tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56863596609620243972023-11-16T05:19:36.360-08:00Kyndaling Some LightKyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-13036340432960236082018-08-17T13:07:00.002-07:002018-08-17T15:19:29.694-07:00How Do You Know When You've Found "The One"?!?! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> How do you know when you've found the one you're supposed to marry? </b></span></div>
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What are you supposed to feel? How do you know when you're making the right decision? How do you tell the difference between an infatuation and revelation? These questions were ones that weighed on my mind a lot over the past year or so. As I had returned home from my mission and began dating again, this question was one that kept haunting me. Everyone I asked throughout my mission and afterward seemed to have a different story, but to me, the generic answer I felt like I always got was "you just know" or "when you know, you know." I accepted these answers for a while, but once dating got more serious, especially with my now husband, that answer was just not sufficing it for me. I needed more. I learned that I am way too emotional of a person to just go off of "you will just know/feel when its right" because I didn't! At least not a first. So after months and months of praying about it, fasting about it, and studying a whole boat load on this topic of "knowing", I learned a lot about personal revelation and agency. After getting engaged and later talking to other young adults, I found out that this anxiety of mine to understand how you know who you should marry was actually really common among other people too. So after being married a couple months and settling in a little, I decided to share what I learned (and theres a lot so buckle in!), hoping it might help someone else out there.<br />
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I grew up in a family laden with divorce. My parents were divorced, my grandparents were all divorced, and what seemed like the majority of other relatives had been divorced. Divorce was almost just a norm for me as a child. I don't include this as some pity promoting section of this post, but I include it knowing that divorce is very prevalent in our society today and quite honestly, the idea can seem quite heartbreaking and scary. At least for me it did. And I know its the same for several other young adults. I always imagined that when it came time for me to meet "the one" that the Holy Ghost would help me know right away, I'd feel instant peace about whoever I was dating, I would feel an instant assurance of getting married one day, and some whimsical feeling to top it all off. After all, "you will just <i>know</i>" right? Eh, not really. At least not for me, and honestly I would say its not that way for the majority of people. So heres a look into my dating/engagement experience and everything I learned. I hope it helps someone dealing with the same questions!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Dating/Engagement Experience</span></b></div>
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I'd been home from my mission for several months, I was attending Utah State University, and I was going on a fair share of first or second dates here and there. I had been in a couple short term relationships since being home, and I was dating some really good guys. During those relationships, this question of how you <i>know</i> began circling through my head more often. None of those relationships panned out and I was getting super frustrating with dating and with boys. They seemed so fickle and I just hated all the emotional investment that went into these relationships. So in a moment of frustration and hurt, I remember making a decision to back off any potential relationships for a long while. I just wanted to go on a lot of fun first dates with really cute, good guys to make myself feel more validated after previous break ups. I wanted to avoid any relationships because I was convinced all boys were just emotionally clueless people (harsh, huh?). So I went on lots of dates, met lots of really awesome guys, felt no pressure for any relationships and had a good time. Not long at all after I made this decision, I noticed this super cute (and may I add buff) guy in my Sunday school class. With still no intention of getting into any relationship, I found him coming over to talk to me after class and we chatted for a couple seconds. After a couple days and a few dates with other guys, cute Sunday school boy wanted to know if I wanted to go to the gym with him. A little taken back, I agreed and we went up for our workout. Though I wouldn't consider this a date, this was my first time getting more acquainted with the hunky guy that is now my husband. So you might ask, what did I feel during this first interaction with my eternal companion? I thought he was cool. Yup, thats about it. I thought he seemed like a good kid, I enjoyed his muscles, and thought he was a real goofy dude. Quite the revelational experience, am I right? ha! Well after hanging out a couple more times at the gym and eventually going on an official date, cute Sunday school guy was now my friend Kaden. I had no interest in dating him exclusively and quite enjoyed our platonic relationship. I enjoyed how kind and fun he was, how pure he was, and got a laugh out of what a goob he was. However, as time went on, my "friend zone" pal took me off guard by putting his arm around me one day and kissing me the next. To make a long story a little less long, after a couple days of hesitation on my end, we were "official". A week passed and we were separated in different states for three weeks during winter break while I anxiously asked myself if I should keep dating him. I would ask myself "Is this relationship going to go anywhere? Is it worth my emotional investment? I haven't felt any strong feelings from the Holy Ghost about him, is that a sign?" and the list of questions went on. After going as far as messaging <i>all</i> of my favorite married couples from my mission asking them how they knew when their spouse was "the one", I felt even more confused as to how I was supposed to feel. I would pray if I should keep dating him and I caught myself even asking "Am I going to even end up marrying him?" to which I received no direction at the time. I was a nervous dating wreck and I will always remember the advice my mom gave me. In her exact words (more or less) she said, "Whoa, Kyndal, you are way overthinking this. Just slow it down, enjoy getting to know him over FaceTime and see if you still like him as much when you get home. You don't have to know anymore than that right now." By the end of the three weeks, Kaden planned on picking me up in the Salt Lake airport and I was winded by the time I got to him because of how I excited I was to see him again. A couple months went by of us being together every single day, and finally the "M" word popped up. When it finally became more real, I turned into an anxious mess yet again. I really really liked Kaden, he had become my best friend, but I didn't have that "without a doubt" feeling I was promised in a blessing during my exit interview with my mission president. I figured after dating him for four months, the Holy Ghost should have let me know something by now right?!?! This worry led to one of the most beneficial learning experiences and taught me a lot about personal revelation and the gift of agency.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What I learned Throughout My Studies</b></span></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b>Wanting to make a spiritually sound decision and feeling like I was getting no answers from Heavenly Father, I began an intense journey of studying general conference talks, attending young adult devotionals, rewatching tons of Face to Face events, meeting with my bishop, and counseling with my mission president over the phone. My mission president and his wife are my supreme example of how spiritual, fulfilling, joyful, and long-lasting a marriage can be. Other examples I absolutely adored were stake presidents I had known and their respective wives. And lets be honest, we all know general authorities slay our hearts by the way they talk about their sweet wives. These are the kinds of marriage I envisioned and the kinds of marriage I wanted. So I was searching high and low in gospel centered resources to find some magical formula of how you are supposed to <i>know</i>. Although I never found a magical formula, here's some of the highlights I did find: </div>
