Divine Nature #1

This is my second go-a-round with the Personal Progress program. The first time, when I was a pre-teen/teenager was a good experience. This second time as a thirty-something is an amazing experience. The first time, I read the scriptures, I thought about them for about 3-5 min and then wrote in my journal. This time around I read the scriptures, had a great conversation about them with my friend Fiona, read a few scriptures over with Darin, had another great conversation with my friend Mirissa, have pondered, felt repentant and humbled.....I am now ready to write in my journal.

Divine Nature
Be partakers of the divine nature....Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;and to virtue knowledge;And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity
(2 Peter 1:4-7)

I have inherited divine qualities, which I will strive to develop

I am a conflicted woman. I have inherited both divine qualities and some not so divine qualities. I have this prideful, overbearing nature that is in conflict with my peaceful "happiness maker" nature. Swinging in between, is me. I have been raised to have an opinion on things, which is good. I have been raised in a time where everyone, especially women, are encouraged to express that opinion, which is also good. The bad part comes when I feel the need to express these opinions in a prideful or forceful way. The scriptures in 2 Peter, Alma 7, and D&C 121 all talk about being patient, humble, kind, temperate, and virtuous always....ALWAYS. Even when you disagree with someone, even when provoked, even when you are tired or sad.

I can hold my own in an argument, I talk loud and fast and think of sarcastic "zingers" to get my point across, but when this happens I inevitably feel sad and regretful later. It's not in my true nature to act this way, even though I have this HUGE impulse to jump in and fight. I am an emotional, spirited person, which I feel is a blessing, but I can't let those emotions override the empathetic, caring person I also am. No one listens to opinions when they are flung about in anger anyway....at least I don't. The only way ideas can really be shared is with kindness, patience, temperance, humbleness and virtue. So....I will continue striving to develop those divine qualities which I have inherited, and keep my feistiness for things that really matter!