Sunday, January 29, 2012

Peace

That's about how I want to describe today.  In my whirlwind life of demands, deadlines, stresses, and setbacks, peace is a welcome respite, of which I am thankful for.  I'm sure a lot of you can relate with your lives as well.  I'm there with you.

Today was a full day of service, from Stake Conference in the morning, home teaching in the afternoon, and a special musical devotional in Gainesville, FL with Marvin Goldstein, a famous Latter-day Saint pianist and entertainer.  I've played some of his beautiful arrangements of hymns for church service before and it was a real treat to hear him (for the first time) play his own arrangements, even a medley of "Fiddler On The Roof".  He is, or was, a Jew and talked a little bit on his upbringing and the Jewish culture.    

Brother Goldstein also shared some touching stories, one of which was his own conversion, in which he related how it took the Savior (a Jew himself) to testify through the Holy Ghost, that Jesus Christ was indeed the Redeemer of the world.  One of the key things Brother Goldstein spoke about, was that you can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, if you genuinely desire and seek it.  He also spoke about how music can make you feel the Spirit, that no matter where you are, when hymns or other good wholesome music is played, the Spirit will be there.  That was just additional confirmation of something that I already know to be true.  

I thought that I would be burned out at the end of the day (or churched out, as I usually call it), but tonight, I am just full of the peace and comfort that only the Holy Spirit can give me.  It is just pouring into my heart so much that I can not contain it.   And the peace and love that I feel from the Savior and Heavenly Father is just over flowing.

I am grateful for the peace and love that I feel right now.  It is a nice way to end the weekend leading into the dreaded Monday. 

No comments: