Happy New Year: Hope

I love this time of year! I love the idea of a fresh start that comes with a new year. I always get the exciting sense that this year will be better than last. I am filled with that hope that "tomorrow is another day, with no mistakes in it, yet" (Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery).

As 2011 closes and 2012 opens, what are you hoping for?

Have you read it???

Sister Barnes and I watched this video yesterday at a friend's house. It really touched me to see the power that The Book of Mormon had in this man's life. I would like to add my witness to his that I know that it is true. I know that it is the word of God and I know that if you read it and pray to ask God if it is true it can change your life for the better.

Gratitude Challenge: Day 10

Missionaries are poor: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. This year, however, I wanted to come up with a nice gift for the birthday of Someone who has given me so much. I have thought about it and thought about it and thought about it. I decided that a good gift that I could give Him is a grateful heart, so as December has flown by I have tried to come up with 100 things that I am grateful for. Some days have been harder than others, to have a grateful heart, but over 22 days I have come up with 90 things so far. In contemplating the last 10 things I would like to add to round out my gratitude list, I've decided to list 10 things that I am grateful for about Him.

He is humble and He is obedient. 

He is a friend.

He stands up for what is right.

He is kind.

He is loving and He is diligent.       

He is compassionate.

He is patient.

He is forgiving.

I am so grateful for my Savior and for this time of year that we get to celebrate His birth.

Gratitude Challenge: Day 9

Time for 8 things about Christmas Eve that I am grateful for!

1. I am grateful for the buzz in the air, everyone seems to be excitedly anticipating Christmas.
2. I am grateful for getting a nice new comfy pajamas or warm socks.
3. I am grateful for milk and cookies.
4. I am grateful for Christmas Eve lasagna, and other family traditions.
5. I am grateful for Luke 2...
6. And 3 Nephi 1 and the beautiful stories they tell.
7. I am grateful for memories of not being able to sleep because of how excited I was.
8. I am grateful for the focus on family time that permeates the world like no other time of the year.

Gratitude Challenge: Day 8 (My gratitude Blitz!)

I'm grateful for

• Cell phones
• The printing press
• Pencils
• Scriptures organized into chapters and verses
• Books
• Artists who share beauty with the world
• Small town holiday decorations
• Performing Music
• Listening to others perform Music
• My backpack
• My raincoat
• Subway (Thanks Bond-Searles!)
• Loving Family
• SKYPE
• "Blondies" (instead of brownies)
• Fruit Baskets
• Having a washer and dryer in the apartment
• Being able to serve
• Singing
• Christmas lights
• The color red!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 7!

I am grateful for time. Yesterday at a conference for missionaries our Mission President told us a story about when he was in high school. He mentioned when he was student body president and he was overwhelmed with how busy he was. One day he said to his mother, "I can't wait until this year is over!" His mom responded with something that really struck me, she said,

 “Don’t EVER wish away your time.”

Time is a great gift that our Father in Heaven has given us. His plan was for us to come to earth and learn and grow to become like His Son and to ultimately become like our Father in Heaven and have all that He has (See Romans 8:16-17). The time that He has blessed us with is for us to learn how to become like our Heavenly Father. The Book of Mormon states,

"For behold, this life is the TIME for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." 

Alma 34:32 (emphasis added)

I know that God has blessed each and every one of us with the time that we need to "perform our labors" and I know that as we faithfully and wisely use our time to more fully walk in the path of the Savior we will be blessed so much more eternally.

Gratitude Challenge: Day 6!

1. I am grateful for the King James Bible. There are so many people who sacrificed so much to make it available to us.


(Watch the episodes online HERE.)

2. I am grateful for sweaters. They are so cozy and warm.

3. I am grateful for ice cream, it is the next best thing when you can't have chocolate.

4. I am grateful for CD players, they are a wonderful invention that make it possible for my apartment to be filled with uplifting words and music.

5. I am grateful for modern medicine. I know it is inspired by Heavenly Father to bless His children living on the earth today. (In this talk given by Elder Russell M. Nelson he describes how he was inspired to save a mans life during a heart surgery.)

6. I am grateful for comfy chairs.

7. I am grateful for the Hathaway family. They welcome us into their home every week and are among the many wonderful people who make sure our needs are taken care of.

8. I am grateful for colors. They brighten my life immensely.

9. I am grateful for windows. I'm not sure I can describe exactly why I am grateful for them. I just know there is something very comforting about being able to see outside of a place I am in or inside a place that I am out.

