From The Journal

Ok, as Brooke requested, here is an excerpt from a journal:

November 13, 2011

The Collier's were confirmed today :)
Sacrament meeting has been all about reverence. Not just being reverent at church but being reverent every day. Sister Jasper is writing in her journal right next to me right now. About me. But really about the baptism. 
It was the most spirit filled baptism I've ever been to. There was nothing different about the service to make it stand apart from any baptism that I've attended. What made it different was that I was part of it. These are my friends who I shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with. And they were willing to listen and change their lives to become members of His church. That is the best kind of baptism ever.

I haven't been able to attend the baptism services for many of the people I have taught but I feel extremely blessed to have been a part of the process for a few people.

And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me! -Doctrine and Covenants 18: 15-16

Facing My Fears

What do I fear?

Sharks.

Papercuts.

Dirty Bathrooms.

Clown Zombies.

Obesity.

Abandonment.

Failure.

It's blatantly obvious that when I started this blog I was facing some big time fears. For heaven's sake that's where the name came from. My point was to teach other people how my faith is helping me overcome the things that terrify me. Perhaps not things like sharks. Those will always give me the creeps. The question is, have I faced the real fears yet? Have I stepped my game up to learn to have faith instead? In some cases, yes. In the more serious cases, probably not.

I don't want to just get rid of these things because they bother me, but for this reason:

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A prison where we build the walls up around ourselves one brick at a time. I don't want to trap myself into a holding cell a moment longer. I will admit that sometimes I try to pick up a brick and my fingers get stuck in the mortar. The way to get those walls knocked down for good? Like my friend Yevette always says "just keep swimmin'" and "read those scrips!"

"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come." -- Doctrine and Covenants 68:6

I love blogging because of the great people that I've met online and their stories that they've shared with me. I have a few friends in mind that I'd like to share with you and I'm going to start with this great girl!  Al joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 2009 and since then she's been sharing the joy that she's found through awesomely inspiring youtube videos and images. She truely is using the internet for the reason it was created, to spread the gospel!

[blog] {twitter} (youtube)

[enos 1:7-8]

Have you seen her video Dear Elder yet? It really touched my heart when I read the letters she wrote to the missionaries who introduced her to the gospel of Christ. This week she's been my motivator and a constant little voice in the back of my brain saying "Don't give up! You can do it!" 

[alma 5:12]

Sometimes I worry too much about what other people may think of what I'm writing or if it's even worth my time. Even before I left on my mission it was almost like I was sort of ashamed of my faith. When I said I was giving up a year and a half of "free time" to preach the gospel I got some weird looks and I felt pretty judged. The people here in the south are curing me of that nice and fast. People here are not ashamed! They are proud to let everyone else know how much they love Jesus!

[genesis 1:31]

And it doesn't really matter what those naysayers may think because I love it. I've seen the joy that comes from my friends joining God's church and the pure happiness they have gained. I know that my Reedemer lives and He wants us all to find this same happiness!

Thank you Miss Al Fox for your determination to not defend, but to define the gospel with as many as you can! 

Whoops!

I've promised a few people that a post would be coming about journaling and what do you know, I'm once again at the library with my notes left at home.

What I will share today is something that I wrote in one of those journals I forgot to blog about. When I was making a list of reasons I was happy am on a mission and the things I think I'm sacrificing to be here I had a realization. I left behind an ok life to experience a fantastic one! Lets face it I wasn't exactly the most dedicated person 6 months ago. My biggest determination was that I was going on a mission, not necessarily staying, but I would go.  Now that I have actually taken the opportunity to lose myself in the work and service for others it's turned into something that I love and I see the importance of sharing my faith with less hesitation when I'm in "the real world"

“We have to forgo some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.” -Dallin H. Oaks

Today a part of me might be wishing that I could be sitting at a sewing machine making fancy schmancy blocks for a quilt or listening to music with my brother or cooking with my mom and grandma for the holidays or laughing at some weird thing my little sisters said but in the eternal scheme of things my dedication right now to others is going to bring greater happiness for them and for my family! This one is for y'all back at home!

