living the gospel

   With the cold weather coming in the question of the day is to wear a coat or to just wear a sweater or I think that I will be fine. Sometimes even when its really cold we think that wear a coat is to much hassle and done want to take the time to grab it or that it will cover up my cute outfit its to big a bulky. So instead we deny ourselves the comfort and warmth that the coat would provide.

 
 It is the same as living the principles of the gospel. The gospel can give us comfort and protection from the cold world. Yet times we don't want to make the effort to live the gospel. We feel that it is to restrictive its a burden or its just not what the everybody else is doing. So instead we suffer with the discomforts that come with not living the gospel.

I Know that as we live the gospel and put our coats on that we can be warm and happy. :) I would much rather live the gospel and wear my coat than not live the gospel and be cold.

SoMeTiMeS yOu CoMe OuT cRaWliNg

Once a upon a time in the wonderful land of Bowling Green, Kentucky, my companion and one of our friends decided that we were all going to go on a hike on the the lost river cave trail. We were all having a wonderful time enjoying the beauty of the earth when we came across a ditch with a little steam running through it maybe one inch deep, if that. On the other side of that ditch it was really pretty, there were lots of trees and it look like a great photo op. So I handed my camera to my companion and asked her to take a picture of me on the other side. I walked down the ditch and got to the bottom and tried to jump over to the other side but it was an epic FAIL! I slid down the side of it because in Kentucky they have that clay that, even if it looks dry, it's not and it is very slippery. I tried to crawl back up but I just slid right back down. Finally I realized that it's not worth it so I tried to go back to the other side. It sure was not easy to go back. I would climb up but then slide back down. It happened about three times. Every time I almost got out I would just fall back down. I even called out to my companion for help but she was laughing so hard she could not move. I noticed a small root that was popping out close to the top and I thought to myself, that can't help me get out. By the fourth time I decided, why not, and I used that small root to get me out of the ditch.

You may be thinking to yourself, why is she telling this story? Well after all this happened and we stopped laughing I realized that what I had just gone through was what a lot of people go through in real life. We see the other side and think that its going to be better. So we try to go over but we fall we try to get back up but we fall again and before we know it we are in this pit and we don't know how we are going to get out. I compare the small root that I used to get out to Heavenly Father. You think He cant get out but if you put your faith in Him, He can pull you out of anything. As long as you trust in Him. Sometimes you have to come out crawling but what matters is that you come out. It is something that I have had to learn the hard way. As I have gotten older I have learned that I can lean on Him in all things.

Burying your swords

This is one of my favorite scriptures. It has made me think what do I need to bury that is keeping me from becoming closer to God?


15 Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.

16 And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we shall go to our God and shall be saved.

17 And now it came to pass that when the king had made an end of these sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth.

18 And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.

Alma 24:15-18

As I was reading this I thought to myself what is my sword? What keeps me from having a better relationship with my Heavenly Father? What is keeping me from having a Stronger testimony? What is keeping me from feeling the spirit? For The Anti-Nephi-Lehies it was the swords that they used to kill there brethren. For me it was my attitude and the way I looked at life. As soon I buried the its all about me attitude I felt myself change for the better.

What is your sword that keeps you from coming to church, having a stronger testimony or having a better relationship with your Heavenly Father? Will you bury your sword and act in faith? I know that as you do you will feel his love for you.

Why I decided to serve a mission

 I have always wanted to serve a mission ever since I was a little girl. Both my parents served missions (mom went to Chile and Dad went to Chicago) they have always said that it was the best time in there lives and that I should serve. So ever since I was in primary Ive wanted to serve.
 When I hit my teen years I started thinking that maybe a mission isn't for me. Then all my friends started getting married so I was like maybe I should get married. But that didn't feel right so I started thinking like maybe I could do a mission again. Then I watched the movie "Errand of Angels" as I was watching that movie I got this overwhelming feeling that that's what the Lord wanted me to do. So I was thinking even more about it but just thinking I wasn't going to do anything about it.
 One day my Bishop called me into his office and asked me if I have ever thought about serving a mission. My first thought, how did he know? He said that he felt very inspired to ask me if I would serve a mission and that the five years that he had been bishop he never felt inspired to ask a sister before. I told him that I had been thinking about it and that I would think about it some more.The next Sunday in Sunday school they were talking about bishops and what there duties were and how they are suppose to ask all young men to serve full time missions and they are not to ask young women, then he paused for a moment and says unless they are inspired to. GASP! After I heard that I was like alright I will do it. Right after that I went to my bishops office and said that I wanted to. So the paperwork began. While I was doing my paperwork and getting all the medical stuff worked out I started having second thoughts. I thought a mission cost a lot and with the money I had saved I could buy a car. I had to teach relief society one Sunday and it was on sacrifice and one of the sisters commented and said that when she decided to serve a mission that she had enough money saved up to buy the car of her dreams in full but using that money to pay for her mission was far better than any car out there. It's amazing when the Lord has an errand for you He tells you just what you need to hear.

 Will you pray and ask the Lord what he wants you to do in you life right now? I promise that as you pray and act on what he has asked that you will see so many blessings. As I have done what the Lord has asked of me I have felt so much more joy and peace and i  feel myself becoming who the Lord wants me to.