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

Mix It Up!

We had a district wide exchange for Monday and Tuesday this week. I went to Bellevue to serve with Sister Koford! We had a great time with lotssssss of walking. We do exchanges to mix up companionships a little so we get more opportunities to learn about missionary work. It's easy to get set in our ways of doing things. I think that's pretty much true about anything. We came up with a little tag line of what we learned together, "Different isn't bad, it's just different!"

Here we are along part of our mega journey. We had some wonderfully helpful members who drove us to appointments in the evening but during the day we used these great things called feet! Want to know a cool fact about that great blue book I'm holding up? It works as a Kroger card! (Kroger is a southern grocery store) At the checkout line I told the cashier "If this book is true then it will give me a discount." I saved $6. So it's definitely true and I gave him a copy to keep.

All fall we've seen these weird greenish yellow balls along side of the road. Don't they look like a pile of giant tennis balls? When we got to our appointment we asked the family if they knew what they were. In steps wikipedia with the answers! The tree they come from is commonly known as a Hedge Apple tree and the green "fruit" part has bug repellent qualities! They are super sticky so I don't plan on rubbing them on my skin any time soon but it was fun to learn about some of the local vegetation.

Lesson learned in the south: don't expect any of the streets to make sense. We were really grateful to have Sister Koford's GPS with us for this adventure! It's nice to be back in the Old Hickory area again with Sister Jasper but it sure was fun to experience a different area and see how the work just goes on no matter where I may be!

Welcome to November

On the last night of every month I sing a variation of that song by Green Day "Wake Me Up When September Ends". This morning I was thrilled to wake up to November! Sister Jasper and I took some pictures the past few days of the changing leaves.
Autumn is my absolute favorite and I've never experienced one this beautiful before! I feel very blessed to have had chances in my life to see different parts of the world and how diverse beauty can be.
I heart Tennessee!!!

Its almost like they are on fire! I think it's amazing that the world is so diverse and there are so many things that are beautiful. It's just another way I can see how much God loves us!

You're Weird and I Like That

I'm happy.

I'm me.

I'm fearless.

And it sure hasn't always been that way.
This blog began 5 months ago when I had a lot of fear.
Here I am, thrown out into the middle of Tennessee and Kentucky with nothing but scriptures, prayer, a few skirts, and a companion with a huge responsibility to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Every action is a reflection of my love for the Savior. I didn't know what I was doing. I still have a ton to learn.

But what I do know is this:

The Lord called me here for a reason. There are people here that will learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ because they need to hear it they way I teach. I wasn't called because I'm a perfect teacher but through my diligence and the things that God throws my way I keep learning and He's helping me to become more Christlike.

I can do this. I have 13 more months to live it up!

(thanks to emily for the encouragement to post a picture of myself, even if it is an old one...)
(and thank you to arielle elise for the inspiring post about letting go of fear. she shared some great quotes!)

You Know You're A Missionary When...

1. You keep teaching even in your sleep.

(An Elder that I met at the MTC who just about passed out tired in the grass!)

2. When your dreams are about music you used to listen to you wake up thinking it was a nightmare

(These cute girlies sang Taylor Swift songs to us one day and then they made sure both T-Swift dolls had their steatbelts on!)

3. The Prophet of the Restoration movie sounds like a great date night activity for when you get home.

(Plus I found this blog about a girl who loves this movie as much as I do!)

4. Every bad day can be fixed with a quick trip to Menchies!

(They may possibly know us by name now. And not because of our nametags)

5. You go to a wedding/baptism/event where other people are dressed nice and you think "Crap I forgot to dress up for today" then you remember you wear a skirt 90% of the week.

(We were even dressed up for when we met Zac Efron!)

Mission Conference!

Do you ever have one of those super wonderful awesome perfect days? Today is one of mine! There are 140 of us missionaries serving in western Kentucky and middle Tennessee right now and we were so blessed today to join together for a conference where we heard from Elder D. Todd Christofferson, an apostle of God. Apostle you say? Like in the Bible? Apostles like Peter, James, Paul, and John? Yes! We have 12 living apostles on the earth today in the same order and organization that Christ established during His ministry!

(Picture taken by Kate Lifferth)



We only had a few hours to join together and listen to several talks shared by our Mission President and his wife, an area authority, and Elder Christofferson and his wife. We then had a chance to ask a few questions.

