Saturday December 1, 2007

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Jocelyn Schmidt

Journal for Dec. 1


Today was a lovely Shabbat in the Galilee. At 9 a.m. we took about a 30 min. bus ride from our kibbutz in Ein Gev to the church house in Tiberias. We only had one bus for the day, so our two religion classes had to go at separate times. The church meeting house was situated on a hill and had a porch overlooking the Sea of Galilee with the most incredible view of the city and of the sea. It was the first Shabbat of the month, so it was fast and testimony meeting. Along with our large group of students, there were also Brother and Sister Cook there and about 15 other branch members. The spirit at the meeting was really strong. It was also really cool to be able to talk to the different branch members after the meeting. Following testimony meeting, we drove back home and had the rest of the day to ourselves until the fireside. It was nice just to have the day off and be able to relax on the beach and study the New Testament. For the first time this week, the wind died down and it was really calm. The fireside was given by Brother and Sister Cook. She gave a wonderful talk on how our worth is not dependant on our behavior and that no matter what happens, God will always love us. Brother Cook also gave a great talk on the heart, what it is and the significance of it. My favorite Gospel passage is found in John 14:27. It states, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” I love the comfort that this scripture brings. Throughout my life there has been numerous times when I have felt alone or afraid and I have felt the Lord’s peace he speaks of in this verse. I know that if we put our trust in the Lord and listen to the spirit for guidance, we have no reason to be afraid. He loves us unconditionally and is always watching over us. No matter how big or small an issue it may seem to be, He will always care and will do what’s best for us.