Musicals: a treasure trove of life's lessons

So, I have decided that musicals are a great place to learn good things about life. You learn the importance of vanilla ice cream and optometry in She Loves Me, how you can be cranky as long as your friends are cranky and then together if you work in a garden you can become less cranky together from The Secret Garden, and never to feed any of your plants blood from Little Shop of Horrors. All important lessons. The (more serious one) I have been thinking about recently comes from Aida.

Let me give you a little background. I am on a committee to help plan my stake's Relief Society Conference for which part of it we are helping to furnish an apartment that a refugee family is moving into. It has been fairly stressful and involves a lot of communicating and planning with people that I don't really know. We are down to the last week and a half before this happens and today was crazy with the amount of texting and coordinating that needed to be done.

I don't particularly love this type of planning. I don't like texting people I don't know and I don't like how much energy it takes out of me to do so. I feel lazy when all I have done all day is text people, yet I feel so tired from doing nothing. Needless to say I have been in a mood today and complaining to all the people I do know. (I'm sorry if any of you who I have been whining to read this) Then after a last little bout of whining to my mom I was laying down on her bed listening to the quiet in my parent's room and these words from Aida (with a little bit of a change) came into my head,

"If you don't like [how you are feeling] change it. You are your own master, there are no shackles on you." 

In my Psychology class I took a couple semesters ago we talked about all the things that happen to us before we feel something. First we have to have a sensation, then that sensation goes into our mind and takes into account what is happening to us now, our past experiences with similar sensations, and a myriad of other things, then we make a judgement and perceive things which produces feelings. (Or something along those lines, I mean, it was a while ago when I studied this) The point of this was to explain how we have the wonderful ability to change how we are feeling about things. 

I might hate texting people but that doesn't mean that I have to feel grumpy when I am doing a lot of it. I can choose to use other experiences to change my perception. I can think about how the refugee family my ward is trying to help would probably love to have a phone to text people with. I can remember that I had a wonderful dinner and I didn't even have to worry about it, meals just happen every day for me when I know around the world people worry every day about where their next meal will come from.

I hope that I can remember how wonderful it is that I have the opportunity to help a family in need and that this isn't about me. It is about how I can look outside of myself and see other human suffering and do my part in helping to alleviate that suffering now matter how uncomfortable or hard it feels at the time. That is what Christ did. He saw us and saw our suffering and did His part to make it better for us, even though it was hard and excruciating for Him. That is the biggest filter I can use to help me change my thinking. I am grateful that I can take this opportunity to learn more about my Savior.

In which my car got stuck...

Do you see the grossness that is my icy Rexburg parking lot? I do...I see it every day. So, I haven't had a problem with ice at all this winter until today. I have been very blessed in this as the parking lot above has looked this way since November but my no-problems-with-ice streak ended today, and no, surprisingly it wasn't in this parking lot. I drove to church today and parked on the hill next to the building where I have church not really thinking about getting out again and went to church.

 *side note, church was AWESOME! We had a lesson in Gospel principles on the Atonement where the teacher really focused on us backing up whatever we said with scriptures which brought a lot of power to the lesson. #scripturepower :D )* 

Anyways, I left church and got into my car, turned it on, started backing out when I heard the dreaded sound of my wheels spinning uselessly against the ice. My front wheels were on solid asphalt and so were my back wheels, but right behind my front wheels was a sheet of ice. I was stuck. I was also embarrassed. This quote was running through my head.

I felt so dumb for parking there and not even thinking about how I could get stuck. There were plenty of other spaces where I could have parked just fine, but because I wasn't thinking earlier my car was stuck. I was sitting there for a few minutes deciding what I should do. My pride was voting that I just leave it there for a while and then come back later that night to see if, by some miracle I could move it then, but my rational side realized that I probably wouldn't be able to move it later and there would be even less people around to help me.

So, my rational side winning out, turned off my car and was deciding to go find help when one of my ward members walked by. I got out and told him that my car was stuck. He without any teasing or fanfare asked if I wanted him to push. He tried and when that didn't work, he snagged another boy and together they pushed me out of the ice and I offered him a ride home.

I know this is really silly, but I was so grateful that Heavenly Father sent someone that I know is so kind. He gave a talk in church the other week about how he always keeps a candy in his pocket in case he sees someone that needs a snack/treat. I know that it is true too because I have been the recipient of it once. I was already feeling so embarrassed so it was a tender mercy that he was there right when I needed a push and I knew that he would help and be happy to serve.

I am so grateful for all the Christ-like and loving people that are in my life!

And, since it's Valentines Day, I wanted to share a picture of some of the people that I love the most in the whole world, my family. (This is mostly my sisters as we were preparing to ambush one of my brothers with our Christmas marshmallow shooters, but its the picture I have with the most of us in it)

I love you Mom, Dad, Loralee, Joylyn, Mike, Brookeh, Susan, Karen, Julie, Erik, Jenn, Brad, Rachel, Eric, and my nieces and nephews!

