Gratitude

I am blessed.

I have an awesome family (if you know me you know it's true)! I was raised by two loving parents in a home filled with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have two brothers who are my best friends. I am in North Carolina, a place I've learned to love, helping others become filled with the love of Christ. I've lived in lots of places and met lots of people and realized that there are amazing people everywhere and that all the Earth is full of natural beauty created by a loving Heavenly Father. I have made mistakes that have helped me grow. I've also literally grown and can always reach the top shelf, so that's a plus. I'm happy and healthy. I've got clothes and food and a smile on my face. I don't think I could ask for a better life, actually!

But, I still struggle. I have times where I fail...fall short, miss the mark, come up shy. Where I'm not courageous enough, smart enough, or fast enough. Where things I can't control go wrong and life hurts a little bit. Sometimes, I get lost and confused because I feel like I'm so close to the prize but I can't find it anywhere. But, in every single last one of these moments, I ALWAYS have things I can be grateful for. THAT never changes.

"...gratitude transcends whatever is happening around us.

It surpasses disappointment, discouragement, and despair.

It blooms just as beautifully in the icy landscape of winter

as it does in the pleasant warmth of summer."

~President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I know that if we will look for the blessings in our life and hold them in our minds always, that we can whether any storm. Our Heavenly Father's loving influence can always be seen in our lives; we just have to take a second to look for it. If you do, I promise that you will live a happier life. Your joy will not be in a drought, but will be a beautiful lake.

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully 

do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be 

revealed."

~D&C 123:17

SORRY!!

Ok, FIRST I feel I need to apologize for not posting anything in such a long time!! What's wrong with me?? My bad, my bad...I'll do better in the future, I promise! It's been a crazy last few weeks though, not going to lie!

First of all, I GOT MY FIRST BAPTISM!!! It was an absolutely amazing. It went perfectly. It was of our investigator Victor. Here's a picture of it. And, of course, I have to have one of these as well! Anyways, he asked me to baptize him and it was such a powerful, spirit-filled experience to be able to be a part of such a sacred, eternal ordinance.

I was really excited to see Victor make such a wonderful choice, as well! He had been prepared for this day for sure. An honest, kind, caring, passionate individual whose greatest desire was to find what it was that his Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, wanted him to do in this life. He definitely found it! And I know that the rest of his life is going to be so much more vibrant and full of love, peace, and joy because of it.

The next thing I need to talk about is the fact that I got a new companion! You probably got that from the fact that you definitely don't know the new kid in that last picture. Yea, I don't think I've mentioned that yet, but Elder Garn has left and now Elder Poast is here! It's definitely a lot different! I mean, I only have to look down a few inches at him now instead of a foot. It's really throwing me off. He's an awesome Elder. Likes to work hard. Likes to have fun. And likes to have fun while he works hard. That's really all I could ask for! He says that the mission has changed him so much and that he has grown immeasurably already, but, that he knows that if he does everything he's supposed to, so many amazing things will continue to happen.

I'm excited for our companionship. We both want to get out there and help our ward find those people who are ready for the message we carry!

Other than that, only a lot has been going on. I am continually learning. It's unbelievable just how much I still don't know. I am in constant awe as I further and and more fully realize the depth and reality of both my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ. There are a couple scriptures that have really struck me lately:
"...all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and it motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."
~Alma 30:44
EVERYTHING shows to me that there DEFINITELY is a God! We met a man, probably in his mid-twenties, a few days ago who said that he thinks that if there is no god and everything happened by accident, THAT would be a much bigger miracle than if someone had created it. I have to disagree with him. If we are sent here to start our journey to become like our Heavenly Father, I think it is much more miraculous that we can become being with such unfathomable abilities as to create worlds and universes!

Jesus Christ is my Savior, Heavenly Father love me, and this gospel is most definitely true.

Love Y'all!

Prayer

Lately, Elder Garn and I have had a real focus on three very important things. But, before I get to them, I'll just share the story from a member in our ward that lead us to really focus on these things with EVERYONE we teach!

