Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Bummer eh? Wrong place wrong time.  Granted this opossum wasn't doing anything wrong, he was just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Its similar in our lives, we can only expect to amble across the street so many times before eventually we get hit.
 If we make a habit of wandering down a dark alley at 3:00 am, we are more likely to find ourselves in a less-than-lovely situation.  We cannot repeatedly put ourselves in situations that are less than ideal, or cannot hang out with a rougher crowd, or listen to immoral music, and not expect some of it to rub off on us.  We cannot disregard the commandments that God has given and expect to walk on unaffected. 

If we, like a bunch of cattle in the picture below, stick our heads in a wire fence during a lightning storm, we're more likely to get struck.  In Genesis 3:3 it reads "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."  God commanded Adam and Eve to not only abstain from the fruit, but not to touch it either.  Even touching sin, or getting dangerously close puts us in peril of succumbing to temptation.    When we encompass ourselves with sin, we are more likely to fall. 
I have found that the opposite of this is true as well that when we put ourselves in the right places at the right times, better things are likely to occur.  We should put ourselves in a position to be blessed, and bless the lives of others. Instead of spending all our extra income on unnecessary wants, we can look for ways to use it to help somebody else.  If we have nothing to give, we lose the opportunity to be blessed and bless others lives by helping someone in need.
I have the idea of "right place right time" to be especially true with reading your scriptures praying, and going to church.  If we really want to receive answers to our prayers, if we really want to receive inspiration regarding our personal lives, if we really want to come to know your Savior, we need to put ourselves in the right place at the right time to receive it.  I know that if we wander across the street enough times, or stick our head in enough wire fences during a lightning storm, we get hit. I see it all the time, in my life and in those around me.  I know the opposite as well, that when we keep the commandments, when we search the scriptures, and when we attend church, we put ourselves in the right place at the right time.
_Elder Halbert

Charity

1. A poor, wayfaring Man of grief
Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief
That I could never answer nay.

This is the first of a verse of  hymn written by James Montgomery, available here in its entirety.  At the bottom of the Hymnal, the scripture that it is based on says Matthew 25:35-40, a pretty famous scripture which reads  "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25)
“Not only by precept did Jesus teach, but also by example. . . He stretched forth his hand that others might be lifted. . . Unaltered is the divine command to succor the weak and lift up the hands which hang down and strengthen the feeble knees. Each of us has the charge to be. . . a doer. . . lifter. . . There are those within the sphere of our own influence who, with outstretched hands, cry out: ‘Is there no balm in Gilead…?’ Each of us must answer” (Thomas S. Monson, “With Hand and Heart,” Ensign, Jan 1995, 2)
Going to church no more makes you a Christian than standing in a garage makes you a car.  Christianity is a lifestyle, not a switch.  We can't turn it on when its convenient, and then flip it off when it proves a hindrance.  Christianity is is not a social title that we vacate when the first air of contempt threatens to capsize us, but rather the wind that fills our sails as we navigate the storms in our lives. If we want to be good Christians, we need to learn to love as Christ did, to look on the inside, to have the pure love of Christ, or charity.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. (Mark 8:35)  In the Book of Mormon in Mosiah it says that ye shall not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition in vain.  I think its fair to say that everybody could use a little more charity in their lives.  "We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day." (Richard G. Scott).  If you want to be a better Christian, start by acting like one more and more every day.  With consistent effort, we will become better, more charitable, giving, loving, followers of Jesus Christ.
_Elder Halbert

Optimism

Optimism-
-the belief that good ultimately predominates over evil in the world.
-Dictionary.com
Any Christian who really understands their faith, ought to be an optimist.  The entire Christian message displays a certain feeling of optimism.  I can't hardly think of a story that doesn't.  Joseph of Egypt was sold into slavery and later thrown in prison, framed for a crime he didn't commit. But in the end, God placed him there for a reason and he was able to save his family from starvation.  Job, for example, had a rough life.  God allowed Satan to take away everything that he had; cattle, friends, family, wife.  But in the end, God came through (as He always does) and Job was restored to so much more than he had before.  Zeezrom turned his life around and instead of fighting against God, was able to be a great missionary.  A similar circumstance with Paul changing his life.  Jesus endured more pain and suffering than any other person, yet we know that from that, He gave us all a chance for remission of our sins.  We can walk forward with the promise from scripture that "all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good".  President Gordon B. Hinckley asked that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.  If we have an attitude of gratitude, we will better be able to see the good in our lives.  If we give thanks for what we do have instead of concentrating on what we don't, we automatically begin turn into an attitude of optimism.  We cease to grumble around, complaining about we lack or our present issue and why we deserve better.  We should all learn to laugh a little more.  Instead of yelling at every inanimate object which did nothing of its own fault to be there, realize, that the shin bone is a device for finding furniture in a dark room. 
Quoting again from President Hinckley's talk he says "I suppose you have heard the story of the absent-minded professor who went shopping and lost his umbrella. Discovering his loss, he retraced his steps. At the first three stores on which he called, the clerks denied having found his umbrella. At the fourth store the clerk handed him the missing umbrella. He grumbled, “Thank goodness for an honest man. The other three told me they didn’t have it.”"
Let us look for the good in people rather than scrutinizing on every vice and flaw we find.  There is so much good in people that we tend to look past.  There is good out there, and if we can develop a disposition to see it we will live happier better lives.  I love life, friends, family and Christ :)
_Elder Halbert