Be Still

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the noise of the world. 

Last Sunday I taught the gospel principles class in my ward and while it went well, it also went WAY faster than I had planned, we were at the end of what I had prepared and we had about 15 minutes left . . . so with no lesson material left I decided to make a list on the board of different commandments that Christ has given to us and that, by following them, will help us draw closer to him. I figured that would take at least 5 minutes and then they would have a visual for my invitation. We had a lot of different things written on the board, i.e. forgive, repent, love and serve one another, keep the Sabbath day holy, be still, etc. My invitation was to pick one to work on that week and see how their relationship with Christ grows as they did so. 

As I was looking at the list, one of them (Be still) really caught my eye. The point of my lesson was to find ways to strengthen our personal relationships with Christ. My goal from the lesson was to take more time to be still. I wanted to disconnect more from the worldly noise and tune more into the spiritual noise so I would be more available to receive promptings from the Holy Ghost. I think it has literally been the hardest week for me to do that. I didn't do very well at all, in fact, I went on a Netflix and YouTube spree. While on my endless YouTube video rabbit hole I found this video. 

*** Warning, there is some swearing*** 

In the video, in case you didn't want to watch it :) He talks about how he is always connected to something from the moment he wakes up until he goes to bed and then he goes on to talk about how rewarding it is when you disconnect from all of the entertainment and noise that can come from everywhere and just think. 

When I watched this I realized that that day I had done almost nothing but be plugged in to the noise of the world. I was very similar to this guy. I got up and was listening to an audio book, Then I walked to class with my headphones tuned into my favorite Pandora station. I went to class and then listened to Pandora some more while I did homework then repeated until my classes were done, then I walked home to the sound of my Pandora station. When I got home I got on Facebook, then watched some episodes on Netflix then got on YouTube... I had just spent my whole day drowning every other voice out with meaningless entertainment. It was a wake-up call to me that I needed to stop and let my brain think. I needed to take time to be still. This small rebuke was a tender mercy to me. It helped me remember the goals I had set earlier in the week and to do better for the rest of the week. 

I think it is amazing how God really is involved in our lives and wants to help us achieve our goals and will send us reminders of those goals when we are not on track to achieve them. This week my goal is to take time, and more than just a couple of minutes, to be still every day during the week so I can enjoy the company of my own mind more. I think I will find it to be rewarding in many ways.

Also, another tender mercy, tonight was, for the first time in almost 2 years, seeing this cute girl again! Sister Richards (now Betsy) stopped in Rexburg for a few hours and I got to hang out with her :) So fun!

Beware of Pride...part 2 :)

A couple of summers ago, when I was on my mission serving in the Catoctin ward, I made a new friend. His name was Humperdink. He was a prideful little guy and I wrote a blog post about it...which you can read here. In it I talked about a humbling experience that I had when I thought that I was above the pride cycle. Well, in my religion class my religion professor mentioned something, I can't remember what he called it, where you don't have to be in the pride cycle. The Lord blesses you, you remain humble and serve others and God blesses you more etc.

***bonus if you make it to the end there is a little before seen picture of me actually holding Humperdink***

While I don't think that I am above the pride cycle, it is nice to know that my original thoughts about people not having to be stuck in the pride cycle were right. It gives me something to strive for. Something that I will have to strive and strive for, because pride is . . . hard . . .to get away from.  I think in part it is because it rears it's ugly head in so many different ways.

Pride has been defined in many ways by the Prophets and Apostles, for example

Pride Is...

"A natural consequence of setting our hearts on the things of the world" -Gerald N. Lund April 2008

"The most deadly spiritual virus" -Boyd K. Packer April 1989

"A great obstacle in listening to the voice of the Lord" -Fransisco J Vinas October 1996

and, last but not least,

"The universal sin, the great vice" -Ezra Taft Benson April 1989

So . . . Bad right? And as if all these warnings weren't bad enough, let's take a look at what the Book of Mormon has to say about it.

We are instructed to avoid pride in Alma 38:11 "See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength."

2 Nephi 28:13 tell of some consequences of pride "They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up."

And in Moroni 8:27 the ultimate fate of those lifted up in pride. "Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction except they should repent."

so. . . again . . . bad. But, there is a reason we are told so much about pride and I think the main reason is so we can learn to recognize it in ourselves. If we don't realize that we are prideful then we aren't going to be able to change that. So I guess the big question is, how is my pride manifesting?

Me and my friend Humperdink

That is a good question, Prince Humperdink and I are going to go think about that now, and I hope you will too :D 

The Blessing of Becoming an Instrument.

Becoming an instrument? Why would I want to become an instrument? What's the point of being a Piano or Flute! That just seems silly . . .

