V-day!

Have you seen all the red lately?

It always seems like holidays control the color scheme of our world.

In an odd parallel our lives seem also to be controlled by the events and plans in the world surrounding us.

So in this world where we seem to be carried along in the current...
Where do we find security?
Where do we find an anchor?
Where can we turn for peace?

We visited a wonderful lady last week, she fed us tacos and Diet Pepsi. 

A Chance to Change

Start as a seed, brittle and small,

Worth really nothing, nothing at all.

Bring me a caterpillar, ugly as mess,

Now, try to give that thing a caress.

But give these some time, some nourishment too,

And see, just see if they surprise you.

Put that seed into some dirt,

Give it some water, down in that earth,

Shine in some sunlight, make it to grow,

Pick up the caterpillar too, oh I don't know,

Give him some leaves a twig, or a branch,

and let that poor thing a bigger chance.

A chance to grow, a chance to become,

A chance to change, and to overcome.

Overcome the expectations, overcome the fears,

And continue to change throughout all their years.

One soars as a companion to the beautiful sky,

The other the earth, it stands close by,

Both so beautiful, and graceful a testimony of God,

But they started limited, ugly, and closed off.

Both had potential though it seems strange,

They just needed a chance to change

Jesus Christ is waiting for us to reach out and accept His help. Wherever you are at in your journey of faith, I urge you to once again and accept the reaching hand of our Savior, and Grow!

Charity, the Journey of a Lifetime

I don't know how many of you get frustrated with yourself, when you aren't developing Christlike attributes quickly. I am pretty impatient with myself. I expect a lot, in a short amount of time. Recently I have been really trying to have more charity, and while I do well some days, I draw blanks others. This quickly gets frustrating to me, and starts to discourage from my original journey.

I wonder how many people find this point, and start to lose hope.

I am here to give you that hope.

"He Denieth None"

Another guest writer: I asked my Zone Leader Elder McBride To share something that he felt inspired to write about. He is one of my favorite missionaries out here, and I will be sure to forward any comments to him.

As of late I have been doing a lot of pondering upon the Savior and His sacrifice for each of us.  I have stared at picture after picture of Jesus Christ and remained speechless at the thought of that act which was performed out of an unconditional and perfect love.  I have thought about why the Atonement is so important in my life and the difference it can make in the lives of those that surround me.  I wondered how it is that I might come to better understand God's love. 

I was reading in the bible, and came across this scripture in John 10:17-18, that says, "therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.  This commandment have I received of my Father."  This scripture hit me with a greater force than it had previous.  I started to think about how the Savior came willingly to do this for the Father, to show His trust and His love.  It started a reflection of my life and how willing I was to do things for the Lord, and I came to this result; Our willingness to do what God asks of us, is a measure of our love for Him. 

That pulled my mind to even greater reflection and remembrance; God willingly gave His Son, and watched him suffer all pains, stand rejection, and be mocked.  God withheld all power to save His Only Begotten Son of these troubles to give me the opportunity to return to his presence.  How convenient was it for the Father to watch his Son suffer?  How convenient was it for the Savior to suffer, bleed, and die for my mistakes, sins, and rebellion?  These questions came to my mind quickly as I thought of times I had placed things aside that God has commanded me to do, because they weren't always convenient.  I wondered how much love the Savior had to have for not only me, but for my family and friends and even those I don't know, to lay down his life so that we may return to our Father in Heaven. 

All of these things brought my focus back to the Atonement, back to why the Savior is so important in my life.  I am inadequate.  I do make mistakes.  I have placed other things before God in my life, and loved things other than Him first.  I am grateful for the willingness that Christ shows in forgiving me of these mistakes and if it were not for His love, and His Atonement, I would not be as happy as I am today, or as thankful for the things I am given, by His hand.  So, I am brought to this scripture from the Book of Mormon, "for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him..." (2 Nephi 26:33).  I am not denied by him, none will be, if they come unto him.