Nearly ready to go!

Today I was able to go help with the luncheon for the missionaries for a training of some sort. It was wonderful being able to serve with my fellow ward members and then see my favorite sister missionaries (those wonderful young ladies hug attacked me:) ). We worked very hard to serve the food and keep everything flowing. When we were finished with serving the food, I was able to go over and eat and spend time with the missionaries. It was fun, I enjoyed being able to meet some other sister missionaries and seeing Brother and Sister Hill again. Then when we finished cleaning up, they sang Called to Serve for us and it was powerful. It was in that moment I saw a bit of Zion, "one heart and one mind." It was beautiful. A group of people ages 18-25, and for 18 months to two years they are united with one purpose: serving the Lord's people by sharing his gospel. I look forward to being a part of this glorious cause. My wanderlust is boiling over. I am nearly ready to go. Just two months! I bear my testimony to you that I know that Christ lives, and loves me. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ has God's restored gospel. I know that as we serve our fellow man, we will be blessed. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Praying for Difficult Coworkers

In the book of Enos verses four through eleven it talks about Enos's conversion. He prayed to God concerning his sins and his sins were forgiven. His next thought was towards his own people. He prayed for their sakes. He loved his people and wanted the best for them. When the Lord answered his prayers for them, he prayed for the Lamanites. He prayed for his enemies.

This summer there has been a certain coworker that has driven everyone crazy, including myself. I have been praying for almost two months for patience and charity. I prayed for her to have it also. Recently I think we hit a break through (at least on my end, I don't know about her). I noticed a difference in her. She seemed to be more kind and patient. Granted, she still has her odd quirks, but I noticed a difference. My prayers were answered!

I know that as we pray for those around us and as we pray to have patience we will be blessed. God hears our prayers and loves each of us. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Name them One by One

On Wednesday I was having a really rough morning. 5.5 hours of sleep, car died on the way to work, alarm went off at work because I didn't have the code for the office for a couple of minutes, customer practically shouted at me because we opened at (I arrived at 7:14) 7:20 instead of 7:00 (excuse me, but I have to count out the safe and that's a little more important than your 8 ounces of coffee), coworker got into a car accident so it's just two of us for morning shift, customer wanted a refund because she didn't want to stay another night because of the rain, I dropped a whole roll of quarters when I was giving it to a customer, and I hadn't finished breakfast (I brought it with me) and it was only 8 in the morning!

It was about 08:45 when I realized that my bad mood resulting from the bad events was not going to help anyone, especially not me. The lyrics from the hymn "Count Your Blessings" came to mind, "When 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 what the Lord has done." So I decided to make a list of blessings.

I really had to think about what I have now that I didn't have before, what I have gained, what I have always had, and what I am lucky to have. It was relieving. I couldn't believe that, despite the simple list of things I came up within a few minutes, I felt better. It was very grounding and I felt so much better afterwards.

I testify to you that as we remember the things we are grateful for, we will feel the love of our Heavenly Father and Christ's grace will do it's job in giving us the strength we need. I'll close in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Love isn't just about two people

A few weeks ago in institute I heard a quote on marriage that really clicked. “Marriage is more than your love for each other. … In your love you see only your two selves in the world, but in marriage you are a link in the chain of the generations... Just as it is the crown, and not merely the will to rule, that makes the king, so it is marriage, and not merely your love for each other, that joins you together in the sight of God and man. … So love comes from you, but marriage from above, from God.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison,ed. Eberhard Bethge (1953), 42–43.). This idea that marriage is more than just for two people has stuck with me.

The other day I was listening to some music and I heard that idea again. Ingrid Michaelson is really good about having love songs that are cheesy but also follow this new definition of love that I discovered. Love is progressive, and it isn't just about two people.

Granted, I'm not married, in a relationship, or even considering marriage within the next couple of years. But I do know what I have seen between my parents, and I want that.

I bear my testimony to you that that God loves us and he wants us to find love also. If we are married in the temple, and maintain our covenants, we will be able to progress toward the celestial kingdom with our spouses. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Learning a lot but not nearly enough

In missionary prep class and the lesson was mostly role play and the teacher made a couple of really good points during the lesson: the missionaries are supposed to develop the gift of discernment in questions (read the question within the question, aka find the eternal question within the mortal question) and members are vital to missionary work. In our role play the teacher was an investigator whose wife just died and he had questions about life after death, but his unspoken question (which was technically spoken because it was just a role play in a missionary prep class) was whether he will see her again. Through a member (whether they be a friend to the investigator or they just came) we can infuse life experience into our testimonies and lessons so that people will find more common ground with the gospel, rather than just hearing it from a couple of inexperienced people barely old enough to vote. There's a lot that goes into missionary work and there is a lot we can learn about people and how to deal with them from serving a mission. I will be learning so much. I am very excited to serve in the Seattle Washington mission. I know God loves each of us and as we serve his children, we will grow closer to him. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.