No, not that kind of instrument. The kind of instrument I am talking about is becoming an Instrument in the Hand of God. In my Book of Mormon class the past couple of weeks we have been talking about the Abrahamic covenant, what it is and what we are promised if we keep the covenants we make.

Abraham 2:9-11

9 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations;

10 And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father;

11 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.

What stood out to me most was that God told Abraham, while telling him of the blessings to him and his seed, that all the families of the earth will be blessed with the blessings of the Gospel. As I did the reading a couple other scriptures really stood out to me.

2 Nephi 2:3 "Wherefore, thy sou shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely with thy brohter, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God. ..."

2 Nephi 3:7-8, 14

7 Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me; A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers.

8 And I will give unto him a commandment that he shall do none other work, save the work which I shall command him. And I will make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work

14 And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise;

and finally (bear with me, I know it is a lot of scriptures),

Mosiah 26:20 Thou art my servant; and I covenant with thee that thou shalt have eternal life; and thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name, and shalt gather together my sheep

The overall theme that I kept seeing over and over again as I was reading all the scriptures about the promises that God grants to his children was, it is a blessing, not a burden or obligation or something undesirable to become an instrument in God's hands. When we are keeping our covenants it is a blessing in our lives. We are blessed to help our friends and family and neighbors to come unto Christ and to make the same covenants that we have made and to receive the same blessings that we have received.

When I think of people who really understood the joy of becoming a tool that God can use I immediately think of the sons of Mosiah. In Mosiah 17 they fast and pray MUCH that the Lord would grant them that blessing, and when they had received it they were overjoyed! They rejoiced! Ammon's words in Alma 26:15-16 "...we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work. Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever."

In Elder Nelson's 2011 October Conference talk he explained how important this part of the Abrahamic covenant is. He said,

 "Ours is the responsibility to help fulfill the Abrahamic covenant. Ours is the seed foreordained and prepared to bless all people of the world. That is why priesthood duty includes missionary work. After some 4,000 years of anticipation and preparation, this is the appointed day when the gospel is to be taken to the kindreds of the earth. This is the time of the promised gathering of Israel. And we get to participate! Isn't that exciting? The Lord is counting on us and our sons -- and He is profoundly grateful for our daughters -- who worthily serve as missionaries in this great time of the gathering of Israel.

I know that one of the greatest blessings we have in life is to be a blessing in someone else's life. I know how wonderful it feels and how much sense of purpose it can give to know that I am here for a purpose, that I can be a blessing someone else's life and how much meaning there is in life as I strive to do this. I know that as we strive to live our covenants we will have opportunities to become an instrument in the hand of God and bless the lives of others and in the process see how much of a blessing it is to us to do so.

God is Good!

Sometimes I receive the clearest revelation when I am in the shower...I don't know why, maybe because there are basically no distractions and I am usually singing hymns...yes I do sing in the shower...don't judge :) Any-who. . . Last night when I was in the shower I was thinking about how good God had been to me that day, seeing all the things that he helped me with (homework especially and being generally productive) and I just realized that God has always been good to me. Always. And, if He always HAS been good to me, then He always WILL be good to me. Just a nice reminder that I can trust God. He has always been trustworthy, so even though it is hard sometimes, I can trust Him now and I will always be able to trust Him!

How to be Filled

You know that feeling, where you feel kind of empty inside? A kind of loneliness that doesn't really go away, but it isn't REALLY loneliness because you can feel it even when you are surrounded by the ones you love the most? Where there is a place that you want to be filled but isn't? You try to fill it with more social activity or more study, or any manner of things, but it just doesn't quite work? Well sometimes I feel that way, and sometimes there are times when that part of me is completely filled and I am simply happy. A inner happiness that does fill that part of you.

Recently in my Book of Mormon class we have been studying how the Book of Mormon teaches the Doctrine of Christ, namely Faith, Repentance, Baptism, partaking of the Sacrament, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End.  As I have been doing the reading I have noticed something that I absolutely love about the scriptures relating to these different parts of the Doctrine of Christ. What I love is the word 'fill'. In so many scriptures it talks about how these simple principles and ordinances will FILL you, for example . . .

Alma 36:20 "And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!" This is what Alma described feeling after he had excercized faith and repented.

and...

3 Nephi 19:13 "And it came to pass when they were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire." ***

I love the fact that there is a part of me that is just waiting to be filled by the Holy Ghost, that I can literally have a member of the Godhead with me at ALL times. I know that by striving to adhere to the simple teachings of Jesus Christ and growing in our faith in him, we will be filled. We don't have to be empty or lonely and having the gentle influence of the Holy Ghost filling us makes everything more bearable. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I am so grateful that he inspired so many of his Prophets in the Book of Mormon to teach His simple truths so that we may have a more perfect fullness of joy in life.

