Finding the Way

 When I first got here I was so lost on how to get to places or what direction I was facing. I felt so disorientated without the Wasatch mountains to tell me which way is east. The roads here in Vancouver are so confusing, and don't make a lot of sense. They have the most random names and they just go in what ever direction they want. Mostly in squiggly lines. There are also a ridiculous amount of speed bumps here but anyways the point is that without our faithful GPS affectionately named Maggie, we'd wouldn't be able to get to where we need to be. We'd get lost in the maze known as Vancouver.

The road of life is just as confusing. It is rough, it has potholes and speed bumps, twists and turns. It can be so easy to get lost and not know which direction to travel. I have felt that in my life, I get to confusing cross roads or run out of gas. I have found it can be hard to keep going once you get those flat tires of discouragement, but I know that the Savior can help us through them. President Uchtdorf explained it so well in a past general conference:

"Your Heavenly Father knows that you will make mistakes. He knows that you will stumble—perhaps many times. This saddens Him, but He loves you. He does not wish to break your spirit. On the contrary, He desires that you rise up and become the person you were designed to be.

To that end, He sent His Son to this earth to illuminate the way and show us how to safely cross the stumbling blocks placed in our path. He has given us the gospel, which teaches the way of the disciple. It teaches us the things we must know, do, and be to walk in His light, following in the footsteps of His Beloved Son, our Savior."

 

I know that is true. I have felt His guiding light in my life. I have felt Him walking with me through the rough days of my sophomore year, when my mom past away, and now while I am serving a mission, and I know without a doubt He will keep walking with each of us through all of our hard times. He has shown us The Way, because He is The Way. We need only to follow His foot steps.

 

Music to Heal the Soul

I am and always have been a huge fan of music. It is apart of who I am, I love and really miss playing the cello because of that, but I am grateful I can still share what little talent I have on the piano with those around me. It probably drove my family nuts that before I left, I would constantly have my IPod playing as I went about my day, it didn't matter what I was doing, I would always listen to music.

The reason why I love it so much is the power it has. It can uplift and inspire us, it can make us happy and laugh, or even cause us to tear up. Music can also remind us of past memories. But what I love most about music is that it can bring us to Christ. Besides prayer, music is the fastest way to feel close to God. I know that is true. When ever I need to feel Him near I always sing in my head a hymn or two. " For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads" (D&C25:12) So I thought I would share one of my many favorite hymns with you.



 

More Holiness Give Me

 

More holiness give me,

More strivings within,

More patience in suff'ring,

More sorrow for sin,

 More faith in my Savior,

 More sense of His care,

More joy in His service,

More purpose in prayer.

 

More gratitude give me,

More trust in the Lord,

 More pride in His glory,

More hope in His word,

More tears for His sorrows,

 More pain at His grief,

More meekness in trial,

 More praise for relief.

 

More purity give me,

 More strength to o'ercome,

 More freedom from earth stains,

 More longing for home.

 More fit for the kingdom,

 More used would I be,

More blessed and holy

More, Savior, like thee.

 

I really love this one because of the lyrics. Those are all things that I am striving for, especially to have more faith and more joy in His service as I am serving a mission. I know that music can be a powerful tool and can help bring us closer to Christ. It has helped me so much in my life, and I am grateful for it. It has healed my Soul, how has it healed yours?

The Stronger the Trees...

So the first thing that everyone told me when I mentioned that I was called to serve a mission in Vancouver, Washington was that first, I better have a warm raincoat, and secondly that it is so beautiful there. Both of which I have come to agree with, but what I didn't know, was how majestic the trees really are. They are so big and tall, to me they never seemed to end. I remember getting off the plane and as we were driving around, just staring at them. I was so in awe of them and I still am. Also being from the brown and dry state of Utah, I didn't realize that so many shades of green could exist.  President Thomas S. Monson quoted a poem in the last general conference by Douglas Malloch that describes the trees and people so well:

Good timber does not grow with ease,

The stronger wind, the stronger trees.

The further sky, the greater length.

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men good timbers grow.

I know that is true. Life isn't easy and it isn't supposed to be. If it was we wouldn't grow as much, we wouldn't know our strengths, we would take for granted all that our loving Heavenly Father has done for us and our Savior Jesus Christ. If we didn't have winds or storms in life we wouldn't stretch to reach our true potential to be like Christ.

I have felt this in my life, especially as I have been out on a mission. There are rough days, and I have never been so far out of my comfort zone as I am now when I talk to people I don't know, and try to help them through things that I have never experienced because I am only 19 years old and haven't even been to college or lived away from home until now. Also I have no clue how to blog so bear with me. But because of all those hard times I have grown so much and learned so much. I have learned to lean on my Savior and He has helped me through. I am not a giant, majestic tree yet but I do have some good timber and I am in the process of sprouting as we all are.