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1) During a weekly USU institute devotional, an area seventy, Elder Lang, came and spoke to us. The devotional turned into a dating themed discussion and something he said stood out to me. It went something like, "I would be careful about the idea of <i>soulmates</i>. Too often, young people are fooled into the notion that there is some magical, whimsical feeling associated with finding your <i>soulmate.</i>You <i>do not</i> <b>find</b> your soulmate, you <b>create</b> a soulmate in the person you choose."</div>
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2) At <a href="https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/worldwide-devotionals/2018/01/the-adventure-of-mortality?lang=eng" target="_blank">Elder Uchtdorf's young adult devotional</a> in January, he said that when you are looking forward to your decision making, it can be really hard to connect the dots to know if you're on the right path, but when you look backward, it is a lot easier to see God's hand in your decisions. Just that day, Kaden had told me a little bit about his experience leading up to us dating and I shared mine and it was amazing how much our experiences prepared us for each other. I could connect the dots of God's hand in my decisions looking back a lot easier.</div>
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3) I read many many many talks, articles, and scriptures on choosing your eternal companion and watched lots of videos. I have included an intensive list of links below in the order of what I would suggest first:</div>
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-<a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/04/confidence-tests-from-fear-to-faith-in-the-marriage-decision?lang=eng" target="_blank">"Confidence Tests" by Elder Lance B. Wickman</a></div>
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-<a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era/1975/01/agency-or-inspiration?lang=eng" target="_blank">"Agency or Inspiration, Which?" by Elder Bruce R. McConkie</a></div>
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-<a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era/1972/03/q-and-a-questions-and-answers/how-and-by-what-means-can-i-know-when-i-have-found-the-right-person-to-marry?lang=eng" target="_blank">"How and By What Means Can I Know When I Have Found the Right Person to Marry?"</a></div>
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- <a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/2018/06/young-adults/deciding-for-myself?lang=eng" target="_blank">"Deciding For Myself" b<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">y Valerie Durrant</span></span></a></div>
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-<a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/2017/08/young-adults/inquire-well-to-marry-well?lang=eng" target="_blank">"<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;">Inquire Well to Marry Well" b</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: small; text-align: center;">y Michael A. Goodman</span></a></div>
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-<a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/2000/03/cast-not-away-therefore-your-confidence?lang=eng" target="_blank">"Cast Not Therefore Away Your Confidence" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland</a></div>
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-<a href="https://www.lds.org/youth/activities/face-to-face-events/holland?lang=eng" target="_blank">Face to Face video with Jeffrey R. Holland (specifically 15:30-33:55 or even 33:00-33:55)</a></div>
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-<a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/1987/07/the-faith-to-marry?lang=eng" target="_blank">"The Faith to Marry" by Paul R. Warner</a></div>
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-<a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/2002/09/choosing-and-being-the-right-spouse?lang=eng" target="_blank">"Choosing and Being the Right Spouse" by Thomas B. Holman</a></div>
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-<a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era/2003/09/finding-your-sweetheart?lang=eng" target="_blank">"Finding Your Sweetheart" by Elder Lynn G. Robins</a></div>
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-<a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/2002/08/children-of-divorce?lang=eng" target="_blank">"Children of Divorce" by Elaine Walton</a></div>
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Ok, this list looks intense, but these are the main articles I read and reread over the period of dating and getting engaged to my sweet boy. I do however have a little word of caution, at least from what I experienced. Some of these talks/articles mention how feelings of anxiety or worry are things to be cautious of. I must come from quite the emotional and anxious species of female because the decision about marriage made me anxious, I'll be honest. Coming from a family full of divorces and wanting nothing more than a joyful, gospel centered marriage, I was a little nervous. Reading these comments about being weary of feelings of anxiety made me even more nervous when it came to my decision to marry Kaden. So take heart and know that its ok if you feel a little anxious about the marriage decision because that just means your normal. However, there is a difference between a feelings of warning from the Spirit and feelings of nervousness based on past experience, so just prayerfully let the Lord help you discern what you're feeling. </div>
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To condense my thoughts as much as I can, my take aways from my studies were incredible. The main principle I would like to share from what I learned is that YOU GET TO DECIDE! There is no magical formula of how you know, there is no whimsical feelings to the inspiration you are supposed to feel on the first date, second, third, or twentieth date, and there certainly isn't only <i>one </i>person you could make a joyful marriage with. I learned and now have a stronger testimony that Heavenly Father has not pre-mapped out our life for us and forces us to make choices accordingly. Although I personally do believe He already knows what we will choose, He is not going to make the answers to these decisions known to us before we have sought to make them ourselves. </div>
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"You must study it out in your mind, <b>then</b> you must ask me if it be right" (D&C 9:8)</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of <b>their own free will. </b></span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For the power is in them, wherein they are <b>agents unto themselves</b>.</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">" (D&C 58:27-28)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He has created you and prepared you to make intelligent and spiritual decisions. So take confidence in yourself. If you are living by the commandments, partaking of the sacrament regularly, praying every day, and reading your scriptures fervently, YOU WILL BE OK! By this point in your life, you have made good decisions and you know how to continue making them. He has prepared you to do so. Although you may not have full confidence in it, you know how to recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost. There are few things more beautiful than recognizing Heavenly Father's trust in you as an "agent unto [yourself]". During my time of prayerfully pleading for guidance from my Father in Heaven, I learned that I was asking all the wrong questions. Without realizing it, I wanted Him to make the decisions for me so I knew for sure they were good. I would ask "Am I going to marry Kaden? Should I keep dating Kaden?" when instead I learned that those questions were not His to answer. They were mine to decide. I learned that Heavenly Father is willing now more than ever to guide me in this decision so I started asking questions like, "Is Kaden being honest in his representation of himself to me? Can I trust him? Will our testimonies compliment eachothers' throughout our life? Will he remain active in the church?" This is when I finally started to feel like I was getting some answers. I started to ask Kaden </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">hard questions about anything from his past or any struggles or <i>anything </i>I should know about. I started to really get to know Kaden and asked for my Heavenly Fathers guidance as I did so. I still remember a night of continued confusion and frustration in the lack of revelation I felt like I was getting so I continued to read more talks for some kind of guidance. I remember reading something that said (its probably in one of the talks above, sorry I don't remember which one) Heavenly Father will not confirm your question on a decision <i>until you have made one.