Music to His Ears

I love music.  I was introduced into the world of music at a young age.  My parents love music.  In fact, their first date was to the symphony!  My sister and I began learning violin at a young age.  It took a lot of hard work and practice.  As I get older and practice smarter, my musical abilities increase.  I have gained a love for performing. 

I've played in small group settings, as well as large group settings.  I've gone on music tours, including a tour to Italy along with several other violinists, to play in various Cathedrals.  In all these different settings, the feeling is the same; excitement, nervousness, and thrill fill my body.

However, the feeling I have when I play in an LDS Chapel is different.

Whenever asked to play in Church or for a fireside, I feel the weight of a calling.  I'm not just playing violin in a venue, I'm playing for my Father in Heaven.  It is how I bear testimony of Him.  It is how I communicate with Him.

When I play in a dedicated house of God, my heart swells with emotion.

While in Italy, we had the opportunity to do a musical number for a small branch in Rome during the Sacrament Meeting.  Before church started, we tried to communicate with the members, but hardly any of them spoke English.  But though we did not speak the same language, we could feel the spirit teaching each of us the same things.  As time for the musical number came, we performed a duet for "O My Father."

 Each violinist felt the Spirit as we played.  Many in the congregation and on stage cried as we played.  The melody sank into my heart, and gratitude for the Restoration of the Gospel overwhelmed me.

I knew Heavenly Father heard my testimony that day.  I knew He loved me and those members in Italy.  I felt it.  As I have continued to play violin in firesides on my mission, I feel my Father's love for all those around me.

Nashvillians

Life has opportunities.  Some we expect, some we don't.  I've had an opportunity to live in Nashville for a little over a year.  It wasn't something I anticipated doing, but my experience here has been one of growth. 

One of my first days here, I sat in the car and cried.  I was so far from home, trying to teach a new missionary, knew no one, and felt so alone.  My companion and I turned to prayer.  As we quietly told our Father in Heaven that we felt alone, He prompted us to visit a young man.  The name popped into my head, and I began searching for his address in our lists of people to visit.  When we knocked on his door, we were welcomed in with a smile.  His brother was there and committed to make the covenant of baptism.  It was a beautiful night full of prayer. 

I was grateful my Heavenly Father had shown me where to go when I'd felt so alone in this city.



Photo Courtesy of Jaclyn Sampson



Since that experience, He has done this for me countless times.  Just when I feel lost, He directs me where to go. This has taught me to love everything about the Nashville city: the people, the buildings, the culture, the "Southern Hospitality", the faith of many other Christians... I love Nashville!

As I've worked and served with so many valiant members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I have been reminded of the many miracles that occur in each of our lives.  These Nashvillians have altered my views on many things, and drawn me closer to my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I am grateful for their example.  I'm grateful for their love.  I'm grateful that when I have felt alone, Heavenly Father blesses me with friends, though I'm far away from my home.





President "Hal"

President Henry B. Eyring 

Henry B. Eyring (known as "Hal" to friends and family) was born in Princeton, New Jersey on May 31, 1933.  He married Kathleen Johnson in 1962.  From 1971-77 he was the President of Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho.  In October of 1992 he was called to serve as a member of the Seventy.  Three years later on April 1, 1995, he was named to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He now serves as the First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and has served in that position faithfully since February 3, 2008.

Known for his intelligence, not only secularly, but also spiritually, President Eyring has been an example of humility, knowledge, wisdom, and obedience.  He strives to follow spiritual promptings.  I have always looked up to President Eyring and his remarkable ability to serve, regardless of situation, age, strength, health, or task.

"Great teachers have shown me how to prepare to keep the oath and covenant when time and age will make it harder. They have shown and taught me how to discipline myself to work harder than I thought I could while I still have health and strength.

"I can’t be a perfect servant every hour, but I can try to give more effort than I thought I could. With that habit formed early on, I will be prepared for trials later. You and I can be prepared with the strength to keep our oath and covenant through the tests that will surely come as we approach the end of life."

