Gifts of Christmas

     As I was thinking about my recent posts, and about what I might post this time, I thought about how I had made a post for Thanksgiving, but not for Christmas yet. So, since Christmas is definitely my favorite season, I have thought of a creative way to count down to Christmas. Each day, I will update and repost this blog, and for each day, I will have something new that I love about Christmas, and how it all relates back to the true meaning of Christmas - Christ. So, be sure to check it out each day, and find out what new thing for that day I have posted. And if I do happen to miss a day, don't worry. I will be sure to post something for that day. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!





December 1st. 24 days till Christmas. Love
        Of all the gifts of Christmas, and the wonders all around, the greatest part of Christmas, is love. In the timeless classic, The Christmas Box, it was asked, "What is the first gift of Christmas?" The answer was, if I remember right, love, especially the love that was expressed when Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to us here on Earth. Christmas is a time for us to reflect on Jesus Christ, and all He did for us. During this Christmas season, love is all around. I am so grateful for this wonderful Christmas season.

December 2nd. 23 days till Christmas. Family            
       I come from a family of twelve children, and I am fifth from the oldest. I love my family! It always made Christmas so special with all of us sitting around and enjoying each other's company and what not. And the most amazing thing is that because of Christ, we can be together with our families even after we die. I find great comfort in this, and am so grateful to Christ for such an amazing blessing.

December 3rd. 22 days till Christmas. Friendship
      What would life be like without friends? Friends are a wonderful part of this great season. Friends are those who are always there for you, and who will stick by your side both during the hard times, as well as the good times. And who is a better friend than Christ himself? He will always be with us, and is there to help us through the thick and thin. He has promised to help shoulder our burdens, and make them light. And, He lived and died for us. Could there ever be a better friend than Christ?

December 4th. 21 days till Christmas. Food
       As I am sure many of you know, I like to talk about food a lot. Probably more than is healthy. Oh well. Food is one of my passions in life. And what would Christmas be like without a nice feast? And well, if not a feast, at least there is always egg nog, right? As much as I love feasting on ham, pie, mashed potatoes, and all that good stuff, don't forget to feast spiritually in a season of such abundance, where everything around us reminds us of Christ and His goodness in our lives.

December 5th. 20 days till Christmas. Holiday Cheer
      In the Book of Mormon, it says that "men are that they might have JOY" (2 Nephi 2:25). During this wonderful month of December, it is hard not to find joy, even in the little things. There is so much good during this wonderful time of the year. And, sometimes there are things we go without. But, I know that true joy comes as we celebrate all the things we DO have, and all the wonderful things Christ did for us. It brings a smile to my face every time I think about it.

December 6th. 19 days till Christmas. Snow
     Well, so far, I have not seen even a single snowflake. But, I have my fingers crossed, and am hoping for a nice, big blizzard. There is nothing like sitting in a nice, cozy armchair with a cup of hot chocolate, while the snow billows around outside. I love how pure snow is, and that it brings fresh new life. Through Christ, we too, can be pure, just as the freshly fallen snow.

December 7th. 18 days till Christmas. Presents
     Alright, I will admit, I love presents! They are a grand thing! Yes, admittedly it is a lot more joyous of an experience to give than to receive, but still, there is nothing wrong with finding pleasure in receiving gifts as well. And, as the giving and receiving of gifts is done in the right spirit, all are filled with joy. Such particularly applies to Jesus Christ. He was the greatest of all gifts, given from a loving Heavenly Father above. Not only does that fill me with such great happiness, but imagine how happy it makes our Father in Heaven when we accept Christ into our lives, and do our best to follow Him, and apply His teachings. Thus, the Giver, our Father in Heaven, and the receiver, us, are both edified and filled with joy.

December 8th. 17 days till Christmas. Christmas Colors
   Between Christmas trees, ribbons, poinsettias, holiday mugs, colorfully-wrapped gifts, snow, stockings, ornaments, wreaths, and a variety of other things specific to this season - red, white, and green are everywhere! Each color reminds me of different things. Green always takes me back to Washington, where EVERYTHING is green! To me, and many others, it is the color of life. Through Christ, there is new life. Red is the color of blood, and it was through Christ's blood that we can have new life, and become pure. Purity is often symbolized as the color white. As we see the colors of Christmas all around, we need to take time to reflect on Christ, and all He did and does for us.

December 9th. 16 days till Christmas. Music
    I am one of those people that like to listen to Christmas music all year round. But, at the same time, I don't listen to it half as much as during Christmas. I mean, with all the music there is, there is no way you could listen to it all in just one week, or even one month. Still, that's just me. So, for all you people who only listen to Christmas music during December, how in the world do you decide which music to listen to?! I mean, it's all pretty good, but there is some music that is definitely better than others. Well, good luck! And just like music, during this season of so many sights, smells, and things to do, how do you decide where to put your emphasis on, and how much time to spend in all of the various activities? I mean, it's all pretty good, but some things are better than others. Might I suggest that Christ is the best thing to be focusing on, and those activities that direct our thoughts to Him would be the best?

December 10th. 15 days till Christmas. Service
   I thought it would be appropriate to put this one for today since this morning, my companion and I had the opportunity to help out our local Methodist church give gifts and things to the community. It was a lot of fun, and I left there a much happier and better person. What better way can we celebrate Christmas, than by helping bring this wonderful season into someone else's life? Just as Christ spent His whole life in service to others, so too should we strive to give of ourselves each day, especially during this season.