</i> He can not confirm a decision you haven't already decided on yet. It goes against the nature of the gift of agency He so mercifully gave us. So YOU MUST DECIDE. You must study it out in your mind, pray about specific questions, pray that you will see things as they really are throughout your relationship, and gauge how you feel about the other person, and then YOU DECIDE. I remember reading this talk and falling to my knees in frustration and saying, "ok Heavenly Father, I don't feel like I have gotten any sure answers and so I am sick of feeling so anxious and confused. I have just decided that I love Kaden with all my heart and I am going to marry him. That's really all I've wanted all along. If this is wrong for me to do, then please stop me somehow, otherwise, I'm marrying my best friend." Almost instantly, I felt a gentle, warm feeling of peace. I wanted to cry and run over to Kaden's apartment across the street and hug him for hours. I finally felt a confirmation from my Heavenly Father. I felt His approval and love and trust that I can make righteous decisions.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> As time pressed forward, as we planned on getting engaged, and worked towards our engagement, feelings of worry and doubt still came. Family is the center of God's plan so naturally Satan is going to create opposition in some way. My opposition was fear. Fear of separation, fear of ever losing Kaden, fear of not knowing how to listen to the Spirit's promptings. But in the words of Elder Holland, "</span><span style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">You should not hang back on a good thing, you go for a good thing</span></span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px;">...</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wish to encourage every one of us regarding the opposition that so often comes after enlightened decisions have been made, after moments of revelation and conviction have given us a peace and an assurance we thought we would never lose...</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">With any major decision there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. <b>Don’t give up when the pressure mounts</b>. Certainly don’t give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. Face your doubts. Master your fears. “Cast not away therefore your confidence.” Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I have decided to move forward with faith from the night when I prayed to my loving Father in Heaven and received His approval, I have seen the beauty of life unfold to me. Kneeling across the alter in the temple from my sweetheart was the moment I realized that the promise from my exit interview about knowing whom I should marry "without a doubt" had come to fruition. Kaden is the sweetest man I know and his character continues to prove true to the man I fell in love with during our courtship. He makes me happier than anyone in the world and he is truly my best friend. There's not a thing I wouldn't do for him, because he has already done it all for me. Every day I am grateful for the lessons I learned throughout my time with Kaden, that not only do I get to make my own choices, but that my Heavenly Fathers wants me to and trusts me to do so. Kaden will forever be my choice and I feel so much peace knowing Heavenly Father approves. Every day I will continue to <i>love the choice I have made</i>. It didn't come without fear and anxiety, but it came with an eternity of blessings I will never regret. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Additional Scriptural Gems if You're Interested</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"..the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">of all which they chose.</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">" (Genesis 6:2)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.01);">"...Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed (or a good relationship), if ye do not <b>caste it out by your unbelief </b>(or anxiety over the decision), that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts;...ye will begin <b>to say within yourselves</b> (before you take it to the Lord)-it must needs be that this is a good seed....for it beginneth to enlarge my soul....but behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good (or the relationship is good and is always growing)." (Alma 32: 28-30)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.01);">"But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, everything (or any one) which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God (or in a relationship is led by God)." (Moroni 7:13)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.01);">"And now, my brethren, seeing that <b>ye know</b> the light by which ye may judge...see that ye do not judge wrongfully."</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Moroni 7:18)</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> {You know how to make good decisions because of the light of Christ you have acquired over the years}</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I have prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to <b>be agents unto themselves</b>." (D&C 104:17)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0.01); color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"...ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, <b>God hath given unto you a knowledge</b> and he hath made you free." Helaman 14:30 {Pray for further knowledge from Heavenly Father regarding your relationship, not the answer to <i>your </i>decision}</span></div>
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Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-13669859924366794622017-09-02T15:29:00.001-07:002017-09-02T15:43:18.851-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/RGx3atTA0w0" target="_blank">(CLICK HERE) Lost Boys Ruth B- Cover by Kyndal Cowper</a></span></div>
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Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-55264873046264155712017-08-22T19:48:00.002-07:002017-09-02T15:25:51.114-07:00Real World- Inside my Newest Original Song<messagebody aria-label="The song I'm sharing with you today is one that i was really inspired by the Spirit to write and I lately I have really felt impressed to share it hoping that maybe others can relate and find inspiration in it. This song is called "Real World" and it was inspired by a few different concepts. It's been really interesting to come home from my mission and review my pre-mission life and kind of everything I used to do before the mission. The social media presence in our time is huge, I feel like especially for my generation. I remember before my mission getting so caught up in comparing my news feed to the next girl or guy and constantly trying to live up to this portrayal of that "pretty girl" on Instagram who has lots of followers, lots of likes, lots of self validating comments, and whatever else. Everyone's life seems so fun, adventurous, flawless, blah blah blah. But then I shut down my phone and shipped off for eighteen months on a mission for my church with no Instagram or Facebook or any social media of that nature. There we use iPads for the missionary work and I was blessed to learn really inspiring principles from a pamphlet called "Safeguards for Using Technology" and it taught me amazing safeguards and principles I can govern myself by