"Autarkeia", Paul on the topic of eliminating needs in order to be able to give more abundantly.

For me to consider, remember, and figure out how to apply better:

"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposely in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" 

2nd Corinthians 9:6-8 

 

"Paul insists that God can give a man both the substance to give and the spirit in which to give it....He speaks of the all the "sufficiency" which God gives us. The word he uses is "autarkeia". This was a favorite Stoic word.  It does not describe the sufficiency of the man who possess all kinds of things in abundance.  It means independence.  It describes the state of the man who has directed life not to amassing possessions, but to eliminating needs.  It describes the man who has taught himself to be content with very little. It is obvious that such a man will be able to give far more to others because he wants so little for himself.  It is so often true that we want and keep so much for ourselves that we much less left to give to others....

"...it is God who can give us the spirit in which to give...It is God alone who can put into our hearts the love which is the essence of a the generous spirit."

~ William Barclay, Commentary on 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 9

Aids in my efforts to keep my brain in good shape

 

https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/how-to-redice-dementia-risk/

Reducing dementia risk

(Did you notice the spelling error in the accurate link above?)

Excerpt from that article:

Eating a healthy diet was found to have the strongest effect, and was defined as sticking to the recommended daily intake of at least seven out of 12 food groups, including fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts.

Cognitive activity such as playing cards, doing crosswords or reading at least twice a week was the second most impactful behaviour. Regular exercise was close behind, defined as 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity, every week. Socialising twice a week, by visiting friends and family or attending meetings, also made it onto the list, as did never having smoked or being an ex-smoker, and drinking no alcohol.

Interestingly, the results held true even for participants who were identified as genetically susceptible to memory loss due to having a key Alzheimer’s risk gene (called AP0E4)

They found that people with four to six healthy lifestyle habits were 90 per cent less likely to develop dementia than those who had zero or one. People with two to three were 30 per cent less likely.

Dr Susan Mitchell, head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “While our genetics play an important part in the health of our brains as we age, this research found a link between healthy lifestyle and slower cognitive decline even in participants with a key risk gene.

“Too few of us know that there are steps we can all take to reduce our chances of dementia in later life. Factors across our lifespan can influence the health of our brains so it’s never too early or too late to think about adopting healthy habits.”

Listening to sealing ordinances: children

 Unlike marriage sealings, parent-child sealings in temples do actually include the sealing of people to other people, in this case children to parents. But what is often not remembered is the fact that that sealing comes with a HUGE promise: a promise that not only will that sealing be one that brings healing to a child that will undo every harm, wrong, or pain, etc. caused by a parent who acts contrary to Jesus’s teachings about love, care, honesty, gentleness, etc. etc., but that also, it will it undo it to such an extent that it will be, in that child’s life as if  he/she had been born to and raised in the new and everlasting covenant,  the gospel of Jesus Christ (Doctrine and  Covenants  66:2)  ie. it will truly be for that child as if he/she had been raised by by parents who lived the gospel of Jesus Christ, loved Jesus and what he taught, who loved doing good, and who were kind, were faithful to each other, were are gentle and wise, were willing to make personal sacrifices to further goodness at home and in the world, were fully committed to living loving, gentle, courageous, righteous lives after the pattern of Christ, and, as a result, who wholeheartedly loved and nurtured their children in amazingly good ways.

God loves and knows us individually, is ready to assist us, loves us forever, and can “wipe away all tears”.  He is amazing.

Listening to marriage sealing ordinances

 Listening to what is actually said…

 Contrary to common phraseology, a husband and wife are not "sealed to each other", or “sealed together”. Rather, in that marriage ceremony specific blessings are promised and “sealed” equally upon the husband and upon the wife, which blessings each one is to receive as they individually continue in their personal, faithfulness disciples of Jesus Christ, keeping the holy promises (covenants to follow the teachings of Christ) that they have previously made. 

Temple marriage sealings are not about with whom you will, or will not “live together forever”.   In the life after this one, the same sociality (quality of social interaction) that exists among us in this life, will continue to exist (Doc & Cov130:2) among family members, friends, etc. etc... 

So if it's not about who you will be with, what is it? When you listen, you will find that, rather than who gets to be with whom, sealing in a temple marriage is, in reality, about your personal commitments to become the kind of disciples you may become; radiantly full of faith, hope and charity. And they are about your desires to create, with the Lord’s grace and mercy, a marriage full of faith hope and charity, and which encompasses the principles of His gospel that you have previously promised and covenanted to live.  

The words of temple marriage sealing express how much the Lord desires to help and bless you in those commitments and desires, both individually and as a couple, both now and in the future. 

The sealing words are about what He is entrusting you with, and they are about who and what the Lord is inviting you to faithfully become, and what he may trust you with in the future as you continue to follow Him, strive to live the promises you have made to Him, receive His amazing grace, and continue to grow in faith in Him, and in hope in Him, and in loving as He does. 

They are about the abilities and blessings he will seal upon you as you, as His disciples, and through that grace, mercy and power to heal and bless, become able to bear that trust He has placed in you. Becoming that kind of son or daughter of God is a lifelong and beyond journey, and brings good blessings as well as sobering responsibilities.

Joseph Fielding Smith called temple marriage "the crowning ordinance", but it's not "crowning" as in "having arrived at the pinnacle". It's more like, "the final, top, ordinance and covenant for which keeping all the other covenants you've made with God helps to prepare you". When you are married in the temple, you haven't arrived.  You've just begun a whole new phase of the journey.

The point is not “what” we believe; it’s “whom”. Thoughts on 2nd Timothy 1

 Paul did not write, in verse 12, “I know what I have believed”, or “I know that the gospel that Jesus taught us is true”.  He wrote, “I know whom I have believed.”

When Jesus called his disciples he did not say “I have teachings that will change your life”, or “I can teach you principles and commandments from God, our Father, that will bless your life”.  Rather, he invited them to spend time with him.  “Follow me” (be with me, spend time with me) is what he said. (Matt 4:19, 8:22, 9:9, 16:2, Mark 1:17, John  12:26, etc.)

“Faith, in the New Testament, is very seldom acquiescence in a creed; it is almost always trust in a person….To be a Christian is to know Him…‘other  than at second  hand.’”    ~ William Barclay

Sounds to me like a life-long journey.