10. I am grateful for apples, I ate one today and I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Don't know what the Gratitude Challenge is? Check it out HERE.

Gratitude Challenge Day 5: Beautiful Music

For day 5 of The Gratitude Challenge I am going to mix things up a bit and list 10 Hymns or Psalms I am grateful for.

Wednesday night I had the great opportunity of going to an institute class. (Institute is basically a bible study class that is provided for college aged adults by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). We talked about Psalms and Hymns. We talked a lot about how Psalms illustrate strong emotions of praise, lament, supplication, etc. I had never really put much thought into them before, but I was really touched by the beautiful words and the Spirit that I felt as we read/sang/discussed them. Now I would like to present 10 Psalms/Hymns that I am grateful for today.

To start off with, I have a couple of favorites that aren't in the Hymn book or in the book of Psalms, but they are beautiful poetry that remind me of my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ and what they did for me.

• 2 Nephi 4:15-35
• Luke 1:46-55
• Isaiah 12

Next are some more traditional Psalms including the 23rd Psalm which is probably the most famous of all of them. I never gave it much thought before it was always just a very familiar passage that you hear at funerals. When I heard it Wednesday night though it really struck me. The line in verse 3, He restoreth my soul, really meant a lot to me because I have felt that restoring power for myself. I am so grateful for the power that that Psalm has particularly in reminding me of the love my Savior has for me.

• Psalm 3:3
• Psalm 23
• Psalm 138
• Psalm 143:10

Lastly I picked three Hymns. I love Hymn 72(Praise to the Lord, the Almighty) and 89(The Lord Is My Light) because of the beautiful praise that they give to our Savior. I love Hymn 131(More Holiness Give Me) because it is such a powerful prayer. I love how it expresses so many righteous desires to become like the Savior.

• Hymn 72
• Hymn 131
• Hymn 89

I am so grateful for beautiful music and poetry, I am grateful for the power it has to unite a group or to bring peace to an individual. I know that there is great power in them. The Lord said,

"For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads."

Gratitude Challenge: Day 4

Don't know what the Gratitude Challenge is? Check it out HERE.

Write 2 material possessions you are grateful for.

I am grateful for my warm skirts and my leggings. They kept me quite warm last week.

Write 2 deceased people you are grateful for.

I am grateful for Alma and Amulek. Two men who lived in the ancient Americas and risked their lives to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Write 2 things about today you are grateful for.

I am grateful for play-doh, we got to play with it for an object lesson today and it brought me back to being 7 years old and making play-doh snails.

I am also grateful that I have the opportunity to serve in Nashville for the next couple of days with Sister Valentine. It is really nice to have a new,

different experience.



Write 2 modern inventions you are grateful for.



My GPS drove us in to a lake! (Not really, but it thought it had.)



I am grateful for GPS's. Without them I would be lost literally and figuratively. My parents got me one for my birthday/Christmas and it has been such a blessing to have that guide.

I am grateful for magnets, I'm not sure how "modern" they are, but I'm going to say using a magnet to hold a name tag on my shirt is modern enough. I am grateful for magnets because I am able to wear my awesome name tag without poking holes in my shirt every time I wear it.

Write 2 things about the gospel you are grateful for.

I am grateful for the simplicity of the path back to our Father in Heaven. It all falls under 5 basic steps.

1.Faith in Jesus Christ

2.Repentance

3.Baptism by immersion

4.Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost

5.Endure to the End

I am grateful for the focus that Jesus Christ's gospel puts on the family. I love that we are taught that the family is ordained of God, and that it is a vital part of God's plan that we actively work to have strong families with a foundation in Jesus Christ.





Gratitude Challege: Day 3!

Write 2 physical abilities you are grateful for.
I am grateful for the ability to walk. Sometimes I complain about going without a car every other week, but I know I am blessed because I have two legs that work the way they are supposed to.

I am grateful for my sense of smell. Today we were in a car with someone who used some pink lemonade hand-sanitizer and it smelled lovely. I'm grateful that I had the chance to enjoy that today.

Write 2 living people you are grateful for.
I am grateful for my grandmothers, Grandma Carlene and Grandma Linda. Both of them have taught me so much about so many different things. Mostly they have taught me what kind of grandmother I want to be someday. I want to be loving and willing to listen like they are. I want to be there at my grandkids' concerts and celebrate their birthdays. I want to teach them the things I know, like how to make fudge or pie.