when it comes to technology use. It talks about things such as the purpose of our technology use and if we're using it for good, our discipline in our technology use and how much time we're using on it, how often we open it up, and things like that. I became so good at these habits of proper technology use but I was scared to come back to the real world of Instagram and Facebook and everything else. I just wanted to keep these safeguards somehow. It has been really interesting to come back after eighteen months of serving the Lord and serving His children (which is something that brings a far greater sense of fulfillment and satisfaction) and realize that all of that self validating social media use isn't as attractive anymore. I really don't care that much about it to be honest. I haven't gone all anti-social media. I still think it is an amazing tool that was inspired and it can be used for such good purposes, but I have found such greater joy and entertainment and satisfaction in living life in the REAL WORLD detached from checking my newsfeed and notifications every two minutes. Enjoying vacation time without feeling like I have to capture everything in a cool photo to post, or enjoying time with my family without feeling like I have to be connected with some social virtual reality all day every day. I think social media has its good purposes and I love staying in touch with people, seeing what they're up to, and I really do enjoy a pretty picture every once in a while, don't get me wrong. But I think it's more of the perfect portrayal of our life mentality that is affecting so many people of my generation. The dirty comparison game that is the thief of joy! We all just need to be happy for each other and NOT feel like if our life isn't the same, or our wardrobe isn't the same, or our body isn't the same, or our whatever isn't the same as the "pretty girl" we are following on Instagram that somehow, our life doesn't have as much worth. I hope this can help someone somewhere who may feel a little lost and undervalued because of this sneaky mentality the adversary tries to manipulate us with. Heavenly Father knows you, loves you, and sees you. Greater joy than ANYTHING ELSE is found when we are following Him, serving Him, and serving His children. That's where true self worth comes from. And that's where the best kind of self validation comes from, I promise!" role="text" style="background-color: #e5e5ea; display: -webkit-flex; flex: 0 1 auto; padding: 5px 10px 4px 15px;" title="Today, 5:23:52 PM"><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; font-size: x-large; text-shadow: none !important;"><br /></span></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; font-size: x-large; text-shadow: none !important;"><br /></span></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; font-size: x-large; text-shadow: none !important;"><br /></span></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; font-size: x-large; text-shadow: none !important;"><br /></span></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; font-size: x-large; text-shadow: none !important;"><br /></span></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; font-size: x-large; text-shadow: none !important;"><br /></span></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; text-shadow: none !important;"><a href="https://youtu.be/ZzhEtyLXCQg" style="display: inline !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Click here to view video and listen to the song</span></a> The song I'm sharing with you </span><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; text-shadow: none !important;">today</span><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; text-shadow: none !important;"> is one that i was really inspired by the Spirit to write and I lately I have really felt impressed to share it hoping that maybe others can relate and find inspiration in it. This song is called "Real World" and it was inspired by a few different concepts. It's been really interesting to come home from my mission and review my pre-mission life and kind of everything I used to do before the mission. The social media presence in our time is huge, I feel like especially for my generation. I remember before my mission getting so caught up in comparing my news feed to the next girl or guy and constantly trying to live up to this portrayal of that "pretty girl" on Instagram who has lots of followers, lots of likes, lots of self validating comments, and whatever else. Everyone's life seems so fun, adventurous, flawless, blah blah blah. But then I shut down my phone and shipped off for eighteen months on a mission for my church with no Instagram or Facebook or any social media of that nature. There we use iPads for the missionary work and I was blessed to learn really inspiring principles from a pamphlet called "Safeguards for Using Technology" and it taught me amazing safeguards and principles I can govern myself by when it comes to technology use. It talks about things such as the purpose of our technology use and if we're using it for good, our discipline in our technology use and how much time we're using on it, how often we open it up, and things like that. I became so good at these habits of proper technology use but I was scared to come back to the real world of Instagram and Facebook and everything else. I just wanted to keep these safeguards somehow. It has been really interesting to come back after eighteen months of serving the Lord and serving His children (which is something that brings a far greater sense of fulfillment and satisfaction) and realize that all of that self validating social media use isn't as attractive anymore. I really don't care that much about it to be honest. I haven't gone all anti-social media. I still think it is an amazing tool that was inspired and it can be used for such good purposes, but I have found such greater joy and entertainment and satisfaction in living life in the REAL WORLD detached from checking my newsfeed and notifications every two minutes. Enjoying vacation time without feeling like I have to capture everything in a cool photo to post, or enjoying time with my family without feeling like I have to be connected with some social virtual reality all day every day. I think social media has its good purposes and I love staying in touch with people, seeing what they're up to, and I really do enjoy a pretty picture every once in a while, don't get me wrong. But I think it's more of the perfect portrayal of our life mentality that is affecting so many people of my generation. The dirty comparison game that is the thief of joy! We all just need to be happy for each other and NOT feel like if our life isn't the same, or our wardrobe isn't the same, or our body isn't the same, or our whatever isn't the same as the "pretty girl" we are following on Instagram that somehow, our life doesn't have as much worth. I hope this can help someone somewhere who may feel a little lost and undervalued because of this sneaky mentality the adversary tries to manipulate us with. Heavenly Father knows you, loves you, and sees you. Greater joy than ANYTHING ELSE is found when we are following Him, serving Him, and serving His children. That's where true self worth comes from. And that's where the best kind of self validation comes from, I promise!</span></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; text-shadow: none !important;"><br /></span></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; text-shadow: none !important;"><br /></span></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><br /></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><br /></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><br /></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="direction: ltr !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><br /></messagetextcontainer></messagebody><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Lyrics:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Im staring at the photos </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Of who I am supposed to be</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">What I'm supposed to see in </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The mirror will tell you many lies</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Like you're not good enough</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">So you gotta keep trying</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Oh in my head, I can feel at peace</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I'm never satisfied, cause it's all just a lie to myself</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Chorus)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Please tell me what is it worth?