"The Rock"

1. 

Peter 

Simeon Peter was the son of Jonah a fisherman of Bethsaida and had a brother named Andrew.  He was living in Capernaum with his wife and mother-in-law when he was called by Jesus Christ to be a Disciple and Apostle of our Lord and Savior.  He was given the name Peter by His Redeemer and Friend.  This name means Rock.  Peter was present upon the Holy Mount when the Savior, Moses, and Elias (Elijah) gave Peter the necessary keys to perform the saving ordinances of Salvation.  Though he had mortal weaknesses, Heavenly Father and His Begotten Son chose Peter to lead and guide the Church after Jesus Christ's resurrection and ascension into Heaven.  He learned by faith, and taught the early Christian Saints to do the same.  Through Peter, the gospel was brought to the Gentiles.  It is believed that Peter was martyred in Rome around the year 65 A.D.

 

In the year 1829 Peter, with James and John, came from heaven and conferred the Melchizedek Priesthood and the keys thereof upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.

Most know the story of when Peter denied knowing the Christ. 

“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

“And [Peter] said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

“And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me...

“But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.  And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not."

This is Peter's first denial.

“And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not."

This is Peter's second denial.

“And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.

“And Peter said, 'Man, I know not what thou sayest.'"

This is Peter's third denial of the Christ.

 "Immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.

“And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

“And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.”

(Luke 22:31–34, 56–62).

I can only imagine how Peter felt.  Jesus Christ, having just suffered the Atonement hours earlier, knew exactly how Peter felt.  He knew the suffering and pain that came along with denying knowing his dearest friend.  He understood, and was thus merciful unto Peter.  Just as Peter had denied the Christ 3 times, he was allowed to declare his love for the Redeemer.

Three days after Christ was crucified, he appeared unto a few of His disciples.  On one particular day, Peter went fishing with a few of the disciples.  As they cast their nets out, a figure stood on the shore.  From the things said, John the Beloved told Peter it was the Lord.  Peter threw himself into the sea and swam to the shore.  Can you imagine the feeling in Peter's heart as he hurried to the Savior?  The Divine Being who gave him all, whom he had denied in His most perilous hour, stood on the shore, beckoning him to "come and dine." 

After they had eaten, Jesus turned to Peter, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?"

Peter declared, "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee."

"Feed my lambs," replied the Savior.  This was the first time Peter was given the chance to declare his love for his Redeemer after denying Christ thrice.

Jesus again said, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?"

"Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee."

"Feed my sheep."

This is Peter's second redemptive declaration.

"He saith unto him the third time, 'Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?'  Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, 'Lovest thou me?'

"And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.

"Jesus saith unto him, 'Feed my sheep.'"

This is Peter's third redemptive declaration.

Jesus is the Christ.  I know that regardless of how many times we slip up or how many wrong turns we take, the Lord always gives us the opportunity to declare our worthiness before Him.  For Peter, his wrong turn was made in the streets of Jerusalem as he denied knowing and walking with the Savior.  It was on the banks of the sea of Tiberias, where Peter was able to declare his unending devotion to the Savior.

If we can but turn to the Lord as Peter did, our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ will always heal our wounds of past transgression.  They can and will build us upon their rock, and teach us how to prevail against further temptation.

"Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

-Matthew 16:18

Prophet, Seer and Revelator

This is President Thomas S. Monson.  He has been called of God as the Prophet, Seer and Revelator for the entire world.  He was called by revelation, and sustained by millions of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He is the authorized successor of all the Priesthood Keys on the earth. 

Twice a year, the world has the opportunity to hear him speak, giving us guidance and direction from Heavenly Father.  The prophet is a regular man, just like you and me, who has been given the responsibility to care for the salvation of men's souls here on the earth.  He travels around the world, taking care of affairs of the Lord's Kingdom, authorizing the building of temples, and strengthening the faith of millions. 