Write 2 things about nature you are grateful for.
I am grateful for evergreen trees, it is so nice to see a tree that looks alive and well in the middle of dozens of bleak looking bare trees.

I am grateful for mushrooms growing in lawns. There is something so magical about seeing a bunch of mushrooms pop up in a sea of green grass.

Write 2 places on earth you are grateful for.
I am grateful for Scotland. I have many ancestors from Scotland and I hear that it is a beautiful place. I hope I get the chance to go there some day.

I am also grateful for Antarctica. I have never been there either but I am grateful for the habitat it is for the penguins who live there.

Write 2 foods you are grateful for. 
I am grateful for rice and beans. They are two very simple foods and they taste good together. I am also grateful for them because I know they play an important role in keeping the hungry of the world from starving.

Gratitude Challenge: Submissions from My Mom and Dad!

This is my Dad's list:

1- I'm grateful for my physical ability to be a firefighter.
2- I'm grateful for my house to raise my family
3- I'm grateful for my wife.
4- I'm grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith.
5- I'm grateful for different kinds of trees that can be milled into lumber.
6- I'm grateful that it is Monday, because I hear from my missionary daughter.
7- I'm grateful for the mountains to go camping.
8- I'm grateful for A/C in my trucks and cars.
9- I'm grateful for all kinds of pork(bacon, ham, sausage, pork chops etc.).
10- I'm grateful for the atonement.


This is my Mom's list:

1. I'm grateful I am able to play the piano. It brings happiness to me and, I hope to others.
2. I'm grateful for memory foam, it makes getting a good nights sleep easier.
3. I'm grateful for my parents who took good care of me and taught me right from wrong.
4. I'm grateful for my grandparents because they each loved me in their own way.
5. I'm grateful for mountains because of their beauty and how they make me feel secure.
6. I'm grateful for testimonies of Jesus Christ shared by friends.
7. I'm grateful for California because we have had many fun family vacations there.
8. I'm grateful for dishwashers because they probably save me more time than anything else.
9. I'm grateful for vegetable lasagna because I don't like meat lasagna.
10. I'm grateful that families can be forever.

Do you want to be cool like my parents? Take the challenge and email me your list today!

sisterkanderson@gmail.com

Gratitude Challenge: Day 2!

Here is Day two of the Gratitude Challenge.


Write 1 food you are grateful for.
I am grateful for parsnips, not for any real particular reason. I just like saying the word parsnips. Also, they are pretty tasty.
Write 1 living person you are grateful for.
I am grateful for the Motter family. They are so welcoming to Sister Barnes and me and they are letting us use their computers right now.
Write 1 thing about nature you are grateful for.
I am grateful for the sky. It is so beautiful at all times of the day and in all weather. It is always incredible to look at.
Write 1 thing about today you are grateful for.
Today I am grateful it is Monday, because I get to read e mails from my family and do lots of other fun things.
Write 1 deceased person you are grateful for.
I am grateful for George Washington and other inspired people who fought to create and preserve the United States of America.
Write 1 modern invention you are grateful for.
I am grateful for the computer mouse. It makes navigating a screen so much more easy and efficient.
Write 1 place on earth you are grateful for.
I am grateful for Spruces campground up in Big Cottonwood canyon in Utah. I have so many great memories of fun camp-outs with family there.

My sister and some cousins playing in the volleyball pit by our campsite.

Write 1 material possession you are grateful for.
I am grateful for glasses, without them I wouldn't be able to see things that are far away.
Write 1 physical ability you are grateful for.
I am grateful for my memory (If you want to be technical, that might not be a physical ability, but I'm grateful for it so I'm going to write about it). I feel that I have been very blessed to be able to recall things. Although I don't have an "Iron-brain" like my siblings, I am able to remember most things that I learn/see/agree to do.
Write 1 thing about the gospel you are grateful for.
I am grateful for a living prophet. I was listening to his words from the most recent General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this morning, and I also got to hear him speak at the Christmas Devotional last night. I am so grateful to know that he is a man who talks to God and runs the church under the Savior's direction.

Gratitude Challenge: Day 1

Here is Day one of the Gratitude Challenge, enjoy!

Write 1 material possession you are grateful for.
I am grateful for my wrist brace. I have arthritis in my wrist that has been acting up ever since we canned butter on Monday. I am very grateful to have my wrist brace to help prevent my wrist from hurting too much.



Write 1 living person you are grateful for.
I am grateful for my companion. She is so funny and is able to show me that the mountain I am facing is really just a mole hill.