*** for more scriptures about being filled through the Gospel of Jesus Christ see...

3 Nephi 18:9
Alma 29:10
Alma 19:30
3 Nephi 26:17
3 Nephi 12:6
3 Nephi 20:9
Moroni 8:17
Mosiah 21:28

The Atonement

My mind has been on the Atonement of Jesus Christ a lot recently. It seems everywhere I go I am hearing all about the Atonement. I have had Relief Society lessons, Religion Class lessons, English spiritual thoughts (3 of these have been focused solely on Alma 7:11-13), My cousin's blogpost about the Atonement working in her life, and even more. This really shouldn't surprise me because as Joseph Smith said... 

"The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it."

The Atonement truly is at the center of our religion, without it we wouldn't have a religion to begin with. We would be lost forever, becoming angels to a devil (2 Nephi 9:9) and with no incentive to make good choices. 

Recently the thought that has been weighing most on my mind is in regards to the "Infinite" aspect of the Atonement. Why that aspect do you ask? Well, let me tell you. Once upon a time while I was on my mission we had a lesson set up with a potential investigator. He was somebody that previous missionaries had talked to but hadn't taught, so we thought we would introduce ourselves and see if he was interested in learning more. When we got to his house he was very friendly and welcoming. He was very strong in his faith, but liked to talk about religion. We had a nice conversation for the most part, but something that he talked to us about really bothered me. It was something that I disagreed with very strongly but never had the opportunity to discuss in more detail. He said something along the lines of . . .

Christ only suffered for the people that he knew would repent and accept his sacrifice. 

I know those weren't his exact words, but that was the gist of his belief. In my heart I immediately disagreed but I didn't feel like I could articulate my thoughts and beliefs clearly enough and didn't wan't to end up bible bashing so my companion and I didn't say much on that score, but it has stuck with me ever since. 

God loves all of his children, there is no one that has ever lived, that will ever live, or that lives now that is not loved by God. He sent His Son to this world to suffer and die because he loves his children. In Doctrine and Covenants 19:16 it says "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;" Christ came to atone for the sins of ALL mankind. His Atonement is not just infinite in that it covers each of our individual sins and weaknesses and trials and burdens and sicknesses and temptations, it covers ALL of that for EVERY individual that ever has, does, or will exist. I just can't believe that a God who is all loving would provide a way for only those who would accept his son. It is such an important thing in understanding the character of Christ to know that he suffered even for those that would reject him, because otherwise they would be doomed. They would never have a chance and I know that God would never do that to even one of His children. To believe that Christ didn't suffer for all is to believe that God doesn't love all His children and that Christ's atonement is not infinite. 

I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have and that has been strengthened by this study that God does love each and every one of us and that Christ's atonement really can and does radiate its glorious light into ALL.

Alma 34:14 "And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal."

Even When We Are Doing Well...

So . . . for those of you who don't know, I moved up to BYU-Idaho for school a couple of weeks ago and I have been getting used to life up here. It is very different going from a non-church school to a church school, but not in a bad way.

When I graduated from High School, there was no way under the sun that I was going to go to a church school, especially not BYU-Idaho. I didn't want to have an Honor Code. (silly me . . . ) Somehow I thought it would limit my agency. Not that I did anything terrible or horrible when I went to Utah State, I still lived gospel standards, and basically lived the honor code anyways, but I didn't want it forced on me.

Now that I am here, I realize how silly that is. I still live the standards I always have and it is really cool to pray in class and have spiritual thoughts etc. It is a beautiful environment where you really can feel the spirit so much, although it does sometimes lead to awkward/cool experiences.

Yesterday I had a really good day. The week before had been really stressful. I have smaller classes here than I did at Utah State and that basically means more homework that I actually have to turn in. Yes, I know that I am sometimes a little bit of a slacker...okay, maybe more than a little bit when it comes to homework. Anyways, I was super stressed about all of my classes and all the homework that I had to do. Yesterday morning after my calculus class I was sure that I was going to fail. I was already behind in some of my classes and I didn't know how I was going to be able to catch up. So, as I was doing homework for a certain class the thought came to me, "I can drop this class". So much peace came over me that I knew it would be okay if I dropped a class.  (but to be sure I had to call my sister and have her validate my decision. Thanks Julie!) So I dropped my class and suddenly life seemed manageable again. It was wonderful! My day was going great!

After my last class that day, I stopped on my way home to enjoy the good weather (while I can) to sit and read. As I was reading I heard a man singing. He came around the corner of the building by the table I was sitting singing "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" at the top of his lungs. He saw me, stopped singing, and apologized. I smiled and said, "No worries, you're fine!"  waved and went back to reading. He continued walking and singing, and I didn't think more about it. . . . Until he came back.

I was reading when I noticed him walking back towards me, he introduced himself, sat down, and asked if I was doing okay. I said "Yep! I am doing great!"

He said, "Oh, well, I don't usually do this, but what is your favorite hymn?"

"I like 'Lead Kindly Light'"

"Would it be alright if I sing it for you?"

"umm...Sure..."

