Love and Patience!

Its been a while since i last wrote anything! Life has been just crazy! I have been nannying this 9 month old little guy named Clay! I normally watch him on Tuesdays and Thursdays but this past week, with his parents working during the Sundance Film Festival, I watched him ALL day everyday for 5 days straight last week! He is the cutest and one of the easiest babies i have ever taken care of, even while he is teething. He is a bit grumpy cause of that....but its all good! He has taught me a lot and really opened my eyes back up to what its like to be a mom. Holy Cow! Even though I have babysat before and even taken care of my siblings as we were all growing up....its been a while since I have babysat little ones, and i seem to have forgotten how much work and energy it takes!! HAHA!

From this past week with Clay, and also having time to myself while he napped, I have learned how interconnected LOVE and PATIENCE are! The Lord has taught me a very valuable lesson....in order for you to have more patience, you must first have more love. The more that we are able to love a person (even ourselves), the more patient and understanding we are with them. I used to think that sometimes it was other people's fault for getting on my nerves, or for me being impatient...it is NOT that way at all. Being patient is a Christ like attribute and is solely placed upon our shoulders to control within ourselves. This was hard thing for me to swallow this week....understanding that all the times that I have been impatient with others (or myself), it is my fault for that happening. I was very tenderly chastised by the Lord, realizing this. I then asked the Lord what I needed to do to change, to cultivate more patience with those around me and especially with myself (something I am not particularly good at). I received a very clear answer in my mind that LOVE is the answer!

There are many examples of how this works. First off, you can think about the patience a mother/father often  has with his/her children. The more they love their children and genuinely care for them, the more patient they are as those children make mistakes and do things that are upsetting. Take the example of a teacher with his/her students or a nurse with her patients. OR even take a babysitter with the child she babysits ;) I came to realize this week as I loved Clay more and more, even when he was crying and upset.....i could be incredibly patient with him....beyond the type of patience i have ever had before!

So how do we nurture that Love within ourselves? To help us be more patient with others, the Lord, and ourselves? That is a good question and something I am still figuring out. I know that this past week my love grew for Clay as I would see the good in him and the joy that he brings into this world. I would keep that in my head as he would start crying or get fussy. I guess I tried my hardest to see him as God see's him and that made a huge difference!

I guess that is what we must do. To be patient we must see ourselves and others as God see's us! :-)

Let us all take a step back today and start seeing people for who they really are....a beloved Son or Daughter of God! Evaluate situations the way our Heavenly Father or our Savior, Jesus Christ, would. Let us start NOW to allow the Saviors love in to transform us. Allowing us to be more patient!

Can you imagine what type of world we would all live in, if we all thought this way?

Have a wonderful day everyone and may today be filled with the Love and the Light of Christ! :-)

Here is the little guy that taught me so much this week:

Say HELLO :-)

Hi. My name is CLAY!

I am SOOOOO CUTE!!

             

I am Happy and get excited about EVERYTHING! 

                                                                                                       

I AM JUST A STUD!!! :-) 

Talk in Church

I had the opportunity of speaking in the Midway 2nd Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints yesterday. I was grateful for the opportunity to speak to the congregation of friends and family that I basically grew up with and love so very much!

Let me share with you, what I shared with all those that I love so much.

I would like to start today by sharing a quote found in Preach My Gospel by President Ezra Taft Benson concerning the Gospel, he says, "We are commanded to take this Gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today. Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self destruction. Only the gospel will unite men of all races and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family." 

I love this quote, because it is true. The gospel is the ONLY thing that will bring to us and to all those around us the joy that we are all seeking and the peace that seems so hard to find in this world. The gospel is everything! The gospel is simple and it is simply powerful. It has the power to do all the President Benson said it can and will do! Where its power is though is in its simplicity. It is simple to understand and even the Lord himself states that it is so in the Doctrine and Covenants 133:57 as he talks to us about how he "sent forth the fullness of his gospel...reasoning in plainness and simplicity." 

Then we can turn to Alma as he declares to his son Helaman that by "small and simple things are great things brought to pass." The gospel is simple and it brings about GREAT things! Alma's declaration became very real to me as I watched simple things become great things in people lives out on my mission in Jacksonville, Florida. 

I saw this in the life of a less active woman named Jami. She struggled with many things in her life, from financial, to physical, to spiritual struggles. We were over at her house a lot sharing messages and inviting her to do small and simple acts such as praying, reading her scriptures, and paying her tithing. As she would follow these simple things in her life, her life was blessed immensly! Miracles were seen in her life because of these simple acts of faith! On one specific occassion she told us that she was not going to be able to pay her rent that month, among other things, and that could mean getting kicked out of her home. My companion and I had felt impressed to ask her to pay her tithing. She was reluctant to pay it because she was already short on money, but she paid it anyways and miraculously people who owed her money came forward with the money they owed her that month so that she was able to pay her rent. That was a changing point for her and as she continued to follow the things that we, well really the LORD, would ask of her....the small and simple things...her life began to change and change for the better! Not only that, she changed! 

