“I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions and not upon our circumstances.” –Martha Washington
As I was re-watching this last session of conference, I realized just how important it is to not only listen to it once, but to re-study it over and over again. I also realized how much of a blessing it is to be able to get counsel from these men of God.
Conference is under the direction of the Lord. As Elder Hales states, They are not assigned topics. They pick what to speak on based upon inspiration and revelation of the spirit. Sometimes revelation takes time. We must study it out in our minds. We must be patient and listen closely to the Holy Ghost. Through conference we can receieve the revelation that we personally need. The Lord can speak directly to us. Sometimes what we hear, is more important and personal than what is said.
I went to a fireside last week given by Elder Ellis of the Quorm of the Seventy. He touched on the importance of conference and how it is crucial that we watch ALL of conference every six months. There is no excuse of why we shouldn't be educating ourselves and feasting upon the word of the prophets. We can easily access it and need to utilize and be willing to accept the blessings we can gain from these men of God.
Prophets are seers and revelators They know what challenges we are facing in this dispensation and what we can do to arm ourselves against Satan and his followers. We need to not only listen to their words, but study them. Re-read them. Apply them to our lives and put our trust in the Lord and heed the counsel we have been given.
Not only can these messages from the Apostles and prophet bless our lives now, but can also bless our future families. If we continually study them and ponder what is said, we will be blessed. We have many resources given to us by the church that help us study the gospel and strengthen our families. We have apps for our phones and ipods. We have scriptures on our phones and have so many sources and ways to listen to conference. We need to utilize the technology we have been blessed with. We can share the gospel with this technology.
Conference comes from God. It is HIS!! It is his way of speaking to us and it is meant to help us and lead us back to him. Heed the words of these men of God. Listen closely to their counsel and educate yourself on their advice of warning. These are the final days and we need to stand strong and put on our full armor of God to stand against Satan. We need to be soldiers of God and stand for truth and righteousness. By listening to our church leaders we can do so and become like Christ, slowly but surely.
One of my friends decided to do a countdown to conference by reading/listening to one conference talk of last session every day before conference. I ... am starting late! But I wanna try to do it! I did it for a little bit last session, but only blogged about a few of them. I think it is good to write down what you learn from the talks, not just what you hear. So... I wanna blog about what Elder Packer teaches me through the spirit. :) So come with me and learn gospel truths!! I know this is an OLD general conference talk but.... I think it's good to still review them :)
This is part of the poem Elder Packer wrote:
I know what He felt in Gethsemane
Is too much to comprehend.
I know He did it all for us;
We have no greater Friend.
I know that He will come anew
With power and in glory.
I know I will see Him once again
At the end of my life’s story.
I’ll kneel before His wounded feet;
I’ll feel His Spirit glow.
My whispering, quivering voice will say,
“My Lord, my God, I know."
These words are pure truth!! It's a blessing to know and understand that. What Christ did and felt for us is really too much to understand and we may never find out until that veil is lifted and we see him again. When we kneel at his feet, and rejoice in reuniting with our friend. Our brother. Our savior. We will remember him and remember all he did. We will understand. I can't wait for that day!!
Elder Packer also goes on to say that Satan's biggest target is families. He wants your family to fail because it is SO key to Gods plan. If he gets your family, he wins. Family relationships are so important. It is critical to keep good relationships and strong love for one another! Satan want's us to feel as though family isn't a key role in Heavenly Fathers plan. That is is not important. He wants us to get wrapped up in worldly, materialistic things. I believe a good job, education, and money are all important things. But no where near as important or rewarding as a loving, family. :)
Our Savior truly is our best friend. He would and has done everything for us. And continues to love us unconditionally even at time when we may not feel we deserve it. He is the only one who could know our every little flaw and still love us the same. And forgive us fully for our wrongdoings. I can't wait for the day when I see him again and I get to thank him for all he did for me. What a sweet even that day will be! To be re-united with my best friend, Savior, King and Brother for all eternity! I KNOW him. And I KNOW that day will come for all of us.
So anyone who knows me, knows I am a concert JUNKIE! I love music and I love going to see concerts! They do 5 dollar concerts at pioneer park in SLC every Thursday and last week "Empire of the Sun" was playing. They are one of my new favorites so I was really excited. At the time, I wasn't able to find any of my friends who could go because it was such late notice. One of the girls and my work invited me to go with her and her friends. She... is basically the sweetest ever :) It was SO nice of her to invite me! :)
I was SOOO excited and was planning on going. Suddenly, the thought came into my head "You should go to institute." It was random and unexpected, not to mention very last minuet since institute started in 20 minuets, which is how long it takes me to get to school. But regardless, I checked and found one that sounded really interesting. I debated on what to do... but felt prompted to check out the class.