December 11th. 14 days till Christmas. Santa
   Whether you believe in him or not, Santa is unarguably a sign of Christmas. I once read a book that talked about how Santa and Jesus Christ are similar in many ways. They both wear red. They both bring joy wherever they go. They both give gifts. They both teach us that we too must give, in order for us to receive joy. Whenever people ask me if I believe in Santa, I tell them that I do, because for me, Santa is one more piece of Christmas that represents Christ!

December 12th. 13 days till Christmas. Christmas Trees
   We have had our little Christmas tree up since about Thanksgiving. It stands about 2 foot tall, and has fiber-optics. It reminds of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. But, regardless, it is our little tree, and I am just grateful to have one. Being from Washington, Christmas trees are everywhere! And the best part about them is that they never hibernate, but are always green! For me Christmas trees are a good reminder that after we die, and are resurrected, we will never die again, but we will live forever! And it is only because of Christ that all men will be resurrected and live forever! How grateful I am for such a wonderful gift!

December 13th. 12 days till Christmas. The Nativity
   A tradition we have in my family is to read the Christmas story in Luke 2, that tells of Christ's birth. I love that story, and every time we read through it, I can picture myself there, seeing the newborn child, and being filled with joy that He has come!! I can only imagine. And that, my friends, is exactly the reason for the season - to remember Christ's birth!

December 14th. 11 days till Christmas. Traditions
   Reading the Christmas story each year is one tradition my family had. Another tradition we have is to clean the house before we open presents, because Heaven knows there is no way we would do any cleaning once we have opened all our presents and begun playing with our toys. These and other traditions have brought us closer together, and have created memories and bonds. These traditions will last a lifetime. Living the Gospel and following Christ are also traditions, and will always tie us to those who also follow Him. And following Christ is a lifetime tradition, one that we can keep alive always in our hearts, especially during this wondrous season.

December 15th. 10 days till Christmas. Apple Cider
   With a chill breeze in the air, at least for some of us, there is nothing better than to sit down, curled up in a nice, warm blanket, sippin' some hot cider. I have yet to find anything that can warm me up better than cider. Similer to cider, as I read from the scriptures this morning, (3 Nephi 21 - 24 to be exact), it also warmed me up inside, like nothing else can. I am so grateful for the words of Christ, that bring warmth and light into all of our hearts and homes.

December 16th. 9 days till Christmas. Lights
   Yet another tradition we have in my family is to drive around town a few days before Christmas and look at all the lights around town. Some houses are always super bright and beautiful. Some are less bright, but still a joy to look at. And for some, the only light that is on is the porchlight. In the scriptures, Christ tells us that He is the Light that we are to hold up. Throughout our lives, and especially at Christmastime, we have a chance to shine Christ's lights for all to see.  Shine the light!

December 17th. 8 days till Christmas. Ornaments
   For our little 2-foot tall tree we have in the apartment, I am sure that even a single ornament would probably cause our tree to fall over. But, back home, we would always take time to decorate the tree with  with the little trinkets and things that we have collected over the years, each with a special memory attatched, and a story to tell of its own. During this season, it is a time to not only reflect on the memories we have made with our families, but also to reflect on the memories we have made with Christ, as we have followed Him, and seen Him bless our lives.

December 18th. 7 days till Christmas. Wreaths
   So, I can only remember a few years where we actually had a wreath. Regardless, I have always thought the wreath was pretty cool! And, because of it being in the shape of a circle, which never ends or begins, we can remember that because of Christ, we too will live forever and have everlasting life.

December 19th. 6 days till Christmas. Warmth and Fire
   One of my favorite things to do is to sit by a nice, warm fire, while the snow and cold billows around. And this is always done best at Christmastime, when family is gathered around, and memories and thoughts are shared, or as someone reads from the Christmas story. It's at these times that the meaning of Christmas is most brought home to me, and I am filled with a love and warmth as I am brought to reflect on that event over 2,000 years ago, when God, because of His great and abiding love for us, sent His Son, even Jesus Christ, to the world.

December 20th. 5 days till Christmas. Candy
   I will admit, I have a sweet tooth. As I partake of the season's delicious hosts of treats, including popcorn, peppermint canes, chocolate, cookies, fudge, and others, I am filled with delight! I am brought to reflect on a scripture: "And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is" (Moroni 10:6). So, even things such as sweets can bring us to remember that every good thing, sweets included, testify that there is a Christ, and that He is the Savior of the world.  

December 21st. 4 days till Christmas. Christmas Carols
   Every carol we sing has a message of its own. There are carols about reindeer, Santa Claus, snow, and of course, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Though they are varied and many, in some way or another, they are celebrating this wonderful season. We too, are like carols. We all vary differently. But, we all can live our lives in such a way as to bring praise and glory to God. Let us always strive to be even as Christ is, and be a carol to His name.

December 22nd. 3 days till Christmas. Snowmen
   I love the snow! I love it, in part, because it is so easy to make things with, especially snowmen. And it is always ten times better to build a snowmen with a friend. Just like that snowmen, we too, can build our lives, and change and grow, with our Greatest Friend helping us along the way, even Jesus Christ.