He then proceeded to sing to me. To tell you the truth I was kind of embarrassed and it was awkward, people were walking by and this random man was singing to me. He finished singing for me and then asked if he could say a prayer for me. I again, said sure, feeling kind of awkward. He prayed for me and then got up and left...and then I proceeded to read again and I just kind of laughed thinking to myself how that was weird.

When I went home I told my roommates and they kind of laughed with me and I called my sister-in-law this morning and told her and we laughed a little about it. I commented and said that now I know how the random people on the street I talked to as a missionary and prayed for felt.

Anyways . . . fast forward to this afternoon. I was sitting in devotional and I realized how, this young man was simply acting on his prompting. He felt like he needed to come and make sure I was okay, sing a hymn, and pray for me. He was acting on his faith. It made me think about all my tender mercies. Usually when I recognize them I am having a bad day,something is hard, or annoying, but God's tender mercies aren't just for when we are down. God is ALWAYS there, showing his love for us. He shows us he is there when we are having good days, doing fun things, and enjoying life. I am grateful for this young man's dedication to his prompting and for reminding me that God is blessing me all the time, not just when I am down.

And just for kicks and giggles, here is a picture of a happy sun wall hanging and a pretty flower :)

I'm Back!

I have been thinking a lot about posting on this blog again. . . I have so much to be grateful for and have been so blessed that I feel like I should be posting on here. So . . . here goes nothing!

Last week I at dinner my nephew was eating with us. As is common with most little kids...he can sometimes be picky and be a little bit of a pill. An adorable pill . . . :)  At dinner my nephew did NOT want to eat whatever it was that my mom had made, no matter what I, his mom, my mom, or anyone else said. His argument?

"I ate lunch earlier!! I don't need to eat it." 

Such a sad face...

This struck me and have thought a lot about it. Those of us sitting around the table heard how silly his argument was. Yes you ate earlier, but you need to keep eating regularly otherwise you will get sick and eventually die. It was a little bit funny at the time, but as I kept thinking about it, I realized how often I do that same thing in a different context. 

How often do I say to myself...'I don't really need to read my scriptures' or, more likely for me, 'it's okay if I just read a little bit and skim though my scriptures tonight. I had a really good study yesterday/I will have a really good study tomorrow'. That was my attitude so often before my mission. Thankfully since my mission I have been better at my studies, but I still catch myself saying this to myself sometimes.

Just like it isn't enough to only eat food once and still be healthy, you can't neglect your scripture study and still be healthy spiritually. We are commanded to "feast upon the words of Christ" and I know that I always feel better about myself when I do.

The scriptures have been such a blessing in my life always, but especially since I have been home from my mission. I never used to believe people when they said this, because, as I said, I wasn't very good at consistent scripture study before my mission. . .  but I really CAN tell a visible difference in my day when I choose to read and feast upon the words of Christ in the scriptures vs. when I choose not to. I go to work and am happy and have a smile that comes easily when I read my scriptures. 

I love the scriptures...have you felt the scriptures make a difference in your life? If not...give it a try like I did. I promise that you will see a difference as soon as you start. 

13 Blessings

    Some people think that 13 is a very unlucky number...but for me it is a VERY lucky number! It's the number of companions I have had over the course of my mission. I have been so blessed to work with and learn from each and every person I have been blessed to spend 24/7 with from a period of 2 weeks to 12 weeks. 

Sister Jorgensen will forever be my first companion! When I arrived at the MTC her name was on my little packet and I thought the name 'Victoria Jorgensen' sounded pretty cool and she fit her name wonderfully. I learned so much faith and gratitude from her that set the tone for my mission.

Oh, Sister Lee and Sister McKee! When I arrived in the mission field and President Riggs announced that Sister Call would be trained by, Sister Lee and Sister McKee...I never dreamed I would be in a Trio...Sister Lee was my companion for just 2 weeks before she left to go back to Temple Square in Salt Lake City but she really impressed upon my mind the importance of the sacred call that was mine as a missionary.

When Sister Lee left, It was just Sister McKee and I for the next 10 weeks. Sister McKee was the best trainer in the world. She was the epitome of patience with me and my obstinance and homesickness. She was there for me and really taught me how to be a missionary by forgetting myself and loving the people that I would serve.

Sister Egbert...I am pretty sure that I prayed this wonderful Sister to me! I was so nervous with my trainer leaving me and about who my next companion would be. I just prayed that I would have someone that I could talk to. If anyone is good at talking with people it is Sister Egbert! We had so much fun together and she taught me so much the importance of being yourself as a missionary! 

Sister Richards, my AMAZINGLY talented Violin playing companion. God put us together just in time for the Holidays. Those holidays became holy days to me as we testified of The Saviors' birth together through music and scripture. She was so fun and loving and was patient with my transition from my first area to my second. She taught me so much about diligence and helping others according to their needs.

