The Maze or The Traveling Companion

Have you ever had that moment when you're quiet on the inside, just pondering what the Lord has for you and a thought pops into your head? I'm sure that most of us have had that and experiences like that in our lives. When we act upon them, do our best to obey and they are fulfilled, what we thought would happen came to fruition. But have you ever had a time when they didn't?

Yep, that happened to me this week, I was quiet in the inside, thinking about nothing in particular and a thought just popped into my head, I questioned it a bit, checked for authenticity and went with it. It brought peace to my heart and excitement to my mind and that is usually a pretty good indication that that inspiration just came from Heavenly Father, there's only one catch, it didn't happen. I was crushed, confused and hurt. Mind you, some will say that obviously I was confused and just didn't interpret the inspiration correctly. Which is a possibility, but considering I was in the temple and I triple checked, I felt pretty good about it, so why didn't it happen?

For anybody out there who feels confused or hurt or frustrated I understand and respect it. Sometimes I wonder if Heavenly Father sends us those feelings so we know we are worthy of whatever He told us or that we were considered (which is a really awesome thing) I also wonder if He does it to see how we will respond. In those moments when we feel directed to a new experience or opportunity we feel nervous, but because we are called of the Lord we know we can do it, we tell the Lord "I'll go where you want me to go, I'll do what you want me to do, I'll say what you want me to say". Yet when the moment arrives and it doesn't play out as expected, can we still say these words? Our character is determined by how we react when life doesn't play out as we expected it too. We can trust completely in whatever Heavenly Father tells us, as my mission companion once said "we follow Heavenly Father until we hit a wall, then we ask Him what to do next". Sometimes it may feel that we have hit a wall, instead we have simply found the next place that reminds us to keep Heavenly Father as a traveling companion, active in our life.

It is hard to not receive that thing that first terrified us, then excited us, but I hope that we will never rail at God, for He is the master planner and designer, perhaps only He knows why things played out as they did, I guarantee He has a plan and a purpose. Many things will enter our lives throughout the course of a lifetime and each comes for a purpose. I don't know why that opportunity didn't come as expected, but I'm thankful that it opened my heart to speak with Him more so that together we can figure my wee mortal life out.

It takes you

As a child I never thought much about what fatherhood entailed, I just knew that my dad worked all day away from home and then, in the summers, he came home and worked outside all night long in the garden. It's not until I grew up and started understanding what "bills" meant and the many hours he put in to pay them and worked in the garden to feed us that I saw the long loving hours he put in for us.

There's not a day that goes by without my dad asking how all the kids are doing, what we're up to, how goes school, what about food storage, are we getting enough sleep, and have we changed the oil in our car recently. I still remember and cherish that one youth conference when my dad, as bishopbric member, was a chaperone at the youth dance and when he saw that none of the boys asked me to dance he asked me. I've danced with many young men since, but that dance means the most to me.

The responsibilities of fatherhood are so overwhelming; to temporally provide for your family, to spiritually lead in your home and make sure that no matter what comes your children know your home is a safe harbour. I'm so thankful that my father has willingly and faithfully fulfilled those roles in my life, for always striving to do his duty, he has shown me that making your word as good as your bond is a very powerful thing. Thank you Dad for all you do and thank you to all the Dads out there who strive to faithfully do their duty and show us the care our Heavenly Father wants us to know.

For those who don't have a father in the home, thank you to the men in our lives who bare the priesthood and show Christlike love and service. Fathers really are the unsung heroes for their many sleepless nights and many desires to see their families succeed.

I often wonder if the fathers of the world feel like this, yet they keep going.

For those who are still reading Elder Perry had some wonderful things to say about families and things as they really are, I know I felt encouraged.

"No one has ever come up with a more efficient way to raise the next generation than a household of married parents with children.

Public opinion polls show that marriage is still the ideal and the hope among the majority of every age group—even among the millennial generation, where we hear so much about chosen singleness, personal freedom, and cohabitation instead of marriage. The fact is that strong majorities worldwide still want to have children and to create strong families.

Once we are married and once we have children, the true commonality among all mankind becomes even more evident. As “family people”—no matter where we live or what our religious beliefs may be—we share many of the same struggles, the same adjustments, and the same hopes, worries, and dreams for our children.

As New York Times columnist David Brooks said: “People are not better off when they are given maximum personal freedom to do what they want. They’re better off when they are enshrouded in commitments that transcend personal choice—commitments to family, God, craft and country.”⁴

One problem is that much of the media and entertainment that the world shares does not reflect the priorities and values of the majority. For whatever reasons, too much of our television, movies, music, and Internet present a classic case of a minority masquerading as a majority. Immorality and amorality, ranging from graphic violence to recreational sex, is portrayed as the norm and can cause those who have mainstream values to feel like we are out of date or from a bygone era. In such a media and Internet-dominated world, it has never been harder to raise responsible children and to keep marriages and families together.

Despite what much of media and entertainment outlets may suggest, however, and despite the very real decline in the marriage and family orientation of some, the solid majority of mankind still believes that marriage should be between one man and one woman. They believe in fidelity within marriage, and they believe in the marriage vows of “in sickness and in health” and “till death do us part.”

