All Things Denote There is a God

This morning, being a little bit stressed, I had the feeling like I should go for a walk. So I did. I ended up walking by the chapel in town and decided to stop. I sat on the picnic bench in the back and just pondered. I looked at the beauties around me and couldn't help but think of God's love.

 Then as the feeling of stress entered my mind yet again, I began to pray out loud to God while sitting here on this picnic bench. I had the feeling to simply thank Him for my many blessings. The trees, the sun, the cool breeze.

I continued to thank him for my family, and for the opportunities to grow that he sends to me and trusts me with. Peace filled my mind and I knew that He was close by, listening to me and watching over me. I know that everything will work out because He is in the details of my life. Being filled with love, peace and gratitude; I got up to leave, took some pictures around the church and then as I began to walk away felt like I needed to write this post here and now. So I came back to the picnic bench, and thanks to the technology that I have with me today, I began to type.

I know God lives and loves each of us. I know He watches over us all. When we take the time to pause and "Be still and know that I am God" He will enlighten us and fill us with His love. (Psalms 46:10) We can then realize as Alma did that "all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it." (Alma 30:44) I challenge you to think about your blessings and how you have seen God in your life and then write it down!

He loves you!

Sister's Sunday: The Key to Happiness!

Since this is a blog about dying for Happiness, maybe it would be good to know what the key to happiness is? So what is it? What is the key to happiness in your life?

Well, for me, one of the keys to happiness in my life is... yup you guessed it, my mother!!! My mom brought me into this great earth, and taught me the ways of living in the world today. She taught me how to serve, how to resist temptation, how to repent, how to live the gospel, how to cook, how to handle life, and most of all how to LOVE! My mother is one of the greatest examples of Christ like love. I mean, she has to be, she raised 5 boys for Pete's sake! She is an example of giving that never ceases! My mom was the Relief Society President in our ward for years, she was always busy helping others and never turned anyone away, and yet still had time to love me and be my mother! Then as she served as the seminary teacher, spending countless hours studying and preparing for her lesson, yet still dropping everything to help me with a problem I was having, or something I needed! She was always there to support every step of the way during my life. One thing that I highly respect of my mother, is that no matter how much she cared, and probably often wanted to make my choices for me, she taught me how to make difficult decision and live on my own, by allowing me to try and fail, as I often did! Then, tenderly loving me and guiding me back to where I needed to be! My mom is everything to me and one of the reasons why I am here on my mission! She is a constant strength to me, when something is hard, and I want to quit, I think of my mother, and then gain the courage and strength to continue!

One thing that I often remember doing with my mother is singing with her while she played the piano. I really miss those days! But in memory, I found this video, that I think is great!



Love ya Mom!!!

Sister's Sunday: "The Holy Temple - A Beacon to the World"

So this week, "Sister's Sunday" is written by Lauren!! Here she goes!

This was a very special week! Richard and I had the privilege to go to the Sacramento temple and be there as our friend was married and sealed for eternity to her husband. As I was sitting there, watching the two of them smiling and glowing with happiness and love for each other, I started crying! I couldn’t help it! The temple is definitely a sacred place where you can feel the Holy Spirit so strong and I was so happy for them because they will be able to be together forever! Then my thoughts turned to her older brother who was waiting outside and it just made me so sad that he couldn’t be in there at that time with her. I hope that his sister’s example that day will help him have the desire to make changes in his life and have the temple as his goal.
A few weeks ago in General Conference, President Monson spoke about temples and this is what he said about making the temple a priority in your life:

“If you have not yet been to the temple or if you have been but currently do not qualify for a recommend, there is no more important goal for you to work toward than being worthy to go to the temple. Your sacrifice may be bringing your life into compliance with what is required to receive a recommend, perhaps by forsaking long-held habits which disqualify you. It may be having the faith and the discipline to pay your tithing. Whatever it is, qualify to enter the temple of God. Secure a temple recommend and regard it as a precious possession, for such it is.

"Until you have entered the house of the Lord and have received all the blessings which await you there, you have not obtained everything the Church has to offer. The all-important and crowning blessings of membership in the Church are those blessings which we receive in the temples of God.” ("The Holy Temple - A Beacon to the World")

I am so grateful for temples! Being able to go to the temple is so important because the ordinances performed there allows us to be able to return to our Heavenly Father and have eternal families. These blessings cannot be received anywhere else, but in the temple. Let us all make the temple a priority in our lives!


Thanks Lauren! The Temple is amazing! I look up to all of my brothers and sisters, since they were all married in the Temple, for time and all of eternity! I know that they cherish that day, and go often to the temple to remember it!!! Here is a picture of Richard and Lauren on their wedding day at the Sacramento Temple!

I love all the temples, they are all beautiful and allow us to partake of the ordiances needed to return to God, here are some more pictures of the Temples!!

Learn more about Temples:
Temples.LDS.org
"The Blessings of the Temple"

Watch With Wonder Wednesday: Gifts From God

We have all been blessed with gifts!! One of the gifts that I believe I was blessed with was the ability to learn new things quickly (especially when it comes to technology.) When I was a senior in High School I got the opportunity to learn photography. I mostly taught myself but had a little coaching by a great man. So for "Watch with Wonder Wednesday" I wanted to share some of the pictures that I have taken. So here they are:

One day I had the urge to climb on top of the shed in our backyard, so I did, and of course I took my camera with me!!

I love the Beauty of the earth that God gave us and so I try to take a piece of that beauty with me!!

And so I continue: We all have gifts both temporal and spiritual. Today in a meeting of missionaries we had the opportunity to talk about spiritual gifts! It was a very spiritual meeting! We learned about each other and about ourselves! One of the main things that I stood out to me was the importance of being humble, but of being humble the right way! One of the missionaries said that "humility isn't tearing yourself down, but building God up!!!" That was such an eye opener to me. Often I think that in order to be humble I have to think that I am nothing, and that I don't have gifts like so many others do. That is just wrong! By doing so we are denying the reality of the blessings and gifts that God has given us. We are in essence telling God that our gifts aren't good enough! We have all been granted gifts because we have a Heavenly Father that truly loves us!! Our gifts are both for our benefit and for the benefit of those around us!

I love God and am so grateful for the lessons that I learn each day! I am full of gratitude for the gifts that God has granted me, and so deeply want to live up to them. I know that as we strive to do our best and seek to learn what our gifts are, we will be able to do great things for those around us and for our Heavenly Father!


Here is an article that I found today about spiritual gifts: "Recognize and Develop Your Spiritual Gifts, Elder Hales Counsels"