Write 1 physical ability you are grateful for.
I am grateful for the ability to type. I developed this skill after lots and lots of tedious practice that I never wanted to do, but now I am grateful that I have it.

Write 1 deceased person you are grateful for.
I am grateful for Paul the apostle. I have been reading the book of Acts in the New Testament in my desperate attempt to finish the New Testament by the end of the year and Paul just amazes me. He had such unwavering faith, even when he knew that he was going to be martyred soon, he still boldly proclaimed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.

Write 1 thing about nature you are grateful for.
I am grateful for rain. Yes even here in Tennessee where it rains all the time, I am grateful for it. There is something so delightful about rain. 
Write 1 thing about today you are grateful for.
Today I am grateful for friendly people. We were tracting today and after several rejections by annoyed busy people we met a really friendly lady who, despite being busy, took the time to listen to what we had to say and smiled the whole time. It made all of the shut doors and "not interested"(s) worth it. 
Write 1 place on earth you are grateful for.
I am grateful for the South, where everywhere I look whether it is a day care (Trinity Child Care) to a HVAC company (Alpha & Omega HVAC) reminds me of the Savior.

Write 1 modern invention you are grateful for.
I am grateful for clocks, sundials are really hard to read.

Write 1 food you are grateful for.
I am grateful for waffles, they are delicious and easy to make.

Write 1 thing about the gospel you are grateful for.
I am grateful for the knowledge that my family can be together forever. I'm grateful that I know that, I don't just hope for it, I don't think it will happen, I know it will happen, so I guess I'm also grateful for personal revelation, that makes it possible for me to know what I know.

The Gratitude Challenge

Yesterday I was talking to a 6 year old about Christmas. At first we were talking about Santa and how reindeer fly (magic, of course) and I decided to transition the conversation into something more Christ-centered. I asked her why we celebrate Christmas. She knew the answer to that one, "because it's Jesus' birthday." Then I asked her the tricky question, why do we celebrate Jesus' birthday? She thought about that one for a minute, and she said, "Because he died for us?" I agreed with her and went on to say that we celebrate Christmas because of all of the wonderful things Jesus did for us.

Then I got on the computer today and I saw this article in the December Ensign. It was talking all about gratitude. Initially I thought that was strange. I thought, last month was about gratitude, this month is about Christmas. Then I remembered the conversation I had yesterday with a 6 year old where I explained to her the reason why we celebrate Christmas, and I made the connection that we celebrate it because we are grateful for all the Savior did for us.

So at the end of the article was this challenge. I've decided to extend my gratitude beyond the bounds of November and write one thing I'm grateful for from each of the ten categories in ten posts leading up to Christmas. I'm excited to do it because I know it will help me to truly get in the Christmas spirit. I would love to hear what all of you are grateful for as well. If you e-mail me* a list of ten things you are grateful for I will post it on here as well. I know that as we do this we will draw closer to our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Take a Gratitude Challenge
By John Hilton III and Anthony Sweat
Let’s not just talk about counting our blessings—let’s do it! Write a list of 100 things you are thankful for. If that sounds like it is too many, try this:

1. Write 10 physical abilities you are grateful for.
2. Write 10 material possessions you are grateful for.
3. Write 10 living people you are grateful for.
4. Write 10 deceased people you are grateful for.
5. Write 10 things about nature you are grateful for.
6. Write 10 things about today you are grateful for.
7. Write 10 places on earth you are grateful for.
8. Write 10 modern inventions you are grateful for.
9. Write 10 foods you are grateful for. 
10. Write 10 things about the gospel you are grateful for.

When we make a list like this, we discover that a list of 100 doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of all the things God has given us.

Here are links to the days of the Gratitude Challenge
Day 1
Day 2
(Submissions from My Mom and Dad)
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10

*kathryn.anderson@myldsmail.net

Surprising

One of my biggest reservations about going on my mission was leaving my family. I tried to leave my family once, to go to college (25 minutes away). I ended up driving home once or twice a week and ultimately just moved home rather than waste money paying for a dorm that I only lived in part-time.

After that experience I realized that it would be really hard for me to move out when the time eventually came. I was still two years away from worrying about a mission so I didn't think about it too much. When I finally accepted the fact that it was in Heavenly Father's plan for me to go on a mission I said, okay, fine, I'll go, but it's going to be really really hard to be away from home.


