I Love My Mom!

Last night, Jordan and I decided to go see a movie (the Cinemark in Provo Mall does discount Tuesdays). We saw Oblivion. That's the one that has Tom Cruise in it. It was a good movie, but I was SO confused for most of the movie. I didn't ask Jordan any questions during the movie, because I didn't want to bother him. Afterwards, though, I had him explain to me the whole storyline so I could make sense of what happened. He told me I'm just like my mother. (My mom tends to ask lots of questions during movies)

My mom is the most amazing woman in the world, and I feel blessed to be like her in a sense. She is so giving, and kind to everyone. She loves her family, and she loves to serve others. If I could be half as good as she is, I would be in a great spot.

Mothers have a special place in the family, and in God's plan for us. They teach us how to live by faith and by hope. In one of the wars in the Book of Mormon, Helaman heads an army of 2,000 young men. In Alma 56:47-48, Helaman relays in a letter to Captain Moroni that these young men "had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

I know Mother's Day was a few days ago, but I hope we can follow the example of our faithful mothers and women in our lives. There are many women in our lives that have helped as if she were our own mother.
Happy Belated Mother's day, to all you women in the world! Thank you for being valiant daughters of God!

Happiness Is....

Several years ago, I took voice lessons to help improve my singing ability (although, now I don't know how much it helped). I was about 14 or so. One piece I was working on was called, "Happiness" from Charlie Brown. I thought the song was a little ridiculous at first, but the older I get the more I realize how happiness can be found in the very little things. Here's some of the lyrics to the song....

Happiness is two kinds of ice cream,

Finding your skate key, telling the time.

Happiness is learning to whistle,

Tying your shoe for the very first time.

Happiness is playing the drum in your own school band,

And happiness is walking hand in hand.

Like I mentioned, I finished finals yesterday. I was happy to be done for a while. Still am. But as I was studying my scriptures yesterday, I read Mosiah 2. Verse 41 imparticular. In the verse, King Benjamin (he's a prophet) explains how we will be blessed with happiness. He says, "...I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness..."

Reading this verse got me thinking, "Does true happiness really come from completing final?" No. Although, it contributes. Does true happiness come from learning how to tie your shoe? Not quite. Yet, it does help you feel good about yourself. While all these things make life more enjoyable, true happiness comes from keeping the commandments of God. Because when we do, we will be "blessed in all things both temporal and spiritual" and this will allow us to God again and be ETERNALLY happy! What more could you want?!

There are several things that I still need to change and improve on to bring my life in closer harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and with the commandments. For example, I need to work on having more meaningful prayers. Lately, I have somewhat slacked off in that area of my life. So I need to strive to do better.

I definitely know how living the commandments make us SO HAPPY! And believe me, Heavenly Father wants it for us. Don't you?

Where Have I Been?

Well. It's been awhile. You might be wondering where I've been...

June 2012: finished my mission, went back home to see my family and friends, had a fun summer

July 2012: went back to Montana with my family to visit. I loved it. They also loved it.

August 2012: my best friend asked me to marry him. I said yes.

September 2012: started up school again at BYU.

November 2012: married my best friend in the Draper LDS Temple.

December 2012: my husband took me to Hawaii for our honeymoon.

April 2013: finished school for the year.... and now I'm back.

I've meant keep to get back into the whole blog-writing thing, but it's been hard being in school and finding time to do it with assignments, projects, and exams. I completed my finals for the semester just yesterday though, and now I have time. Yep, I'm already bored. So I'm going to try the whole blog-writing thing again....

Stay tuned. Or don't. It's really up to you.

John Denver

Have you ever heard the phrase "Why do all good things come to an end?" or John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane?" That's about what I'm feeling right now. The end of my mission is quickly drawing nigh, and I don't really even know what to even do with myself. Over the last couple weeks, I've been thinking a lot about how my mission has changed my life. It's been the greatest experience I've ever had. In so many ways, it has blessed my life.

Before my mission, I thought I had gone through hard times, disappointments, and discouragements. But there have been times on my mission where I have never felt so alone, so disappointed, discouraged, so weak, flawed, and useless. Missions are hard, I knew that. But I could have never expected some of the things I faced. However, there have been times on my mission where I have never felt so loved, so full of joy, so strong, so fearless, so full of love for others. I have never felt so close to my Heavenly Father and my Savior, as I have on my mission. It's been awesome and I'm going to miss it. But it doesn't mean I'm going to stop what I've been doing over the past 18 months. Because...

I know that the church is true. God is really our loving Heavenly Father. He loves us so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son to the earth to atone for the sins of the world (John 3:16-17). Jesus Christ established His church on the earth when He was here, and it has been restored through a living prophet named Joseph Smith. The Prophet Joseph translated the Book of Mormon through the gift and power of God. It truly is another testament of Jesus Christ. We have a prophet on the earth today, Thomas S. Monson. He receives direct revelation from God for our day. This is such great news! If you don't know any of these things for yourself, go find out. Pray about it. Heavenly Father will answer your prayers and let you know it is true through the power of the Holy Ghost. (Moroni 10:4-5). You may face challenges, but don't worry, you'll be fine. God will help you.

