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| I LOVE MY MISSION! |
People always told me, "your mission goes by so fast, it will be over before you know it." That phrase is one you have to experience because for myself, i didn't really believe it until now. Nine of 18 treasured months have past & i only get 9 more. I am so grateful for one of my very best friends, Mama C, who shared this quote with me...
"you've had an eternity to prepare for your mission, & you'll have an eternity to reflect on it. but you only have 18 months to live it."
I will be forever grateful for this priceless experience of serving a mission. I still have so much to do & learn. It is hard in a way, to describe what i have discovered these past 9 months. One thing i know is that God has a plan for me & is molding me into
who i am.
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| Just a little celebration with crepes! :) |
I want to share some thoughts & feelings on those topics. There are 2 words that i have become very close to & they are:
ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE.
This is something our mission president, President Calderwood, mentions often. he once said something along these lines...
"we have no reason to be unhappy, we have the truth, we have the means to find joy in this life." these words have helped me A TON. I have absolutly no reason to be unhappy. I'm not saying my life has been all sunshine & roses, but since i've learned to put all my trust in my Heavenly Father & Savior and have an "eternal vision",
i am happy. I love this image of our so called "life marathon".
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| "In some respects, progressing through life is like running a marathon...the end may seem too far away to concern you now. But life, like a marathon, requires a good start and i strong, consistent effort all of the way to the finish." Elder Worthlin |
I love the imagary of this quote & how it can tie into the outline that
President Uchtdorf gives-
once upon a time...
experience trials...
overcome adversity...
stay true to what is right...
and they lived happily ever after!
So i've asked myself, "how am i going to live my happily ever after?" I have ALWAYS loved this talk, it has truly changed my perspective on my life. & there is no better way but to quote his exact words; here are a few of my favorites...
"Isn’t that what we all desire: to be the heroes and heroines of our own stories; to triumph over adversity; to experience life in all its beauty; and, in the end, to live happily ever after?"
"Isn’t it remarkable to know that our eternal Heavenly Father knows you, hears you, watches over you, and loves you with an infinite love?"
"But such a blessing does not come without a price. It is not given simply because you desire it. It comes only through understanding who you are and what you must become in order to be worthy of such a gift."
In his talk when he is relating life to fairy tails he says, "they must overcome adversity." every single princess, its just simply part of life.
2 Nephi 2:11,15
"Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way. Our loving Heavenly Father has set us in a world filled with challenges and trials so that we, through opposition, can learn wisdom, become stronger, and experience joy."
"Though it may seem that you are alone, angels attend you. Though you may feel that no one can understand the depth of your despair, our Savior, Jesus Christ, understands. He suffered more than we can possibly imagine, and He did it for us; He did it for you. You are not alone."
"when you are not quite sure what you are seeing, is it a beloved grandmother or is it a dangerous wolf?"
i love how it makes it sound so simple, because IT IS. All we have to do his TRUST him and FOLLOW his plan.
" And the day will come when you turn the final pages of your own glorious story; there you will read and experience the fulfillment of those blessed and wonderful words: “And they lived happily ever after.”
I found an journal entry from about a month ago that says...
As i was praying last night my mind flashed back to the process of deciding to serve a mission & the timing of it all. As i thought about my life & what has happened to me & my family the last couple years, i was enlightened by the plan Heavenly Father has for me, how He has helped me stay on the path of HIS plan for me. He knows me perfectly. He knows from the begining to the end. And i KNOW He has a plan for my life, as long as i stay close to Him & His son i will be quided & be the woman i was designed to be & do the things He has in store for me.
I am beyond grateful for these 9 months and can't wait to have 9 more filled with unforgetable experiences! Just trust Him!! He knows you PERFECTLY.
"your own wonderous story has already begun. your 'once upon a time' is now."