I went to Brother Bowcutts "teachings of Isaiah's" class and it was amazing!! I Am SO glad I went, it was exactly what I needed. Tonight I also found out that the concert was really good.... but apparently it wasn't as fun as it seemed.
Apparently, there was a lot of.... sketchy things going on there and there were so many people you felt like you were in a sardine can. That wouldn't have been enjoyable to me. At the time, I didn't realize the spirit was speaking to me, but I am glad I listened.
I don't think we realize just how often the spirit does speak to us. Many of the thoughts and ideas that are given to us do come from the spirit, we just don't recognize it. Revelation is hard to interpret sometimes. Ok... most of the time!! At least for me. But I know that the Lord was looking out for me and making sure I was happy, safe and doing what was right. That is why we have the spirit, to keep us safe and making good choices. We need to keep our ears and hearts more open so we are able to hear his voice of guidance. :)
I am thankful for the knowledge of this gospel and that I am able to partake of it's blessings daily. I dunno where I would be without it. :)
When I started this blog, I thought it would help me become better at journaling. WRONG! I do really good for awhile.... and by really good, I mean I blog for 2 days in a row. (That is really good for me) Then I go a year without even thinking about it until one day I get this itching to blog my heart out and tell all about the past year of my life. So.... that is what I am going to do for you today. So buckle up.
First off, it was an awesome summer! I knocked off 3 things from my bucket list! If that doesn't make one fee accomplished, I dunno what does! So my sister Jessica, lives in Georgia with her cute family. This summer we got to drive across country to go visit them. It was the longest, yet rewarding road trip I have ever experienced. Now, I have been on some long road trips before. The whole concept of long car rides is not foreign to me. My sister used to live in Wisconsin and I have driven out there several times. But we took the long way so we could see more stuff! And it was amazing. I have always wanted to go on a road trip like this.
So we set off onto the open roads, hitting the less "scenic" states such as Wyoming, Iowa and Nebraska. Every time my family drives through Nebraska, something goes wrong. It is the "state that shall not be named." And for good reason. Usually it is because we can never find a hotel there. They are always booked because of ridiculous things like American Idol auditions or a herd of bikers are filling all the rooms because of Sturgis. Every time without fail... This time, it was because there was a little league baseball championship game the next day and ALL the hotels were booked solid. We had to drive until 3:00 AM until we could find a room open.
Nebraska is a strange place. Along the way, we passed a billboard that said "Don't beat your kids" -God. What kind of place is this where they have to put that on a billboard?!
While in Iowa, we got to stop and see Fort Madison, which is where black hawk had its first battle with the U.S troops. It is the first permanent U.S military fortification on the top of the Mississippi river. It was cool to see the history of this historical place and see the Mississippi river. I LOVE seeing water. Ocean views and rivers and lakes are always my favorite scenery's and this was one of the pretties I have witnessed.
Fort Madison, Iowa
The Family! :) We even included half of the dog.
Holland enjoying her few moments of freedom before we stuff her back in the car for 2 more days!
The most amazing view of the Mississippi river!!
Next, on the list was Missori and then Illinois. Illinois was my favorite part of this trip. We spent a whole day there. First off, that is where my dad was born and raised. We went to the house he lived in and he told us stories of my grandparents and his childhood. Things I had never known. I never knew my grandpa because he died before I was born so it was really great to learn more about him. We also visited with my great aunt. I had never met her before but she was the sweetest lady I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her name was chick. She was in her late 80's I believe, but was still as sharp as could be. I think she almost had a better memory then I do! She was telling us all kinds of stories and climbing on things to get us her books. She even gave us all a gold dollar coin as a keepsake. I loved vising with her and learning more about my family's history. We also visited my Grandpas grave. That was a neat, touching experience as well. It made me appreciate my family and how blessed I am.
After my little family history lesson, I had the pleasure of going to Nauvoo. This was a check off my bucket list! It was a pretty big deal! Unfortunately, since we had to get to Georgia by a certain day, we weren't able to stay very long. We also had 3 kiddos in the car and by that time (day 3) they weren't so happy anymore. But it was still a neat experience. My favorite part was the temple. I didn't get to actually go inside, but just being on the grounds was enough. I also loved Joseph Smiths grave. It is owned by the FLDS church however, so it didn't have quite the same spirit. But it was neat to see where him and all his family were buried. I didn't get to go into very many of the houses due to time. I hope to go back there someday though.