We need to remind ourselves once in a while, as I was reminded in Rome, of the wonderfully reassuring and comforting fact that marriage and family are still the aspiration and ideal of most people and that we are not alone in those beliefs."

A Greater Reward

Dear World,
    I received some very exciting news this week. As I was converting files like mad this week my boss nonchalantly strolled and informed me that she talked with her boss and they've arranged to keep me on with pay for the rest of the summer, needless to say I was related. Of course there was an "and but" that they couldn't guarantee into the school year, but they'll see what they can do. Okay, so I don't know what will happen three months from now, but I know it has worked out very well so far, Heavenly Father has fulfilled his word in my life.
   Now with that exciting announcement made I would like to share a story, then ask a question. Last two weeks my tablet has been on the fritz. The first night it wouldn't work I knew I didn't know where the receipt was and I was in a panic. You see the tablet was only two and a half months old and it was a very large investment and I didn't know what to do. As I prayed I worried and fretted until finally the Spirit said "quiet". I realized that worrying wouldn't solve anything and I instead sought for peace and prayed that everything would be all right. I felt assured everything would work out and I went to bed. Two weeks later the seller has worked with me for an exchange and what turned out to be an upgrade, indeed it has all worked out.
   Now for the question, how do you guys feel about the end of the world and the Second Coming of the Savior? Does it bring you fear, do you feel concern over the calamities of the coming days, do you not even think about it or are you one of the lucky ones who has enough perspective not to worry too much? I admit I'm one of the nervous/scared ones. Ever since I was little I've been keyed into the prophecies and signs of the times and the more I see in the world today, the more I know it must get worse before it gets better. For months now this thought has haunted and concerned me, yet as I've prayed to know how I should prepare and what I should do, I haven't gotten answers, but I have gotten peace.
   As I think about the job offer the Spirit assured me I couldn't refuse or my tablet which seemed a hopeless cause I am reminded that if Heavenly Father can take care of a tablet, He can take care of me. The signs of the times and prophecies of our Savior's coming are meant to instigate a change within us, we are meant to be preparing to welcome Him back to this earth, we can't do that if we don't know when He will arrive. Our loving Heavenly Father is letting the earth know that the time when our Savior will rule and reign on the earth again is near at hand. I don't know about you, but I know I'm not yet ready to look into my Savior's eyes. I am so thankful for this time that is calling me to prepare, so that I can do my part to prepare the earth for His coming.

   Though there are wars and rumors of wars and upheaval around the world, we are known and we are numbered and we will be taken care of as we each individually put our spiritual houses into order. As Elder Oaks said in last Conference:
"Subjects for general conference talks are assigned—not by mortal authority but by the impressions of the Spirit. Many subjects would address the mortal concerns we all share. But just as Jesus did not teach how to overcome the mortal challenges or political oppression of His day, He usually inspires His modern servants to speak about what we must do to reform our personal lives to prepare us to return to our heavenly home." Or I might add, our heavenly home to come and meet us.

As we trust in the Lord, for our trusting faithful times are just moments in the eternal scheme, we gain a far greater reward of love and peace.

The Meandering Road

 Have you ever had that moment when you were talking with a friend you hadn't talked with in a while and they were asking you all these questions you'd resolved months ago and had gone down a completely different path? Well, yep that was me this week. I was enjoying a visit with lots of new updates and plenty of exciting new adventures when this friend asked me how my job search was going. I told her about my work at the campus library and my new adventures. In our last conversation ( of two months ago) we'd talked about my efforts of getting into the medical community and my goals in the future. Since that time I applied for some jobs and none felt right until the digital librarian invited me to help with digitizing an oral history project for the community. I have so loved my work and though I still don't know how much time I have there I've loved it and known it is just the place I need to be.
   As we talked the other night I realized my friend had no clue about this month long journey and wanted to know about jobs I'd previously looked at. In that moment I realized just how far afield the Spirit had taken me and I have no specific, confirmed idea of where I'll end up and I realized it didn't matter. Though my journey has not gone where I thought it would it has still taken me to okay places. Sometimes meandering paths can be just as nerve-wracking as bumps in the road.
    We as human beings get so focused on what we think we should be doing. In our moments of clarity we think we see a complete path in front of us, when in reality the Lord has given us a glimpse of where to start. I'm so thankful for the Lord's patience with me as I strive to find just where those glimpses are taking me. When life seems to meander in unknown paths trust in a loving Heavenly Father who knows the beginning of the path to the end and He will guide us safely on. May the Spirit of the Lord be with us this week as we strive to find just where we are meant to be.

Pres Eyring,

"I cannot promise an end to your adversity in this life. I cannot assure you that your trials will seem to you to be only for a moment. One of the characteristics of trials in life is that they seem to make clocks slow down and then appear almost to stop.

There are reasons for that. Knowing those reasons may not give much comfort, but it can give you a feeling of patience. Those reasons come from this one fact: in Their perfect love for you, Heavenly Father and the Savior want you fitted to be with Them to live in families forever. Only those washed perfectly clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ can be there."