Letting Go

This mortal journey we all walk isn't an easy one. Things happen that are out of our control we get sick we lose loved ones plans fall though and life still continues on. As we push forward with  and through difficulties we become stronger and better for it.

On May 19 I woke up as i usually do looking forward to a day filled with talking and spending time with those i love but something just felt wrong as the day went on my side began to hurt worse and worse until any movement had me in tears. and as i climbed into bed i prayed that things would get better instead by the next day i was in more pain than i thought was humanly possible. My whole right side seemed to radiate pain at the slightest of touch and movement, making it even impossible to kneel to pray or to sit or stand. Nothings seemed to be going the way I had planned, as my companion and other missionaries took care of me my thoughts went to those i was serving and my inability to fulfill my calling at that time. It is hard not being able to do what you want at the exact moment you thought you would be able to. To be unable to be there for those who needed you and instead relying on them to take care of you.

Still there was hope that things would get better as i "toughed it out" i loved those i was serving with and more importantly those i was being allowed by Heavenly Father to serve. But Heavenly Father has plans that far exceed our own. and when the time came to decide if i would stay in the Beautiful state of Oregon and see if things got better or return home and have the opportunity to focus solely on my health Tears streamed down my face.

"How do you leave what you love behind?" Yes i had done it before when i get on a plan and left my home and family to enter the mission field but this felt different, it felt incomplete. Like leaving a project right in the middle of it. My heart broke as i received my answer that i was to return home. no matter how much pain i was in it didn't seem as bad as leaving. But as Joshua chapter 1:9 reads :

"Be strong and of good courage be not afraid neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee wither so ever thou goest"

Even in the midst of difficulty he never truly leaves us. Coming home didn't solve the pain or the way some reacted to my early return. It was hard to look some in the eye and explain that Heavenly Fathers plan far exceeded that of my own and that he needed me home at this moment to get better. As doctors and surgeons worked on solutions i discovered an opportunity to strengthen my relationship with my Heavenly Father to be able to with stand some of the negative thoughts of others as well as the disappointment in their eyes  to stay strong in my faith that he is real.

Now almost 2 months later after coming home they finally found a solution and yesterday i went in so they could remove my gall bladder. Though there are still weeks until full recovery i will be pain  free and be able to return to my mission when the doctors say. And as usual trials teach us plenty of things. This one taught me more empathy for others, gave me greater understanding and patience. More love for my family and loved ones who stood beside me no matter what others said about my early released. It taught me that those who do come home early from their missions are fallowing Gods will and not just doing it because they want to. Any time served is acceptable to the Lord. and when things get though he really does carry us through it. Even when we ourselves don't see the light at the end of the tunnel he does and he prepared away to get us too in and onto the next path.

Expecting the Unexpected

So as we all know i am no boy scout but serving a mission has taught me and my companions  a few things about being prepared. For instance this last week our car had to go in to get some damage repaired and well  we went with out the car for a few days no big deal right. Well if any of you have ever been to Oregon it isn't always rainy, which is great because we all love the sun but isn't so great if you have fair skin like my sweet companion. Who after being out for a few hours she was burned, and well she learned that sun screen in necessary... Even in Oregon.

With my second Companion we learned to always make sure we had the keys... After getting locked out of our apartment twice, and even then almost forgetting them a few more times.

With every Adventure comes a life lesson, Living the gospel is no different. When we make choices and try things out we learn how to do things better. In the adventure we call life we all have choices to make that will help us be prepared to stand before our Heavenly Father.

When that day comes i want to say that i am well prepared that i did my best and that after a few mistakes i learned what to do and what to defiantly not do. I know that living the Commandments is one of those ways that we become better prepared. When we are fallowing the path that is set before us we are able to stay safe and not get harmed. This is not to say that we wont make mistakes we may leave the keys in the apartment a couple of times before we figure it out or we may leave the sun screen behind one time before we make sure it is always in our bags.

When living the commandments we have to live it to know if it is true. And some times when we stop we become even more aware of its truthfulness than before, but in any way we decide to go we are all heading back to the same path and to the Same father in Heaven. 

When we went to get our car back we carefully and in my case meticulusly made sure that we had everything including the food to fuel our own tanks to make sure that we would make it thought the day.

What do you do to prepare yourself for lifes slippery situations?

How can you today become even more prepared for life's twists and turns?

 

Making Changes

Sometimes it is easy to feel like we are being wrapped in the things of the world. Much like these trees are wrapped in moss, But we can over come all of them and make Changes in our lives that free us from those things that are hindering to us. When we are all making changes it is easy to continue to move forward instead of staying stationary in one place. In one of my favorite Poems it tells us why we have to have all the hard things and how we can become because of them.

“The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.
The man who never had to toil to live,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.
“Good timber does not grow at ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees.
The further sky, the greater length,
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, in rain and snow,
in trees and men good timbers grow.
Where thickest lies the forest growth
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold council with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.”
—Author unknown

Changes make us better they make us stronger 

How can we become the Change we want to see? 