December 23rd, 24th, and 25th. Time for Christmas!!!!!!!!! Elves, Reindeer, Chimneys, the Sleigh, and sooooo much more!!!
   And what do these all have in common? They are all helping Santa, in their own special way! This blog has been all about Christ, and how all these wonderful things associated with Christmas can all bring us to remember Christ. But, it isn't just about remembering. Just like the reindeer, elves, and other things, we need to be His helpers! The greatest gift we can give to not only others, but to Christ Himself, is to give to others of ourselves. We need to be Christ's Helpers, His Hands and His Feet! That is why this season is so important to me. It reminds me not only about Christ, but about what I need to be doing for Him, not just during this season, but throughout the year, and every single day, for the rest of my life! I hope yall have a wonderful and merry Christmas as we strive to be a little more like Him!!! God bless you!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

   So, what is Thanksgiving all about?? Is it about the football?? What about the turkey?? Family time?? Hmmm..... Well, for me, it is all that and more. I love this time of year, as it is a wonderful time to ponder on all the wonderful things around us, and to reflect on all the many, many blessings that God has given to us. What an amazing time of the year this is!! But, since yall are probably going to hear about gratitude a ton this week, and throughout this holiday season, I thought I would talk about something else that is very near and dear to my heart.... Feasting!!

 

  
   One of my most favorite holiday activities, and really all year round activities, is feasting! I LOVE food!! Some people might call me a "foodie". They are probably right. Everything about food is great, and the holiday season seems to have an extra helping of deliciousness and quantity to this already wonderful activity. What a simply delightful thing it is to sit down to a meal and just gorge yourself till you can't move. Probably not the healthiest thing in the world, but oh so enjoyable!





   Just like gorging myself physically at holiday times, there is another type of gorging, and probably a much healthier counterpart - that being spiritually feasting. A scripture in the Book of Mormon states, "...Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3). Every morning, my companion and I spend about two hours, sitting down to a nice feast of scriptures, prayer, and good Gospel learning. There is nothing quite like it. And the best part is, you can can never really get too much, as well as there is always an unending supply of this type of nourishment.

 



   Just like at Thanksgiving, I love to sample all the wonderful different types of food, so also I love sampling, and feasting upon the many delicious doctrines and mouth-watering words of Christ. And when I have tried out a doctrine that is especially applicable to me at that time, and something I could really use, I love to dive in, head first, and gobble up as much of it as I possibly can. As we sit down to feast this wonderful holiday season, let's not forget that we must always be feasting spiritually on the words of Christ.


    I hope all yall enjoy your wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season this year!!!! Eat well!!!

My New Life

   As fall is here, and the weather slowly begins to feel more and more like winter, I find myself often reflecting on the subject of change, and more specifically, change in my own life. The most noticeable change, at least as far as surroundings go, is my location. I am now serving in Leitchfield, Kentucky. In case any of yall want to try to find it one day, first, you start somewhere, drive for a while till you get to the middle of nowhere. Once you have arrived in the middle of nowhere, drive for about an hour or two more, and you have arrived. As much as I have loved the previous areas that I have served in, Leitchfield is quickly becoming my most favorite! I LOVE Leitchfield!!!


   
     A second change is in who I am, and who I am becoming. And though much less noticeable to the outside eye, is of a much greater impact to me in my own personal life. While here in Leitchfield, and expanded to include the course of my mission, I have learned the huge value of obedience, and have seen firsthand the blessings, peace, and freedom that come from being obedient. I have also learned the value of having a companion: someone at your side to help you through the hard times, and to help you celebrate and remember the good times. I think it is important to note that these lessons, and other lessons, came only as I have been obedient. Obedience is the first law of Heaven, and in that way, it makes sense that it is only through obedience to those things that we do know, that we will be taught things that we don't know, and that we will be able to continue to increase in happiness, and experience a greater enhancement in all aspects of our live.



   As seasons come and go, and change becomes a daily occurrence in my life, I have learned to embrace the good changes, and to learn from the rest. And always, always, to be obedient. I am striving each day to appreciate the beauty of my surroundings, and the beauty that is taking place each day in my new life, and in the new me.

Obscured From View

    Yesterday, during our lunch and dinner hours, my companion and I had some pretty sweet Nerf battles. My weapon of choice is my six-shooter, which I have fondly named, "The General". Anyways, as we were battling it out, we began to build some barriers for ourselves, to protect us from the other's darts. We made the barriers out of the strongest and sturdiest things we could find, AKA the furniture. It was a whole lot of fun!!



    Now, as much as I would love to make a comparison between the Nerf wars, how our life is a battle waged against sin, and how there is a great need to build barricades against the darts of the evil one, there is a much more important analogy I would like to make. This analogy came this morning.

    As we had had to move around a lot of stuff the day before, you can imagine how many odds and ends found their way onto the table, so they wouldn't run the risk of being trampled upon, and ruined. So, as I was studying this morning at the table, trying to move stuff around so I could at least have room for the scriptures, I realized that my life had become pretty cluttered, at least for the moment.

 

    During that study, I found myself looking for a picture of Jesus that I was pretty sure we had put on the table the day before. At last, I was able to find it. As I did, a question came to my mind. It was, "What are some other ways in my life that I might have things "obscuring my view" of the most important things, such as Christ?" Asking this question definitely caused me to take a step back, and reevaluate my life.
     


     Like a foggy day, there are times where it becomes hard for me to see the things that are most important. I have recommitted myself to focusing more on my Savior, and those things that matter most, in every minute of every hour of my life. I know that as I do this, my life will order itself according to what God would have me do, and that through this, I will be able to find the greatest amount of peace and happiness that life can afford.