Most of what I learned during this meeting was the importance of spiritual preparation on a daily basis.

I have 2 hours set aside every day to study the scriptures and I have seen that time in my morning change my life. Sister Christofferson compared that vital scripture study time to charging a cell phone. If you don't charge the phone you can't talk on it! And if you don't study the scriptures you're not going to be prepared to hear God's answers to your prayers! Funny how I've been hearing that all my life but now it's really starting to sink in.

General Conference

Has everyone already written about General Conference? I may be a few days late to the blog world for writing my thought and sharing some of my notes, but I guess it's good that I'm getting to it at all. I'm really a blogger with the best intentions but not much follow through. Luckily this art post series is going well and still regular! Here's a peep into my study journal so you can see what it looks like in the brain of Sister McCall:

Pretty scary stuff huh?? Do you want to know what was the most exciting to me? Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles gave a talk that was the same theme as my blog! In other words, what you're reading right now is pretty much divinely inspired ;) His talk is titled Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear and you better believe that's a link right to it! Elder Perry asked us to "be bold in our declaration of Jesus Christ".  Sometimes I wonder when I'm blogging if I'm being too bold or straightforward. I wonder if maybe no one will want to read what I have written because it is so gospel centered. This talk encouraged me to to keep it up! I have a blog for personal fun ridiculous things that I will be writing on after my mission and I can do absolutely whatever I want on it.

Right now my purpose is to be BOLD!

I encourage anyone who may read this to be bold in your faith! Proclaim it! Teach others about what you believe! I would love it if more people would just come up to me and tell me about their faith!



And as a treat to you for reading through this post here's another crazy page out of the journal!

Thursday Happies!

OOOOOOOk! Time to make a list of thankfuls and things that made me so so happy these past few weeks! On Sunday we went to a birthday party lunch for a family at church. I can't hear the sound in this video because I'm at the computer lab at the library, but here is the best card EVER that B got for his birthday. Doesn't it just make you so happy?? A DINGO ATE YOUR BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!

Hrmph. I put the video on here and it was messing everything up. And now it won't load. So sad! Some day I'll go a-youtube hunting again to share the card. But until then, here's a picture of my best friends.

Speaking of best friends, my best friend K sent me a letter this week that was..wait for it....16 pages long!!! I haven't really heard from her at all since I left on my mission 4 months ago and I was thrilled to get an envelope stuffed with wonderful pages of letter! Missionaries crave mail. It's the sustenance that keeps us going. False. The Gospel of Jesus Christ and my understanding of the Plan of Salvation are what really keep me going. But mail is really super awesome.

I don't have a picture of the massive letter, so one of us together will have to do!

This picture of my ADORABLE brother L. Isn't he just the sweetest?? I love my family so much and I've only been able to meet this little one a few times. Being on a mission has taught me just how important families are!

We went to the Nashville Temple last week! When I walked into the temple I felt the stress and frustration I've had for a long time disappear. For a few hours I was completely free of that weight. This picture is fun because we were looking up at a bird that was perched on the Angel Moroni's trumpet, but it looks as if we're gazing heavenward. So much joy!

Have you ever made mini popsicles out of soda in an ice cube tray with brite crawlers as the popsicle stick? I highly recommend it. They are delicious and make lots of good memories and giggles. Ah! And the word for giggle in Spanish is "risilla" learned that one recently!

I keep thinking about this sign that's back home at our institute building. I just wish sometimes that people would walk up to the church just begging to be taught! But that's not how the work goes. Actually, sometimes it does! A few months ago a woman walked into the church building on a Sunday thinking, "hey this might be a nice place to attend church!" She was quickly introduced to missionaries and she was baptized two weeks ago! Is that a miracle or what?



And the most exciting wonderful cherry on the top of the month thing ever??? New music to listen to!!! Have you ever heard of the Nashville Tribute Band? They have these three wonderful CDs each with a theme about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. One is Joseph, about the prophet Joseph Smith and the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The second is called Trek, about the pioneers and the sacrifices they made as they crossed the plains. The newest, Work, is all about missionaries and what it's like for us to leave our families for 18-24 months to devote all of our efforts to the Lord. Keep on reading because I'm pretty sure I'll have more to say about this music.

So, overall, things are so great. The work is hard but the blessings are amazing!



Forget Not

Please allow me the chance right now to be the most corny and stereotypical Mormon blogger as possible.

