Can we rename the stormy capes of our lives?

Ana visits the Discovery Monument in Portugal - July 2012

Looking forward and facing what's head of us with hope is essential to make a productive contribution to life, yet challenges will always be there during the process. That is why learning what others have done when they faced challenges to move forward is a rewarding and uplifting experience, every time we come to Portugal we have abundant history around us to remind us of this principle.

The enormous compass rose made of fine marble stone that paves the floor on our way to the entrance of the Discoveries Monument is a good example of that principle. This impressive piece of art occupies a surface of 50 meters in diameter and at the center of it there is a world map that depicts the routes of the maritime discoveries of the Portuguese navigators in the XV and XVI centuries, what many do not know is that this popular tourist attraction was designed by a Portuguese architect but it was a gift from South Africa in 1960.

To me this is an interesting detail, because it was exactly in South Africa that the navigators found one of their greatest challenges, the needed to conquer a stormy cape to be able move forward towards the East. The first navigator to reach the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa was Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 who name it as the "The Cape of Storms" or in Portuguese "Cabo das Tormentas", he and other navigators struggled to pass this cape to reach the seas that would put them in the route to the orient, it was the King John II that renamed the Cape latter to Cape of Good Hope because of his spirit of looking forward to open a sea route to India and the East.

The days of glory in the Portuguese history books did not came without sacrifice and perseverance and without hope in the future. Can we too rename the stormy capes of our lives today?

Link: More photos of this summer at home in Portugal

Comments

Something worth reflecting once more

Decisions are a big are part of life, we make so many in the course of our journey and so often, small ones and big ones! Because all of them have implications for us, learning to make decisions... I should say wise and inspired decisions is a something that is worth reflecting once more. A decision enters in the wise category when we devote careful consideration to the alternatives available to us and it becomes inspired when we prayerfully take what we consider the best option and counsel with the Lord in prayer before we take a final route. Here is a good link to a scripture that helps in this reflection: Doctrine and Convenants 9:7-9

What about spiritual prosperity?

Miguel & João - Salt Lake City, Oct 2011 Many have looked at prosperity solely from a financial perspective, thus to prosper in this narrow vision of things one looks only to the external signs of wealth and consequently soon after the focus becomes on material possessions or the fix idea of having them. Inevitably this arrangement leads to feelings of envy, greed and selfishness and creates an enormous distance between us and the needs of our fellow men, including our families as time is not allocated any longer to what matters most but to what we want the most. What about spiritual prosperity? A clear understanding that we are children of an Heavenly Father that loves us, that He has a plan of happiness for us which through the atonement of Jesus Christ and our faithfulness allows us to return to Him, and an understanding that He gave us commandments to help us face the adversities of life will guide us to a path of gratitude for everything we have, ...

Spring in Winter

The other day I took the time to walk by a lake, it was a glorious day, the air was fresh and clean, the water was calm, the trees were serene, the light was bright and clear, it felt like a spring day to me, yet it was the winter season. I took my jacket for a while and enjoyed the scenery and the mild sunshine and as I was walking I thought to myself that in the course of life, at times we go through difficult moments, but even then, when we stay close to the principles we know to be true, and remain faithful to them, we will see in our lives spring days during our winter seasons! As I reviewed the teachings of last General Conference I thought of the the following counsel as I reflected upon this matter: "If we, like President Monson, exercise our faith and look to God for help, we will not be overwhelmed with the burdens of life" - Elder Carl B. Cook. "It is essential that we are able to face - with courage - whatever challenges come our...

Family Snippets

Search This Blog