Sister Hill!!! She is Stellar! When I got the call that I would be training a new missionary I was so nervous! I shouldn't have been because Sister Hill came already an awesome missionary. Such faith and boldness right off the bat! She hit the ground running and took me along with her. She taught me that I can trust in the Lord and He will make miracles happen!

There was no one happier than Sister McBride and I at the transfer when we became companions! We were already friends from serving by each other in a previous zone and being companions simply strengthened that friendship. Sister McBride's example really taught me about being faithful to the testimony that I have. 

Sister Christensen was fun! How grateful I am for all the things that I learned during our time together. It can be so easy to get stuck into a routine of how we do missionary work and Sister Christensen really taught me to have fun with missionary work. 

Trio round two! two areas, two zones, two companions! Two was definitely my lucky number when I was with Sister Wright and Sister Mitchell. Sister Wright is so sweet and cares so much about the wellbeing of others, especially her companions. She taught me the importance of creativity in missionary work!

Sister Mitchell and I were so sad when we lost Sister Wright to Leesburg...But we persevered and enjoyed every minute we had together, through car trouble and regular missionary work problems, we still managed to work hard in accomplishing our purpose. I learned so much from Sister Mitchell the importance of standing up for what you believe in.

Sister Cordner is so bold. For only being together 5 weeks I learned so much from Sister Cordner about real intent, doing whatever the Lord asks of us, even if it isn't in the plans that we have made for ourselves. 

Sister Adair has red hair and lives up to it! She is a fireball of energy and always on the go! She really understands the purpose of missionary work to help others to come unto Christ and wherever she goes you will always see her helping others. 

Sister Eddy is always ready! Ready to teach others and help them feel the spirit. She has been so helpful to me in enduring to the end of my mission. She always has good ideas and learns so much and teaches what she learns to me and to everybody else. I love how Sister Eddy doesn't beat around the bush when it comes to important things and teaches me to do the same.

God has really blessed me over the course of my mission. God often blesses us through other people and uses us to bless the lives of others. Who has been a blessing in your life and how can you be a blessing in someone elses life today?

Merry Christmas!

What does the birth of Christ mean to me?

In our relief society lesson sister Eddy and I were asked to participate in our "Christmas in Zarahemla" program. After reading a section of scripture from the Book of Mormon regarding the time of Christ's birth we were to respond to the question, "what does the birth of Christ mean to you?" 

What a question! There are so many ways you can answer that! Many different things came to mind but what my mind was always drawn back to was the word 'light'. 

Jesus Christ is the light of the world. He is the light that we are supposed to hold up. It is the light of Christ that all are given, that tells us what is good and right and true. When He came into the world light is what heralded him in. Light from a new star that led the wise men to him, light so bright that it was as if there was no night between two days on the American continent. Light around the Angels and the shepherds. Light in the hearts of the nephite believers who were about to be put to death because of their belief that the Messiah would come.  

Is it any wonder that we put lights up everywhere at this time of year? Lights on trees, on houses, in windows and, at my house, in milk jugs. These lights push back the dark and coldness of winter at least a little bit and remind us of Jesus Christ and the light and hope that he brings into our lives. 

I don't like physical darkness, I wish that the sun could stay up all day. I really don't like spiritual darkness. Darkness that comes from Sin and temptation, but I am so grateful for the light that casts out spiritual darkness that comes from Jesus Christ and repentance and partaking of the sacrament. The light that comes from Christ will always be available. We can always have access to it. It is the light that keeps me going even when things in my life seem dark. I know that I can come unto Christ and receive of his light and never be in darkness.

During this Christmas, I invite you to think about your own answer to the question, 'What does the birth of Christ mean to you?' And share it with someone else. I know that as you do, the spirit of Christmas will enter into your heart more abundantly.

Thanksgiving

So It has been a while since I have posted, but I wanted to make sure that I posted for one of my absolute favorite holidays! Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays, not because of the massive amounts of food, the turkey bowl, or the fun games we play after the eating is finished, but because it is a time for me to reflect on the things that I am most grateful for!

I have so much to be grateful for, in fact there is not much that I have to NOT be grateful for. I have been blessed with wonderful friends and family and the necessities of life; food, water, shelter, and clothing. But the thing that I am most grateful for this Thanksgiving eve is my relationship with my Father in Heaven.

Of course there have been times when I have not taken that relationship very seriously, or have neglected it, but I am so grateful that it is not in God's nature to give up on us even though we often give up so easily on Him. 