Another woman on my mission who came to church on and off, who was married to a practically athiest husband was struggling in many aspect of her life and a lot with the gospel. She was specifically struggling with understanding if our Heavenly Father was really there for her and if he really loved her. She suffered from physical ailments, including chronic back pain and that was something awful. Her and her husband were struggling financially and life just seemed to be crashing in around them. She was so frustrated and felt so alone and so forsaken. We came over and were able to share a message with her and asked her how long it had been since she prayed. She didn't really answer us, as we continued with other discussion...but she pondered on that. That night she fell to her knees in tears and said "Lord if you are there and if you love me you will take this back pain from me that I might be able to do the work that i need to tomorrow to help support my family." Miraculously she woke up the next morning and what normally would have taken her 15 minutes to muster up the strength to get out of bed, took her no time at all. She was able to get up and to do the work that she needed to almost completely back pain free!! She was so excited that she called us in tears saying that she now knew that the Lord was aware of her and he loved her! This changed her life and helped her to be more active in the church and brought the spirit of the Lord more abundantly into her home! 

The Gospel brings about great things! It changes lives! Despite the fact that it can do great things, it is still incredibly simple. It wasn't the deep doctrines of the gospel that changed these women's lives, it was the basic simple truths that touched their hearts and brought the spirit in to change their lives. That is was the gospel is all about. AND...just as simple as the gospel is, it is just as simple to share. We dont need to always use words, often times we must use our actions. We must be a good example and serve. A wonderful example in my life, who I personally didn't know in this life, but who I have heard countless stories about and I am inspired by daily is my grandfather LeRoy! He was an extraordinary man and he LIVED the gospel. If someone's washer broke in the middle of the night he was there. If someone was sick and needed a blessing, he dropped whatever he was doing and he went to them. It didn't matter who you were or what your need was, Grandpa was there to help and he would put aside anything that he was doing and help whoever it was the was in need of his assistance. My Grandfather knew how to live the gospel simply by serving those around him and there are countless number of people in this world that have been touched by that service. Who knows how many people he was able to influence for good to come into the Gospel? He was such an inspiration to me! We can share the gospel by being that example and giving selfless service. THEN....when the time comes that we can use words to share our knowledge of the gospel....we do not need to fear because the gospel is so simple...and it is the simpleness that people need to know and understand to enter into the celestial kingdom and be with our Heavenly Father and their families for the eternities! 

Its all about the simple things in life. Living your life simply is such a great way to live and living the gospel is the ONLY way to live. So living the gospel simply is the ONLY GREAT way to live! I can testify to that and that I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true church here on the earth! I know that Joseph Smith saw God, the Father, and Jesus Christ. I know that he was able to translate the Book of Mormon through the power of God and that the Book of Mormon was written for us here in our day. That we might know who to look towards for answers in this life. That we might know that we are sons and daughters of a loving, merciful and powerful Heavenly Father! I know that my Savior lives. I know he loves me and knows me personally, as he knows everyone else here on the earth. I know that he died for my  sins and your sins. The Atonement is very real! It is because of our Savior Jesus Christ that we all have the opportunity to repent and return to live with our Heavenly Father! I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that it is another testament of our Savior Jesus Christ and that if you read it and then get on your knees and ask God sincerely to know if it is true, he will make it known unto you as he has unto me! I know that Thomas S. Monson is the prophet here on the earth today and that he leads and guides this church in righteousness! I know that this Gospel is true! I know these things and will never deny them! I know that as we live the simple aspect of the gospel we will be greatly blessed and we will see miracles in our own lives as we do these things and keep the commandments! I know all these things are true and I say all this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen! 

Have a blessed day everyone! :-) 

This

I love this song! I love the message that he has to share with all of us, whether we are holding that baby, going through a break up, graduating college, whatever your story may be.....you have been brought to where you are by all the ups and the downs in life. So.... if you are at a happy place in life, be grateful for all the struggles and things that didn't go the way you wanted that brought you to where you are and if you are not there yet, be patient and know that it will all lead you to where you are meant to be!

I dont really know how I got here
But I'm sure glad that I did
And its crazy to think that one little thing
Could've changed all of it. 

Isn't it crazy to think that one little thing really could have changed where you are today. Every decision and everything that has or hasn't happened to you, has brought you to exactly where you are right now!

Maybe it didn't turn out like i planned.
Maybe that's why I'm such, such a lucky man

We should all consider ourselves lucky for life not going how WE have planned. Like I have said before, the Lord see's the end, we don't. We must trust that when things don't go the way we planned them, they are going exactly the way the Lord planned them to. :-) You will be grateful for it in the end!

