Be Happy!

There are so many things we can be in this life... but being unhappy shouldn't be one of them!  For each moment of every day, you decide the way you think, feel, and act.  It was best put by a man out here in Wyoming soon to be baptized, saying "Don't let anyone steal your joy away!"

My Plans vs. God's Plans

Recently, with the help of my parents, I got myself signed back up at a community college in Sacramento for this upcoming Fall 2012 semester.  Before I left on my mission, I pretty much had every class in mind that I wanted to take and made detailed notes on them.  I brought out those plans over the last couple months and boy, have they sure changed... well, only slightly I suppose.

The biggest concern I had from the beginning was the challenge presented by my enrollment date.  Since I have been absent from the school system for two years, I was way down the line in getting priority picking rights.  Those with priority one registration began April 30th - my date wasn't until May 15th!  My worry only increased as I kept track of the classes and saw them fill up and close out.

Don't Cry This Easter, Christ Has Risen!

 

As I look forward to celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ this Easter weekend, I found this picture of my cousin Ian from one a few years ago.  I can't recall exactly what was upsetting him that Sunday morning, but I think I can narrow it down to two things, either he didn't want his picture taken or someone other then him had just found the last Easter egg.  I think we'll go with the latter one!  

I hope I don't embarrass him too much with this (I sure love and miss that kid) -  but as we go about hunting for Easter eggs and enjoying our jelly beans and Reese's eggs (mmm!), we ought to remember that what we are ought to be searching for and rejoicing in is Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Here are a few scriptures that have helped me remember the hope that Christ has given to the whole world:

What If I Give Everything?

At some time or another, everyone looks back into their past and asks themselves a "What if..." question.  We don't like making mistakes and being in the wrong. Some mistakes are very blatant while others aren't so obvious.  When they happen, we love to replay the past in our mind and pinpoint just what we could have done differently.  Its quite easy to look back on what we should have done in the past while holding our present information.

I've had too many of these "What if" scenarios in my life yet I added another to my life while out knocking doors. 

Dusting for God's Fingerprints

A Western Montana Landscape and Commentary

I've been at a loss lately for something to write about.  I figured I needed to do something about it though so for this post, I decided to do some searching around through my notes and journals to find something I could share.

A few weeks after first arriving in Montana back in August of 2010, I attended a missionary conference that was held out on a farm in the Moiese Valley near Charlo, MT, about 60 miles from Missoula.  These conferences are normally conducted inside church buildings, so it was quite a blessing to have spent this spiritually uplifting experience outdoors in God's country.

The theme of the conference was "dusting for God's fingerprints".  About midway through our time out there, we each were instructed to go and find a quiet spot on this ranch.  Once there, we were given about 20 minutes or so to write down our observations and thoughts of how God had a hand in everything we were viewing before us.

Pay Your 10% Testimony Tithe to God.

Get Lost (In Montana) Doing God's Work

I took this picture last Sunday while traveling out into the Helena valley for an appointment.  While driving, the colors were so rich and vibrant that I couldn't help but stop and pull over to get a snapshot of it.  It was wonderful for Heavenly Father to close the day on such a beautiful scene. 

I was able to share my testimony (the things that I believe and know to be true) at Church earlier that day about how exciting and rewarding it is to get lost in God's work. 

MT Stories: Go to Church, Clean Out Unwanted Ash From Your Soul

Like ashes in your pellet stove, your soul needs a weekly cleaning, too.  Another good idea is to change out of your white shirt and tie before you clean that stove!

Give the 44¢ Gift this Holiday Season

Write a friend, help the US Postal Service

Mail mail mail...  its a thing I love to see at the end of each day out here in Montana.  Waking up at 6:30 am, reading scriptures and studying, and heading out the door by 10 am to teach the Gospel until 9 pm makes for a long day.  There's a lot that runs through your mind as you give your all to help people find their faith in Jesus Christ.  To ease the stress, there's nothing like opening up a letter from a family member or friend encouraging you in the work and showing interest in what your doing.  Those letters do mean a lot to me, especially since you can hold them in your hand and read the personal handwritten messages over and over again.  While email's are great and I send one every week to my family back home, nothing can beat that of a letter received in the mail.

History Lessons: The Lesson from Pearl Harbor?

Don't ever let your guard down.

Today, December 7, 2011, marks 70 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor.  As we look back on it, the main reason it was so devastating was because all the warning signs had been ignored.  There was no lacking in the military's ability or firepower to face the impending threat, they simply did not have enough eyes and ears on the lookout to heed the warnings.  And the warnings were there, alright.  Its just that no one paid any attention paid to them.

Applying the Prophet Joseph Smith to Our Lives

What I discovered from Joseph's life is a model, a basic outline if you will, to find and follow Jesus Christ in any circumstance, trial, or situation.

On my first Sunday here in Helena, I was assigned to speak to one of the congregations.  The topic given to me was this, "How can we use (apply) Joseph Smith in our lives".  There is a lot to be said about this man's life and prophetic calling.  For some, many might say,  "I admire your church very much. I think I could accept everything about it—except Joseph Smith." Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th  President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave a response saying that "that statement is a contradiction. If you accept the revelation, you must accept the revelator."  Joseph Smith's claim to have seen God and Jesus Christ was the beginning of what created the Church as it stands today and was, from the onset, a matter of harsh persecution for its members.  As for Joseph, the opposition never ceased up until his martyrdom by an armed mob on June 27th, 1844.