Change: Like it or Not; It Will Always Be with Us

Changes in our lives our completely unavoidable. Sometimes we see it, and sometimes it is completely unexpected. We may love the change or the change knocks us over. There is nothing we can do to avoid it. These changes are essential to our lives. They shape our lives and it makes us who we truly are. We are being shaped by the Lord and he is helping us find our purpose in our lives. He knows the final destination for us, we don't exactly know where we are going. We can dream and that can help us find who we are but only the Lord know where we are going.

Over the last few years, I have been attending the University of Oklahoma for meteorology. I was enjoying my time out there, making new friends and forging relationships with people. My friends out there were like family to me. Then came a change that was somewhat expected but no matter how much you expect it, it knocked me to the ground. I was coming back to Virginia because the cost of OU was becoming to much. It was so hard to accept the fact that I would be leaving a live that I loved so much. I found the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints while I was there at OU. I made many very good friends there as well. Even worse on me was the fact something from my past came up that I had through I burned the bridge to. Well, apparently parts of the bridge still remained. It was a long and hard week on me.

Well after all that, I found some comfort. I found it in the scriptures, through missionaries and through friends. Im thankful all their support and help. I had no idea where I was going in life. There were many options out there for me to take but with the help of the Lord. Im starting to feel confident in where I am going. I starting to mae friends at the YSA Ward here in Richmond.

There are changes and challenges we face everyday. Some are more difficult than others.

"Our testimonies fortify us and strengthen us as we face challenges in our daily lives. Some people struggle with difficult health problems; some experience financial problems; others have challenges in their marriage or with their children; some suffer from loneliness or unfulfilled hopes and dreams. It is our testimony, combined with our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and our knowledge of the plan of salvation, which helps to get us through these times of trial and hardship." (Barbra Thompson, Personal Revelation and Testimony)

The Lord will help us as we go. He is molding us to become who we are truly meant to be. Im thankful for all that happened in my life. I took that issue from by past and have put it behind me and looked no more to it. The scriptures are here to help us overcome our fear and face the uncertain future with faith. There is hope out there for all. Dont feel alone and lost. The right path is there. Here are a few scriptures that I have learned (some from others that help me).

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

"I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day." (Alma 36:3)

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)

Life is good.

Life is Always Good

Over the years, there have been many great times and there have been rough times in my life. I constantly face many challenges and obstacles. I have the times where life seems to be perfect and I don't want it to changes. In the long run, I have come to appreciate the challenges that are placed in front of me because they teach me something. When we are brought down, I will be stronger than before. Today I face a major challenge, the life I have built up in Oklahoma will vanish in a flash. It has not been easy on me emotionally because I will be leaving my friends, who have been like family to me, at the end of December.

Even though I face this hurtle, I feel like everything is going to be ok. Even though I'll be leaving everyone in December, a part of me will remain. I use the phrase "Life is good" many times. For me, life is always good. As long as you still have the air in your lungs, life is good. I have great support from church, my friends and my family and for that I am thankful for them and all that they have done in my life. Life is good and it will continue to be good.

The Choice is Yours

Everyday in our lives, we make choices. We choose what we will where, where to eat, what do I work on and many more simple things. But there are other choices that will have more of a far reaching effect on our lives.

The choices that will be more lasting in our lives are more difficult to make. It would appear as if you have a fork in the road. You can only see so far down each road but you have no idea which road is the right road. Both roads may seem right but one may lead to trouble while the other leads to joy. The question is, "What road do I take?"

We are faced with the choice of which road we want take. One road may lead to something great early but in the end, it will cause more pain. The other road may seem long and hard at the beginning but it will end with a joy we have never felt before.

It starts out with our faith. You have the ability to believe or not to believe. The choice is yours. If you make the choice to believe, you begin the journey on the right road and path. You take the word of God and you just want to believe it, you will continue to seek out that truth. You are making the choice to seek after the truth. Your faith will continue to grow. The path will continue to fork but if you make the choice to continue to exercise your faith, you will grow and will know the right path.