One moment where I truly felt that God was aware of me and my life was about 2 years ago. I had a very humbling moment in an institute class. It was one of those moments where I realized some of the weaknesses and flaws that I had. I went home and I really wanted to talk about it, to share my feelings with someone. I went around trying to find just about anybody to talk to, not really even thinking about talking to the person who understands me the most. I first tried to talk to my roommates, they were all busy. I texted my cousin, but she didn't answer back. I tried all sorts of people but none of them were available. Finally, I remembered another part of the humbling institute class. A girl said near the end of class that even when there is no one to talk to "you can always talk to God". I decided to try it out. I knelt down in my room and I prayed. I told my Father my feelings and I really tried to commune with Him. After I prayed I knelt there for a while but I didn't really feel anything special. As I stood up I went over to sit on my bed. As I sat down, I noticed a small pressed cherry blossom laying perfectly on my un-perfect mess of blankets. *a little background, I LOVE Japanese Cherry Blossom trees and the beautiful pink blossoms* At that moment I knew that God was listening to me, that he cared about what I was going through and even though I was (and still am) imperfect and have many, many weaknesses, He still loved me. He loved me then, and he still loves me now!

It is these tender experiences and the knowledge that I have of God and his love for me that I am most grateful this Thanksgiving. What are you most grateful for?

A Spiritual Feasting

"Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell [me] all things what [I] should do" -2 Nephi 32:3

These are the words have been running through my mind for the last little while. With General Conference and a whole bunch of missionary meetings I have found myself sitting at an enormous spiritual feast at least 9 times and I have learned so much! I have feasted so much I feel like it has been a MONTH of spiritual Thanksgiving dinners. I'm going to share some of the thoughts that I have had and some of the things that have been impressed upon my mind from just the past couple of meetings I have been to.

- The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the Center of everything that we do and it effects every part of our life Alma 7:11-13

- Christ Doesn't need a partner to win the game of life. He invites us to be His partner so that we can win because he already has. Matthew 11:29

- "The atonement of Jesus Christ has no end unless I put an end to it." Elder Hinton Alma 34:14

- Understanding the Fall is essential to understanding the Atonement. The Atonement changes negatives into positives. 2 Nephi 2

-We celebrate Easter each week as we partake of the sacrament D&C 59:12

- Prayer is IMPORTANT! No one can know of spiritual truths without prayer! Moroni 10:3-5

-The question Why is important and it is always answered by the Doctrines of the gospel John 3:16

-Attitude really is everything Alma 34:38

-It's okay to be afriad, but don't let that fear get in the way of doing what God has commanded. Numbers 14:9

-Satan won't stop at letting you sin a little, NEVER give in to him. He will just drag you down. 2 Nephi 26:22

-Form is good, but you bring power into a form when you don't worry about following the form but following the spirit and being yourself. Don't be a slave to a form. 1 Nephi 4:6

-Doctrine is Why? Principle is What? Application is How To? Without the Doctrine and Principles attatched to the Application, the Application is useless. Alma 12:32

-"Don't tell God how big your problem is, tell your problem how big God is!" -? Mosiah 4:9

I know that God does speak to us, he gives us direction and as we listen to the words of our leaders and in the scirptures we will know all the things that God would have us do!
 

BEAR Testimony

A little while ago I had a prompting to study the word 'bear'. Not in the "Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh my!" type of way, but in the "I want to BEAR my testimony" type of way.

I decided to go with a simple definition search first.  In my I-pad's dictionary there are many definitions of the word bear.  For example...

• carry (of a person)
• convey (of a vehicle)
• have or display as a visible mark or feature
• be called by
• carry or conduct oneself in a particular manner
• support
• take responsibility for
• be able to accept or stand up to
• endure
• give birth to
• produce
• bear fruit
• turn and proceed in a specified direction

So as I was thinking about how these different definitions relate to testimony, I really came to realize that bearing testimony is something that is more than just getting up on Sunday and sharing what you know to be true. It is living according to your beliefs.

Living in a way that your testimony is a visible mark or feature that will convey or carry the spirit unto the hearts of others. 2 Nephi 33:1 "...the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men."

You will take resonpsiblity and stand up for the things that you know are right. It is to endure in the specified direction that you have come to know is the right path.  Luke 9:24 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."

As you truly bear your testimony it is something that will produce a greater testimony and greater faith not only in yourself but it will produce the desire in others to have the same light that you do. When you bear your testimony of Christ you are called by Christ's name. Mosiah 26:18 "Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to BEAR my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine."

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that He loves each one of us. I invite all who read this to live according to their testimony of Jesus Christ. Live in a way that you are truly bearing your testimony at all times.

Personal Confirmation

    So sometimes we get surprised in life...things don't go quite as we expected them. This is especially true of Missionary life. Every 6 weeks or so we have a transfer where we can be moved around. Our mission president prays over each of us and where we need to go and who we need to be with. He recieves revelation as to where God would have us go. We then get 'transfer calls' that tell us whether or not we will be staying in our area or leaving. Usually it is really hard because you really come to LOVE the area where you are serving and the people you serve with.

