Why I'm On A Mission

Since I was young I have wanted to go on a mission.  As I got older, the mission idea kinda faded further and further into the back burner.  It just wasn't as much of a priority.  After high school I went to college and worked.  Loved my job!  Working in and around pools was my life.  Things were going great.  There were some trials thrown in the mix as well, but I endured them and grew from them.  Life was good and things were progressing as planned.

The time for my 21st birthday was coming and the thought of a mission came to mind.  I wasn't sure whether to keep going and doing what I had been doing, or put it all on hold for 18 months.  What better way to decide then to ask Heavenly Father?  It's what I grew up learning and doing; so, I did just that.  I prayed for a few weeks and fasted about whether a mission was right for me or not.  After the fasting and prayer I got the answer no.  So, I continued doing what I was doing.  Everything was the way I wanted it.

Time went on and more trials came.  Things at my job weren't going as well as they were before.  Changes were made and they weren't to my liking.  But, work was work and I needed a job.  Just kept truckin' along and doing my thing.  Spring semester of school was coming and I was going to get back to taking some classes.  Had my plans set and ready to go......or so I thought.

Work, got worse.  I went from loving my job to dreading it.  When I went to register for classes, couldn't.  After talking to the enrollment office they told me "sorry, but I guess you have to re-apply".  The plans I "thought" were great, were falling apart in front of me.  Nothing was working out at all.  All I could think was "now what?"

During all of this, there was a little voice in the back of my head that would say "what about a mission?"  Of course, that thought was pushed far away.  I had gotten my answer a few months ago.  "Why ask again" was my logic.  No need to re-think about a mission.  Besides, I didn't want to be labelled as one of those sisters that went on a mission because they "couldn't get married".  Can you say "hard headed"?
(This is the part my mom dislikes)

One wintry night, while home with my family, my mom and I got into a little argument.  I decided to leave and put off some steam.  Didn't know where or what I was going to do, but it was away from home.  After driving for a bit I realized I was on my way to the Draper Utah temple.  Parked in the parking lot and just looked up at the temple for a while.  It was snowing (which is my favorite) and everything was peaceful.  As I was sitting there, the overwhelming impression that I should go on a mission came over me.  I continued to sit there and ponder for a while, then decided to pray about it.  Said a prayer in the car and then drove back home.  Sunday was the next day and it just so happened to be fast Sunday.  Perfect!

As soon as I began my fast I could feel what Heavenly Father wanted me to do.  At the end of the face, it felt as though I had been "spirit slapped".  The most incredible feeling came over me that screamed "YES!!!  Go on a mission!"  How could I deny it at this point? 

2 weeks later, my papers were in.  3 weeks after that, my call letter came in the mail.  I'm here on my mission because the Lord wants me here.  I know without a shadow of a doubt that this church is true.  That Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.  That He lived and died for me and everyone else.  The Atonement is real and there for everyone.  Joseph Smith restored the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth today and we have a living prophet now.  President Thomas S. Monson leads and guides the work of the Lord today.  The Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ.  I love this church and I love serving the Lord in this great work.  There is nothing better I could be doing with my life right now.

Mail Time

In my heart, I will forever be 5 years old.  Each time I check the mail I find myself singing the Blues Clues "Mail Time" song.  No matter what age you are, what race, or where you are at, it is always nice to get a letter.  There's just something special about it.  It shows that someone has thought of you.  That someone has taken time out of their day to write you or send something to you.  Life is so fast pace and hectic it seems now-a-day.  There just doesn't seem to be enough time to accomplish anything.  Between work, family, school, and other activities, time just flies right out the window.  There are many times that I have been guilty of being overly busy, but was I really?  Was there really too much to do?
Just as we feel too busy sometimes to write a letter or give someone a call, it can be just as easy to forget to talk to our Father in Heaven.  As excited as I am to get a letter from someone, our Heavenly Father is that much more excited each time we kneel down to talk to him.  Unlike mail, email, or a telephone, Heavenly Fathers line is always open.  No worrying about stamps, how long it will take, or if we have the right number, address, or any of that.  His line is always open and ready.  All it takes is us taking the time to talk to Him.  He is always there for us, waiting patiently for us to talk with Him.
I know He is there for us at all times.  He is there to lift us up when we are down.  To answer the questions in our hearts.  To comfort us, help us, guide us, and give us what we need.  There is always time to pray.  Even in the most hectic of days there is time.  Heavenly Father is NEVER too busy to talk with us, try not to be too busy to talk to Him.