The choice is yours. "Your eternal destiny will not be the result of chance, but of choice." Elder Bennett. It is never to late to make the right choice even if you made a wrong one. The road is still there, all you have to do is make the choice to follow it.

Deliver Hope

A few months ago I wrote a blog concerning the power of faith and hope. After a few months things change. To me hope is one of the most important things that we need in our lives because without it, how do we carry on? With hope, anything is possible.

Some missionaries asked me once "What the Book of Mormon mean to you in your life?" It gives us hope that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. It gives us hope that we have a second chance. The Book of Mormon gives us that hope to us from the past. The Prophets of old wrote the teachings of Jesus Christ to give us hope. Some of them made the ultimate sacrifice in order to preserve the teachings. They made the ultimate sacrifice in order to give us hope.

I've seen examples of people who have hope and that hope is given to others to carry on what is needed to be done. In the video game "Halo Reach", your character dies in the final scene but there is a meaning to it. "Your enemies were ruthless, efficient but they were not fast enough for you had already passed the torch. You gave us hope that there was a chance to overcome our enemies. Your body and your armor is all lost now but there is one thing that is never lost and that is your spirit and from that we can rebuild."

As I read the Book of Mormon, I see many example of what hope can do. The Nephites had hope for a better world for their families and were willing to defend it. The hope the had was strong enough to over come their enemies and save their families. The people of Anti-Nephi-Lehies had such strong hope in the Lord that they "buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace."- (Alma 24:19). They had faith and hope in our Lord that everything would be alright and the hoped for peace to come to them and their brethren.

"Roger Bannister was a medical student in England who had an ambitious hope. He desired to be the first man to run a mile (1.6 km) under four minutes. For much of the first half of the early 20th century, field and track enthusiasts had anxiously awaited the day the four-minute-mile barrier would be broken. Over the years many outstanding runners had come close, but still the four-minute barrier stood. Bannister dedicated himself to an ambitious training schedule with the hope of realizing his goal of setting a new world record. Some in the sporting community had begun to doubt whether the four-minute mile could be broken. Supposed experts had even hypothesized the human body was physiologically unable to run at such speeds over such a long distance. On a cloudy day on May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister’s great hope was realized! He crossed the finish line in 3:59.4, setting a new world record. His hope to break the four-minute-mile barrier became a dream which was accomplished through training, hard work, and dedication." (Hope, Steven E. Snow). If we have hope and we believe, our challenges become less difficult and you also give others hope of achieving their dreams.

"The unfailing source of our hope is that we are sons and daughters of God and that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, saved us from death." (James E. Faust). This hope gives the strength to make it through our trials, affiliations, and adversity to be lifted up and saved.

I end with this;

Hope is the light in the mist of the darkness. We can stay strong and pass that hope to others who are in need of it. Hope is the anchor of our souls. It is there to strengthen us when all seems lost. You are never lost, just have faith and hope and everything will be alright. Your hope shall be an echo and a light unto all eternity. Life is good.

Late Summer Trip

Going on vacation allows me to relax and enjoy the simple things in life. I had the opportunity to travel up to Palmyra, New York for the day and what a day it was.

I stated my journey up past the Finger Lakes on a warm but beautiful Friday afternoon. I started my tour at the Hill Camorah Visitor Center. I went through the center and walked through center to see the beginning of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith’s first vision. Afterwards I traveled over the Smith Family Farm. Walked through all the homes and really got a feeling of what really happened there. Then I took a walk over the Sacred Grove. I really felt at peace being there. The light flickering through the trees and the quietness really made the moment. I just felt relaxed and calm.

