Mission Papers are In!

So after what seems to be a very long time that was squeezed into some very short days, I finally submitted my mission papers with my bishop. YAAAAAY!!! Haha. My to-do list for last week was quite extensive and I'm rather proud of it. With three pages of many things to do, discuss, complete, and pray about I am happy to say all of it is finished. 

Now I have a new two page list to get done this week. Yay. -_-  . I hope and pray that there is nothing wrong with my papers and I get my call very soon. 

I know my Father lives and love me. I know my Savior died for me. I know He suffered for my sins. I know that He lives again all so that I may also. I know that through Him all things are possible. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Update: my stake president got everything straightened out on his end and everything was submitted on Sunday. I should have my call in the next couple of weeks. He called while he he pushed the submit button and I was jumping up and down and squealing with joy. 

Walking with God while injured

"And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen." (D&C 89:18-21, http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89?lang=eng)

So yesterday I was jumping rope when I tripped and fell and I guess tore up the inside of my foot. Needless to say, I have the worst injury story ever. BUT I have faith that this trial shall be a blessing. The doctor said that I have already begun healing well (I went to the ER yesterday evening and went to the podiatrist today). I am grateful modern medicine, CT scans, Tylenol, Motrin, and my boot. 

I honestly believe that pain medicine is a testimony of how much God loves me. I am in a minimal amount of pain during the day, but night is the worst. The second I sat down in bed and relaxed my foot started to throb and within seconds I was screaming. I prayed for the medicine to kick in faster. I prayed and prayed and I loosened the ace bandage (it was super tight) and within minutes I noticed a difference.

I have felt utterly useless since my fall yesterday (honestly, I sound like an old person) but I have the best siblings on the planet. They try to help me in every way they can. I love them so much.

This is so hard, but I shall keep looking for blessings in this trial.  

I know that God loves me and that He cares about my well-being. I am grateful he gave me such wonderful siblings. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Love notes from my Heavenly Father

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7, http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/3?lang=eng)

Since I've started my mission papers, finances have been brought up lot, and I've been thinking about it a great deal. I've learned to put my trust in the Lord a lot recently so I've figured that I should trust Him with this too. Yesterday morning I was thinking about how far my Pell Grant money will go after I buy my plane ticket to fly out to Utah for the summer. I was saying my prayers when I was thinking about this and I asked for the help to be able to make it to when I start working again. Today when I was  gathering my cash to pay my tithing, I was digging through my wallet when I found an additional twenty dollar bill. I counted again. I was supposed to have forty dollars and some change, no way was I supposed to have sixty. I was in shock. I kept checking my budgeting app because I don't have that income in there. My only conclusion was that it came because my Heavenly Father is watching over me. 

Elementary school through high school, my mom would leave little "love notes" in my lunchbox when she made my lunch. They would include cute little sayings or a simple "I love you." From eighth grade up this became very rare because I made my own lunch. But whenever I was running late and my mom packed my lunch for me (that woman is an angel), I could always count on that note. 

That twenty dollar bill is like one of Heavenly Father's notes for me. When I need Him (which is all the time) I can always count on Him.

Maybe it's been in my wallet for a long time. Maybe I just didn't log it into my budgeting app. Maybe I'm just crazy. I don't think so. 

I have a testimony that God loves me and has a plan for me. No matter what I face, He has got my back and will support me as long as I follow His commandments. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

I'll be what you want me to be

Callings aren't going to be easy, not in any way, shape, or form. I got back from Utah after this summer, and I got a calling two weeks later. Activity Days leader. I admit, this calling is extraordinarily stressful, the girls are loud, they talk far too much, and the list could go on and on. BUT it's so worth it.

I pray about each activity, read through the booklet again (I should seriously be able to recite it by the time I'm released), look into some ideas, pray some more, pick an activity, and then set about gathering supplies and planning the entire activity. Sometimes I don't get the activity done within the given time period, and sometimes it's over too quickly. But I can tell you that I love those girls and I love my calling. It is such a blessing to my life. Haha it's definitely the perfect calling for someone with ADD, those girls always keep me on my toes and I love it.

This (the temple blocks) was our activity tonight. I felt prompted to do a lesson on temples but I had no idea how I would go about doing that. My sister (in my activity days group) is on Pinterest and she sent me a few ideas. I really loved the temple blocks. So looked into it and determined the supplies I would need. I went to Home Depot and after acting clueless (which I was) and asking questions I finally got to look at the wood I would need. I got the plank of wood cut up, bought the art supplies from Walmart, and went home to write up my lesson plan. This all took about a week to plan. The activity went very well tonight, if a little hectic (as always though). 

I bear to you my testimony that callings are always given for one reason or another, and that they will always bless your life when you put the proper work and faith into it. Just like the hymn, "I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, over mountain or plain or sea. I'll answer dear Lord, with my hand in thine, I'll be what you want me to be." Our callings are exactly that, what He wants us to be. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

"Me" does things differently

I've never understood the urge that some people have to fit in. I just can't stand the idea of doing what everyone else is doing. I am me. "Me" does things differently. I am different and I've accepted that. I am talented and unique. I think for myself and make my own decisions. I don't care what other people think of me or my actions. The only ones I answer to for my perfectly legal and commandment following oddities are my God and my own conscience.