I am so grateful for everything that has lead me to where I am. Despite the heartaches and the tears, I know that the Lord knows where I am meant to be and who I am meant to become! I am so grateful for this life and everything that has "lead me here to THIS!" :-)

Hold Your Head High

“This is my depressed stance. When you're depressed, it makes a lot of difference how you stand. The worst thing you can do is straighten up and hold your head high because then you'll start to feel better. If you're going to get any joy out of being depressed, you've got to stand like this.” 

-Charlie Brown

Even Charlie Brown recognizes that you must stand up straight and hold your head high to start feeling better! 

 We must not be in a "state contrary to the nature of happiness." (Alma 41:11) Our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy! If we walk around with our shoulders hunched with a frown on our face, this is contrary to the nature of happiness!! Lets show the world (and the Lord) today as we straighten up and hold our heads high that, despite how difficult life can get, we know who we are as Children of a God and we know His plan! 

Oh...and Smile! :-) 

What Matters Most?

Life has been just absolutely crazy! Trying to make decisions and figuring out where I need to be. I had moved all my things down to Provo and was all signed up to go to school at UVU this next semester. As the semester got closer and closer, it felt more and more uneasy about all of it. So...I pulled out of school and I am now living back home in Midway. What is up with that? HAHA! I feel so good about this decisions. I wonder what the Lord has in store for me here :-) Life is so unexpected!

One thing that I am starting to learn from all of this is to SLOW DOWN!! I have always want to be going a million miles a minute working on this and that. Having come to the realization that I have hardly ever taken time out to just take care of me and really spending time in developing meaningful relationships with those around me, along with a perfectly timed lesson given in Relief Society, I have finally just come to the conclusion that it is not worth it anymore! Now is the time for me to take care of what is most important and I'm not saying its just me I need to focus on, but those around me and putting the Lord first in every decision!

Elder Uchtdorf explains this concept perfectly with his talk from General Conference in October 2010 called Of Things That Matter Most!

He talks about trees, and how we can see that when there are optimal climate conditions they grow at a normal rate, but during seasons when growing conditions are not ideal they slow down their pace and they focus on the essential elements of survival.

He also refers to flying an airplane (of course), and when you are a pilot experiencing turbulence it is not the best idea to speed up to get out of it, you must slow down to what they call 'the optimum turbulence penetration speed' which would allow the plane to get through the turbulence without as many of the negative effects.

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

 And I would add....to do this even when you are NOT experiencing adverse conditions!

Life is about the little moments, about the time we take to come closer to those around us and to our Savior as we build a sure foundation on righteous living! We can find strength as we steady the course and take time for what matters most!

I think the attached video sums it all up quite nicely! :-)

ENJOY THE MOMENTS!

Black and White

Today is my best friends first baby shower and I am missing it because I cant stand up for more than five minutes without getting all dizzy and nauseous. I hope her baby shower is amazing and all who join her in the fun enjoy themselves immensely!

I am so grateful for so many wonderful family and friend in my life who support me and help me through so much! One of those being my best friend Rachel! She is the best and about to have a baby in a little over a month and I am so excited for her! :-) Can't believe that we are old enough to have families of our own already! Its so crazy how fast time flies! 

So...I dont know if anybody else has felt like this or if this is just me....but definitely something to think about: 

When I was really young I used to look at the world as being so black and white. Then as I got older I started to see a gray area and not so much black and white. Now being an adult, and especially after serving in Florida....I have come to realize the life is just as black and white as I had first thought!  Has this happened to anyone else?  Its definitely been an interesting discovery for me that is for sure! 

This is Jenessa

Signing Out! 

P.S. I LOVE black and white photos!

Monopoly

Letting Go of Control:

Mo-nop-o-ly: the exclusive possession or control of something.

Over the holidays my family and I had fun playing Monopoly. At one point during one of our games i almost went bankrupt. All I had left to my name was 5 dollars....and actually I was in debt having mortgaged my properties. I thought the game was going to be over soon because I was almost out. Little did I know that an hour and a half later I would win the game with a whopping $8,000+ in assets. It was definitely unexpected and fun!!

Now, I am a very contemplative person and so later I was thinking about this game and the idea behind it of controlling as much of the board as possible and how that relates to my own life.......unfortunately. I so often want to be in control. I try to take control and steer my life in the direction that seems to be the best. Honestly, I feel there have been times that i have allowed the Lord to steer, but most often I try to have him be more of a co-captain that just sits behind me and gives me suggestions...but I am the one that is in control. Lately I have come to realize that this is NOT how it should be or how I really want it to be anymore.....control is completely overrated anyways ;-) . The Lord has our best interests and he sees thing we cannot see and so HE should be the captain. 