To me what really topped the day off was going to the Grandin Print Shop in the village of Palmyra where the Book of Mormon was first published. I went in and saw some missionaries stand around (it was a slow afternoon). One of them came up to me and introduced herself to me as Sister Maples. Thinking I was a visitor and an investigator, she told me some of the history that had occurred in Palmyra. After a brief video, she took me into the book shop and we discussed some things about the Book of Mormon. After a bit of talking she asked me if I had already read the book and I told her yeas and that I was a member. What happened afterwards that conversation was something to remember.

As Sister Maples took me on the tour, we discussed the process of what happened and the history but it was different than the other tours I took that day. We shared our testimonies and some of the things that brought us to our points in our lives. The Spirit was really with us. We shared some of our favorite scriptures that were related to what we were talking about. We saw that there is a rhyme and a reason for all things that happen. To me it was a great experience to see the history and learn something.

One thing I took away from that experience is there is a reason for things to happen. It is always nice to share your experiences with someone. Sister Maples influenced my life along with many others including Sister Porter and Sister Hodgson. All of them and many more have helped me point me in the right direction. I have been part of the church for just over three months and I would not change any of that for the world. I love my life. Life is good.

Living Life

"Dance as though no one is watching; Love as though you have never loved before; Sing as though no one can hear you: Live as though heaven is on earth."

"Life is not measured the the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

These are the best moments in our lives, so make memories and enjoy them. If you ever get knocked to the ground, look, up, get up and don't ever give. Don't waste your life, look for what matters in your life. We have the opportunity to grow and be happy. We can achieve much. The negative things in our lives won't last forever. We will be happy and we will carry on.

Our happiness will grow as we follow our Heavenly Father. We will be happy for an eternity. Enjoy your live and those special moments. Life is good.

Life: Simple but not Easy

Over the last week, my stress an anxiety have taken a toll on me mentally and physically. Between work, school, family and other things, it seems like a long fight that drains me. I wake up at 330 in the morning and see light far off in the distance and hear the thunder and I just think. There is a lot going on in my life right now and it is hard to process it all. I know that Ill get through it at some point but there are still some obstacles in the way.

There are obstacles placed front of us to test our strength and faith. We walk on the straight and narrow path. Surrounding the path is darkness. Along the path is a iron railing. Would you rather have a path railing or a path with no railing with a dark abyss beside it? I would take the path with the railing. In case you do fall you have something to hold onto. You have the ability to get back up.

Life is not that easy live. There will be plenty in your path that will try to slow you down. I have learned that we can get through it and our faith will be strengthened. The rewards out weigh the hardships. We can do this.

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment" (D&C 121:7)

Life is good.

Stepping Stones

"...I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day." Alma 36:3

This verse is one of my favorites. To me, it takes all the principles and puts it into this verse. It starts from the foundation and works its way to the top of the world.

It all starts with trust. If faith is the foundation of our lives, then trust must be the building blocks to the foundation. Trust builds up our faith. It starts with a little then brick by brick it will grow.

Trust is the base of our faith. Faith is not having perfect knowledge of something but we know it is true. We trust our Heavenly Father that is is true.

"But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me." Alma 32:27-28

It we place our trust in the Lord, our hearts will be opened up to to what is there. If you just open your minds up and listen and you just want to believe then you will want to take in more. Your trust and faith will grow and it will continue to grow for an eternity.

With our faith we have hope. With this hope we can be in comfort for we don't need to fear. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." (Psalms 23:4). Through our trust, faith and hope, we don't need to fear because we know what our future holds. Even when we walk along the dark abyss we can hold onto the iron rod with faith and place our trust in it that we may not fall. We can over come fear and face the future with faith (Elder Russell M. Nelson).

Sometimes in our lives our trust, faith, and hope will be tested. We face test everyday. Some are tough and some are easy. These test will strengthen our faith and we will see the blessings for holding strong. Some days we just want to give us when we are faced with challenges. The Lord will be there with you always and he gives us that hope so that we may be able to stare into the howling darkness and flood it with light and good. "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment." (D&C 121:7). The stuff we face will only last for a short time compared to the time we will have in joy and happiness.