What we BECOME

Easter, the time of the Easter bunny hopping his way though houses leaving candy and presents for everyone to enjoy. But what is the real meaning of Easter for Each of us? Why do we really celebrate the holiday. Much like Christmas it is because we are Celebrating the life of Jesus Christ. But at this time of year we are celebrating not only his life but his Death and More importantly His RESURRECTION!

We know that today our savior lives, he knows each of us, and because he died for each of us we to can overcome death, we can be perfected through him. We can GROW,  we can LEARN, we can CHANGE,  and BECOME something New something better than we are and something more that we ever thought we could be.

Our Savior didn't die for nothing he died for each and everyone of us. Because he knew that with out him we wouldn't be able to become much of anything, we would be stuck, stuck in a place where we wouldn't be able to do much of anything. When we felt sad we would feel no hope, see no light at the end of the tunnel, when we got upset and said things that we wish we could take back we would feel like there was no hope of forgiveness. Because of Jesus Christ we can over come all of this. We can Feel the Hope that comes because he came for each of us.

What does it mean to you to know that Someone loves you so much that he wants you happiness and he puts that first in everything he did, That your happiness is the reason he came?

In this season of Celebrating, I encourage each of you to show him how thankful you are for his sacrifice by letting it work within you.

What are Some things that you have been able to BECOME because of him? What will you start today knowing that you cannot fail?

Finding Joy in Heart Ache

As of late there seem to be a lot of people struggling with the loss of loved ones. Even as a missionary we still see and recognize the pain and heart ache that comes with the loss of a child, a husband, a brother or sister, even a best friend. They are a part of who you are. They Helped you to laugh and to smile, and to cheer you up when you were sad, and even though at times they seemed so frustrating you loved them, you still love them and you Always will love them.

Everyone is here on this earth for the same purpose to Gain a body and to gain experiences and to learn. That doesn't always make when someone is called home any easier.

The only Consolation is that we will see them again. We may not know when, but we know that our Heavenly Father has created a plan in which we get to be with our Families Eternally, both in this life and in the next. We can be together forever.

Today Hug someone and tell them you love them. Be kind to those around you for everyone is fighting a hard battle, and smile because you know you are loved.

Thank you to everyone who is constantly reaching out to be a support to those who have lost a loved one. The company I know means a lot to them, simply being there makes a difference. We don't need the perfect words, we don't have to say anything, some times it is better if we don't in fact. Just be kind and loving, no more no less.

As members of the Church when we are baptized we promised our Heavenly Father that we would Comfort those who stand in need of comfort. (Mosiah 18:9)  As we do this we can see hearts begin to heal and burdens made lighter.

Finding JOY in simple Love

As I lay down on the floor to do crunches my sweet companion walks into the living room and Exclaims "Happy Valentines Day!" I suddenly remember that today is the day that we celebrate the love that is in our lives!

As I am not at home i cannot express the love i feel for my family. They have encouraged and inspired my life and helped to give me direction and Guidance when needed. Like wise my Companions have also done the Same thing for me. Their simple but ever constant love is a strength to me at the end of the day, when things may not have gone exactly as planned.

But more importantly I feel the love Of my Heavenly Father each day for everyone that I have the privilege to talk to. He is always there, He is constant, He is caring and compassionate, And He knows what we all need. His love is so perfect that he allowed us to all gain a body and to experience mortality. The Journey isn't an easy one, but it is one that we all need to take. 

The things we learn while we are here in this life are irreplaceable, and bring so much happiness into our lives. The LOVE he has for Each of you is over whelming and complete it is something that we may never fully understand, but we know that His love is always there for us. 

His love helps us to Love those around us, so on this day that is spent celebrating love, We should Celebrate the Greatest love of all! What will you do with the LOVE our Heavenly Father has given to each of us? How will you show that to others?

Going to Higher Ground

How do we head for Higher Ground?

We never know what life is going to bring us! It could be a Hurricane a Tsunami  or just plain old rain, but no matter what it brings you we can always seek shelter on higher ground! higher Ground can be found in many ways. Some by actually seeking some where higher on a physical sense, in another sense  we can and should seek for higher ground through Reading the Scriptures, Praying, and Diligently seeking for answers. 

Our Heavenly Father Knows us. He loves us, and he wants to provide a shelter from the storms of life. Some times we may get a little wet in the process, but we will always find safety as we search and do the things he asks. 

Just like this sign we will be guided as to where we can go to find the shelter we seek on higher ground. Where the sun may be shining, and the rain may seem a little less daunting. The climb to higher places is a journey in itself,but one that isn't impossible to make. We all have someone behind us pulling us to a new and even greater height. Encouraging and reminding us that nothing is impossible. 

Where do we turn to find higher ground? To the road maps we have been given: To our Parents who have traveled some of the same courses, The scriptures that can warn of area's to avoid, Our Heavenly Father who knows the safest route for each of us to take to get there. 

So no matter where we are on our journey to a higher Ground we will always have things to tell us which way to go, we will get to where we are able to ride out these storms before we continue on our journey. 

What has helped you on your journey through the storms of life? 

What advice would you give to someone in need of direction?