The highlight of the General Relief Society broadcast this week was President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk about the things we should never forget. Click right HERE to watch it!

Yes. I think that it was extremely cheesey of me to make this little picture (and yes, I did do it with picnik! How did you guess??) but it really is a great reminder for me.

My heart was touched by the words that this Apostle of the Lord shared. Sisters we are often too hard on ourselves!

So the part of the talk where he mentions Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was probably my favorite. I grew up loving Roald Dahl's stories and I will now make it a goal to not focus so much on finding the perfect moments in life [golden tickets!]

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And instead enjoy the life [chocolate!] that those moments are found in!

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I know this little comparison is funny and I haven't had much time to really write out any deep or profound thoughts, but if it is good enough for President Uchtdorf then it is sure good enough for me!!

This weekend is General Conference, an opportunity to have 8 hours of wonderful spiritual upliftment just like this talk. Absolutely everyone is invited to attend or to watch via live streaming on the internet! You better believe it when I say that future blog posts are going to blossom from things I hear this weekend!

Plans For the Weekend

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Saturday is the General Relief Society Meeting! It is held every year in Salt Lake City, UT and broadcast for all of the women in the world! I am so excited to go and listen to the talks that will be shared. They are always so uplifting and I need a spark like that in my week! If you're in the Nashville area come join us at the Green Hills building --> 4304 Hillsboro Pike. If you're not here you can find the closest chapel to your home by searching right HERE! It will also be broadcast across the interwebs and you can find out more info at the church website HERE. 

The Parable Project

For the next 6 weeks the missionaries in our zone (all of the missionaries in the Nashville area) are focusing on parables found in the scriptures. I love that Christ taught in parables so the principles He shared would be understood only by those who were searching for truth. Remember when I wrote about ships and how I love the nautical stories in the Bible? Well I'd like to share another parable that I love!

This painting of the parable of the 10 virgins has always inspired me because it holds so much symbolism! One semester in college I took a course called Spirituality in Art where we analyzed symbols in paintings, sculpture, architecture, and music. Go click on that link to learn about the symbolism behind this great painting by Gayla Prince!

Have you read about the 10 virgins before? It is found in Matthew 25. At the time Christ told this parable it would have seemed to the Pharisees that he was just telling a story about some silly bridesmaids that didn't have light on their way to a wedding feast. What I love is that with further understanding and study we find that each one of us is one of those virgins on the path to the Savior. The oil in our lamps is our effort and preparedness. If there isn't enough oil in my lamp I'm not going to be prepared to meet the Savior at the end of my journey!

I'm going to do my best this week to apply the parable of the 10 virgins to my life so I will have oil in my lamp!



Maybe My focus Isn't That Great

I've recently written a post about baptism and I'm already kind of losing steam on the mini-series (why does that always happen??) So click HERE to go back to the post about baptism :)

Some suggestions for scripture study are 2 Nephi 31:4-8 , Matthew 3:13-17 , and Moroni 8:25-26

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!

Hit The Books, They Don't Hit Back

I know that most schools have started or will be starting up here in just a few days and I want to throw in my thoughts on education. This picture was taken on a day that took forever in coming. It's the day that I earned my Bachelor's Degree!

Why is it important to get an education? I highly suggesting reading this talk by Elder and Sister Oaks about the importance of further education. I thought that after I had that cap and gown in the picture above I'd be done. My official piece of paper saying that I'd slaved 4 years away was tucked safely behind a piece of glass and it was time for me to go on my merry way with life. What I didn't really have was a solid spiritual education. Think about this quote from the talk I just told you to read:

"We risk becoming what one observer called ‘pancake people’—spread wide and thin as we connect with that vast network of information accessed by the mere touch of a button.”

When is the last time that you picked up a book just to develop a skill? Have you taken the chance to just dive into something and really get to know that skill inside and out? How about the scriptures? When was the last time you pulled out The Bible or The Book of Mormon and truely "feasted upon the word"?

(Need a copy? Request them for free here!)

Lets not be "pancake people" but rather...muffin people? Solid in understanding and not spread thin!

Yep, it's a cheesy analogy but an apostle of the Lord used it in a quote so I thought it was a fair comparison to make ;)

My oh my what a mission has taught me about studying the scriptures! My testimony has grown because I have come to understand basic principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ instead of thinking that my religon was all about abstaining from coffee or tea or not watching rated R movies. What's the point of doing or not doing those things if my testimony of Christ is not strong? I have those standards because I love the Lord and I want my focus to be on Him.