We live in a world where we are compelled to take the reigns and run for it to make it to our destination in life. Think about it, the world tells us to get the highest amount of education in the shortest amount of time and make the most money as quick as you can. To have all of these worldly things and if you dont go for it NOW you wont get it. If you dont grab it and go, you wont ever get there! Not to say that working hard and getting there quickly is a bad thing, but so often we get ahead of ourselves and try to get to the promised land before we are supposed to be there. We force so many things into our lives that need not be forced! 

As we let go of our will and allow it to be one with our Heavenly Father we will find more joy and more fulfillment in our lives then we ever thought was possible. We will be directed to where we need to be and get there when we are supposed to get there. Just as Lehi was not given the Liahona until he was prepared for it and needed it, so should we not expect the Lord to give us answers on our timetable. Preparation must come about first and once we have pitched out tents and gone back and forth from Jerusalem getting all that is necessary for the journey, then we open our tent door and he will give us our Liahona. 

Now remember, the Liahona only worked according the faith of those following it and to their righteousness. Despite what happens in our lives we, like Lehi and his family, might be led into the wilderness. We might be discouraged as a loved one breaks their bow and lets us down and we toil and are troubled. The Lord will always provide for his saints! He will lead us to the promised land....doesnt mean it will be an easy journey, but  through it all he will make us stronger men and women then we ever could make of ourselves. We must be patient. We must have faith and move forward despite the opposition we may face. We must freely give over that control and the Lord promises he will lead us to  our individual promised lands! 

I hope I can have the faith to let the Lord lead me. To let go of what I might think to be right and follow the Lords path for me that would be the best way! 

Haha...I hope some of that made sense......and makes sense to me later when I read it....I'm a little tired tonight as I write this. :-) We'll see. Have a Great Night! 

Look Not Behind Thee

Faith in our Savior Jesus Christ has, among countless other things, allowed men to move mountains, to walk on water, to find direction in the dark, to heal the sick and afflicted, to be healed and to find indescribable joy through the power of His Atonement! We can all find the joy and the healing we are all looking for as we put our faith in the Savior!

 With this new year upon us we must evaluate our lives and our faith and whether we need to renew that faith or find it, lets do it! Faith in our Savior should be our foundation because it is a "foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." It is through Christ that we can learn from the past, but leave that past behind us, and move ahead to a bright and glorious future!

Anybody can choose to change, leaving the past behind and moving forward.  You cant go back, you must move forward and do it with faith. Recognizing that maybe what God has in store for you is bigger and better than what you have going on right now! As you trust in God and have hope in the Savior and his Atonement it will allow you to make the needed changes in your life.

I know that it is only through my Savior that I am able to change, that i am able to be a better person today than I was yesterday. Change is possible, it is necessary, and its inevitable. Embrace the change and move forward with Faith! 

REMEMBER......

Everyday is literally the FIRST day of the REST of your life! :-) Live for it, live for the future!  

Good Morning 2013!

Hello Everybody-

This is my first venture into the blogging world. Always exciting to start something new isn't it? We are starting into an exciting NEW year....the year of 2013! Who has made some new years resolutions?! I certainly have! With those new years resolutions and a whole 365 days ahead of us we must keep in mind that in order to get somewhere we have never been, we have to do something we have never done!!! What are you going to do this year to get to where you have never been, but desire to be? What are you going to do differently? For you cant expect 2013 to be different if YOU don't do something different!

2013 WILL BE DIFFERENT!

With all the changes that I wish to make and the resolutions that i have set for myself....the title of this blog "Sunshine in My Soul" is the biggest change I wish to make in this upcoming year. Ok...that might no make a lot of sense to you. How can a title to a blog be the biggest change and make 2013 different from the past nearly 22 years of my life? As I was thinking about what I wanted 2013 to be and what I wanted to name this blog, that would reflect this year, the title of "Sunshine in My Soul" came to mind. I have decided that this year will be different because as I make decisions throughout the year and act on those decisions, I desire that my decisions and actions will bring "sunshine" to my soul, that my soul will be enlightened. This year is about my Spirit! For "we are not mortal beings having spiritual experiences, we are spiritual beings having mortal experiences!" 

For years i have never really understood this concept that I am a spiritual being having a mortal experience and I am not claiming to fully understand it now, but as i was out on my mission in Jacksonville, Florida I came to understand how truly powerful our spiritual selves are. How much that Spirit can and should direct our lives! I came to understand that my Spiritual self already has a personality and my mortal self is just trying to remember who that person was/is and allow that person to come shine through. 

I am full of anxious anticipation for what 2013 will bring and how this new found "theme" for the year will make it different than other years!  I am excited for this new year of discovery and year of SUNSHINE! :) 

I hope you will enjoy it with me. :)  

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Hear comes the SUNSHINE.....GOOD MORNING 2013! 

Good Morning 2013!