Your Journey Home

Conference was incredible.   One of the main things I learned was A LOT about the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. I need to be a whole lot better about studying and pondering what i've read. I have committed to be better at that. I am not going to write a lot about what I learned from conference today, what I am going to share with you is an AMAZING poem my sister-in-law wrote.  Keep in mind she is only 16, she is absolutely amazing at painting, writing and just about everything else.   {Please read all of it, it's just that great and worth it} Fake {Katrina Tolman} Fake faces buried under makeup, Fake hair in fake colors, I sit in the background of a fake world, Watching. People always dieting, All spending their money, A subtle contest between everyone, At who can look the best Words on the internet, Shadows of cowards, That hide behind the fakeness Of an idea that's disguised as cool, Fake tans, fake eyelashes, Fake nails and fake bodies, Real...

(This is my cute dad) I have been thinking a lot about the topic I am going to be writing about today.  It has especially been on my mind since August 14th when my brother, Chan gave his homecoming talk after returning home from the Boston, Mass. mission.  His talk hit me like a ton of bricks, it was amazing.  His talk was on Obedience .  To back up a little bit.... before Chan left on his mission he was set apart as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  In the blessing Chan was told that he needed to be completely obedient to the commandments and to whatever rules the Mission President had set in order to receive all the blessings promised and to find many people to teach the Gospel to.  So, Chan did just that, he was completely obedient and successful all the way up until September 12th 2010.  This was the day our dear father passed away.  It was so incredibly hard for us! It was the hardest trial we had ...

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived." -Marjorie Pay Hinckley Now that is exactly how I want to show up to the pearly gates. I want to REALLY live. I challenge you this coming week to look for opportunities to serve others!

Many of us go day to day not really realizing ALL we have to be thankful for. A lot of times we think that the times we are living in are terrible, hard, not easy and no one understands. Those are just a few of the words I hear myself and others muttering during those trials and hard times. Everyone has trials, no matter who the person is.  Just because someone is happy and positive all the time doesn't mean that they aren't or haven't gone through something terrible recently.  They are happy because being happy and positive is how they CHOOSE to deal with that hardship!  Now am I perfect at this?  Is anyone really perfect at this?  No.  But we can all strive to work on that.  Happy and positive people are just more fun to be around.  Wouldn't you agree? If you are going through a particularly hard time I would like to challenge you to something.  Each day write down two things you are grateful for....  For example 1. Family  2. The...