Simplicity

I have a goal for myself. And I think its becoming apparent that I'm not super great at following through with goals that I set, but this one is easy. I want to write 5 things in my journal each day that I'm thankful for. And if I remember I'll share some of them here! I don't really know why I wanted to use these pictures for this post but I think they will be my first thankful:

1. I'm grateful for pictures from my childhood because they remind me just how awesome I can be.
2. I'm thankful for my new fuzzy on the inside raincoat. I'm going to need it today!
3. I'm grateful for my super awesome companion Sister Valentine.
4. I'm thankful for the US Postal Service! Hooray for mail!
5. I'm grateful for my family at home that sends me lots of love and support while I'm away for 18 months <3

&

(somehow Grandma double teamed it into both pictures!)

*Christ Teaching Mary and Martha*

Favorite rebuking in the scriptures time!

Are you familiar with the story of Mary and Martha? They were sisters (you may remember their brother Lazarus...) and their whole family seems to have been pretty close with Jesus. One evening while Christ was teaching at their home Martha was preparing food, or perhaps cleaning, making preparations so that everyone would be comfortable. I think she was probably the ultimate biblical homemaker. I can imagine her frustration that her sister Mary was not helping but instead sitting there with the Savior listening to Him teach.

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 He said to her, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (found in Luke)

It's important to take care of a nice house and prepare food for those staying at the house, but Christ taught an important lesson to Martha that she should follow the example of her sister and put the things of the Lord first.

Sometimes I'm such a Martha. I read a great blog post the other day by Anne and I was really inspired by her sacrifice of fun design-idea blogs so she could put her focus more on her family.

*Lord, Save Me*

The first time I saw this painting was 4 months ago when I was at the MTC (Missionary Training Center).  Three weeks before that I had gone to a singles conference in Medford, OR where we went to the temple, had a few workshops to choose from, a service project, and of course dinner and a dance!

One of the classes that I chose was about scripture study and really understanding the doctrine behind the stories in the scriptures. A passage that we focused on during the class was that of Peter walking on water to Christ. Click HERE to read the passage of scripture depicted in this painting.

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 What I find most fascinating is that we are usually quick to judge Peter and think that this story is about him losing his faith. I think I was in that same boat (har har. lame pun NOT intended) until I went to that workshop in Oregon. The instructor asked us to reread verses 31 and 32. Um, how did they get back into the boat? That part of the story is left out! I believe that Peter, after looking up at the Savior and recognizing the need for his direct focus on Him, walked arm and arm back to the ship with Christ.

Think on that a while!

*Art Series Time!*

I've been rifling through a pile of Ensign magazines from hmmm...about 1991-1994 and amid the great articles from the General Authorities of the church and inspiring stories written by members (and awfully funny poems) I have found some artwork that I just love!
So here is what you have to look forward to for the upcoming week:

One painting a day that I find inspirational, uplifting, or otherwise spiritually wonderful as pertaining to the 13th Article of Faith,

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I sure hope you're excited because I've just been bursting at the seams to share some of these!!!

My Happiness Boost

I want to introduce you to my favorite little brother and sister duo T & W. These children are the sweetest things you'll ever find! Last Sunday was our ward primary program where all of the children sing and testify of Christ. This year's theme was "I know the scriptures are true".  We went over regularly to see T & W and we practiced the songs with them. It has been so sweet to hear their testimonies through song!

When we were taking these pictures T said "Wait wait! Will you take one of me praying?" He says the sweetest most heartfelt prayers and you can just tell he knows that he is talking with his Father in heaven!

When we left their house yesterday Sister Valentine turned to me and said, "Aren't they just wonderful? They are the happiness I need in my day!" Its so true. Children understand that the simple joy in life comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ! They are so humble and they understand the love God has for them. There is so much we can learn from children.

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

(click HERE for a list of scripture songs. I ALWAYS sing the one for Mosiah 3:19 in my head when I read this verse!)

 We give countless pass along cards to kids that we see every day and they are thrilled to have a picture of Jesus! W has one glued in the front cover of her Book of Mormon from the first time she met missionaries!