Check back soon for my favorite scriptures about the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!

The Desire to Create

I want you to watch this video before you get into the goodness that is this blog post

(I deleted the video and just made a link to it because it was on autoplay. Annoying. Uplifting yes, but still a bit annoying.)

Ah! Are you just so inspired now to go out into the world and create something?? One thing that was the biggest sacrifice for me to serve a mission is that I gave up my craft time. It may sound like a frivolous thing but its been pretty hard for me. I minored in Clothing Construction in college, worked in a quilt shop for 8 months, and then sewed every day after work for 5 more months and that brings us up to this point! I was worried that I would be heartbroken and lost without my hands working on a project.

I have found that service has filled my heart in those places that I thought would be void.

But every now and then it's great to get my hands in the glue, paint, and thread!

Here is what Camilla and I did yesterday!

We got the idea from Elsie's blog and scoured Goodwill for some well loved art prints in decently priced frames. And by decently priced I mean $2.50. YES! 

Here we are in the crafting stages. The lyrics on mine come from the song Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Camilla's are from the children's song Love One Another.

Ready to attack those things with spray paint!!

I don't know if I can put into words just how happy it made me to create some things yesterday (I also found the dress that I'm wearing in these pictures at the Goodwill and altered it!).  Hopefully this little wall piece that I've made will bless someone's life because it's going to be too bulky to pack around with me. That's really the greatest part of creativity to me, the blessing that my talent can be for other people. 

Right now the talent that I am developing is opening my mouth to share the gospel of Jesus Christ! It's one that requires complete focus and attention and I am grateful for the chance that I have every day to share what I know with the people around me. I have been so blessed to spend time here in Kentucky getting to know my brothers and sisters that I never would have met unless I had come out here to serve them!

Commitment Issues

I've been setting a lot of goals for myself recently for long term desires (like maybe getting a master's degree) and also for daily things I want to work on (like really actually getting up at 6:30 every morning).  But my question is, what is the point of making these goals if I'm not wholeheartedly working towards them?

My motivators

We had Zone Conference on Wednesday (basically a meeting for about 12 missionaries in the area with our Mission President) and the theme was commitment. A vital part of missionary work is extending invitations to everyone we meet. What kind of invitations you ask? Well they are simple. Things like "will you join us at church this Sunday?" or "will you read this chapter in the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it is true?"

These commitments are so important because they give people the opportunity to make a change in their life to come closer to Christ. One person we just asked to find her husband some nice pants so that he will feel comfortable coming back to church! See, its just small steps. And we all can take them.

I rededicated myself to missionary work and as a reminder I framed a picture from the Ensign of missionaries and wrote the question,

"Today am I doing my work, or am I doing the work of the Lord?"

Yep. It's hard. But I've signed up for 18 months of full time service and I need to remember why I'm doing it!



Twinners!

I've always wanted to join in on Emily's "embrace the camera" idea. About time I finally get to it!

 When it comes to picking out clothes for a mission there aren't that many options. Apparently Sister Cosper and I have the same taste. Like our matching shirts and backpacks...and even hand sanitizers! Oh yeah, and in this picture it looks like our hair is the same too. Weirrrrrd.My camera has decided that everyone needs to have a heavenly aura and or be blurry around the edges. 

 

Let Freedom Ring!



Ok, so it's about time I write about the 4th of July! Monday is p-day or preparation day for missionaries so we have time to do grocery shopping and laundry and hopefully play a little bit too! For the holiday we went up to Morgantown for the Catfish Festival and oh did we soak up that deep fried goodness!

I thought this piece looked kind of like a fish still, and Megan probably just thought I was crazy. Apparently deep fried is the only way to eat a catfish because they are mudsucking bottom feeders, not the most appetizing. (My teeth aren't really that yellow. I swear.)

That giant green cup Sister Turner is holding is the most delicious fresh made lemonade I've ever had in my entire life. They're called lemon shake-ups and I wish I could just drink it non stop! We've also got our hands full of...deep fried oreos!

So I think I've decided that Holidays are just an excuse to eat pretty much whatever you want without having to feel guilty about it. Sister Carmichael made this spectacular cake and we devoured it on Sunday night. Isn't she so talented??