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">To be "that pretty girl"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The bill came and it's quite the cost</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">As we're feeling worthless and lost</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">But there is so much more to me</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Than what they're seeing on the screen</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Lord gave me a greater cause</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">And since then, I can see this isn't the real world after all. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; min-height: 13.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We're all so trapped in this game</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Of my world verses yours</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Our feed decides our worth</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">What if we turned off everything?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Captured what's around with only sight and song</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We're all made for far greater things than what this world provides while we're trapped in all its lies of who we are </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; min-height: 13.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Chorus) </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; min-height: 13.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The real world doesn't look this perfect every single day</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We all feel some pain too</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Photos might hide everything on the other side </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">So we all must realize</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We can't live our lives through a screen, no</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; min-height: 13.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Finishing Chorus)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I promise it's not your worth</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">To be "that pretty girl"</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The bill came and it's quite the cost</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We're better off, seeking the One Who knows where we're lost</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">There is so much more to me</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Than what they're seeing on the screen</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Lord gave me a greater cause,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">And since then I can see this isn't the real world after all</span></div>
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</span><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; font-size: var(--font-size); text-shadow: none !important;"><messagetextcontainer style="background-color: #e5e5ea; direction: ltr; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; text-shadow: none !important;"><a href="https://youtu.be/ZzhEtyLXCQg" target="_blank">.</a></span></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="background-color: #e5e5ea; direction: ltr; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; text-shadow: none !important;"><br /></span></messagetextcontainer><messagetextcontainer style="background-color: #e5e5ea; direction: ltr; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" text-direction="ltr"><span style="--font-size: 13px !important; font-family: -apple-system; text-shadow: none !important;"><br /></span></messagetextcontainer></span></div>
Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-66059693329857822372017-07-19T19:38:00.001-07:002017-07-19T19:41:05.040-07:00Power to Redeem Cover<span style="font-size: large;">With a little free time on my hands, I decided to make a cover to this Lauren Dangle original "Power to Redeem". I heard it for the first time a few weeks before coming home from my mission. One of the missionary's had it on their CD and I fell in love with it. My favorite line is "with breath that brings the dead to life, with words that pierce the dark with light." The Savior's life truly did make it so we can live again and that I know with all my heart. And His words have pierced my own spiritual darkness bringing further light and understanding about who He is, who I am, and what the purpose of this life is. I am so grateful for that because its changed my perspective on EVERYTHING! I especially cherish the beautiful stories of the Savior's ministry unfold in the New Testament as well as the <i>amazing </i>doctrine about His <i><b>power to redeem</b></i> in the Book of Mormon. Upon returning home, I think I have re-fallen in love with music and I love sharing my testimony through it. I hope you enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-3Un9AF0Jk&t=36s" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a></span></div>
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<br />Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-72200390721123134592017-07-10T11:05:00.002-07:002017-07-10T11:05:40.781-07:00Sacred Ground to Me - Kyndal Cowper (Original Song)<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/223865066" target="_blank">Click Here To Watch</a></span></div>
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<br />Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-1685289225831634182017-07-10T10:49:00.000-07:002017-07-19T19:41:18.315-07:00Why Serving A Mission Wasn't the Best 18 Months of My Life<span style="font-size: large;">I have recently returned home from my 18 month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Texas Dallas Mission. It has been a whirlwind of emotions and feelings the past six weeks since returning home and naturally I have found myself pondering back upon my mission a lot. It is an incredibly exciting time as I have watched my amazing friends return home from their missions and to reunite after a long 18-36 month time. It has been fun to catch up, compare our mission experiences, and share our testimonies of the principles that will make a life long impact upon all of us. But something that keeps pressing on my mind is a common phrase I have heard over and over, "My mission was the best eighteen/twenty-four months of my life. I would give anything to go back." The more I have thought about it, the more I have realized that my mission WASNT the best eighteen months of my life.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Before you stop reading here, click the little red "x" at the top and assume that I've gone apostate and hate my mission, I would like to explain myself here a little people. Yes I absolutely loved loved loved my mission. It was so sacred. I loved serving God, becoming best friends with His Son Jesus Christ, teaching the liberating principle of repentance, bringing others unto Christ by helping them receive the ordinances and covenants of the gospel, and everything else that a mission entails. I grew in ways I never expected. I truly came to KNOW my Savior Jesus Christ. I grew to love so many amazing and awe-inspiring people. Don't get me wrong, my mission was THE SINGLE MOST sacred experience of my life..............up to this point. That last part is crucial for me. UP TO THIS POINT.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the last few weeks of my mission, I had few too many nights in my little apartment in Plano, TX crying myself to sleep because the thought of going home felt like a knife in my stomach. Sure the mission wasn't easy, but the thought of not being around my mission president and his wife all the time, leaving my new life-long friends I had made in the missionaries around me, and not being able to focus on solely teaching repentance 24/7 made me want to curl up under a rock and never come out. I felt like I was drowning in fear of the "real world" and felt hopeless as I wondered how I could ever be this happy again. I had lacked faith in the idea that the Savior could provide just as much (if not more) strength/grace off the mission as He did while I was on the mission. I was in denial about leaving and felt anxious anytime someone would bring up the fact that I was going home soon.