I had that attitude in the back of my mind most of the time leading up to my mission. I knew that I could do it, and I knew that it would be worth it to do it. I knew that because of the Savior's promise he gave to some of the first missionaries...

"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." 

Matthew 10:39

But despite that knowledge, I had the unbreakable idea in my mind that the hardest thing about my mission would be homesickness. I thought I would have to fight tooth and nail to never think about or talk about or remember my family. I figured that if I didn't think about them, then I wouldn't be able to miss them. So that was my initial plan, I was going to go 18 months without thinking about them at all.

If you have even glanced at my blog for just a few moments, you would know that I did not succeed in that particular endeavor. I think about and talk about and blog about my family often. They are a huge motivation for me and I have found thinking about them in terms of my love for them and my desire to be an eternal family with them has helped me to be cheerful and to keep going in this hard and amazing work I am engaged in.

Last night we were visiting with our Bishop (the ecclesiastical leader of our local congregation) and he asked Sister Barnes and me a question, he said "What has been the most surprising thing about your mission?" I thought about it for a second and I realized that the most surprising thing has been that I haven't been homesick.

Of course I love and miss my family, and I would love to be at my aunt's wedding this weekend or to be there for my great-grandpa's funeral. But I haven't really been homeSICK. It has never been debilitating, that I can recall. In all of my 6 months away from home I don't remember curling up in a ball and wishing I could be home.

I believe that is because the promise that the Savior made didn't mean we were supposed to lose the person we've always been. It meant that as we focus on doing the work of Heavenly Father the blessings that we have already been given (like our families) will be enriched and magnified.

I'm grateful for...

I've be contemplating gratitude a lot lately (go figure), and I was flipping through the Hymn book this morning and I came across this hymn.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one, 
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Count Your Blessings, 241 

Someone pointed the line, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done, out to me the other day and it has struck me ever since. When I think about my blessings, would I be surprised? Do I really recognize the Lord's hand in my life. So I've decided to share a list with you of some of the blessings in my life.

My parents found each other and chose to get married and start a family.

My little Sister, one of my best friends.

Fellow missionaries who are all so willing to serve the Lord.

Fun times with family!

Late night math homework with one of my other best friends!

Cupcake decorating!

My red shoes that brighten up 
even the most gloomy day away from home.

Our fan that creates great white
noise that allows me to sleep peacefully.

My scriptures, I am so blessed to have the word of God (including the Holy Bible and The Book of Mormon) so readily available to me!

My Savior, Jesus Christ made it possible for me to live Eternally with Heavenly Father, my family, and Him eternally.

 I know that this is just a short list of the many blessings I have. Try making a list for yourself and see how many things you can find that you have that Heavenly Father has blessed you with. It may surprise you to see what the "Lord hath done."

Grandpa Frank

This is my grandpa Kent and his dad, my grandpa Frank, at his 101st birthday party in January 2011. My great-grandpa was born in January of 1910 and he lived to be 101 years and 10 months old. I got a call yesterday from my mission "mom" (our mission president's wife) telling me that he passed away. I was surprised to hear that he had gone. I had sort of known to expect it. When I said goodbye to him in May, I imagined it would be the last time I would get to see him in this life, but at the same time there was a part of me that imagined that he would be around forever. 

The more I think about that though, the more I realize that that idea that has been in my head all of these years is true. He will be around forever, all of us will.

Now here is the part where people begin to roll their eyes and say, well of course, he's in heaven now, or he's in a better place. I know that he is in a sort of heaven now, which is a better place. I know that because I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and in it, a prophet of God, Alma states,

"Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

"And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow."

Alma 40:11-12

I know that Sunday night, my great grandpa's spirit was taken home to Heavenly Father. I know that he was a good man who lived a good life, I know that because of that he will be able to enjoy some peace and rest. I also know that he never fully accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ in his lifetime. So I know that he now has the opportunity to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father's plan of happiness.* I know that in the future sacred ordinance work such as baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost will be done for him by proxy in the Lord's temples and he will be given the choice whether or not to accept that work done for him.

I know that if he chooses to accept Heavenly Father's plan and keep His commandments he will be able to live forever with Heavenly Father and Jesus and his family in heaven someday. I know that I will be able to be there with him too, as long as I do everything I can to accept Heavenly Father's plan now and keep His commandments.

How Is Your Faith?

So some crazy things happened last week...