Finally, after we face the adversity, we may sleep easy knowing that we will return home, back with our Heavenly Father. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:4). We may rest easy knowing that everything will be alright. Our joy and happiness will over top any sorrow. We will return to see our family and our friends.

As a way to end this, I say this: Our lives in this world are just for a small time but we can get so much from this world. Our bonds between our families and friends our strengthened. Just trust the Lord and have faith. If you do, there will be no limits on what you can do in your life. Take that dark abyss and build bridge across it. Trust is a building block so share it with others. Life is good.

Simple Things in Life that Matter

In the fast moving world toady of technology, transportation and communication, we miss out of the things that really matter most in our lives. If we slow down from our fast paced and look we will find some amazing things. We are so caught up in texting, Facebook, Twitter, the internet, and TV we loose sight on what is around us. Our schedules are extremely busy with work, school, organizations, sports and more we can be overwhelmed. We lose sight on the basic principles that Jesus taught us. We may think to ourselves is we speed up we will get through it much sooner. Well that may not be the case. President Dieter Uchtdorf said this in the October 2010 General Conference.

"What do you suppose pilots do when they encounter turbulence? A student pilot may think that increasing speed is a good strategy because it will get them through the turbulence faster. But that may be the wrong thing to do. Professional pilots understand that there is an optimum turbulence penetration speed that will minimize the negative effects of turbulence. And most of the time that would mean to reduce your speed. The same principle applies also to speed bumps on a road."

Therefore, it is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions."

It is better for us to slow down than rather speed up. It helps us get through the work we have to do. We also have the ability to the basics and foundations of what we have. We see the joy and simplicity of the principles that Jesus taught us. We see what matters most.

The stuff that matters most in our lives is not cell phones, TV, computers, internet but it is family and friends. We see the love that we have for each other. We see what is important.

President Uchtdorf said this, "we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most. Let us be mindful of the foundational precepts our Heavenly Father has given to His children that will establish the basis of a rich and fruitful mortal life with promises of eternal happiness....The gospel of Jesus Christ is on earth once more, and its simple truths are a plentiful source of joy!"

I have learned what is important in my life. My friends and family are important to me. I enjoy the moments I have been able to spend with them and I hope to continue to do so.

I end with this. The foundations of our lives are built on our faith and hope. Once we slow down a little then we will be able to see the light in ourselves and around us. Life is good.

The Power of Faith & Hope

For a simple four letter word, there is so much power that have in our lives. It will gives us our direction in our lives. There is something that I have written in my Twitter that says "If you believe, then you have faith. If you have faith, then you have hope." Hope and faith are the foundations of ourselves that guide us through our lives and even further.

Faith is the base of most of our lives. We build on it and at the same time strengthens that base. It is the foundation of ourselves. With out faith we cannot grow in our lives and spirits.

So what is faith? In the Book of Mormon, Alma says faith is "ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." - (Alma 32:21). Thomas who was on of the Twelve Disciples spoke with Jesus, about faith, and Jesus said to him "because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen , and yet have believed." - (John 20:29).

Faith may start out with a little. If you just start out with a little knowledge, the seed of faith will be planted. You take that knowledge and try to understand it in your mind, even to the point you want to believe that this true, a desire. That desire will work within you and you come onto more knowledge and your faith will begin to grow. It will grow strong and firm.

With faith comes hope. So what is hope? In Ether in the Book of Mormon it says:

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God" (Ether 12:4)

We hope for a better world and life. In the 13th Article of Faith reads, "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

What makes hope so important? It helps and guides us through the light and the dark. It gives us that light when we are in the dark. If we put our trust in God he will help us get through the dark. Alma says,"I do know whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day" (Alma 36:3).

Hope can make us happy but when there is no hope, it all seems more lost. With hope we withstand the adversity that we face with the hope that "ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions." (Alma 34:41).

