Trusting God - Thoughts of an Early Returned Missionary

"Trust in the Lord thy God with all thy heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6

Lately I've been going through a lot. I was having a lot of health problems which eventually sent me home because the doctors weren't able to find the source of the problems. Going home was so hard. I was hoping with all my heart that I could go back out to the mission field and finish out the short time I had left.
After being home for a while and going through more testing, we finally figured it out and I am on the road to recovery. When I figured out how long it would take to recover, I decided that it was time to end my mission. I feel like I knew for a while that I would be going home early, but I was in denial because I wanted more than anything to stay. But I realized that my Heavenly Father had something else in mind for me, and it was time to let His plan fall into my place.
Part of me still wishes my time in the mission field with that beautiful little black name badge wasn't over. However, I feel so much peace now. I feel like the decision I made was right, and that I was finally realigning my will with God's again. And I have no regrets.
I can and am at peace because I know that I put everything I had into my service. I made sure that every night as I went to bed I would be satisfied with what I did that day, no matter how rough the day might have been. I truly worked with all my heart, might mind, and strength. And I am forever thankful for the wonderful journey that it's been.
Things don't always work out as we wish, hope, or dream. But I do know that as long as we trust in the Lord with all our hearts, one day all of our most beautiful dreams will come true. And what a glorious day that will be.

Looking For Rainbows

"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been."
Mormon 9:31

I really love this scripture. To me it says that we should be grateful in any circumstances, and be grateful for our imperfections. I've been thinking a lot about that lately. How can I be more grateful for my trials?
I believe that many times while we are in the moment of our trials, we often look down and focus on the negative. We ask "why me?" and forget that we are never truly alone. But our trials are what make us stronger and bring beauty into our lives.

Thankfully, we know that there will always be a rainbow after the rain. Christ lives and He is always waiting for us to come unto him. He can heal us and make everything okay again.

"Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

Mosiah 14:4-5

What is one way you've learned to develop an attitude of gratitude?

Are You Spiritually Armed?

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God ...
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God:"
Ephesians 6:13-17

The world today is so chaotic and full of confusion. There are many ways to stray from the path towards our Heavenly Father, and many people have fallen victim. I am a strong believer of the fact that every one of us is at war--and we truly are! Of course, it is a different battle than the one that comes to mind when we hear the word war... and I'm sure that when we think of armor, we usually think of the kind on a knight, rather than the armor of God described in Ephesians. Knowing that we are at war, how do we suit up? Our souls are at stake, and I definitely don't want to lose that fight!

Thankfully, our loving Heavenly Father also wants us to win our own daily battles and has prepared a way to do so. One of the ways that really was standing out to me today was our daily study of the scriptures. It's one small thing that we can do, but it arms us spiritually. It nourishes us so that we have the strength to fight, it brings peace to our hearts as we face the front-lines, and it hands us a weapon to combat the temptations that will come against us.
This may be a small and simple thing that may seem insignificant, but every day that we go out without having read our scriptures, or prayed, or any of those small things, we go into battle unarmed and we will fall. These simple things predict the ultimate outcome of our future.
So, I'll leave you with a question:
Are you spiritually armed?

"The secret to your future is hidden in your daily routine."

~Anonymous

Peace Be Unto Thy Soul

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."
D&C 121:7-8

I love being a missionary. It is great to be out serving God and those around me by sharing the gospel with all who will hear--I don't think I would want to be anywhere else right now. That being said, sometimes life as a missionary is hard. A full day of plans fall through, you're tired, and sometimes people aren't as kind as you'd like them to be. And you really kinda just want to curl up in a corner and not have to talk to people.
This is somewhat how I was feeling yesterday. It seemed like everything that could have fallen through did fall through, and my companion and I were exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically. Near the end of the day, we had an answer to our prayers and we met a young man who set up an appointment with us to come and talk to him! It was a tender mercy that I really needed.
This morning during my personal study I was reading through the story of Joseph Smith and the experience he had as he was called as a prophet to restore Christ's church. As I was reading, I thought of my experience and of his experience. The one that came to my mind specifically was when he was in Liberty Jail going through a LOT of persecution. At this time he cried out to God, saying "O God, where art thou? ... (D&C 121:1)." Our loving Heavenly Father reached out to him and comforted him with the words "My son, peace be unto thy soul..."
I know that I haven't gone through the trials that Joseph Smith had, but I still have times when I feel like crying out, pleading for God's help. And because of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I know that we are never alone. God will never forsake us, and he will bring peace to our souls if we just ask.
What brings you peace?

A Motherly Example

"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."
John 19:25-27

Yesterday I got to Skype my parents! I was so excited and it was nice to see their faces and hear their voices. It was a wonderful way to celebrate my Mother's Day. And I have to admit, it was pretty hard to end the Skype call and know that it will be another 6 months before I get to talk to them again. However, it was time to get back to work.
As I went back to work, this scripture came into my mind. I thought of how hard it must have been for Christ, in His most agonizing moments, to send His mom away and finish His Atoning sacrifice alone. I also thought of the difficulty Mary must have had in seeing her son suffering and dying on the cross--wanting to be there and support Him, but not wanting to see the pain on His face as he hung there. I'm sure she also realized that this was one thing He had to do alone.
I am so grateful for the example both have set. And I am grateful for the example my own mom has set. Just like Mary, I know my mom wants to be out here with me to help me when times get rough, but she also knows that I am in God's hands just as Christ was, and that this is a journey I must make on my own. And because of Christ's example, I know that there are times that I'm going to feel alone and that it's going to be hard. As He probably did, I want my mother to be with me. But I know that the sacrifices I'm making are for a greater good. The decision I made to sacrifice my time will affect myself and others eternally. Again I am in awe of the examples my loving Heavenly Father has set for me to follow.
Who is someone you look to as an example?

It Was Mom

With Mother's Day approaching, as one would guess, I've been thinking a lot about my mom. And my mom is SUPER inspiring to me. She has been a major part of me becoming who I am today! I think sometimes we just don't really realize how much our mothers mean to us. As a missionary, I've definitely noticed that a lot more and have been a lot more grateful for her example. One thing that has especially inspired me as I have been serving a mission is my mom's own desire to respond to the call to serve.
When my mom was younger, her and her friend were in a car accident. Her friend was killed, and she was paralyzed from the waist down (supposedly for the rest of her life). However, even being in a wheelchair, she still decided that she wanted to serve a mission. She served faithfully in the California Aneheim Mission for 18 months, and, while on her mission, learned to walk again. She is truly an example of faith preceding miracles and that anything is possible with God.
Knowing this helps to motivate me more everyday, especially when things get hard. When I "grow up", I hope I can be even a fraction as great as her. I love my mother so much, and I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who allowed her to be a part of my life.

What has your mom taught you?

#ItwasMom

My Heavenly Home

"Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again."
3 Nephi 17:3

A little while ago, one of the children in my ward back home sent me this letter:

 

I loved it! For a few reasons. Of course one of them is that I love letters. However, that's not the main reason. This letter reminded me of the sweet testimonies small children can have-it goes along really well with my motto: by small and simple things are great things brought to pass. We can learn so much about heaven from the mouths of small children.

I also loved this letter because it was a sweet reminder of home. It was a reminder of my home down in good ole' Idaho Falls where my family is. It was also a reminder of my heavenly home, where our loving Heavenly Father resides. For me, the temple gives me a chance to feel like I'm in my heavenly home. It is a place where I can go and, as the scripture says above, ponder upon the things my Heavenly Father has told me. It is a place where I can pray and seek for more answers, and it is a place where my earthly family can become an eternal family.

What reminds you of your heavenly home?