I wear long socks with shorts. I don't drink, smoke, snort, or any of that other stupid stuff that kids do nowadays. I drink chamomile tea. I wash my hair once or twice a week. I love and wear pinup and retro hairstyles. I will not have sex until I am married, and then only with the man I am married to. I don't straighten my hair (the hair stylist doesn't count because that rolls into getting a haircut). Everything I do has a reason. I can pull apart every single thing I've listed and give you a health, faith, or just plain personal preference for it.

I am a child of God. He knows and loves me for who I am. He has given the Church commandments and morals for a reason, and that is too make us more free. I am more free to make my own decisions a when I am not intoxicated. I am more free when I am dressing modestly because I am more comfortable, I do not have to worry about anyone seeing certain sacred parts of my body, and I am following one of my God's commandments.

By being who we are and by following the commandments we will never be the most popular kids in school. We will never be the most noticed. We will never be the most talked about. I never was. Because I didn't party, I didn't get into any trouble. Because I didn't cheat, I didn't have the best of grades in some classes. Because I have dressed modestly, I was asked if I was homeschooled (yes, that actually happened...). The point is that we should not strive to be popular or to fit in, those always have a fading and changing definition that no human being can possibly keep up with. The only person you should be concerned about being popular with is God. I leave with you the testimony that Jesus Christ lives and His Father sent him to earth to live like us, so that he could take upon himself the pains, sicknesses, afflictions, and sins of His people (us). He did that so that we may be free. Don't take that for granted. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Without a doubt

"...I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

 

"It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

 

"My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)--and which I should join.

"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

Joseph Smith—History 1:16-19

http://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng

My freshman year of high school was studied the Doctrine and Covenants and Joseph Smith History 1:15-20 was a scripture mastery verse (set of verses). I read them and reread them. They were awesome and amazing but I don't truly take them to heart until camp. We were reading these aloud and I got to read verse seventeen. I felt the Spirit so powerfully, more powerful than I ever had at that point in my life. I was fourteen, the same age as Joseph when he saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Almost a year ago I was helping my friend prepare her lesson in Young Women on the importance of the scriptures. We had the computer read some of Joseph Smith History aloud with the audio setting, but it cut off at verse fifteen. I knew that we had to era those aloud. Again I felt the Spirit so powerfully as I read verse seventeen and eighteen. I eventually had to give that lesson because my friend got sick, but I felt the Spirit very strongly again as I have her lesson.

Today I had the opportunity to meet with the missionaries and a friend. I was able to explain the First Vision (when Joseph saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ). Again the Spirit was very powerful as I explained this.

I have no doubt in my mind about whether or not Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ. I have no doubt in my mind that the Book of Mormon is God's word. That it is written for us now. I leave you with this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Miracles and Answers

I remember when my dad had his heart attack almost four years ago. I remember being told about it two days afterwards (my mom had a lot on her hands); I had strep, and no one younger than twelve could visit my dad, but I was really really sick. That was so hard not seeing him. I missed my daddy! There were some brethren who came and gave him a priesthood blessing. I knew that he would be alright. He was able to come home not long after.

He had had some therapy that was meant to build up his arteries to make them stronger. It was about three years after he had his heart attack that he went to the doctor for them to poke around, and see what had become of the stint in the previously clogged artery. Normally people have three main arteries going to the heart, and it was one of those three that was clogged. After the appointment, we found out that his body had developed a fourth artery since his heart attack. The one that was clogged was weakened, but his body had developed a new passage for blood to pass through his body.

We have a bad history with cats in the house we live in now. We came with two cats, one ran away and got run over by a car. The next one had to be put down because she kept peeing on everything, and the vet said that she would do the same at other people's houses if we gave her away. One of the first cats that we came with died of old age. The next kitty also ran away and got hit by a car. The kitties we have now (Jimmy and Stewart) are indoor cats, so we thought they were pretty safe.

About six months ago, one of my indoor cats got outside. The kitty I'm talking about has crippled knees, he can do everything normal cats do, and he isn't in any pain, he just can't run very fast at all (comparing to his brother). Stewart, the cat, had never been outside for more than maybe a few minutes in his life. He was outside all day, and then all night. We prayed and prayed that he would come home. The next morning my dog was going nuts. She was running around the yard, making a ton of noise, and marking the fence. We didn't really think anything of it. I left for seminary, and then when I got back I found Stewart in the kitchen with my sisters.

Before flying out to Utah, I was so nervous. I was going someplace I've never been before, living with not my immediate family, and not seeing my family or friends for two months. I was so worried about making friends. I asked my dad for a blessing. I came here and I felt right at home with my cousins and aunt and uncle. I made a friend within a couple of days, and few more as time went on.

In January, I had a pretty big question on my mind and I needed an answer. This question was causing a ton of distress. I prayed and prayed for an answer. The answer came loud and clear during a lesson on the Holy Ghost. My Young Womens' president was reading a quote and I felt the Spirit very strongly, and then the answer just came. I knew it was right because I felt peace.

Answers and miracles have come into my life so frequently, I could only put a few down here (I know everyone has miracles that have occurred to them, and do feel free to put a few in the comments). I know that if we pray, we will be answered. I know that the priesthood is given to righteous and worthy men, so that they may serve those around them. I know that God has a plan for each of us, and I know that He gives us these little miracles so that our faith may be strengthened, and that we may strengthen others' faith also.

I bear my testimony that God still hears us and answers our prayers. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.