A week ago Monday we got a phone call from our Mission President, he informed us that Sister Franson has been called by the Lord to serve in Clarksville with a new missionary that would be arriving the upcoming Wednesday. After he talked to Sister Franson for a bit he said to me, "Sister Anderson, how is your faith?" He proceeded to tell me that I will be staying where I am and I will be getting a new companion.

Since that phone call, all of the things that President told us would happen has happened. Sister Franson is in Clarksville and Sister Barnes is here. It has been a long week. But it's been good. I just keep coming back to that question he asked right before he gave us the big news."Sister Anderson, how is your faith?" I've spent a lot of time pondering why he asked me that question and what my response would have been if I had had some time to seriously formulate my answer. (The response I managed to come up with at the time was, "it's good...")


One thing I've done is look up a bunch of scriptures on faith, these are some of my favorites.

Faith is so important, that is why it is the *first principle of the gospel because without it everything else would be meaningless. I know I wouldn't be out here declaring the word of the Lord to strangers without faith. Without faith I likely would have had some sort of panic attack when I found out that suddenly my companion was leaving me and a new person whom I didn't know would come in her place.

It is my faith that helps me to get up everyday at 6:30 to serve the Lord. It is my faith that leads me to work hard every day far outside of my comfort zone. It is my faith that helps me know that it is okay that I am away from my family right now, because I have faith that Heavenly Father will let us live together for eternity in Heaven if we do what He asks of us.

I know that my faith is more than just blind hope, because I have many times received a "witness after the trial of [my] faith." Sometimes I do have to take a step into the dark relying completely on my faith that things will work out. But I know it will, because I know that I can rely on Christ "who is mighty to save."

So I guess that's my partial answer to President's question. I know my faith will continually grow and change as I go through this mortal experience, but I know that as I keep my faith in Jesus Christ it will always be where it needs to be.

WATER!!!!

It is a generally acknowledged fact that water is good for us and we should make a point of drinking about 8 cups a day (give or take) if we want to be healthy, happy individuals.

As missionaries we are strongly encouraged to drink 64 ounces every day. We have been told that as we make a point of doing this we will not have to worry about headaches, stomachaches, depression, and other ailments (mental or physical).

About 4 days ago I woke up with one of those annoying soar throats along with some even more annoying (for a missionary) fatigue. While chewing on some vitamin c, I contemplated what else I could do to make this annoyance go away as quickly as possible. It occurred to me that I hadn't been drinking as much water as I should have been. So, on the way out the door that morning I grabbed a 20 ounce water bottle and went to town- literally and figuratively.

Since then I have been drinking water like crazy. I'm pretty sure I hit my 64 ounce mark by noon yesterday. Now here's the million dollar question... Am I getting better? The million dollar answer? Slowly but surely. It got a little bit worse initially- but now I'm starting to do better. Water has an amazing capacity to make our bodies run the way they should.

As I was looking at facebook today I saw that one of my friends posted this quote.

 “It frankly does not make sense to occasionally 'fill up' with water, with long periods of dehydration in between. The same thing is true spiritually. Spiritual thirst is a need for living water. A constant flow of living water is far superior to sporadic sipping.”
― Elder David A. Bednar

I immediately cut and paste it into this post because it applies perfectly to what I am trying to say. Just as drinking 64 ounces of water every day is important for our physical health, so is "drinking" just as much living water every day important for our spiritual health. We need to go to the Savior every day and partake of what He has to offer through prayer, scripture study, pondering, and church attendance. When we do that we are promised that we "shall never thirst."

I know that as we faithfully drink from the well of living water every day we won't need to worry about spiritual ailments. So drink up.

GrOwInG pAiNs

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Grant me patience, Lord, but hurry?" 
It is one of those things we hear all the time and chuckle at because it's funny.

Well, it's time for me to admit something, I have been praying for patience for quite a while now. One thing I have learned more than ever is that Heavenly Father answers prayers. He rarely does it in the way we anticipate, but He always answers.

When I made the decision to pray for patience I did not anticipate developing an amazing capacity for patience overnight. I expected to be placed in some situations that I would have to try to be patient with. I knew that God loves me so much that He was willing to bless me with the opportunity to LEARN patience.

One thing I didn't anticipate was how hard it would be....

Yesterday we met as a district* to discuss our missionary work and learn about how we can be better and more focused on the Savior. One of the more experienced missionaries taught us about how true followers of Christ react in times of difficulty. He taught us about a great missionary from the Book of Mormon named Ammon.