President Thomas S. Monson was born on August 21, 1927 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  He graduated from the University of Utah in 1948, and later that year married Frances Beverly Johnson.  He also served in the Navy towards the end of World War II.

In the year 1959, at the age of 32, He was called to preside over the Canadian Mission until 1962.  At the young age of 36, Thomas S. Monson was called, sustained, and ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October of 1963.  He was called as Second Counselor to President Ezra Taft Benson on November 10, 1985; to President Howard W. Hunter on June 5, 1994; and called as First Counselor to President Gordon B. Hinckley on March 12, 1995 until February 3, 2008.

Now, President Thomas S. Monson serves as the 16^th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Feel Something

One of the most important things we can ask ourselves after we pray or read the word of God is, "Did I feel something?"  If we haven't, perhaps we need to pray a little more earnestly, or read more intently.

In past months, I felt my personal prayers were brief, and rather well, dead.  I wasn't feeling much when I was praying.  During a meeting, an Elder challenged each of us missionaries to go in a seperate room, where we could pray out loud, and talk to God about concerns we had.  I went into a secluded part of the building, and got down on my knees.  With a pad of paper and pen, I wrote down the thoughts and impressions that came to my heart as I prayed aloud to my Father in Heaven.  It was a sweet and beautiful experience.  Every night since, I have kept a notebook next to my bed, where I can write down the feelings I have before, during and after my prayers.

Doing this has brought me closer to my Father in Heaven.  It was helped me realize that I, Joy Valentine, have real potential.  Potential to become like Heavenly Father.  Potential to grow, develop, learn, and be eternally happy.  This knowledge has bettered my self esteem, and brightened my happy moments.

I know that if we take the time to pray and write down impressions, that each time, we will be able to say, "I feel something."  That something is the Holy Spirit of God.  That Spirit will always testify to us the things we must do to return to our Father in Heaven.

"Dear Self..."

A year ago, I was making some big changes in my life.  I was thrilled with the excitement I felt, and the wonderful spirit that was in my heart!  I didn't want to lose the way I felt or the warmness that filled my soul.  I was so happy! 

It was then that I found a talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks titled, "The Challenge to Become."  As I rea through the talk, it struck me that I was becoming something.  I was becoming the woman that Heavenly Father wanted me to be.  The thought also came that this pursuit would be a life-long development.  This challenge to become more than I was, became an exciting adventure. 

One morning, I decided to get out a piece of paper and pen, and write myself a letter.  It was a long letter.  I wrote down the desires of my heart and the things that I loved.  I smiled, remembering the wonderful events, people, and things in life that made me so happy. Then I wrote down the hard lessons I learned.  Tears filled my eyes as I remembered past mistakes, regrets, sorrows, trials, and challenges. 

It was in those hard moments that I was able to look back and realize what I had become because of them. 

I then wrote down goals, things I wanted to accomplish, habits I wanted to continue doing, as well as old poor habits I wanted to keep out of my life. 

I signed my letter, sealed it up, and wrote a date on the envelope of when I would allow myself to read my letter.

This letter has become a treasure to me.  Though I cannot recall everything I wrote in it, I do remember the way I felt as I wrote it.  It is a constant reminder to be willing to change, grow and become.  Having that letter within daily sight has motivated me to be a little kinder, a littler happier, a little more repentant, a little more willing, to work just a little harder, and see things a little differently.

I love my Father in Heaven for challenging me to become something great-a daughter in His Kingdom.  I am grateful that He sees such potential in each of us.

I challenge you to read this talk, (It's linked up yo!) write yourself a letter, seal it up, and save it for a rainy day. 

What is Love?

Every human being has a desire to feel loved. 

When I was in my first year of college, I felt a lack of love in my life.  I felt alone, frustrated and depressed.  I searched for meaning in my life but found little.

One day, I decided I needed to have a really good one-on-one conversation with God.  I found myself alone, and there I prayed.  I begged for some sort of feeling of comfort.  With tears spilling across my cheeks, I knew that Heavenly Father knows me, my challenges, and LOVES me.

That feeling has never left me.  What strengthened me even more was a dear friend of mine who took the time to show me how important I was.  It reaffirmed the feelings I felt from  Heavenly Father.

We all need to do a little better at reaching out to those who have lost their way on the path of God's love.  We need to bring them back, pull them in, and help them understand the importance they have to us, and to Heavenly Father.

Modest Moustache: Influence

The way we dress not only influences the way we look, but also the way we feel, and the way others view us. 

If I were to attend a party designed for the elite, I would make sure I looked the part.  That is how we should dress.  We should dress appropriate to our  Heavenly Father's standards, as well as appropriate to the occassion.

The Modest Moustache: A Line Drawn

Modesty is an expression of our commitment to honor our Heavenly Father.  It shows our willingness to obey ALL of His commandments.  

The Modest Moustache: Friends on Modesty

 "Knowing the kind of guy my dress attracts. If it was revealing, the guy would generally have low morals and low expectations of himself and me. But when I dress modest, I know his attention is on me and not my immodest apparel. His standards are also higher, so he'll treat me with better respect."

"Well for me, I know that dressing modestly prepares me for the Temple, and why would I so drastically change my standards of dress then? Just like we prepare spiritually, we need to be preparing in every other way to show that we understand and are ready to make that commitment. I know that Heavenly Father is mindful and blesses us when we make a diligent effort to respect our bodies in a world that makes it inconvenient! Plus, I could still keep the same cute clothes and not have to get rid of any--I will be avoiding a difficult transition :)"

Modesty helps me to remember the convenants that I have made with my heavenly father. It also helps the people you are around have a great respect for you. If you are dressed immodestly people tend to degrade your opinion they way that they feel you degrade yourself and therefore your opinion is not as valid. Mostly though it is because I love my heavenly father and I know that I would want to be dressed modestly in his presence.

To be an example to my girls and the youth. It is possible to be immodest, even after going to the temple. I also respect myself and want others to respect me, too.

Lately - my aging body ;o) Oh, and I heard this at church a couple of weeks ago. If you dress like a circus, you'll attract a lot of clowns. I think that sums it up for me.

One of the reasons I dress modestly is because it helps me love my body. In this day and age so many woman struggle with body image issues and body dysmorphic disorder. Why do you think that is? Because society has crazy expectations of how... we should look and in clothes that are too small, short, and revealing. If you ask me.. society has body dysmorphic disorder. Dressing modestly helps me not have unrealistic and crazy expectations of my body. Helps me love it for the way it is. Looking back on my life I have loved my body and felt the most beautiful when I was dressed modestly.

I'm motivated by the fact it's a challenge to find modest clothing :) seriously though, I dress modestly because I feel better about myself. I don't have to worry about showing too much if I have to go somewhere. I see all these girls/women who constantly have to check to make sure their clothes are covering everything to avoid an embarrassing situation.

Because I like to be able to say "modest is the hottest!!" Hahah :)

The Modest Moustache: What's with the Jacket?

This last Fathers Day gave me the chance to reflect on some of the life lessons my dad has taught me.  My dad has always appreciated a modest appearance. Growing up he always taught me to dress in such a way that I would would feel clean, and never feel uncomfortable.

When I was in my first couple years of college, however, I thought I knew better than my dad. I had a beautiful black and cream dress that I loved. To my standard, I thought it was pretty modest. I thought, "Sure, it doesn’t have sleeves, but the straps are thick enough."

One day I was asked on a date to a black tie event by a very attractive young man. He had just gotten home from his mission a few months ago and I was very excited to go. I thought about the dresses I had, and tried a couple of them on to see which one I should wear. I finally settled on the black and cream dress. But worrying about what my dad would say if I wore the dress, I packed it into a bag and changed on the way to meet my date.

I wish I could say that immediately I felt bad or guilty for my clothing choice. But the truth is that I had a good time on the date. I felt comfortable and beautiful in my dress. My date complimented me on my dress as well! A few days later I was invited to a similar event-more casual this time. I thought I knew my standards well enough, and so I wore my favorite jeans and a cute top with, again, thick straps, but no sleeves. This time as I walked down the stairs to get my car keys, my dad walked in the door. He looked at me and then at the floor. He asked, "I hope you wearing a jacket. It’s cold outside."

But I knew my dad wasn’t asking me to wear a jacket because it was cold outside. I knew he was asking me to wear a jacket because my shirt had no sleeves. Annoyed, I went upstairs and got a sweater. He gave me a hug and told me to have fun on my date.

 

As I approached my date, he asked, "What’s with the jacket?" He knew that days earlier I had been fine wearing an immodest dress, and he was now wondering why I had chosen not to on this particular date.

I replied with the same excuse my dad had used. "It’s cold outside."

He told me to ditch the jacket and then we could go. Feeling pressured, I did. The entire night I felt so uncomfortable because I had compromised the Lord’s Standards (what should have been my standards too) and settled for what I thought was "cute" or "beautiful". But I was missing something vitally important—the light of Christ that makes me a daughter of God. That is what makes me beautiful.

I didn’t feel beautiful on my date. In fact, I felt ugly the entire night. I kept trying to find excuses for me to go home. Frankly, from the way my date had reacted about my clothing choice bothered me so much, that I didn’t want to go out with him anymore!

I knew my dad would be disappointed if he had seen my choice to dress immodestly. I also knew that Heavenly Father was sad by the choice I made to turn away from the standards He has given His daughters. The following weeks I thought about my commitment to the gospel and to the Lord. Was I willing to give up the standards of the world and obey the my Father in Heaven's standards?

President Gordon B. Hinckley once spoke to the Young Women of the World,

"Modesty in dress and manner will assist in protecting against temptation. It may be difficult to find modest clothing, but it can be found with enough effort... I do not hesitate to say that you can be attractive without being immodest. You can be refreshing and buoyant and beautiful in your dress and in your behavior. Your appeal to others will come of your personality, which is the sum of your individual characteristics. Be happy. Wear a smile. Have fun. But draw some rigid parameters, a line in the sand, as it were, beyond which you will not go."

Since this experience, I have learned that because I am a daughter of God, I have the sacred privelege to dress modestly, protect my spirit, and become the woman Heavenly Father desires for me to be. It has also challenged me to develop my personality. Dressing modestly has taught me to rely on making friends instead of making an impression. Lifting my standards has lifted me closer to my Father in Heaven.

The Modest Moustache: Intro

The summer is here!  Guess what that means... it's time to review the Lord's standards on modesty. :) 

Too often the world teaches us to base our self esteem on the way we look, instead of who we are.  There is so much I have to write about this subject, so it's going to be a mini series.  

I titled this series of posts The Modest Moustache.   Why?  Because a moustache covers up your face.  It's cleanly trimmed, and neatly combed.  We should dress like a moustache.  We should be covered up, neat, and clean.

First, I wanted to start with this simple statement from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...

Reading this made me reflect on some of my clothing choices previous to serving a mission.   Some of my experiences with the principle of modesty will be recorded in this series.  Other posts will be of things I found about dressing modestly that were unique.

 I hope that those who read will take caution in the way they dress and present themselves. 

The Family is Ordained of God

Some twenty-plus years ago, my family started.  My parents were married, sealed for time and all eternity in a Temple of the Lord.  I have 7 siblings--all of us are so different from one another.  Together we make up (what my dorky dad calls us)
the Valentine Clan! 

I've come to love this title.  Our little band has bonds that will never be broken.  We stick together-thick and thin.  We love being with one another and appreciate the differences we have because it makes us who we are. 

All throughout time God has taught parents how to raise their children to be good citizens, loving neighbors, and eventually, how to return home to Him--our Father in Heaven.  In modern days He again speaks to prophets who are able to teach us the ways of this life to obtain ultimate happiness after this life. 

That way to ultimate happiness is through the family.

Which came first: the Chicken, or the Egg?

We've all heard this question. 

So, which one came first, the chicken or the egg? 

I have no idea. 

In fact, this post has nothing to do with which came first.

But it has a lot to do with chickens and eggs.  Stick with me.  I'm going to compare us to chickens, and then to eggs.  If we are a chicken, then that means we have survived the hatching process, the trial of taking our first steps, the amusement of falling down a few times, and the reward of becoming independent through our choices.

However, if we are an agg, we have very little choice in what we do.  We cannot learn or grow if we are stuck in a shell.  Withough agency, we are unable to progress.

"O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart."
-3 Nephi 10

We are given a choice to be gathered.  Some may choose to stray, but the Father will always be there with open arms, to gather us in. Satans however, wants to keep us from being gathered, from learning of God's love-from making any kind of choice.

"I... have robbed their treasures... and my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped."

-Isaiah 10

Satan does not want us to progress.  His goal is to rob us of our agency and happiness.  And of course none opened the mouth or peeped! How could they?  If Satan takes us forcefully down the path of life, then we are not able to progress, or in the case of an egg, even hatch!  We would never learn of our potential to become like the Father, because we would never be given the chance. 

I thought of the many differences between our Heavenly Father's plan of love and redemption, and Lucifer's plan of captivity and damnation.  Our Father's plan for us is so perfect.  He allows us to make our own choices.  He provides a way for us to be safetly gathered home under His loving wing.

Gravity

It's not always easy to be happy.  But I know from experience that it is better to be happy.  I love my life.  I love the people in it.  When I am happy it is easy to look around and see all the blessings that Heavenly Father gives to us.

I use to go bowling every Wednesday night with friends.  I was always happy on those nights because I was with some of the people I love most.  They taught me how important happiness was.  This picture was snapped on one of those happy nights.

I feel the Love of God surrounding me daily.  He does draw me to Him as I seek Him.

Shoes

Even though my life is far from being over, I loved this quote.  I hope to serve the Lord faithfully and diligently throught my life!

Julie Joins the Church

Growing up, my mom (Julie) had very little religious background.  As a young girl she believed in God, but did not claim a specific religion as her own. 

As she got older, she was determined to have good values and good morals.  She lived an honorable life all through High School.  As High School Graduation came, Julie and her friends took a trip to Hawaii, and toured the Hawaii Temple.  She filled out a referral card at the end of the tour.  The card asked basic information, and then asked if the visitor would like to have the missionaries come to their home.  Julie saw this card, but didn't know what to check.  So she left it blank.

A few weeks later, two LDS missionaries knocked on her door.  They held her referral card from the temple.  The box was checked "YES".  My mother was confused and explained to the Elders that she did not check that box.  She closed the door.  She later told us that when she closed that door, she knew she had done something wrong.

After graduating from the College of Nursing at the Universtity of Arizona, she got a job working in the Los Angelos Hospital.  On one of her first days, the staff nurse was showing my mom around the hospital.  There was a display of pictures of all the doctors working on her floor.  She saw a picture of a doctor named Mark Valentine and thought, "He's cute!"

They ran into each other at work, chatted, and eventually, Mark asked Julie on a date.  He was a classy man, and took her to the symphony.  This impressed Julie, and she agreed to a second date.  They continued to date, and because Julie was so cool (and anyone who knows her knows legitimately how awesome and fun she is), Mark became more and more interested in her. 

Mark was also very interested in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He had grown up in a religious family.  His parents and all four siblings were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He had served a full time mission in El Salvador. 

