Ricker Family: March 2009

So, I've been trying to figure out how to be less busy with less important things to allow for more time to do more important things (i.e. reading with my kids, exercising my brain that occasionally feels like its withering away, being a better visiting teacher, being more prepared for Sunday School and Relief Society lessons...). I'm guessing this problem isn't uniquely mine since more and more conference addresses and Ensign articles seem to be addressing this. Robert came home with the following and while searching for it on the internet I came across the poem that follows it. The authors of both are unknown (but quite clever!).

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.

In his opening address he said, “We can’t keep Christians from going to church.”

“We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.”

“We can’t even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their savior.”

“Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.”
“So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, but steal their time, so they don’t have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.”

“This is what I want you to do”, said the devil:
“Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!”

“How shall we do this?” his demons shouted.
“Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered.
“Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.”
“Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.”
“Keep them from spending time with their children.”

“As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!”
“Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice.”

“Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive.” “To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly.”

“This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.”
“Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.”

“Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day.”

“Invade their driving moments with billboards.”

“Flood their mail boxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs,sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products , services and false hopes.”
“Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what’s important, and they’ll become dissatisfied with their wives.”

“Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night.”
“Give them headaches too!”

“If they don’t give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere.” “That will fragment their families quickly!”
“Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas.”

“Give them an Easter bunny so they won’t talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death.”
“Even in their recreation, let them be excessive.”

“Have them return from their recreation exhausted.”

“Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God’s creation.”

“Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead.”
“Keep them busy, busy, busy!”
“And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences.”
“Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus.” “Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.”

“It will work!”“It will work!”
It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more busy and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God or their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.
I guess the question is, has the devil been successful at his scheme?
You be the judge!

Does “busy” mean:B-eing U-nder S-atan’s Y-oke?

I knelt to pray but not for long,
Had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.

So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.

All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.

No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry.
No time to give to souls in need
But at last, the time to die.

I went before the Lord that day,
I stood with downcast eyes.
For in His hands God held a book;
It was the Book of Life.

God looked into His book and said
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time."