This was my ultimate favorite part of Nauvoo. This was directly across the street from the temple. Apparently, right before Hyrum and Joseph left for Carthage Jail when they were killed, they stood in this exact spot and took one last look at the temple. They build a monument there because of that moment. I also went and stood in that exact spot and looked at the temple. Knowing that Joseph Smith stood where I was standing and thinking of all he was probably feeling at that moment was a moment I won't forget. I am sure he knew that things weren't going to go well on this quest to Carthage. But he was willing to sacrifice for the Lord and his work. It was a cool experience.
My amazing Sister, Jessica :)
They also had a place where you could see how the pioneers lived and played. It was mostly for kids, so we spent quite some time there for the kiddos. They had dress-ups and stilts and crafts and pioneer games. Harper liked riding the sheep. Cuz... apparently that is what pioneers do
Child Labor
This lasted a whole 2 seconds.... until I was on the floor!
Cutest baby in the world! :)
Joseph, Hyrum and their parents graves.
Next on our adventure was Kentucky and Tennessee. Tennessee was another one of my favorite stops. Remember in 5th grade, when we had to do a state report? Mine was Tennessee and ever since then I have wanted to go there. So it was basically a dream come true. Kinda.
This was the most scenic part of our trip. Tennessee is a beautiful place. If you ever can go there... do it. If you like pretty places that is.
So upon our visit to Nashville, we stopped at a "Steak and Shake" and ate some grub. It was a really yummy 50's type diner. Really fun. They gave you hats and everything. Anyways, while upon enjoying being anywhere but the car, the missionaries came in and sat at the table next to us. We started talking to them. It was some sisters and elders. 3 of them were from Utah and 1 from Idaho, which is the suburb of Utah... haha Come to find out, one of them is related to my brother in law. So we were basically family! Small world.
We ended up paying for their dinner and talking to them some more. They were so nice and I felt so blessed to have met them. I dunno why exactly... but they were just amazing! I love missionaries! That is hard work and it takes a lot of courage and faith to give up everything and go teach. I admire them all so much. They are great examples.
That night we drove all night long and got to our destination at 2:00 AM. I think that was the best sleep I have ever had. One of my other bucket list goals is to go to all 50 states. On this trip I went to 4 new ones. So I guess I technically didn't accomplish it... but I got closer! It was a really cool experience and I created some great memories with my nieces and nephew. I loved learning about new places and exploring. I liked gaining a better understanding of the gospel and Joseph Smith and the saints and even learning about my own family along the way. It was a full, action packed vacation. One I will never forget. This summer has been a great one and I feel very blessed! :)
Now... I said there were 3 things I knocked off my bucket list. We covered 2 of them. One was Nauvoo, second was visiting the states and.... 3 has nothing to do with any of this. I went cliff diving like a champ! And THAT, folks is a story for next time.
Holland and I stuffed like Sardines in the back of the Van :) We are crazies!
Look at me! Blogging 2 days in a row! It's a record! :)
So, today I hung out with one of my best friends, Sheilani, whom I haven't seen in awhile. We both were EFY counselors together and we were reminiscing about this summer and all of our kids and all the memories we had! So... I wanted to post about it!
I remember most through pictures. I am a visual learner. So, I love having pictures everywhere! In my room, locker, phone, scrapbooks, blog, homework folders... you name it! I love being able to see the people I love and re-living those memories! So mostly on this post, I wanted to post pictures of all my amazing kids! They are all so special to me and I learned so much from them. This past summer was the most amazing summer I have ever had and I had experiences and feelings that I will never forget. I met so many outstanding people that have changed my life forever and will always be a part of who I am.
OGDEN 1 SAH: My Company, the Siempre Fiel (Forever Faithful in Spanish)
This was by far my hardest week because I had NO idea what I was doing and I am pretty sure my kids could tell I was new at it. But all my kids were so good with working with the inexperienced counselor! And I had great co-co's which helped a ton! Lauralyn and Jake were awesome and we made a pretty good team! :)
There are my lovely Ladies! :) I miss them!!
There are our Boys! :)
Savanna and Emma! :) LOVE LOVE LOVE them!
Ogden 2 SAH: My Company! We were "Justice will be Served!"
I had some of the best co-co's! Spencer and April were SO great and they always had the best lessons! I loved working with them! Words cannot even express how much I love these kids! This is the first and only time I had the older kids and I loved it. It's so different from the younger groups, but each has something amazing to offer!
On game day, the kids came up with a skit for our company and then performed it in front of everyone. We WON! Their skit was amazing! :) I loved it! It was to the tune of "I'll make a man out of you" from Mulan! They were so clever! I was so proud of them ;)
Our company was SO unified! :) During free time, everyone decided to play a game together. We played down by the banks and had several games going and had circles around circles. Out of all my EFY sessions this was one of my most unified companies! :)
Our AMAZING gentlemen :) They were winners!
