Sunday, April 22, 2012

Trails = Love

Have you ever reached a time where you just felt that you had too much on your plate? That once you reached that limit that you were given one more thing?
Lately I have kind of been feeling like this. Life just has way too much in it that I have to do and really not nearly enough time to do it. It really can be overwhelming. There are times where it takes all my effort to not just break down in tears.
I have really been thinking of trials and why we are given them. My mom just the other day commenting on life wisely said when it rains it pours. Why is that?

 As I sit here pondering that I think of the talk by Elder Christofferson. In it he talks of the gardener that cuts down a currant bush to help the bush out. Sometimes in life we are that currant bush and we are being "cut down". This talk really helped me realize that life is never what we expect it to be. It isn't only roses and lazy days. It requires effort and work. But the thing about work and trials it helps us grow.

So I have realized that God gives us the trials because He wants us to grow and become who He knows we are meant to be. So while I am going through these trials I just have to remember to say, "‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’” I encourage you to remember the same.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Homeless

Where is home to you? I have thought about this question a lot. While being here in Montana a lot of people ask me where is home. It was interesting when I answered because if I said Idaho people would ask me if I was excited to go back there. But I wasn't going back there because my family had moved to St. George. If I said St. George they would ask me if I knew this person or this place which I didn't because I had only lived there for maybe 1 1/2 years.

Shoshone, Idaho
Some might say that home is where your family lives. I have troubles with that because I do not consider St. George to be my home. But then if that isn't my home where is?
Could I claim the place that I grew up? Oh Shoshone, Idaho how I miss you! Well I am sure I could but I haven't been then in almost 4 years. So it kind of seems weird claiming that to be my home. I could claim it as a place I grew up but probably not my home.

So here I have a dilemma. I am homeless. I have no home.... or do I?

St. George, Utah
We all know the phrase, "Home is where your heart is." I think that this is 100% true. Home is where our heart is. So I have decided that my home is.... everywhere. It is everywhere because my heart is in Jesus Christ, my heart is in His Restored Gospel, my heart is in Heavenly Father and they are everywhere.

So while I don't have a "home" in the sense that I call one town or area my home I do have a home with Heavenly Father. Everywhere I go there will always be kind members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reaching out to make me feel welcome and make me feel at home.

If you feel that maybe you are homeless, that you don't feel like you have a home anywhere, reach out to Christ, reach out to His Gospel and see yourself find a home once more. The neatest thing is that no matter where you are at in the world you can find that group of people that will love you the same way that Christ loves you. Here is a site to find the nearest church building near you. So please check it out and see how you can feel the love of God for you more and see that you aren't homeless you already have a home waiting for you.