Insightful Sabbath

I won't lie and tell you that this has been my favorite Sunday but it has been one of the most eye opening Sundays by far. To be honest I have always felt myself to be a pretty good person so then when I have those "down" days I wonder what is going on. Today was one of those days where I felt like the Lord was not scolding me but beckoning me to rise to higher ground. I attended a fireside this evening (not very willingly I must admit) but it ended up being the BEST thing I could have done for myself. The fireside was given by John Bytheway who has a perfect way of helping you realize the call to rise to higher ground. He gave the parable of the marinade and what are we immersing or marinating ourselves in. He talked about marinating yourself in the good things around you. I walked away from the meeting feeling like I need to immerse myself in the better things in this life.
Like I said I feel like I am a pretty good person but I don't just want to be good I want to be the BEST person I can be. I know there are many different areas that I want to change what I am "marinating" myself in. I often think back to three years ago when I was on my mission. I felt like I had changed for the better and that I was really coming closer to my Father in Heaven. Now as I look back I wonder what happened to that girl? How could I have changed so much? And now I realize it is because I was soaking in the world rather than in the spirit. I want so desperately to get back to the time when I was on my mission and yet I do know that it will be different but I have the power to choose what kind of person I will become.
The nice thing about the gospel of Jesus Christ is that I can change. I have the power to change the way my life is going. I can get back on the strait and narrow and rise to the higher ground. I know that it will be hard to turn away from the world but I need to let my light shine. I have been casting under the bushel rather than setting it out for the world to see. It is much like the inch worm analogy (given in my ward a few weeks ago). Satan has slowly been able to turn me around so I haven't seen that I am changing for the worse. Now that I see it I can change it and I am very grateful that I do have the time to change.
I am so very grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and for the atonement. I am so blessed to have the knowledge I have so that I can let go of the natural man and come unto Him. I will forever be indebted unto Him for all that He has given to me. I want to be counted among His elect.