Friends



"Choose your friends carefully. They will greatly influence how you think and act, and even help determine the person you will become. Choose friends who share your values so you can strengthen and encourage each other in living high standards. A true friend will encourage you to be your best self." For the Strength of the Youth

We have so many people that pass through our lives and they all influence us. We need to make sure that we are surrounded by people that really do help us to become better. Never forget the one person who will be by you through thick and thin. Who will be that best friend that you could ever ask for. Jesus Christ

I'm Rich!

The other day Sister Ricks and I went gold panning with a person that we are teaching. While panning I found a piece of gold about the size of one of the two shone above. I automatically exclaimed, "I'm rich!" We then weighed the gold to see how much it was worth. I was pretty excited. Never had I earned that much money over doing something so basic as washing dirt out of a gold pan. Then I was asked where my true riches lie. They aren't worldly wealth or what man say are important. So what are our true riches?

Faith



Family



Friends









Paris, Texas or Paris, France?

One time when I was younger I was watching this tv show and one of the characters had gone on vacation. Well after a while another one of the characters wanted to join him but could only remember that they had gone to Paris. So they booked there ticket and flew over to Paris only to find out that their friend was on vacation in Paris, Texas.

We can equally get confused in our lives when we don't hear something quite right or we think something is one way when really it is another.  This is what Satan strives to do. He wants us to think that we can gain happiness by doing one thing that seems close but not quite. He truly is out to confuse us. "Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" 2 Nephi 15:20 But if we know that this is his plot then we can stay on guard to not let this happen. We can remain holding on the the iron rod. Meaning reading our scriptures, going to church, saying our prayers, helping those in need. When we do these things then we won't be deceved by Satan because when he says,"Let's go to Paris," you can say, "Well I think Texas is just to hot right now. I think I will stay where I am at."



Clean That Window

The last semester of college that I took before I came on the mission I took up an early morning custodial job. The hours were from 4-7 in the morning and I woke up at 3:30 5 days a week to get there in time. It wasn't a horrible job once you got used to the not so great hours. Really it was pretty easy. I did the same thing every single day. I vacuumed the entry ways and washed all the glass doors. I really didn't mind the vacuuming part it was my favorite. The doors on the other hand were a little annoying. No matter how clean you washed them the day before there were always new, fresh hand prints for me to clean. Just because I cleaned the day before did not guarantee that they would stay perfectly clean for the next day. If one day was missed, for example we didn't clean on Sunday, then the doors were just filthy and it took a little bit longer to clean them. Even though it seemed like a small task, maybe 5 minutes for each door, it was something that needed to be done each and every single day.

In our own lives there are things that we need to do each day to make sure that our souls stay clean. They seem so easy that we might forget them or we might not think that they are important; reading our scriptures, saying our prayers, repenting daily, being kind to those around us, remember Jesus Christ. It only took me 5 minutes for each door but if I made sure that I cleaned them each day then the next day it was just as easy. If we get in the habit of reading our scriptures and saying our prayers then next day it is just as easy to do them. But if we forget then it does seem hard to get back on the path even if we didn't do it one day. So lets all take the time and do the simple each day. Everytime we do we really do draw closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ which is our purpose of being here on earth.

Love the Rainstorms

Look at this picture. Remember the days when playing in the rain was fun? Well maybe for some of us those days are still now. But one thing that really stood out to me is how happy she looks. She isn't concerned that she is getting all wet or that the people are rushing to and fro around her. She is taking the time to be happy even during a time that might for some be a trial.

President Monson said, "This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now." Amen!

So let us all take the time to find the joy even in the rainstorm. If you think about it we all need water.

Uphill Downhill

This past summer I have tried to ride bikes alot instead of driving the truck. I have different reasons why. One, the weather is nice. Two, it is quicker than walking. Three, it saves on miles (As missionaries you are only allowed a certain amount of miles that you can drive for a month). For the most part biking has been fine. I liked doing it in Conrad and in Fairfield. It was really nice in Townsend and we had really nice bikes. Well when I found out that I was going to be in a car share here in Helena and only have the truck half the week I thought no problem. I have been riding bikes this whole summer I am a pro. Oh how I was wrong.

The difference between riding bikes in Conrad, Fairfield, Townsend and now Helena is that those first areas were flat and Helena has so many hills.  Going down is a breeze but making it back up those hills is a real challenge.

I really think that life is like this. Sometimes in our life everything seems to be pretty easy going, pretty flat. We like it. It really doesn't require that much effort. Then something happens where you now feel like you are going up hill all the time. It is hard. Sometimes you just want to stop and take a rest. But the wonderful thing is that even though you have all those tough hills to go up going down them is so much better then staying flat.

We have to have some hard things in our lives to truly appreciate the blessings that God has given us. Lehi states this clearly in 2 Nephi 2:11. He says," For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things."

Now I still don't really like going up hill but I do enjoy flying down hill alot better then just riding on a flat road all the time.

Love Without End

Have you ever had one of those days where it just seems like the world is getting you down? I sure know that I have. It is on those days where I just want to crawl into my bed, wrap up in my favorite blanket, and lose myself either in a good book or a movie. Sometimes if I am feeling real bad I will actually go to someone to hug or to cry on their shoulder. This doesn't really happen a lot because I am not really that touchy feely person. Now the other day I read an amazing scripture Jeremiah 31:3,"The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

Christ will always love us and is just dying to let us know that He loves us. I really like that it says that we have His everlasting love. I don't know that I have anything else that is everlasting in my life. On those hard days He really does want to give us a giant bear hug. I think that He is one of the people that I am ok with doing that.

So when you are having a hard day and you are just dying to be hugged or to feel comfort turn to Christ because He is always there for you and just waiting to give you that hug you rightly deserve.