Have you had an "Ah-Ha" moment today?

Each morning, as a missionary, we study for 2 or more hours.  To some, this may be considered the ultimate torture.  Others, don't think this is even close to enough time.  I'll admit, sometimes, the first one is how I feel.  Studying has never been a strong point for me, but I am learning to develop it.  As I have been developing my study habits, I have found that the more effort I put into it, the more results I see.  Yes, a shock I know.  But, it truly does make all the difference.  The days I am completely engrossed in the study are the days when I have put forth the right amount of effort.  We get what we put into our studies.  As that effort is applied when studying the scriptures and other church doctrine, the spirit will manifest new truths that we have not known before.  “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.” (PRESIDENT BOYD K. PACKER).  We can each have our own "Ah-Ha" moments as we study the scriptures.  We will realize truth both in our heart and mind.  Open your heart and mind so you can learn the things that the spirit will make manifest.  I know it has helped me and can help others.

Endure to the End

For those that know my family, they know that it is full of sports fanatics!  They will watch just about any sport that is broad casted and play most of them as well.  It has made for a lot of lasting memories.  Out of the many lessons I have learned from participating in and or watching all of these sports is that you must endure to the end.  NEVER give up!  Even when things are looking down and the chances are slim, you must hold strong and keep pressing forward.  Push past the doubt.  When things get hard you work that much harder to reach that goal.  In sports, the goal is to win or do better then you have done before.  In life, we do the same thing.  The ultimate goal is to reach eternal life.  To live with our Father in Heaven.  We need to continue to push past the trials and adversity that comes our way.  Our time is short here, but we can make each moment count.  Every second matters!  I know that we all can make that "buzzer shot" if we continue to work throughout our life.  He is there waiting for us.  Continue to Endure and stay strong until the end.

No Regrets

"Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude"

The little things in life can pass us by without being noticed.  It takes an effort sometimes to notice all of the amazing things that we are blessed with daily.  We are blessed with so many things in our life that get left unnoticed.  During a dinner the other night, the mother asked us to name 2 things we were grateful for.  My first thought was "easy, I know a lot of things", but then she added that they had to be small things.  Something that we don't ever notice or hadn't thought of as a "blessing".  Much to my surprise, this was a lot harder then I thought it would be.  At that moment, I realized how much I truly take for granted.  There is so much around to be grateful for!  Notice the little things.  Don't let them sneak by unnoticed.

Change

"The only constant in life is change."  A very common quote that has been said many many times by numerous people.  The last time I heard this was in an email from my father the other day.  It was nothing profound or new, but it got me thinking.  Change happens ALL the time whether we like it or not.  Why is change so scary to so many?  For me, it is a fear of the unknown.  I don't like not knowing, but I have to rise above that fear and accept the change.  Staying stagnant is not a good way to live life. 

"There is nothing so unchanging, so inevitable as change itself. The things we see, touch, and feel are always changing. Relationships between friends, husband and wife, father and son, brother and sister are all dynamic, changing relationships. There is a constant that allows us to use change for our own good, and that constant is the revealed eternal truths of our Heavenly Father." (Elder Marvin J. Ashton).

Change helps us learn and grow.  It helps us grow as a person, become something better.  "Yes, there is pain in change, but there is also great satisfaction in recognizing that progress is being achieved. Life is a series of hills and valleys and often the best growth comes in the valleys" (Elder Marvin J. Ashton).  Keep changing and growing and becoming better.

Time with the Family

I love this video!  It reminds me of all the days of pretending as a child.  All of the quality moments spent with my family and my poor parents being dragged into a lot of it.  Those moments are now lasting memories I have with my brothers and sisters.  Playing "airplane", building forts, being Power Rangers, and all sorts of other fun games.  I know it was these simple/silly things that have bonded my family together.  My family members are my best friends and I love them dearly.  A little time does go a long way.

"...be thou an example of the believers"-1Timothy 4:12

All of us are different, but we are all God's children.  How can we represent him best?  By being an example to others around us.  This video is of a boy that is an example to all and has shown each of us how we can be better.  He took a stand for righteousness.  Each of us need to do the same.  "Be not ashamed, neither confounded...." (D&C 90:17)

Infinite Power of Hope

When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."