Snakebites and Peroxide - (revisited)

   Today I was going through my old posts, and I came across this one entitled, "Snakebites and Peroxide". Since it looked like most had missed it, I have reposted it with some revisions for your upliftment and learning. Enjoy!

     So, in my last area, I was out visiting some people, that happened to own some beautiful pythons. We had actually just helped bring over a new tank to their house for the snakes when naturally we started playing with them. All of a sudden (drum roll please) one of the snakes lunged and latched on to my hand. It was pretty intense. It took about a minute or so before the owner was able to get the snake to release. It actually wasn't terribly painful since it was only a Burmese (no fangs, just small teeth), but it did bruise a little bit. Probably the coolest thing about it all, besides the fact that I am the ONLY person that has been bitten by that snake, is the fact that it left a scar in the shape of a smiley face on my hand. Afterwards, I was sure to clean it out thoroughly, just in case.



           
     A realization came to me that if I hadn't cleaned my wound thoroughly, I would've risked it getting infected. If we do commit sin, which happens in all our lives at one point or another, it is important to get rid of it immediately and clean the wound. If don't take care of it, it will become infected 100% of the time. There is no such thing as a clean sin. And, the longer we leave sin there, the more time it will have to fester, and become worse. In my case, I used Hydrogen Peroxide to clean my snakebite. In the case of sin, there is truly only one thing that can fully clean us - the Atonement, which was: Christ's sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane, His dieing on the cross, and His Resurrection. We access the power of the Atonement in our lives through repentance, and become clean as we repent and are baptized.

         Even though there still might be sin around us, if we are doing our best to stand in holy places, away from sin, God will give us aid. I also know that the healing power of the Atonement is real and that when we are baptized by one having Christ's authority, we can become clean again, and have all our sins washed away. And, as we continually repent thereafter, we can again become clean, and remove the effects of the sin from us.




   Also, here, you can find the original Snakebites and Peroxide.

A Lack of Communication

    Recently, I have been contemplating the concept of communication. My companion and I have had to learn a lot about that over the course of our 4 1/2 months together.  An account in the Bible came to mind one afternoon a couple of weeks ago. It is the story of the Tower of Babel. The full account can be found in Genesis 11, but for this post, I will put just verses 6, 7, and 8 up. They read:

6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their ^alanguage, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

    As I contemplated this story, I realized that construction on the Tower didn't stop because God destroyed the tower. Rather, construction on the Tower stopped because He confused their language, that they were not able to communicate with each other.

   I have seen this many times over the course of my mission, and my life. Whenever my companion and I would stop talking to each other, usually due to frustration, and sometimes anger, nothing would get resolved, and very little was accomplished.

    From this story, and from my own daily interactions with people, I have learned this valuable truth: that When communication ceases, so does progression.

Building Me

   As I sat at my desk the other day thinking, I happened across a random memory of building my Pinewood Derby car with my dad years ago. I remembered it was blue with black stripes (or was it black with blue stripes? hmm...). I called it the Zebra. It ended up winning third place! As great as winning was, the best part about it was actually building the car.
     I remember bringing that beautiful little box home after Cub Scouts, the contents of which were a block, four wheels, four axle pieces, and a paper with instructions on it. Everything I needed to build it... except the tools. Thankfully we had a piece of sandpaper, a carving knife, a saw to help us shape and form that block into the desired shape. We were ready to begin.
    We began forming it using the knife to get it into a basic shape that at least sort of resembled the car. After that, I mostly used the sandpaper to smooth out the edges, using the carving knife when needed. As we did, we were able to form it perfectly into the car we wanted it to be. Lastly, we painted it and attached the four wheels. Out of a block of wood, and four wheels, we formed and shaped a top notch derby car.



   As I reminisced on this memory, I somewhat jokingly wondered if there had been any projects like that, that my Heavenly Father and I had worked on. And then it hit me. I was that project; and we had been working together on me for quite a while.
   I thought about the Pinewood Derby, and how working on that car was a similar process to the one I have and continue to undergo each day. I began life like that block of wood. Pretty innocent; very smooth and rectangular; not very useful. Maybe kind of boring, but definitely full of potential. So, I went along my life, and over time, I became less and less like that block of wood, and more and more like a piece of wood with a bunch of dings, holes, and bumps in it, but without the necessary tools, there was precious little I could do. 
   Eventually, I got to a point where I realized that I wasn't useful for much and that I really needed some help and tools to change that. It was then that I began to accept God's help, and to do my best to actively help Him form me into something useful. Over time, I have worked with God on me, and sought His help in smoothing out my roughness. At times, He has had to use the carving knife, and once or twice, even the saw. At those times, it often was difficult to see how this was helping, when it seemed like I was just losing a bunch of who I was.
    I won't say I am anywhere near becoming as useful and smooth as my beautiful Pinewood Derby car, but I will say I am much more useful than that piece of wood I started out as, that could only eat, sleep, and cry.

All in all, I wouldn't trade those times - the good and the hard - that have formed me, and continue to form me each day into something useful. I will be forever grateful for God helping me build me.

The Winds That Blow Our Way

    "Remember, if we but have the right attitude, everything leaves us a blessing. No wind can blow except to fill your sails"
                               - Unknown

   I was thinking about this awesome quote the other day, and I found myself analyzing and dissecting it, as I often find myself doing with things such as that, in order to squeeze every last bit of personal meaning out of it that I can.

   As I thought about it, it made pretty good sense. Living in Washington, I had the opportunity to ride on a sailboat. It was a lot of fun, and I learned some things about them. On a sailboat, the sails are designed to be able to move, according as the wind blows. That, along with the rudder underneath, are used to steer the boat in the direction you want to go.



