget:

In order than man should eat; 

He ordered:  "Thou shalt sweat!"

     (c)Robert Lynn Brown

UNBELIEF/STRIVING --

                          UNBELIEF --As we sang the opening song (The Spirit of  God) in Sacrament Meeting today, the song's prophetic words had new meanings for me.  They raised questions in my mind:  Is the Spirit of God really "burning" like a "fire" as was promised it could at the opening of this final dispensation of the Gospel?  Are the "visions and blessings of old" really returning as prophesied or are we keeping them at bay by our unbelief that it really refers to us?
              Latter-day prophets have repeatedly told us that we are "living beneath our promised blessings," that all the children of Zion are under condemnation (D&C 84:55-57) because of our failure to fully live by the light we have been given, therefore denying ourselves the greater light and "hidden treasures of knowledge"  (D&C 89:19) we have been promised and urged to strive for.

                   STRIVING -- Are we really striving to keep the command-ments and the covenants we have made at baptism and in the temple?  This is a question we must answer when interviewed for temple worthiness. Do we sometimes answer it without thinking of the implications that that word imposes?  Are we keeping the commandments and our covenants passively much of the time when a proactive approach is essential if we really expect the "visions and blessings of old" to return?
         The words of another familiar hymn comes to mind:  "More holiness give me; more strength from within;; more patience in suffering; more sorrow for sin; more faith in my Savior; more sense of his care; more joy in his service; more purpose in prayer."  We need to pay more attention to the word striving if we wish to get past our unbelief and really seek the greater blessings we have been promised and commanded to ask for,  seek, and knock to have opened to us.

AGENCY (Free Will)

         AGENCY – Man’s status in God’s eyes is determined entirely by the choices he makes; not by any circumstances or factors which do not result from the exercise of God-given Agency.  

         Never under estimate the important that God places on the principle of Free Agency.  Remember, that was the whole issue behind the War in Heaven.  Consider the fate of those who exercised their agency to join in Lucifer's fight to deny it to those who would inhabit the earth?  They are condemned to the everlast-ing torment of Hell.  There is no forgiveness for them, even under the Atonement.  (D&C 29:27-29)  Let your life be the product of decisions, not conditions, while fully respecting the agency of everyone else. 

         Now, consider what might be in store for those who, in this life, have exercised unrighteous dominion by infringing on the freedom of choice by any of God's children, be it as husbands and fathers, slave holders, or political leaders.
         This is an Eternal principle which which is binding even upon Diety.  God does not permit himself to force any behavior on his children.  His promises of glory and exaltation are available to those who actively choose and live the celestial law which He has laid down.  No one can make that choice for you nor can you make it for anyone else. 
                                             Free Agency

                                          (A Child's Concept)

                   I thank Thee, Dear Father, for giving me choice. 

                   I don't have to do right, but a still, small voice

                           tells me how Jesus would want me to be.

                   And by choosing the right, I can become more like Thee

                   I thank Thee, Dear Father, for thy Divine Love

                               and a Plan of Salvation sent down from above.

                   Freedom to choose is so sacred to me,

                               and when I choose the right 

                    I will become more like Thee. 
                                                (c) Robert Lynn Brown

                                        

      AGENCY

Without God’s gift of Agency to man

he can’t escape this earthly status quo.

We must subdue the “natural man’ by choice,

The ego tweak is Satan’s counter blow.

The cards seem stacked against God’s Purposes.

To be Joint Heirs we must keep all commands;

while we can get all Satan has to give

By doing naught.  We need not lift a hand.

                                                                                

Christ’s Gospel serves as a refining fire,

Preparing us for life in Heaven’s Realm.

No special preparation is required

For life in Hell with Satan at the helm.

         (c) Robert Lynn Brown

ADVERSITY

ADVERSITY -- “We live in adversity.  We die in comfort.”  (Chinese Proverb)  Adversity is God’s refining fire.  
Most of us seem to face three basic types of trials in our lives.  Some are brought on by mistakes or wrong choices willfully made.  Some are just part of everyday living, for which no one can be blamed.  Others seems to be placed in our path by divine direction.  The ‘assigned’ difficulties would seem to reflect, more than anything else, our unproved potential.  All the prophets have been sorely tested and tried before receiving their callings.  Even Jesus Christ was tempted and seriously tried before embarking on his earthly mission.  (Matt 4:1-11)

  

                                    PROMOTIONS

The mysteries here wrought by Holy Whim

surpass the understanding of the mind.

The wisdom of mankind is foolishness to Him;

as is His to us, till through our Faith defined.

He calls on many His great work to do;

the greater calling brings the greater test--

then, from the scores, selects a Chosen Few

to be Joint Heirs with Him among the Blest.

            Adversity is God’s refining fire.

Each person must be proven privately.

The tests reflect our unproved worth,

not Heaven’s ire;

and passed, they mark PROMOTIONS in Eternity!

                   (c) Robert Lynn Brown

            As Orson F. Whitney has said, it is by contrast that we learn to appreciate.  Just as the thorn and the rose spring from the same stem, so joy and sorrow blend in mortal life; the bitter and the sweet are both essential to complete the round of human exper-ience.  And, according to another Chinese proverb:  “True gold fears not the fire.”

INTRODUCTION

My name is Robert Lynn Brown.  By way of this blog spot, I will share selected personal insights and spiritual thoughts that I have collected over a lifetime.  Some are distilled from my teaching and life experiences.  Others derive from the  Holy Scriptures or spin-off from the thoughts and insights of others which have resonated strongly with me.

As I begin this exercise, I am in my 85th year, having grown up on a dairy farm, taught school for a decade and served for 30 years in the US Foreign Service.  Twenty years into retirement I have published a book of poetry and my autobiography.  My hobbies are writing and my garden -- but more than those, my extended family:  six children and five step-children and their spouses, 31 grandchildren and 16 step-grandchildren, plus 24 (and counting) great grandchildren.   I have been richly blessed.
Whatever else might be said of me, I am a work in progress.

            LIFE LINES

This map of wrinkles that I see

when I look in the mirror; ... who is he?

I wonder if the patterns graven

on this physiognomy

may have something more to tell

than simply mark my family tree.

If you could read these furrows

and the footnotes in between,

would you know the roads I=ve traveled

and the wonders I have seen?

Could you weigh the loads I=ve carried

and the cares I=ve known;

see my failures and my triumphs;

taste the fruit from seeds I=ve sown?

Can you hear the fading echoes

of the songs that I have sung;

or overtones of joy in me

from chords my progeny have rung?

Might you sense my good intentions;

half-achieved or not begun?

Is there any credit posted

for the deeds I would have done?

Could there also be encoded

in this picture that I see,

outlines of unwritten chapters;

forecasts of harvests yet to be?

Though no one else may notice,

I hope that Christ, perchance,

may see something of His Image

in this weathered countenance.

And if naught else be encrypted

in this fleshly facial file,

I pray you=ll see my love for Him

who walks with me the while.

     (c)Robert Lynn Brown

Comments or questions concerning my writings would be welcomed: arelby2@juno.com.