One day, Mark asked Julie, "What do you know about the Church I go to?"  Julie had a friend who had been a mormon, and had some preconceived notions about their beliefs. 

She answered, "I don't like that you worship Joseph Smith."  She then told Mark about how important she felt it was to only worship God.  Mark smiled at Julie and explained that mormons worship only God the Father and Jesus Christ.  He explained Joseph Smith's role as a prophet, but assured her that we did not worship any man.  He gave her a book about the life of the man named Joseph Smith.  Julie read it.

While she was reading the book, she felt a desire to learn more.  She believed that there must be more to this man.  He never denied what he saw, and even died because of it.  She picked up the phone and called the number for the Los Angelos Temple Visitors Center.  An elderly man picked up on the other line.  My mom said, "I think I need to learn more about your church.  Is there someone I can talk to?"

Before too long, Julie was actively reading the Book of Mormon, and knew it was true.  She knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  She knew that she was a daughter of God.  So what did she do?

Put on a white jumpsuit and got baptized!!

The following year, Mark and Julie were sealed for time AND ETERNITY in the Los Angelos Temple. 

And I'm lucky enough to have them as parents. 

I am so grateful for my Dad's willingness to share the gospel with my mom.  I will talk more about HIS story in another post.  But since it is mothers day, this goes out to my mama!

I'm blessed to have a mother that loves the Lord as much as she loves her children.  She has always put the Savior first, and taught us to do the same.  My sister followed the example of my mother and was sealed to her sweetheart in a Temple of God.

I miss you mom.  Happy Mothers Day!

1 Hot Mama!

My dad bought this card for my mom back in Mother's Day 2010.  It was the last Mother's Day I was able to celebrate with my family. 

And let me tell you--I do have a great mom!! She is adorable.  I'm lucky to have some of her genes!  She is so fun. 

I'm grateful that I get to visit with them a little over the phone this weekend. 

Mom, I love you.  Happy Mothers Day!  I hope it's the best yet!

Even the Flamingos

I had a chance to go to the Zoo with some friends a few weeks ago on our P-day.  While there, we saw a  flamingo who had wandered from the rest of the flamingo clan, just chillin in the pond.  He continued to stretch his neck down into the water, drinking and splashing himself over and over and over and over and over. 

Get the picture? 

  I thought to myself, "how could he be so thirsty when the water is right in front of him?"

As I thought of this thirsty flamingo, it reminded me of some past experiences. 

I grew up a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Also known as the Mormons.  During my early college years, I did not know I was thirsty for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I thought I could easily find happiness through friends, a good job, and a good education.  I searched and searched but still felt that there was something missing in my life.

Soon I found myself wandering from my daily habits of scripture study and prayer.  I also distanced myself from family members who I had been so close to for so long.  Most importantly, I distanced myself from my Savior, Jesus Christ and my Father in Heaven.

I was thirsty for spiritual water, but couldn't find the pond.

I started a new job, and made an incredible new friend.  Her name is Jenn.  She was actually my boss at work.  She began to invite me to events, and pretty soon we had grown close.  She set a great example for me.  I saw that she still had fun while living standards the Lord had set.  She was happy and thrived on teaching others about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ in her Sunday School class.

She told me that she had a desire to serve a mission, had prayed about it, and received the answer that now was not the time for her to serve a full time mission.  But she was a missionary to me.

She led me back to the water that had been sitting in front of my face!  She helped me regain my testimony through her example and friendship.

Jenn put her whole heart into our friendship and showed me where to find the living water of the gospel.  She taught me the importance of daily conversion and daily study.  Those habits are now ingrained in me and I will never again stray from the arms of my loving Heavenly Father.

I'm grateful for my dear Jenn!  I miss her and am so proud of all the wonderful things she has accomplished in her life. 

I hope you read this, and think of someone that you can help lead back to the water that "springs up unto everlasting life."  Even if that person is yourself!