   One thing I did ponder for a moment was what if a headwind comes up and blows against you in the complete opposite direction that you want to go? Well, in that case, the sailboat still employs the wind for its use, but uses a technique called "tacking" in which it zigzags across the headwind, thus more or less traversing  through it.

   In our daily lives, there are multiple winds blowing against us, often shifting direction quickly in which they blow. Sometimes, we even encounter those headwinds that just seem insurmountable, and if left unnoticed, can push us backwards in our progression. But, I know that if we keep the right attitude, and seek the Master Helmsman for guidance along the way, we can be shown the way in which best to traverse every wind, and how best to use those winds for our benefit.

A Poem Entitled "Rain"

     So today, as I sat looking out the window of the second floor of the library, I began thinking about the rain, and the abundance thereof that these last two or three days have brought. For all who don't know, I LOVE the rain! It has so many wonderful memories and personal meanings attatched to it for me, that it just fills me with joy and excitement! I decided to write a poem to express my thoughts on the rain, and what not. Hope you enjoy!



          
                             RAIN



         I look up at the rain, and often wonder why,
              these little drops, that come so far,
                will poor down from the sky?

 I am often brought to wonder, at what must be their reason,
               to come down, in such great force,
                         in this, a rainy season.

      And as I sit and ponder, at what those reasons are,
                 I think of all the things they do,
                     for peoples near and far.

   The rain is so important; it brings nourishment and life,
                it fills the Earth with greeness,
                   and cleans up all the frife.


And just like rain that comes to us, and gives us things we need,
                we also need the love of God,
                   for our spirits thus to feed.

    It cleanses, and it purifies, and cleans up all the Earth.
                   It cleans up all the sadness,
                     and gives to us new birth.

And so it is with both of these; the Spring Rain, and God's Love,
               they nourish us, and give us life,
                   from a loving God above.

Commitment

    Well, I was taking a look at my blog recently, and realized that I hadn't posted in nearly a month, so I decided that it was probably time for another post. I apologize to all those who have missed it, and for those who didn't notice the long absence...well, I forgive you.

    Over this past month, I have learned a lot of things. I have learned about the value of communication, how to become a much better listener, and how to strengthen a relationship. These and other lessons are ones that I will dearly cherish for years to come and ones that I will be forever grateful to have learned. Another lesson that I learned, and probably one of the most important from this month, was about setting a goal, and then committing yourself 100% to achieve it. I heard a really awesome quote, and it went something like, "Until we are fully committed, there is hesitation, and we are ineffective". That has stuck with me, and probably will continue to stick with me throughout my life.


   
     For me, I realized that I had to become 100% committed to the things I am doing, and that I will do in life, and that to be fully committed to something meant that I had to keep going, no matter what! I realized that at times in my life, I had been hesitant, and thus, ineffective. And, I learned that when we become committed, we move forward towards our goal with determination and boldness - that when opposition comes our way, we do all we can to overcome it, and press on.

    I hope that throughout my life, on whatever path I choose to take, that once I have decided on it, I can stick to it, no matter what! I know that if I do this, I will be able to push forward, despite the storms that will surely cross my path at times, and that I will be strong and determined enough to keep going.

Emptying Your Backpack

     Well, the other day I was gettin ready in the morning, and doing things to prepare for the day. I knew we would be biking for most of the day, so I began to contemplate on what exactly I would need to do to prepare for that. Whenver I am going to go biking, one of the most important things for me personally is to make sure I am not carrying a ton of stuff, or it will make it that much harder going up and down those hills all day long. Over time, I have found that even carrying around little things, such as a wallet, or even a watch, can be burdensome after ten or fifteen miles in the hot blazing sun. So, I set out unpacking my backpack, keeping only the bare necessities inside. As I did, I had one of those lightbulb moments which I am so utterly fond of!




     When the lightbulb clicked on, I realized that oftentimes throughout life, I had carried a lot of other "extra luggage" that had weighed me down, and even seemingly little things I had carried around had over time become very cumbersome. Sometimes, it was things like little grudges, or an unconfessed lie, or at times, even a sin that I hadn't taken care of. These things weigh us down. I once had someone ask me, "Why carry a rock around with you? You don't have to carry it around. Take care of it, get rid of it, and it will do wonders to help lighten your load. You don't have to carry it around with you".



      I know that as I have taken personal inventory of the things that are weighing me down, I have been able to lighten my load every time, often by quite a lot. As I have done this, my life has become so much easier to live, and my burden has become much lighter. It has brought me a great sense of freedom and happiness, that as I looked back in retrospect, I often have stopped and wondered at why I chose to carry that in the first place.

Three Steps to Peace and Happiness

     Throughout my life, I have sought peace and happiness. Sometimes I find it. Sometimes I don't. Because of this journey that I have undertaken, and am still undertaking, I have discovered three main ingredients in finding true peace and happiness in my life.


       First, stop and take time to smell the roses.   

In the world that we live in, everything goes about a million miles an hour, and we often get caught up in it all, which can cause us to forget the truly important things in life. In order to find peace, we have got to just stop, take some deep breaths, and think about our lives, and instead of focusing on what we don't have, and are missing out on in life, focus on all the wonderful things that God has blessed us with already. This in and of itself is a huge step toward finding peace and happiness in life.




      Second, be positive!