We had one of those this week. I was told that I would be leaving the Great Falls ward, a place that I truly had come to LOVE and I am so sad that I had to leave it, but unlike my other transfers, this one was different. After President Eyring's talk Continuing Revelation where he talked about the importance of Confirming Revelation I really tried to seek my own confirming revelation about what President Riggs felt should happen. It was amazing as I applied this principle in my life to truly feel the peace that came into my heart. I told my old companion a couple of times "This just feels right"

The best thing I learned from this experience is that what I am constently telling people to do, to pray and recieve their own revelation about the truths that my companions and I teach, really does work. You really can pray to recieve your own personal and confirming revelation. I know that I am supposed to be where I am now and I am supposed to be with who I am with.

My invitation to all is to remember that God wants to talk to you and to give you the revelation and confirmation you need to continue becoming the best disciple of Christ that you can be!

*Side note* I am now companions with Sister Adair who is one of the AWESOME people that I served with in the MTC. We are serving in the Ft. Belvoir Ward and I am so excited to work wtih all of the lovely Members Here!

Exchanges

  One of my absolute FAVORITE things that we do on missions is go on exchanges! Exchanges are when we trade our assigned companion for 24 hours with a missionary leader so we can learn and grow from someone else. They are great for  Yesterday I got to go with Sister Akin, one of the kindest missionaries I know. She came out to the mission field with me and I have known her for a long time and we always wanted to be companions.

  That hasn't happened yet, but it was such a tender mercy to get to be with her for a day. The whole day felt like the theme was Tender Mercies. Everybody we talked to shared some sort of tender mercy, from getting a job to getting a visa. Things were accomplished easily that would usually have been a long and lengthy process or even impossible. Each person recognized that it was God watching out for them. One of the best things about being a missionary is having the opportunity to hear so many different ways that God is working in others lives. It truly strengthens my faith with each story I hear. I hope that as you go forward this week, you will see the tender mercies around you! I know they are there!

The First Great Commandment

Today's blog post is brought to you by Sister-Dannika McBride, a former companion for whom I have only feelings of great love! While we were serving together she was asked to speak on a Talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland called the First Great Commandment. In it Elder Holland speaks about how Christ needs Disciples. Sister McBride shared this story from her own life that really touched my heart on how the discipleship of others really does make a difference in our lives, and with her permission I am sharing it with you. . .

"A few years ago, I turned away from the church. At the time I felt justified for what was a conscious decision. I blamed the imperfect people I found in the church, and felt as if expectations of my leaders for me to live up to my standards all the time was controlling and restrictive, but in reality, I had never developed more then a shallow testimony, so as soon as I went to college and was out of the influence of my parents, I simply left.

For a while I still believed in attending a church, it didn't necessarily mean the true church. I went once or twice to mass, and for a few weeks I thought I made quite a good baptist. But those never fulfilled me spiritually, and left them too. Eventually, I began to feel the wear and tear of every day life, stress and anxiety started eating at me, and as a result of my earlier choices, the gentle and

reassuring touch of Holy Ghost was no longer a regular and reassuring occurrence. This lack of the spirit affected me more deeply then I at first realized, and I began to be depressed. I began to wonder, if there was a God, how could he leave me so alone. It never occurred that I was the one who turned away from him. After a time I stopped believing in God all together. I don't want you to think that I was wildly different from now, but I had rejected anything that reminded me of God, and as a result I felt empty, unhappy, and my view had become more bitter.

 I would not be here today, or where I am in life if it wasn't for my mom, and a girl named Laura. Laura grew up a member, like I had, but unlike me she had developed her faith, and actively worked on growing her testimony. She was sweet, pure, and she shined with the light of Christ. She became my roommate for the second semester at college, and like any good future college roommate, she Facebook stalked me. Upon reviewing my status', she determined two things. I was not a member of the church, and, she thought I would make a great Mormon. With those two assumptions, she went forward in faith, and tried her hardest to convert me.

If you know me well, it shouldn't surprise you to know that I played along, and I didn't tell her I was already a member, if an inactive one. I let this tiny girl, pull me all over campus to various institute activities, missionary lessons, and even church a few times. I feel a bit sorry for those Elders now that I am in their position, I'm sure they thought I was a baptism ready to happen. Laura, in her pure and honest way softened my heart greatly, around her I felt the glow of the spirit once more. She wasn't even upset with me when I admitted that I was already a member. Instead, she seemed to consider me a great success story, and was proud to stand next to me as we told the missionaries.

    " well elders, we got her!"

 They were less pleased, but giving them a cake certainly helped erase ill feelings.

Without Laura's missionary efforts, I would never had been open to my mother as she approached me with the plea to read the Book of Mormon, and to pray. Without Laura and my mom, I would still be so very lost, and I will forever owe my life to their efforts.

As you spread the light and love of the gospel, It will fill your life and brighten your view, and it will help you to grow ever stronger in this faith. Not only that but you WILL feel the spirit more abundantly in your life, and never will you regret a life filled with the spirit of Christ."

I too know that one will NEVER regret a life filled with the spirit of Christ!