Going back to Ether, hope is that anchor and foundation that shall make you strong and sure. If your feeling lost or in sorrow, "embrace and rely on upon the Hope of Israel, for the love of the Son of God pierces all darkness, softens all sorrow , and gladdens every heart" (President Uchtdorf).

I end with this,

Have hope. No matter how strong the storm, the wars, the adversity and the afflictions, you will get through it. I promise you that if you have hope, you can get through it. It may get worse but it will get better. Never give in, never surrender. Even when in the face of the howling darkness, the hope and your Heavenly Father are your light. You will be able to stand strong against the storms and even rise up against it. You are never alone in this fight. Rest easy and sleep well for the Lord is always with you. Life is good.

On the Road

It has been just over a month since I was baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It has been an amazing journey for me so far. I have felt better about my life. I feel less stressful. I went out with the missionaries tonight to go out teaching and had a good time. The person wasn't available to be taught but it turned out fairly well. As I was driving the missionaries back to the church we got into a discussion and realized where I have come from. It amazes me that the smallest things make a huge difference. If I never met my friend who has been a member of the church for her entire life 2 years ago, I wouldn't be where I am now. If it wasn't for the missionaries thinking about me on that December afternoon, I wouldn't be where I am now. If it wasn't for the peace in my soul and the help from my friends, I wouldn't be where I am now. I am extremely happy. All I can say is, life is good.

My Greatest Journey

Back on November 10, 2010, my life was changed. I would have never guessed it would have brought me to where I am today.

Being hit by that car made me realize that there is a higher power. I was able to walk away from an accident many would not have. That accident also opened me up to the world around me. It allowed me to listen.

On December 10, 2010, I was lying around my apartment when I got a phone call from a good friend. She called asking if it was alright if the sister missionaries and her could come down and see me. I said yes. That is when I listened. They gave me a Book of Mormon to read and I read it on my flight home. I faced some resistance at home from some so I was slow to read it. When I got back to OU, I really dove into it. From that point on, there was nothing stopping me. My good friend Lena really did help me with my questions even if it meant staying up till 4 in the morning.

I met the missionaries with Lena on March 23, 2011 to talk about the Restoration of the Gospel. I took a great deal from that meeting. I continued to read the Book of Mormon and still faced some resistance.

On April 13 I took it upon myself to meet the missionaries. I meet with them and made a fairly important decision in my life. It was a good life decision. I was going to be baptized.

As I was reading the Book of Mormon, I really felt at peace in my soul. I was able to sleep better and I had less stress. This has been the best I felt in years. I can't deny the feelings.

"But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me." Alma 32:27-28

"I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day." Alma 36:3

On May 6, 2011, my past ended and my future begun. I was baptized. I am very happy to be where I am at. I am extremely thankful for all those who have helped especially Lena. I have found out what is more important in my life. It is the people around that are important. I look forward to my journey.

"Life is good" is a saying of mine. Its meaning changed a bit. In my words, it means having peace withing your own soul. I enjoy the simple things in life. My friends and family. Life is good.

Winter Weather

It has been a while since I last posted online. It has been a busy semester for me. The winter storm we had in February was a fairly strong storm. Not as storm as the Christmas Eve Blizzard but packed a punch that hit the entire state. Sleet began to fall Monday night (Jan 31, 2011) and came down heavy enough for their to be lightning and thunder. After midnight, it changed over to snow. The winds picked up and there was no return. By the morning of Feb 1st, the winds were strong out of the north blowing up to 50 mph. Temperatures were cold with the high temperature at 19 (wind chill -5).

It made for an interesting day. I have never been in a blizzard considering I'm from Virginia. Im amazing at how the state handled the situation. The National Weather Service in Tulsa said if the power went out in the area that this would be a humanitarian disaster. The University of Oklahoma handled the snow well. Sidewalks were plowed so students could get to the caf. All I know, it made for a cold bike ride around campus.