The way I see it is, there is a heck of a lot of garbage in this world. But, there is also a whole lot of good things in this world as well. Since I don't have enough time, energy, or brainpower to dwell on everything that is out there, I would much rather just focus on the positive. The other part of that is, there is pretty much a good side and a bad side to everything. So, I strive to look at the good side of things, and when a potential negative comes my way, I find a way to tun it into a positive - and thus all things work towards my uplifting, not just the half that already appears good.




      Lastly, help others.

Wait, how can helping others help me find peace and happiness? It's actually pretty simple. When we help others, we focus less on our problems, and focus instead on how we can bring others to a higher level, which goes hand in hand with being positive. When we help others, we believe that we can bring something positive into someone else's life, and by seeing their happiness, our own happiness increases. Also, when we serve others, it changes who we are inside, and makes us more loving and compassionate people, which are two important attibutes that all truly happy people have.



     Obviously, there are many more things that we can do, as we all embark on this wonderful journey in finding true happiness and peace in this life. Though it may be discouraging at times, never give up. Even when the dark clouds of struggle and uncertainty obscure your vision, just keep putting one foot in front of another, and before you know it, you will be much farther along this wonderful path than you could have ever thought possible. Peace and happiness are real, and are attainable things in this life. And they are worth every effort we may put forth to obtain them.

The Harmonica

    As of late, I have been experiencing a bad case of writer's block. That, along with a lack of time, has contributed to the sparseness of posts in the last little while. So, I apologize and hope that with this new post, my creative juices will begin flowing again, and I will be able to put out posts more often.

   So anyways, this morning I found myself playing around with my companion's harmonica. As I blew through the instrument trying to find a scale that I could use, I found that it only played every other note. I tried a variety of ways to play it, to find the other half of the notes, but nothing seemed to work. In frustration, I asked my companion to play it. Eureka! I learned that in order to play the other half of the notes, I had to breathe in. It was so simple, but just something that hadn't occurred to me.

     Whenever I have problems or struggles in life, I have found that the simplest solutions are the best ones. For many of the problems I have faced in life, I have found that the best solutions have been praying and reading the scriptures. Just yesterday, we lost our keys to the apartment, and could not find them anywhere. So, we drove around everywhere trying to find them. After about a couple of hours, we decided to pray. Obviously, we should have done that first, but sometimes, I get stuck in that mindset where I can do things myself, and I don't need help. Well, the truth is, I always, and will always need God's help. Soon after we prayed, my companion was prompted to text the other missionaries. They called soon after. It turns our they had accidentally picked up our keys thinking they were theirs. We soon after got our keys back from them. Coincidence? Not even a little bit. Simple? Definitely.



     Just as playing all the notes on the harmonica required a simple solution, I know we are blessed when we find the simple solutions to what can sometimes be very complex problems. Among the greatest of those "simple solutions" are prayer and scripture study. Though they may seem so easy, and maybe even unrelated, I know they can help in any situation.

Rain

       Maybe I am doing this because I loved this post so much. Or, maybe I am doing it because I didn't get very much sleep last night, and my creative juices are having a hard time kick-starting. Either way, I decided to repost this for all who missed it the first time around. I hope yall enjoy!

       "As I sat pondering this morning, something I find myself doing often, I began to think about my beautiful Washington, where I consider home. As many know, it rains A LOT there, nearly every day for about two-thirds of the year. As such, rainbows are far from uncommon. Thinking about rainbows, I was reminded of a song I often used to sing as a kid in nursery at church:

          I often look for rainbows, whenever there is rain,
     and ponder all the beauty of an Earth made clean again.
        I want my life to be as clean as Earth right after rain,
         I want to be the best I can, and live with God again

     This song, titled "When I am Baptized", is talking about becoming clean when we are baptized. But, this morning, the first line of this song took on a whole new meaning for me.


     
      When people think of rain, they often associate it with gloominess, dreariness, or even sadness, as opposed to rainbows, which are often associated with happiness, peace, and hope. The line, "I often look for rainbows whenever there is rain", brought on new meaning for me this morning. When there is rain - gloominess, sadness, trials, or struggles, it is important for us to look for the rainbows - things that bring us happiness, hope, and peace, which always come with the rain. Even more, it's important to realize that the rainbows are always there, but it isn't until the rain comes out that we can clearly see the rainbows and fully appreciate them.
   
    There will always be rain at different times throughout our lives. But, especially during those "rainy days", it's important to remember that there are always rainbows. If we will but look for them, we will find them."

                                                   

Travelling through the Fog

     The other day, I was riding in a car early in the morning. I forgot how foggy those country roads can get sometimes. It seemed like we were the only ones on the road with the very thick fog completely surrounding us. A while later, we got to the top of a hill, and as we started down, the fog suddenly opened up, and out of nowhere there appeared a car driving right in front of us. As my gaze continued past that first car, I saw another 8 or 9 cars, one right after another, and this right after I had thought we were all alone on this winding country road. As we continued to drive, I was filled with the reassurance that we weren't alone on the road, and that there were others, just like us, travelling along this windy, county road.

   As I continued to think about this incident, I suddenly had an epiphany that hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized that many times in my own personal life, especially as I have experienced trials and tribulations, I have often felt alone. And then, when it seems like I am all alone, a friend will call and check up on me, or I will run across a scripture that is so perfectly suited to me and what I am going through at that moment, that I could not doubt  from whence it came. In those moments, I am filled with reassurance that there truly is a loving Heavenly Father above, who is mindful of each and every one of us in all that we go through.
    As I thought about those times that I had felt alone, and was then buoyed up, I thought about how there are probably many others that, just like me, feel alone at times throughout their life. And so, with that thought in mind, I have resolved to exert more effort in looking for others that might need a helping hand, to lift them up, and to let them know that they are truly not alone.





