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.

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.

We Are Blessed

We are blessed, we are so very very blessed!

Why are we blessed? We are blessed because we have the opportunity to hear from God. In just a couple of weeks we get to hear from God and we get to know what is best from us.

Is God going to come down to earth and really speak to us? Well He isn't going to come down to earth and physically speak to us but we do get to hear from Him. Every year twice a year we get to hear from God's Prophets and Apostles, during what is called General Conference, and this is how we get to hear from God. Everything that the Prophet and Apostles say is exactly what God would say if He were here on earth today. In Doctrine and Covenants 1:38  it says,
"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." So what His servants(the Prophet and Apostles) say is the same things that He says. So we get to hear from God and I am so excited!

One thing that I always like to do to prepare to hear from the Prophet and Apostles is I write down a question that I have. Examples being: How can I draw closer to God? Does God really answer my prayers? Does He really hear my prayers? Why is it important to go to the temple? What do I need to do to follow God better? How can I have a better relationship with my family? There are so many different questions that we can have. Then I write down my question/s and pray about them. Then the neat part comes into play, everytime that I do this my question is answered during General Conference. Give it a try and see how much God cares for you.

So hopefully we are all so excited about General Conference and the opportunity to hear from God via His Apostles and Prophets. General Conference is March 31 and April 1.Check local program listings for availability in your area, or visit bonneville.info, byubroadcasting.org, ksl.com, mormonchannel.org, or mobile.lds.org for more information.  Don't pass up this opportunity because this is the reason why we are so blessed!

Mrs. Grouchy Saved Me

My family moved down to St. George Utah my senior year of high school. That meant I had to get to know a whole different ward, a group of people that attend services at the same time. Well I remember meeting one lady that I thought was simply a grouch. She always looked kind of mad and I didn't feel that her tone of voice was always the nicest. Well luckily for me, or so I thought, she worked with the older ladies and I was still in the youth group age so I didn't really have to associate with her very frequently.

Fast forward a couple of years. My family is still in the same ward in St. George and I am just on my break in between semesters from college. That fall break was the hardest one that I had ever gone through. Towards the middle of it I had just broken up with someone I really cared about. I felt very alone and lost. At the same time our ward boundaries changed and I knew hardly anyone which made me feel even more alone. One Sunday when I felt really alone and just having a hard day I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and it was the lady that I thought was really grouchy. Well she started to ask me how I was doing and just talked to me. Because of that conversation I felt loved. I felt that God really was aware of me but more importantly people around me were aware of me.Instead of just passing me by and thinking that someone younger could comfort me she took the time to talk to me. I think back on how much she blessed me that day and how much more I could have been blessed by her if I just had taken the time to get to know her instead of thinking that she was the grouchy lady.

President Monson said this about judging others "Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who worked among the poor in India most of her life, spoke this profound truth: 'If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”' The Savior has admonished, 'This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.'  I ask: can we love one another, as the Savior has commanded, if we judge each other? And I answer—with Mother Teresa: no, we cannot."

So let us take the time to get to know people and the situation before we judge. Let us learn to love all those taht are around us.We may never know they could be the exact person that we need some help.

Here is just a fun clip based on President Monson's talk. Hope you enjoy!

Walk With Jesus



Boise, Idaho



If

By Carma Salvesen

If I could go to Galilee

And walk where Jesus walked

And sit in tender grasses

On the hillside where He taught.

If I could sit and ponder

On a rock that knew His hand,

Or walk along the seashore

Where His feet had touched the sand.

My spirit yearns within me,

But it doesn’t seem my fate.

I’ll never walk where Jesus walked.

I’ll never see … but wait.

I worship in His temple



Where I know He’s walked before.

Have His feet been down this hallway?

Have His fingers touched this door?

Has He stood here in this very room

And looked at what I see?

Rexburg, Idaho

In the beauty of His temple

I can feel His love for me.

I close my eyes and picture Him,

My worries melt away.

I don’t need to go to Galilee

Or travel far away.

For my tender heart is filled

With what He wants me to be taught



And my testimony burns within—

I’ve walked where Jesus walked!



I can truly testify that this is true. I, most likely, am never going to be able to afford going to Galilee and so as of right now I can't walk there. But I do know that when I go to the temple I feel the presense of the Lord. There is just a special feeling that you get when you enter into the house of the Lord.

So if you want to have the opportunity to walk where Jesus walked and walks but can't afford to go to Israel then work on going to the temple. There are many different ways to go to the temple. If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and older than 12 you can go and participate in ordinances for yourself and for others who didn't have the opportunity to participate in those ordinances in this life. 



St. George, Utah



If you aren't a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but would still like the opportunity to go to a temple there is still the chance for you. Before any of the temples are dedicated they are open to the public to go through and see what they are like. The soonest temple open house is in Kansas City Missouri. Here is the link for more information on that (Kansas City Missouri starting March 12, 2012 http://www.lds.org/church/temples/reservations?lang=eng)

But if you don't want to go inside a temple at least go and see where the nearest one to you is and just go and walk around the grounds. You can have a very special experience with walking on holy temple ground. Here is a link to see where the nearest temple to you is http://www.lds.org/church/temples/find-a-temple?lang=eng.

In any case that you can I stronly encourage and ask you just to go to the temple. You will find that it will change your life. You will find peace and joy by being able to walk where Jesus walked.

You're not alone

We had a piano growing up and my mother had all of us younger kids learn how to play the piano. I am not really for sure why we had a piano at first because even mom didn't learn how to play until I was probably 8 or 9. Well anyways we always had a piano and we always had a ton of piano music. Once I got old enough to play I could start picking out some of my favorite music. I remember one of my most favorite songs, even at a young age, was "You're Not Alone" by Michael McLean. It really hit a chord with me. God is always there for us. He will never leave us alone. He loves us so much that He won't ever ignore us. How wonderful and amazing is that! President Monson said about our Heavenly Father "To you He speaks the heavenly and divine assurance: 'I am with you; you are never alone.'” So don't ever forget that our Heavenly Father loves you so much. He is there for you when you need Him. He is the one person that won't ever let you down.

Heres a little song,
to help you get along
it will see you through
when your feeling blue
and though its not profound
when your feeling down
so down
sing this little tune
and you'll feel better soon

Your not alone
even though right now your on your own
you are loved in ways that cant be shown
your needs are known
your not alone

And when you cry,
your just letting go a heartache deep inside
so tommorow there'll be sunshine in the sky
and love close by
your not alone
and I know that its not easy
but I know it wont last
coz one that loves you more than me

is sending blessings fast

Your not alone
say it one more time I am not alone
even when its hard to find the words
your always heard
your not alone

Your not alone
say it one more time
I'm not alone
even when its hard to find the words
your prayers ARE heard
your not alone.

Fall in Love with Jesus...Again

It is never to late for us to rekindle our relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. Here are some movies that go over His life. They are great for personal reflection as well as getting your family to get to know the life of Christ a little bit better. New videos are constantly being put up and they are great because they quote directly  from the Bible (the King James Version). So I encourage everyone to check them out and I promise that you will feel uplifted. Remember everyday to fall in love with our Savior!

Living Water

John 4:5-29

Widows Mite

Mark 12:41-44

Mary and Angel Gabriel

Luke 1:26-38

Mary and Elizabeth

Luke 1:39-55

Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem

Luke 2:4-7

Shepherds and the Angel

Luke 2:8-18

Jesus being presented at the Temple

Luke 2:22-38

Wise Men

Matthew 2:1-2, 11-15