The member was telling us that while he was on his mission (somewhere in South America), he was talking with the Bishop of the ward he was in. The Bishop explained to him, "I've been a bishop for a while. I've seen a lot of people come into my office with trials, seeking for help, and, without exception, each one of these people has been struggling with one or more of three things that has made it difficult for the Spirit to have a strong influence in their lives." He then proceeded to NOT tell us what these were because he wanted us to figure them out. Ahhhhh! It was killer. Let's just say, after some really good persuasion on our part, he finally told us. He said that the "magic cure", so to speak, is prayer, scripture study, and church attendance.

My first thought, "Well, that doesn't make sense, that's so easy!" But the next thought that immediately hit me was, "Well of course it is...my Heavenly Father WANTS me to be back with Him...why would He make it hard." He's not going to make us climb Mt. Everest, swim the English Channel, score a 36 on the ACT, and memorize all canonized scripture in order to make it back to him. No, he wants us ALL there. Or at least as many as he can possibly get back. So, He's made it simple. But the three simple things are extremely powerful.

I really just want to talk about the first one, prayer.

Prayer

Prayer is essential. What better way is there to build a relationship with our Heavenly Father than to actually enunciate our feelings, thoughts, desires, questions, concerns, struggles, and gratitude to Him? When I want to get close to someone, to really know them, be a part of there life, and love them, I don't just stand back, conceptualize what it would be like to have a friendship with them, and then move on. That would just be crazy! If I did that with my family, well, I wouldn't really know them at all! Sad. Thought.

In order to get to know our God, we must talk to Him. This is one of the first steps in recognizing Him in our lives. Through prayer, I believe we can start to discover the myriad of ways by which He shows His love to us.

First and foremost, one of my faaaavorite things to do during my own prayers, is THANK my Heavenly Father!!! He does so much for me! It's really unbelievable. He's blessed me with two amazing parents, two brothers who are definitely my best friends, the opportunity to serve a mission, a healthy body, and even my attitude of gratitude! The list could go on, but I think you get it. And we are ALL blessed; many times, we just don't recognize it.

So, praying with the intent to show gratitude can actually help us think back on our day and see Heavenly Father's glorious hand in our lives. One thing I like to do is keep a little journal next to my bed, and every night, right before I pray, I write down all the blessings I saw in my life that day. It's an way for me to see that God's watching out for me and has helped me realize that Heavenly Father cares about every part of our lives. Not just the big things like my mission, my family's safety, and helping me resist any temptations, but also little things like being able to memorize people's names, enjoying the weather and relaxing during a game of golf, or being able to have a good nights rest. He is watching over all of us always!

Prayer is also a commandment! Did you know that? In 2 Nephi 32:9 it says,

     But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

We learn a few important things here:

1. We need to pray
2. We pray to Heavenly Father in Christ's name
3. We should pray before all things we do in life!

Not only can praying help us come to the realization that we are blessed and loved, but, through prayer we can also ask for help. As stated in number three above and in the quote, we should pray before all things that we do! But...why?? Well, here's a big reason. Heavenly Father LOVES us and WANTS to help us!! In the Bible Dictionary it says, "The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them." My thinking is, "why not have the most knowledgeable, wise, powerful, loving being in the universe help me with whatever it is I'm doing?"

Let's think of it this way. You are in a math test (life on earth) and Albert Einstein (Heavenly Father) is standing next to you ready to give you any help you ask for. Would you ask?? I sure would! Heavenly Father Wants to help us in this test of life. Why not ask for His help?

Lastly, prayer can help us get answers! "...ask, and ye shall receive..." (3 Nephi 27:29), "And whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given you." (3 Nephi 18:20). That one is kinda straight forward, I'd say. He WILL answer. We just have to have the faith and right intent so as to recognize those answers.

There's a lot of info here. A lot that all of you probably already know and understand. And that's really all it is, just a bunch of information, unless we use it. I pray. I pray many many times each and EVERY day! And when I mean the things that I say; when I show my true gratitude and sincerely ask for help from my Heavenly Father, I can feel the wonderful peace and comfort that come with His unconditional love.