   We are all travelling along these roads of life. Once in a while, those roads become covered with a fog so thick, it is difficult to see even a couple of feet in front of us. Though at times it may seem as if we are the only ones experiencing what we are experiencing, we are not alone in this life. We are never alone.  If we call out to God in prayer, He will be there to comfort us. And because there are others that travel along many of the same roads we do, we can then reach out to them and help them, as others have reached out and helped us.

Boats

    I decided to start this post off with a picture of a really cool sailboat. When I lived up in Washington, I  was about an hour or so from Puget Sound, which is one of the biggest ports in the US. There were hundreds, if not thousands of boats there, and I always enjoyed looking at them, and on a few occasions, riding them. Although there are many different kinds of boats, the majority of them all have three main components. They all have a way to move the boat through the water, whether it be an engine, sails, rudder, or some other way. They all have the ability to carry things like people or cargo. And, regardless of the shape or type, all boats have a steering mechanism, called the helm.



    Along with having a helm, it is equally if not more important to have a captain at the helm. Most captains fall into one of two categories. For the first group, they grab the helm with both hands, and firmly guide the ship where they wish it to go. The second group of people are those that let others, storms, and the elements of the ocean control the helm for them. Every person is their own personal captain at the helm of their lives. And each have many choices to make as they traverse the ocean of their lives. There is a scripture that illustrates this point found in the Book of Mormon.
    
        "And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given." ( 2 Nephi 2:26).

     In this world, there are captains that act for themselves, and do their best based on the knowledge they have, and there are captains that allow themselves to be acted upon, either by other people, or by other things, such as addiction; and allow those other people and things to make their choices for them.

    Whenever I am faced with a tough choice, I remind myself that I am the master of my destiny, the captain at my helm, and that I have a choice. I know where I can turn to help me make the best choices possible. And, even though I know that the ocean is not always nice and smooth, there are places that are relatively smoother than others, and that through using the knowledge I have, studying the scriptures diligently, and seeking guidance from my Heavenly Father through prayer, I will be able to find the easiest way, though it might not always be "easy".

My Personal Role Model

     Firstly, I want to apologize for not posting for a couple of days. I have been transferred to downtown Nashville. It is pretty intense going into a new area, but so far it is turning out to be one of the best experiences on my mission thus far, and I've only been here for a couple of days! Today, as I was looking over earlier posts, I decided to modify one of my them ("I'm trying to be like Jesus") that had a real impact on my life.

     As always, I have found myself pondering about life and its deeper meanings. As I was pondering, the words of a favorite primary song came to mind called, "I'm Trying to be like Jesus". Here's the song:



                       I'm Trying to Be like Jesus

1. I’m trying to be like Jesus;
I’m following in his ways.
I’m trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.
At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,
But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,

2. I’m trying to love my neighbor;
I’m learning to serve my friends.
I watch for the day of gladness when Jesus will come again.
I try to remember the lessons he taught.
Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts, saying:

Chorus
“Love one another as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness in all that you do.
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,
For these are the things Jesus taught.”

     Although I had sung this song many times in my life, this time it really hit me. As I repeated the words in my mind, I thought about treating others the way I would want to be treated, but even moreso, being the kind of person to others that I would want others be to me. As I thought about that, I realized that I am a lot different than others, and that things that don't bother me, bother others, and visa versa, so using myself as a reference point for how to treat others probably wasn't going to work too well. Also, when I tried to use myself as a reference point, I found myself thinking about me too often, which kind of defeated the purpose of trying to think more about others and what not. So, I then asked myself, "What would be a good reference point to use then, if not myself?" Then the answer came with clarity as kind of one of those "duh" moments. Jesus is the PERFECT reference point in how I should act, and who I should BE.




      I then remembered a talk during General Conference and decided to go read it with my companion. "What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?", by Lynn G. Robbins. The majority of the talk is focusing on BEING like Jesus. It was perfect.
     As I continue to learn more about my Savior and all He did for me, I continually find myself rededicating myself to truly becoming like Jesus in not only all I do, but all I AM. I want to strive each day to follow Christ's admonition to be even as He is, and to treat others as He would. I know there is great happiness and in that. Truly the Savior is my own personal role model.

Snakebites and Peroxide

       As is often the case, I have been wanting to post this for a few days now, but I had to let it stew for a little while, so it comes out just right. So, this last Friday, I was out visiting that one house with the snakes again that we visited about a a couple of weeks ago. For now on, we will refer to her as the "Snake Lady". So, we had actually just helped bring over a new tank to their house for the snakes when naturally we started playing with them. And then, all of a sudden (drum roll please) one of the snakes lunged and latched on to my hand. It was pretty intense. It took about half a minute or so before Snake Lady skillfully forced the snake to let go. It actually wasn't terribly painful since it was only a Burmese (no fangs, thank goodness), although it did bruise a little bit. Probably the coolest thing about it all, besides the fact that I am the ONLY person that has been bitten by that snake, is the fact that it left a scar in the shape of a smiley face on my hand. Afterwards, I was sure to clean it out thoroughly, just in case.