Possibly one of the most exciting points in the day was on the drive and we took the exit towards Elizabethtown, KY. Have you seen the movie Elizabethtown? Love it. Only the city is outside of our mission boundaries so I'll have to go visit some day in the future!

As with every holiday it is important to remember why we're really celebrating, and not just for the food. Sister Warwood and I are serving in a unique part of the mission because we cover Fort Campbell army post and we can't proselyte the way we would anywhere else in the mission. We mostly meet with members of the church and get to know them so that they are comfortable with bringing their friends to us to be taught about Jesus Christ. What I have learned from these families is the importance of having pride in our homeland and the importance of protecting our rights.

Our church has a list of 13 things that we believe in and stand for that we call The Articles of Faith. The 12th one is this:

"We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."

I think its a great reminder at this time of year to pray for those men and women that are fighting to protect our country and to be grateful that we are in a place that we may worship freely.

God Bless America! My Home Sweet Home!

Not Just A Drop In The Ocean

Girl's Camp every summer was one of the things that I looked forward to the most each year. When I was 15 there was a big hiking trip that the girls go on separately from the week of summer camp to demonstrate the things we'd learned at the past few years of camp. I was so terrified that I was going to have to survive in the woods for a whole weekend carrying my bed and everything else I needed on my back without even having a real toilet. I love being outside, I just don't like living out there in the wild! Yes. I am a total wuss.

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Luckily it was a dry summer and the fire danger was too high where we were planing on going and we wouldn't be able to cook the meals we'd brought. Hallelujah! We settled into a campground instead.

Around the campfire one night we sang fun silly songs about hippos and bugs and mayonnaise on tootsie rolls(I still haven't figured that one out) but we transitioned into songs about the Savior, hymns and children's songs that brought the Spirit to our meeting.

I don't remember much about what we talked about that night. What I do remember is that our Stake President spoke that night and he read a verse of scripture that has been prominent in my memory since that night. He read from the Doctrine and Covenants 64:33-34 (ok, this is the part where you click on that link and read the scripture!)

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When I heard the words "out of small things proceedeth that which is great" the words to a Michelle Branch song started playing in my head. She sings "I was drifting away like a drop in the ocean" and I thought of how the ocean is made up of millions of tiny drops of water. It would be impossible to count how many drops were in just a bucket of water, let alone a whole ocean! But if those little specks of water were not all there together there could be no sea, no underwater habitats where billions of creatures thrive, no surf for us to play in on the shore.  Think of how each of those small particles come together to create something great.

All of the missionaries in the Hopkinsville/Clarksville area

I constantly think about this scripture as a missionary. I try to say hi to every person I come in contact with and I am learning to not be ashamed or afraid to share the gospel with as many people as I can. It's amazing how simply going up to a woman watering her roses turns into a discussion of how the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses our families. I love it. It may not be a huge act, but each wave or greeting is a drop in the ocean of missionary work. If people are not willing to listen to our message when we come to our doors I hope that they at least see me leave with a smile and want to know what it is that makes me so happy. My every action is a representation of the Savior and our Church. That's a pretty weighty responsibility but I embrace it with my whole heart! I hope someday soon the drops I'm adding to the spiritual sea will be a force for good and bring others to Christ! 

Worth of a Soul

Sister Warwood and I cleaned out the bookshelf in our front room the other day and we found some small cards with pictures of Christ at different points in His ministry. It's interesting to me how depictions of Jesus Christ are so personal. I didn't feel a connection with the represention of Jesus on those cards, but I knew they were nice so I left them on the shelf for someone else to find and enjoy.

This painting, Worth of a Soul by Liz Lemon Swindle is one of my absolute favorite images of Christ. I like it for a few reasons. One is that it is tranquil and calm. There is so much turmoil in the world and I know that the Savior suffered for every pain of every individual. He is there to succor us in our afflictions.  I love how innocent children are, and we are all admonished to become like little children and put off the "natural man" to become like Christ. Mosiah 3:18

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I am also drawn to Byzantine icons of the Savior.  My love for this artwork stemmed from a class I took in college titled Spirituality in Art.  These likenesses of Christ are not intended to soften the heart and do not in any way reflect that "Jesus is my homeboy" attitude (I really don't like that phrase). These illustrations of the Savoir remind me that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God. They bring reverence to Him.

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I know that having representations of Christ in my home and around me in life are essential as reminders to be like Him.  What are some of your favorite portrayals of our Redeemer?