I'm going to miss Montana. I'm going to miss ALL of this SO much!

Everything's Not Lost

I'm a fan of the band, Coldplay. One of my favorite songs of theirs is Everything's Not Lost.

When you thought that it was over
You could feel it all around
Everybody's out to get you
Don't you let it drag you down

Do you ever feel like you can't go on? What's the point? Like you want to fast forward and skip all that you're going through? Have you felt like you strayed to far off the strait course and you don't know if there's a way back?

Well, I can assure you that there is a way back. There is always hope. 

Just a couple weeks ago, I had a head cold, and I tell you--it was not my friend. The cold itself didn't last very long but the after effects did. I felt so exhausted and so weak and worn out. All I wanted to do was sleep. As a missionary, you don't really have time to sleep whenever you want. And I feel bad napping when I could be using my time to help others. I didn't know if I would find the strength to keep going. 

According to Preach My Gospel (a guide to missionary service), hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. As we have hope and look to the future with optimism, courage, and confidence, we will be provided with the patience and the strength to endure whatever may lie before us. An apostle, James E. Faust taught: "The unfailing source of our hope is that we are sons and daughters of God and the His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, saved us from death." We can have the faith and hope that the Atonement of Jesus Christ has covered all. There is always a way back. Because...

If you ever feel neglected
If you think all is lost
I'll be counting up my demons

Hoping everything's not lost

Pedal to the Metal!

Car door open. Climb in. Slam door shut. Keys in ignition. Turn car on.....

What good would a car do you if you just let it sit in the idle position? The car would be on, but it wouldn't be in gear in order for you to go anywhere. You have to put it in drive (or reverse, I guess, depending on the direction you want to go). YOU have to MOVE! or you're not going to get anywhere.

Same thing in life. We can sit there idley waiting for things to happen, for blessings to come, but nothing will unless we keep moving forward, doing the things that will take us place, get us somewhere. Then, the blessings will come.

Here's why I decide to write a blog about this: Probably about 6 weeks ago or so I was feeling kind of down. I didn't know what else to do to help the area grow where I was serving. I tried to have faith and hope that things would continue to be strengthened, but didn't know what to do about it. So I prayed. And this analogy came to my mind-about the car just sitting in it's idle position. I then remembered a verse in the Doctrine and Covenants. And was also reminded that I need to just keep going. Put the car in drive and well...DRIVE! "Behold, I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry, neither be idle but labor with your might...and thus, if ye are faithful ye shall be laden with many sheaves and crowned with honor, and glory, and immortality, and eternal life." (Doc. and Cov. 75:3, 5)

We will be CROWNED with honor, glory, immortality, AND ETERNAL LIFE, as we press forward. The Lord, in this verse, was speaking to missionaries, but it applies to all of us. As we start our engines, and shift into drive, then put the pedal to the metal, and GO, great blessings await us and we will be able to reach our destination or our goal with happy hearts. 

James Taylor had some good Advice

As you may have noticed from the title of this post, I may or may not be writing a few things about my good friend James Taylor. Actually, more like using some words from his song.

I know I have posted a blog or two about prayer before, but I feel like it has been something on my mind lately and that I have really strengthend my testimony of it.

Prayer. What is it? Prayer is personal communication with our Father in Heaven. Not only is it us talking to Him, but He communicates with us as well, through the Holy Ghost. We have to be listening and paying attention to what God is telling us. Sometimes our answers don't come right away or in the way that we expected. But they do come. And Heavenly Father is always there listening.

Let me tell you how prayer has helped me recently... Last week, I was having a tough go. I had a really bad cold, and it gave me time to think about some things. I thought about how my personal prayers hadn't been as meaningful lately as they should be. And because of that, I felt that my relationship with my Heavenly Father had become somewhat distant. I mean, I still prayed every morning and night, but more to just say that I did it. I wanted that to change. I wanted to feel closer to God. So I started praying more often and in a way that made it feel like I was actually having a heart to heart conversation with Him. I've started talking and praying to my Father like He's my best friend, because that's what He needs to be. I tell my best friend everything, so why not let Him be my best friend. And I tell you, ever since then, I have felt our relationship getting stronger and I feel His love for me more. That all happened like 9 days ago! It's amazing how quick and how powerful prayer can be.

There's a song by James Taylor called, "You've Got a Friend." Relating it back to prayer, we have a friend in Heavenly Father. I've changed a word or two, but it's important to remember that we can always call on Him...

You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to hear you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call and I'll be there,
you've got a friend.

So, just call on God's name, He'll be there for you. I promise. And in the words of Turboman, I always keep my promises because I want to keep my friends.