        
      I liken this unto someone who decides to walk on the very edge of a cliff, someone who goes to a party not intending to drink, or in my case, someone who played with a snake that was hungry. It's all the same. If we are to keep from getting hurt, the best way to do so is to do our best to avoid situations where it is likely we will get hurt.
      The same thing applies to sin. If we are to do our best to keep from committing sin, it's not enough to say we won't do it. It also becomes imperative that we stay as far away from it as we can. A saying I have heard multiple times comes to mind. "Vice is a monster of so frightful mien. As to be hated needs but to be seen; Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace." (John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1968, p. 409). Even if we aren't "doing" the sin, it's important to completely avoid sin to the best of our ability, lest unawares we find ourselves ensnared.
     The other realization came to me that if I hadn't cleaned my wound thoroughly, I would've risked it getting infected. If we do commit sin, which happens in all our lives at one point or another, it is important to get rid of it immediately and clean the wound. If don't take care of, it will become infected 100%. There is no such thing as a clean sin. And, the longer we leave sin there, the more time it will have to fester, and become worse. In my case, I used Hydrogen Peroxide to clean my snakebite. In the case of sin, there is truly only one thing that can clean us - the Atonement, which was Christ's sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane, His dieing on the cross, and His Resurrection. We access the power of the Atonement in our lives through repentance, and become clean as we repent and are baptized.


     

         Just as the best way to avoid getting bitten by snakes, is to avoid snakes, I know that the surest way to keep from sinning, is to avoid sin. And even though there still might be sin around us, if we are doing our best to stand in holy places, away from sin, God will give us aid. I also know that the healing power of the Atonement is real and that when we are baptized by one having Christ's authority, we can become clean again, and have all our sins washed away. And, as we continually repent thereafter, we can again become clean, and remove the presence of sin in our lives.

The Deer

       It must've been about three or four days ago that this happened, since I have been wanting to post about this for about that long. So, we were driving down the road when all of a sudden coming up on the right shouler, we saw a deer lying down. It probably was just sleeping.....



        Anyways, I thought about that deer as we continued driving down the road, and all at once, I remembered a parable that Christ shared, commonly known as the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable goes like this:

     "And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee." (Luke 10:30-35)

     In the parable, the Levite, and then the Priest chose to walk on by, instead of helping the man. I imagine they both thought up excuses and went on their way. The Samaritan, chose otherwise, and decided to help him, which is pretty amazing considering the fact that the Jews hated the Samaritans. Something I learned recently is that we see what we look for. Because the Levite and Priest sought an excuse, they found one. The Samaritan sought no excuse, but instead sought only to help others, and found the opportunity to do so.

      Although there wasn't really anything I could do for that deer, this incident made me reflect on my own life. I asked myself, "How do I react when I see others who are in need of help? Do I, as the Priest and Levite, seek for an excuse - that I am too busy, or that I don't want to get  in the middle of whatever is going on- and walk on by? Or do I, as the Samaritan, seek for ways to help those around me, with no thought for myself?

      I know that it is through losing ourselves in service to those around us that we can truly find happiness and blessings beyond measure, or as Christ said in many different ways and on many different occasions, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matt. 16:25)

     If we will but lose ourselves, and think more about others than we do ourselves, I know God will bless us immensely, as He has promised throughout the scriptures, and we will have many opportunites to serve others. What an amazing blessing this is! I know it is true, for as I have served selflessly, I have been   blessed beyond words. Truly, it is only when we are helping others, and thinking more about them than ourselves, can we truly find happiness and peace in this life.

Snakes, Glasses, and Blindness

     I was at a house visiting some people the other day. We randomly started talking about snakes, and they decided to show us their snakes. They have a Ball Python, a Burmese Python, and an Albino Burmese Python. Personally, my favorite is the albino, by far. One of their snakes was getting ready to shed. When that happens, their eyes haze over, causing them temporary blindness until the process of shedding is complete.



     Another fun incident came a week or so later as we were driving around to go visit some people. We had the AC on because it was hot and muggy outside. As we got out of the car, the difference in the temperature, and the humidity in the air outside, actually caused my glosses to fog over, temporarily obscuring my vision. Only in the South, my friends, only in the South.



    So, what do these two things have in common? Well, if my post title didn't give it away, I will. On both occasions, someone or something experienced blindness, albeit temporary blindness. Let me tell you about a third instance of blindness, that can be either temporary, or permanent. I speak of spiritual blindness.
     There is a theme that quite often appears in the world today. It is that of good being associated with light, and evil being associated with darkness. I think that this is in part due to the fact that when we choose good, our lives are filled with light and joy, and conversely, when we choose evil, our lives are filled with darkness. When we choose evil, we enter a state called spiritual blindness. At one time or another, we will all experience the effects of spiritual blindness as we choose evil over good. The question is, are we going to choose to stay in that state, or are we going to seek for healing? And if we do seek for healing, where do we find it? A scripture in the New Testament says,
      "And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way." (Mark 10:51-52)
     Also, among many of the prophecies of Isaiah, one especially applies here, "For I will send my servant unto you who are blind; yea, a messenger to open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf" (Isaiah 41:19)
     If we seek to be healed from our state of spiritual blindness, then we must seek Him who spent His whole life healing, and continues to spend His life healing all who will come unto Him. I know that if we rely on Christ, and seek for that healing, through prayer, and through doing all we can to follow Him, we can be healed of our spiritual blindness. I have seen it in my own life multiple times, and know that healing can come, and with it, great joy and peace.