Aprils Lovely Ladies! :) Some of these girls have become friends that I will have forever!
My girls! They were ALL examples to me and I don't know what I would have done without them!
April and Spencer! My wonderful Co-Co's!
I was really lucky to have my niece, Katie, and her best friend, Marissa, at my EFY session! :) Getting to see them everyday always brought a Smile to my face! :)
hahahaha 2 of the COOLEST and tallest high schoolers I know! :)
Sheilani! :) She is my EFY best friend! :) I know my experience would not have been the same without her! :)
All the counselors! :) Boo-YA!
Sandy 1 SAH: Our company was "Soldiers of Faith" I seriously had some of the best Co-Co's!!! Lacey and Christen were so great! We got along so well and it was like we had known each other forever! :)
I learned a lot from these girls! They were always willing to participate and share their stories and experiences!! :)
Oh Lacy and Christian! We were always having fun :)
Matthew! We had a joke where whenever we saw each other we would wave with just our finger! ha ha
Some of my best EFY friends! Kristen, Alexis, and Erin! :) We had so much fun!! I love them!
Brother and Sister Palmer! Best session director! :)
Ogden 4 SAH: We were the Angles of Heaven :) This week my co-co's were April again (YAY!) and Luke! They were amazing! :)
I have a special place in my heart for these kids!! I will NEVER forget them!
Our Flag! :) Super cute!
East! :) He was such an awesome piano player! I was proud of this boy!
Loved seeing Krysta at EFY :) She is adorable!
Mckay!! He was a winner (and so patient with me when I called him the wrong name for the first 2 days!) haha
Scot was such a gentlemen with all the girls! :) I'm proud of him!
Love Love this girl! :) One of my favorite EFY pictures!
Shayla is amazing!! I loved having her in my group and all her profound comments during my lessons!
Meghan was a sweetheart! :) I miss her so much!!
Reagan was SO cute! :) I adored her!!
Danielle was so great! :) She was always so sweet to everyone!
Alex was great! And he was so talented with singing and guitar! At my choir Christmas show, I sang in an ensemble and Brother Simpsons band played with us. One of the band members came up to me after and asked if I knew Alex and was an EFY counselor because he was his Dad! What a small world! It was a tender mercy to hear how he was doing and know he came to my show :) This kid... is great! :)
These girls were ALWAYS so nice to everyone they met! :) They were such a good example to everyone!
Oh Gwen! I love her!! I remember the first real conversation I had with her while waiting for Morningside to start. I fell in love with her instantly :)
Oh these boys were SO funny! They kept me laughing all the time :)
I love Stacy SO much! She is so beautiful! :) I miss her so much!
This
kid.... is awesome!! Spencer is really a great example to everyone
around him, including me! I love the light he portrays to everyone! I
consider him my friend and I will forever :) I am glad I got to know
him! I am lucky I got to learn from him!
AHH Britt is SO amazing! :) Dunno what I would do without her!
Ogden 4 SAH: We are "Judgement Day" My co-co was Bobby! It was really fun! :)
This was by far the week that I learned the most. I am not sure if my kids learned a lot.... but our of all my kids, they taught me the most! I needed this week more than any others! I learned lessons that will help me throughout my life and I have my co-co and my kids to thank! :)
Bobby and I with matching shades. We are cool ;)
I'm not exactly sure why... but all the kids decided to lay on each other. I think it was supposed to be a game where you are trying not to laugh. It took so long to get everyone to lay down, that by the time they all laid down it was SO hot they all got up! ha ha
Cameron taught me a lot :) I really admire this kid!!
Lauren and Hannah! They were SO funny. They were set on setting Bobby and I up! ha ha But I guess that's normal for EFY. :)
Austin was SUCH a hoot! :) I loved having him in my group!! He was one of the coolest guys I have known!
These two were SO great! :)
This was SOOOO sweet! On our spiritual day, all of the boys lined up outside before lunch so when the girls walked out of their meeting, they could be first in line! They girls walked through the line of boys! It was SO sweet to see all these guys be gentlemen and treat the girls with such respect :) A lot of the girls were crying because they were so touched by it! It was a really neat thing to see! :)
The majority of this post has been pictures! .... I am not always very good at expressing my experiences into words, especially since this was 9 months ago! However, this really was the greatest experience and I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in it :) I loved every single minuet of it, the good times and the bad times! I learned a lot. I laughed a lot. I cried a little bit. But I won't forget or regret anything :) I loved everything about EFY!!!!
On the last day, we always made videos for our theme of how we can "arise and shine forth". These are some of those videos! :)