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">During our last day as we said goodbye to the Taylors and headed to the airport to leave Dallas, I remember feeling so broken hearted. As one of my companions and I were contacting people in the airport while we were waiting for our flight, I think I might have turned to her and said something along the lines of "This sucks", or "I hate this", or "My heart feels like it is shattering into a thousand pieces", 869,003 times. I was so full of gratitude and love for my mission, and yet so full of frustration that it was all ending right then and there. I remember praying on the airplane and saying something to the affect of, "Heavenly Father, I hate how I feel right now. I know this is supposed to be a triumphant and happy time of my life coming home from a mission and all, but I don't feel that way. I am supposed to go home and be happy and feel at peace that I am done, but right now I don't feel that way. I don't want my mom to see me like this. I don't want my family to think I'm not happy to see them or to be home. This is supposed to be a good thing. So please, Heavenly Father, help me feel like this is a good thing."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">With that simple prayer, I continued to watch the skyline of Dallas fall behind us through the airplane window. I remember a clear thought come into my mind saying, "if I provided so many miracles on the mission, why don't you believe I can still do the same while you're home. Why do you believe my grace is going to end now?" To be honest, I was kind of taken back by that thought. For a short moment, it popped me out of my own little bubble of doubt and faithlessness. It surprised me to come to the realization that with all the faith in my Savior my mission led me to acquire, I wasn't having faith in Him <i>now</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As we came down the escalators at the SLC airport to see our family and friends, I felt so excited and so happy to be with them again. The sadness and feelings of being broken hearted slowly began to leave and I felt an incredible feeling of excitement for what lied ahead. As we drove up to our hometown to be released by my stake president, I had anticipated a tragic thirty minute meeting where I would inevitably feel empty, purposeless, horribly devastated, and every other negative feeling you could possibly feel.(dramatic, I know) But the Lord didn't stop answering my simple airplane prayer. As we sat there and I recounted all the things I had learned and all the things I had felt, I felt <i><b>so</b></i> peaceful. I felt so strong, empowered, happy, excited, and faith filled. My stake president is a very inspired man and I remember chills just rushing over my body as he said the words, "You are being released as a full time missionary, but not as a missionary. You are being released from full time service but not from full time discipleship. You are being released from the bounds of the little white handbook, but not from the sacred bounds of your covenants. When the black tag comes off, your <i>REAL </i>mission begins. This is the real mission. This is where you can <i>truly</i> prove yourself as a devoted disciple of Jesus Christ."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">To any and all return missionaries who may be reading this and who may have struggled with the same feelings of, fear, doubt, confusion, purposelessness, etc, I would love to share with you a saying my mission president would always say to me, "Your mission is simply the launchpad of your life. You can't stay forever, or else you'll never <i>fly</i>." So don't feel hopeless. Take faith in yourself and more importantly in the Savior. Continue actively and energetically living as a devoted disciple of Jesus Christ. Keep your mission habits. Keep studying your scriptures every single day, praying sincerely every morning and night, fasting regularly, go to the temple every week, take the sacrament every single Sunday, and focus on turning outwards and serving others at all times, and you WILL BE OK. Trust that the Savior will put you in the right places at the right times just like He did on your mission. As I have focused on these things that past six weeks, I have felt an amazing sense of perspective and joy and Spirit permeate my return-missionary life, even though I have no idea what I am doing with it. Don't let doubt weigh you down. Keep living by the same principles and habits you learned on the mission, and let your mission launch you into life FLYING. My mission was amazing but it <u>wasn't</u> the best eighteen months of my <i>whole</i> life. I know and trust the best are yet to come as I continue living as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.</span><br />
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<br />Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-30688055169639834732016-03-01T10:41:00.000-08:002016-03-01T10:41:21.451-08:00Vietnamese Sister<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Happy Monday!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This week was had days of utter miracles and days that were blah and</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">uneventful. But hey, that's life right?! First of all, on Monday we</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">set a baptismal date with two of our investigators. David and Kristy.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They are from Vietnam and they are SUPER cool. He speaks little</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">English so his wife translates for him but they truly love their</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Savior and they just want to follow Him the best they can. The concept</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of the priesthood really stayed with them and motivated them to</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">continue forward. We originally set their date for this coming</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Saturday the 5th but have to push it back because we felt like we were</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">rushing them a little. Because of scheduling conflicts, the current</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">date isn't until April 9th but I'm so excited for them. They have</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">already brought their friends to lessons with us and they brought one</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of their friends to church on Sunday and they want us to come over on</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Wednesday night to their little worship get-together to meet more of</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">their friends. We keep joking about how just from the Phams, we are</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">going to get a whole flock of their Vietnamese friends to be baptized</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and start the first Vietnamese branch in Dallas. Haha! We call</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ourselves the Vietnamese sisters because we joke about how we were</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">going to get called to learn Vietnamese to be the sisters for the</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">branch. Haha!</span><br />
