The Moments Together, Change us Forever!

Day 14 is, "Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without."

This past week, my family was able to meet up with some of my good friends, (basically family), from here in Tennessee. It brought me so much joy to know that the Gospel really brings us together as a big family!

Like the title of my post states, "The Moments Together, Change us Forever", I must say I have a strong testimony of this. As I've spent 19 years with my family in Utah, about 5 months with this family in Tennessee, and with so many other wonderful people, these are the moments that have made me who I am today. When I think about the "Picture of someone you could never imagine your life without." These are the wonderful people I think of, the people who have made my testimony in Jesus Christ and his Gospel, what it is today!

it makes you... you. :)

I've been thinking the last couple of days of the effects of attitude.  I found this quote online today, and it reeeally made me think for a little while.

It reads,

"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same." I find this to be so true, and if we really want joy in our lives, we simply have to choose to have it. In 2 Nephi 2:25, it says, "....Men are, that they might have JOY." I know this verse of scripture and this quote to be so true, we have to work to be happy. :)

One of my best friends posted this on her blog wall, and it just hit my heart. I had already been thinking about this topic, and then with this story, I decided this week is going to be great & filled with nothing but positive attitude! :) haha Here is the post:

John  is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it!

You can't be a positive person all of the time How do you do it?'

He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood

I choose to be in a good mood.'

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.

'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.

You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.'

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins..Wanna see my scars?'

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live.'

'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked

He continued, '..the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.'

'What did you do?' I asked.

'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity''

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything .

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.



Words... Of Wisdom :)

It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
Hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
"What am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"

"Three dollars once, three dollars twice,
Going for three". . . but no!
From the room far back a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet,
As sweet as an angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its bow.
"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand.
What changed its worth?" Swift came the reply:
"The touch of the Master's hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin.

A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on,
He's going once, and going twice -
He's going - and almost gone!
But the MASTER comes, and the foolish crowd,
Never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul, and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the MASTER'S hand.

..... 13!!!!

 A picture of your favorite band or artist

So right now... I love listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! As missionaries we only do things that invite the Holy Spirit. I must say that music is one of those things that invites it to be with us.

 I've really grown a love for the choir while on my mission. They have loads of songs that are sung beautifully, and even a few of those "Heart Hitters" (if you know what I mean). One of my favorites is "Where Love is". A few weeks ago I posted some of the lyrics on my facebook wall, but here are the rest of them. 

Where love is, there God is also.
Where love is, we want to be.
Guide us, his truths to follow;
Help us obey him faithfully.
Where love is, there God is also.
We think of him rev’rently.
Teach us to pray, to talk with him above
And know that he will guide us with his love.

The comfort of loving arms around us,
A song that makes us want to sing,
The happiness we feel when love has found us,
’Tis love we get when love we bring.

Where love is, there God is also.
And with him we want to be.
Show us the way and guide us tenderly
That we may dwell with him eternally

These lyrics are great! I hope that you feel the same great feeling reading them, that I did! In the For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet, it tell us this,

“Music is an important and powerful part of life. It can be an influence for good that helps you draw closer to Heavenly Father. However, it can also be used for wicked purposes. Unworthy music may seem harmless, but it can have evil effects on your mind and spirit.

“Choose carefully the music you listen to. Pay attention to how you feel when you are listening. Don’t listen to music that drives away the Spirit, encourages immorality, glorifies violence, uses foul or offensive language, or promotes Satanism or other evil practices”

A picture of something you love

Why do you love the SCRIPTURES??? :)

A picture of something you hate.

Some girls think that wearing less, impresses us guys. Well, that might be the case for a few but as for me I see it differently. I was trying to figure out why this is, and to tell you the truth, The For Strength of Youth pamplet says it best. It tell us this,

"Prophets of God have always counseled His children to dress modestly. The way you dress is a reflection of what you are on the inside. Your dress and grooming send messages about you to others and influence the way you and others act. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and can exercise a good influence on those around you.

Never lower your dress standards for any occasion. Doing so sends the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval and that modesty is important only when it is convenient."

It just makes sense... :) Girls that have high standards have my eye... Except while I'm on my mission!! :)

.......?

Day 10 

A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.

I think I'll change this to,

A Picture of the person(s) you do the greatest things with.

 

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in ea

rth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20)

It would have to be my missionary companions.

“Ye shall go forth in the power of my

Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by
two” (D&C 42:6)

Day 09

- A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most -

All of the aspects of human existence, brought about by the fall, Jesus Christ absorbed into himself, and he experienced vicariously in Gethsemane all the private griefs, the heartaches, all the physical pains and handicaps. All the emotional burdens and depressions of the human family. He knows the loneliness of those who don't fit in, or who aren't handsome or pretty, he knows what it's like to choose up teams and be the last one chosen, he knows the anguish of parents whose children go wrong, he knows the heartache of the abused child or spouse, he knows their things personally and intimately because he lived them in that Gethsemane, experienced having personally lived a perfect life he then chose to live our imperfect lives in the meridian of time the center of eternity, he lived a billion, billion lifetimes of sin, disease, pain, and sorrow, God has no magic wand in which he waves bad things into non-existence the sins he remits he remits by making them his own.

-Today-

Today... I wanted to take a break from the "30 Days of Me", and just really express how I feel. So as a missionary at times things get tough, stuff goes wrong, you miss your family and friends, or maybe a few teaching appointments drop. Sometimes things are amazing though, and you think, "Could I be any happier?".  Really one day is never like the next.  Today has been one of those days for me that I just have had to sit, and think about all that I really have been blessed with. My mom sent me a vinyl saying that sits on my desk, which reads, "Be Still & Know that I am God". It seems like whenever things are going great, we seem to fail at showing our love to God; and at times of heartache is when we really pray and search for him in our lives. So whether your having a great or rough day... I would encourage you to do just do as I did, and "Be Still" and feel the presence of God in your life. :)

I love my Father in Heaven so much. I know he is there like a best friend; through thick or thin, at all times, in all things, and in all places.

I will forever be thankful for him.