A Thought On Repeat

This scripture has come to mind over and over for the past few days.
The Lord has always allowed us to have trials. They really are a gift to us because they make us do a few things.

1. Turn to Him for support
2. Readjust our lives to His will
3. Prepare us for success!

Where Do You Find Your JOY?

Happiness is:

A bottle of Mexican Coca Cola!

A snack size jar of Nutella!

Umm...probably not the best mottos in the world. Those things sure make us happy but its an instant gratification, something that we can only enjoy in the very moment we are tasting the sugar rush!

For the past 4 months I've cut out almost all of the things that I thought made me happy so that I can have a full force dedication to missionary work. That means no movies, dating, quilting, crafting, countless hours on the internet, late nights or phone calls home to my mommy at the end of the day. I was worried that I would just find myself curled up in a ball at the end of each day crying about how miserable life was. I'm here to tell you that my fears were not a premonition of what was to come. In fact I'm more happy now than I have been in the past year of my life, maybe the happiest I've been in my ENTIRE life!

Seems pretty ridiculous that cutting out things that brought me joy lead me to so much happiness now. That's because I haven't told you what I replaced those things with! I spend 2 hours every morning studying the scriptures, one hour by myself and one hour with my companion Sister Joy Valentine. I then spend the entire rest of the day (minus 2 hours for lunch and dinner) teaching people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

So yes, there is a little bit of irony that this post talks about Joy and that is the name of my current companion but she's a constant reminder to me of real delight in living each day! My happiness that I thrive on comes from living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and following God's commandments!

Faith Is Like A Little Seed

Alright, here we are at post #1. Faith. Something I should know a little bit about considering the title of my blog and my current full time work as a missionary. But then again faith is something that is always changing, growing, and extending! 

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The lessons we teach every day come from a manual called Preach My Gospel. You can go ahead and click on that link and read it yourself if you like. I know that it helps me so much in my scripture study and as I have come to understand basic principles such as faith and prayer my testimony of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has grown to a point I never even knew it could be. Here's a quote from the manual that explains why that is. 

"When we have faith in Christ, we accept and apply His Atonement and His teachings. We trust Him and what He says. We know that He has the power to keep His promises. Heavenly Father blesses those who have faith to obey His Son."

Faith is an action word! Did you notice that about those words in bold? Accept, apply, trust, obey, those are all things that require action on our part! Faith is not just a nice complacent thought, it's acting upon our understanding of God's plan for us! 

In the Book of Mormon there is an excellent parable that is like an equation; try this thing and then you will receive an answer! You can find it in Alma 32:26-36. In these verses the prophet Alma compares the word of God, or the scriptures, to a seed. If scripture study is treated like planting a seed what does that require? When I have gardened in the past it has taken constant daily care to make sure the soil is good, there is enough water, sunlight, no weeds are growing, no bugs are getting to the leaves, it's not exactly like you just thrust a seed into the ground and expect tomatoes or flowers the next day! 

It's the same idea with growing a testimony of the Savior. First you have to just open the scriptures up to get to know what Christ even teaches in the first place! Then application becomes necessary. Try out some teachings! 

Time is short and I have to run. Remember how I said this was going to be a mini series? Well it's going to require some action. Go read that scripture in Alma and when you comment let me know what your plan of action is!

Mini Series Time!

So on my regular old pre-mission blog I did a mini series about Science Fiction and how it makes my heart happy. Now that I'm in mission mode I'm going to do another collection of posts with a theme, but this time it's going to be a little better planned out. Remember how I said I'd share some scriptures that I like about the Gospel of Christ? Well how about 5 posts, one to briefly touch on each point of doctrine? 

Here's what you get to look forward to:

1. Faith
2. Repentance
3. Baptism
4. The Gift of the Holy Ghost
5. Endure to the End

Now if some of those topics seem like gibberish to you I hope that I can change that.
Also, I had a super fun time making that ridiculous picture of breakfast with faces on it, so maybe more paint illustration too?? Vote if you think I should!