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Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-74744174402694426212016-01-05T07:08:00.001-08:002016-01-05T07:08:43.714-08:00End of First Transfer<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So this week marks the end of my first transfer. (That's something new</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to me in the mission. Time is measured by transfers which are every 6</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">weeks). Sister Byers and I were convinced that she was staying in</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Allen one more transfer but lo and behold, we get a call this morning</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and she is being TRANSFERRED! She is going out east to Tyler and I am</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">staying in Allen and getting Sister Jones as my back up trainer. I've</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">heard awesome things about her and how hard working she is. But I'm</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sad I don't get another transfer with Sister Byers. I know President</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Taylor is inspired of the Lord and I know the Lord has His own plan</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for this area.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This week was hard but good nonetheless. My body reached a whole new</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">level of exhaustion. I think the biking everyday all day thing along</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">with such a new vigorous schedule has just left me wiped after my</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">first transfer. My body felt so weak this week and I felt so mentally</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">exhausted. But it really helped me to humble myself and realize that</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(Alma 26:12). The work here in Allen is really picking up and I trust</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that the Lord has many prepared hearts that are ready to receive the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">restored gospel into their life. I just want all y'all to know of my</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">testimony of this gospel. I know Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">really live and that they know each of us personally. And that's not</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">just me being naive or hopeful. I have had evidences all throughout my</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">life to backup my faith. So many prayers have been answered in ways</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">unexplainable by human logic and after that happens time and time</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">again, I can not blame it on coincidence or chance. I feel my Saviors</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">love and my Heavenly Fathers love. I feel of His reality in a very</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">true sense. I know there is a plan to our life and a reason for us</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">being here on Earth. I know we can return to our Heavenly Father as we</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ACT on faith and become better and better every single day of our</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">lives and as we become more like the Savior and emulate the way He</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">lived His life. His life of love, service, diligence, obedience,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">humility, and hope. It's real. And as we live according to the gospel,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">EACH of us will be blessed. This isn't just a religion or a faith but</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">it's a way of life that will give us the most fulfilled sense of joy</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and satisfaction. A sense of satisfaction and joy that nothing else in</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">this life can bring with such magnitude. And it's not just a gospel</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for some, it is for EVERYONE to benefit from. That's the Lords hope is</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that everyone will follow and be blessed by His truth. I'm not on my</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">mission because it's a social norm in my church, or because it was</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">expected of me in anyway. I'm here because I know our Heavenly Fathers</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">plan of happiness is REAL and what we teach everyday about Joseph</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Smith restoring Christs church in its fullness to the earth is REAL.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The promises and blesses we make and receive at baptism is REAL. Trust</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">me when I say that I would not be here doing this, serving with every</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ounce of energy I have, if I wasn't sure this gospel is a good thing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It will bless. I know it. It has blessed my life beyond explanation.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It is something that is not worth being lax about. I think you can</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">understand why I might say, if it's true, (and it is), then it's a big</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">deal and each of us ought to investigate it for ourselves and find out</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for ourselves. As we bring in the New Year, I urge you to push forward</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">in hope and build your faith in these things. I promise you it will</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">change your life eternally for the better.</span><br />
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Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-31427333189983379532015-12-14T14:26:00.001-08:002015-12-14T14:26:06.299-08:00Pictures from 12.14.15 Email<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-72025042044028372592015-12-14T13:30:00.001-08:002015-12-14T13:30:03.368-08:00A Savior is Born<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lately, as we knock doors and talk to people, we have been using the</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">new Christmas video "A Savior is Born" on our iPads to contact. It's</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">been the nicest tool! It's a great way to just catch their attention</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and start a conversation about the Savior and their beliefs. It's such</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">an inspiring video people usually love it and it really breaks the</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ice. It's interesting because sometimes when people answer the door</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and we ask if we can share the video with them, they immediately get</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">freaked out and tell us they already have their religion and they</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">already found Christ and shut the door. I just think it's funny</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">because we are just asking if we can share an inspiring 2:00 clip</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">about the Savior with them for Christmas. I mean of course we'd love</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to share more of our message specifically, but if they don't want to</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">listen to our message, then at least we'd love to show an inspiring</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">video about Christ. But I get it at the same time. People have their</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">preconceived idea of missionaries so it's understandable from their</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">viewpoint. (Still kind of ironic to me though. Haha) My favorite was</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">this cute lady who was outside with her teenage son yesterday and we</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">asked if we could share the video. She told us she was a devout</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Catholic but she would still watch the Christmas video. Her sister</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">came out and they all watched it. When it ended she was like, "Awww,</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that wasn't long enough! That what so beautiful I loved it! Thank you</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for what you do and going around sharing this message." She was so</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">cute and so nice!