Ammon was a missionary who left his country to go teach the gospel. When he got there he volunteered to be a servant for the king. There was a time when he was watching the sheep of the king with other servants and some enemies of the king came and scattered the flocks. Most of the servants of the king began to panic. Other servants had been killed for losing the flocks, so they began to fear for their lives. Ammon's reaction however, was this,

"Now when Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him with joy; for, said he, I will show forth my power unto these my fellow-servants, or the power which is in me, in restoring these flocks unto the king, that I may win the hearts of these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe in my words." Alma 17:29

Ammon was in a very hard situation, but rather than allowing himself to be overcome with debilitating fear, his heart was filled with joy, he was excited for his trial because he had faith that the Lord would help him get through it and he would come out a stronger disciple of Christ. The Elder who was teaching us asked us to consider if we were like Ammon when faced with a trial or if we were like the other servants.

So as I alluded to earlier, I have been faced with many opportunities to learn patience ever since I began praying for it. Some of these opportunities have been harder than others and I have bounced back and forth between reacting like Ammon and reacting like the other servants. One thing that I have learned through it all is that when I choose to react with gratitude rather than annoyance or fear I am blessed with a sense of peace that everything will work out.

*A small group of missionaries determined by geographic location.

The Pray Bottle

"God will help us see a difference in someone else not as a source of irritation but as a contribution. The Lord can help you see and value what another person brings which you lack. More than once the Lord has helped me see His kindness in giving me association with someone whose difference from me was just the help I needed. That has been the Lord’s way of adding something I lacked to serve Him better." -President Henry B. Eyring

I need to be reminded of President Eyring's above words of wisdom on a daily basis, sometimes on an hourly basis. As a very wise companion of mine once quoted,

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." Mosiah 3:19

Because of the fall of Adam we all have some "natural man" in us, the trick is overcoming that by "yield[ing] to the enticings of the Holy Spirit." But the Spirit won't come over and entice us if we are too busy being annoyed, angry, grumpy, or, as President Eyring put it, irritated. That's why I feel like I need a dose of this quote daily (or hourly), because I too often welcome the irritated feelings in to set up shop in my heart rather than getting on my knees and asking for the Holy Spirit to help me evict my unwanted tenant.

I am very grateful for a loving God who is always there, ready to help me out as soon as I'm willing to ask.

"The pray bottle"... Do you ever feel like
Heavenly Father is trying to send you subliminal messages?

The Sword in the Stone!

We were walking past a tree the other day (a common occurrence here in Tennessee) when I heard a loud rustling sound coming from leaves up top. I look up just in time to see one squirrel chase another squirrel down the trunk and then back up again. I chuckled to myself and suddenly and song from my childhood popped into my head.

Left and right

Disney, Walt, Prod. The Sword in the Stone. Dir. Wolfgang Reitherman. Disney, 1963. Film.

Like day and night

That's what makes the world go round

In and out

Thin and stout

That's what makes the world go round

  

For every up there is a down

For every square there is a round

For every high there is a low

For every to there is a fro

To and fro

Stop and go

That's what makes the world go round  

From, That's What Makes the World go Round

From "The Sword in the Stone"

Composed by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

I proceeded to do what I've been doing a lot lately, I applied what I was thinking about to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If Lehi, a Book of Mormon prophet, had been writing this song, it would have gone something like this...

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

"Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

"And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away."

2 Nephi 2:11-13

Merlin and Lehi are making the same point, opposition must exist in order for the world to "go round." We have to have bad days in order to appreciate the good days. We have to have hard times in order to grow and have good times. Evil exists because if it didn't then Good would be meaningless. 

I know that it is because of these opposites that surround us that we are able to grow. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who trusted me* enough to put me in a position where I can experience the bad and the good and grow so much from both. 

*(and all of His children who chose to come to earth)

Walking around with rocks in my shoes

Over the past 4 months, I have walked a lot. Every other week my companion and I don't have a car so we walk practically everywhere we need to go.* Mostly though, we walk.

Something that happens all of the time when I walk is I get rocks in my shoes. Occasionally I'll ask my companion to stop so I can empty my shoes of the annoying little bits of earth, but most of the time I just deal with them. Usually I can adjust my foot just so the rocks are underneath or in front of my toes so they can sit in those open spaces and not irritate me. By the end of the day I'll take off my shoes and socks and notice that those tiny little pebbles have nearly worn a hole in my socks or have created a strange blister under my toe. I think to myself, I'll make sure to clean out the rocks next time so they won't cause damage like this again.

I once heard a story about a girl who was running a race with a rock in her shoe. As she was running the race she discovered that a pebble was in her shoe, but rather than stopping to remove it, she kept running. She didn't want to waste precious time removing a little pebble from her shoe. So she kept running, over time the pebble moved around in her shoe to a spot in the arch of her foot. Rather than being bothered by the rock she began to appreciate it. It was hitting on just the right spot to be comfortable.

The storyteller went on to describe unresolved sin as a pebble in our shoe. Sometimes in our lives, each of us will sin and not repent quickly, before long we forget the sin is even there or we become comfortable with its presence. Forgetting about the sin or becoming comfortable with it does not remove it's effects. As it is explained by the prophet, Nephi, "no unclean thing can dwell with God". So if we hope for Eternal Life with our families and with God we need to take our shoes off often and dump the rocks!


* There are many amazingly wonderful members of our congregation who offer us rides. But they can't chauffeur us around all of the time (neither do we expect them to). 

The Pride Monster & Sister Anderson

Imagine, if you will, getting dressed and ready for the day. You don't have a lot of time to work on your appearance. You are clean and the clothes you are wearing are clean and (relatively) wrinkle free. Your hair is troubling you though. It is one of those proverbial "bad hair days" and you are about ready to make the decision to lop it all off. You are staring critically at yourself in the mirror when your roommate walks in and says "you look nice today." 

Suddenly your mind is full of negative thoughts and annoyed feelings. You don't like it when someone disagrees with you, even if they don't know their doing it. You're getting yourself worked up into a state of grumpiness when you remember what you were taught when you were young. Never refuse a compliment, it's rude. So you swallow your pride and say, "Thanks."

There he is again, the pride monster rearing his ugly head. I have to admit, that the instance described above has happened to me more than just once. Many times throughout my life I have struggled to accept compliments given to me. Then I watched a movie that had the quote below in it,

“We ask ourselves, ‘who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’

“Actually, who are you not to be? YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

“It's not just in some of us; it's in EVERYONE. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

“As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." –Marianne Williamson (emphasis added)

I love this because it reminds me WHO I AM. I am a child of God and He wants me to know that as well. When I get those feelings of inadequacy I know they are not coming from Him. They are coming from the adversary, the father of lies who wants me to hide my light under a bushel. He encourages my pride and makes me feel less than I am.


The fight with the pride monster is ongoing, but as we remember our Divine Nature, we can win. 

POTASSIUM!

Tomato Soup has 690mg of Potassium!

Last post I talked about something I know about-erosion. This time I want to talk about something I know very little about-potassium.

A couple of weeks ago we were out walking and I started having a muscle cramp. Sister Franson, in all her wisdom, informed me that potassium helps with muscle cramps, so we decided to go on a potassium hunt.

Rumor has it that bananas have tons and tons of Potassium.

We got to the grocery store and went first to the bananas... Unfortunately the bananas they had at the store were very green and I wasn't in the mood to eat an under-ripe banana, so we kept looking.

I don't have a picture of the V8,
but carrots have lots of Potassium too.

After looking at many Nutrition Facts labels we found a large bottle of V8 Fusion.

I had high hopes for the V8, because it had lots of Potassium and I actually like the fruit flavored V8 juice. But we didn't want to buy a big-huge bottle of juice to carry around so we went to the "personal size" drink section in search of it. Unfortunately we didn't find any V8 Fusion, but there was Orange Juice, which also turned out to be loaded with potassium. So we bought our orange juice and went on our way.

I know very little about Potassium. I don't really know what it is or why it is listed on Nutrition Facts labels. One thing I do know about Potassium is that it works in making muscle cramps go away. Many people are that way with Heavenly Father. They have heard of Him, they believe He exists, and they like Him because they know that He helps when they pray to Him. The sad thing is very few people understand much about the character of our Father in Heaven. They forget that He is a loving God and that He wants the best for us, His children.

Just as I know that there are resources I can go to to learn more about Potassium, there are resources that you  can go to to learn more about your Father in Heaven. Throughout time, God has called prophets to teach the   people and communicate His will for us. The writings of the prophets can be found in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. And, because God loves us so much He has not only provided us with ancient witnesses of His existence, but modern ones as well. The weekend the living prophet and apostles will be speaking to the world in General Conference. I can think of no better resources to come to know more about our Heavenly Father than His prophets and apostles who teach us about Him and testify of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Click Here to find out more information about General Conference.