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I love moments like that. When people make it clear they don't want</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to hear us in a polite way but still "rejoice in Christ" with us and</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">find common ground that we all feel good about.</span>Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-32226522262498200602015-12-14T12:01:00.001-08:002015-12-14T12:01:24.045-08:00A flat tire, a sweaty face, and a few miracles<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">¡Hola mi familia!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I may not be a Spanish sister but I can pretend. :D This week has been</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">quite the adventure to say the least. It's been very trying and a</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">growing experience. Remember how last Monday I wrote that I had a sore</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">throat. Well, I woke up on Tuesday and it was a lot worse! I could</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">hardly talk and I felt really exhausted. My companion taught me the</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">importance of taking care of ourselves so we can fully do the Lords</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">work so we stayed in all day so I could rest. I didn't realize</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">how tired I was until I would pass out into a deep sleep for 2 hours</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">at a time. But my companion is the sweetest and just made me soup and</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">made me feel better about staying in because I was pretty stressed</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">about not being out. The next day I didn't feel that much better but I</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">didn't want to stay in. It was so cute, so we were at a Zone</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Conference on Wed. and my throat was still pretty sore and my voice</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">was so hoarse. Half way through the meeting, Sister Pickup catches my</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">attention from the door and waved around a bag of cough drops. I asked</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">if she had any that morning and when she said she didn't, she dropped</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">us off at church for our meeting and went to the store to get me</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">some!!! She is so sweet!! It's been a pretty slow week and we haven't</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">had a ton to do. We got lost on Thursday trying to find our dinner</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">appointment and had a crazy time racing across time. Then Friday, Oh</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Friday! That was a rough day. We were so excited to meet with our new</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">investigator Monts and had scheduled for Friday morning. I was already</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">in kind of a bad mood that morning because we hardly had ANYTHING</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">planned to do on Friday and that was frustrating me, and then on our</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">way to our discussion, my light on my helmet fell off when we were</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">crossing the intersection and my batteries flew everywhere, then my</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">jacket got caught in my tire and got it all black and dirty. Then</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Monts wasn't home! :( don't worry, the story gets better. We go home</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for lunch and planned on trying Monts afterwards. So on the way back,</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">drum roll please...my tire on my bike popped!! So we walked the rest</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of the way to her apartment only for no answer, and had walked all the</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">way back to our house. There were some tender mercies along the way</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">though. It just so happened the ward mission leader of the 7th ward</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(not a ward we cover) was driving through the parking lot next to us</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">when my bike tire popped so he offered his assistance. We didn't need</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">any at the time but it was a tender mercy just to know he was there.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Then a sister from the 3rd ward came over to give us a tube so we</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">could fix our tire. We fixed and THOUGHT it was all set so we started</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">heading off to our dinner appointment across town. As we started</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">going, my tire was getting flat again!! It was so hard to ride and we</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">were already running late for our appointment so Sister Byers was a</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">beast and "Tour de Franced" it to the members home for me (clearly</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">she's buffer than me). Dinner was fine and the members were kind</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">enough to take our bikes to the gas station to fill them up with air.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We continued on our night to our next appointment across town again</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">just to pull into the apartment complex parking lot and get a text</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">from the person saying we would have to reschedule. We hung out heads</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and laughed. By the time we had biked from one end of the area to the</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">other three times during the day, we finally went home and ended the</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">day. It was crazy but it was a great learning experience just to</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">practice (notice how I say practice because I'm not good at it yet)</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">being positive in frustrating times. Saturday was pretty crazy too but</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">okay. We taught Seth and Lilian, our other new investigator, the</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">restoration. He is so awesome! He is very open minded and willing to</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">pray about what we have taught. He has a lot of great questions that</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">are so valid and really make me think and dig deep. It's great! I love</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">it!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I realized in church yesterday that I felt so weak and EXHAUSTED this</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">week because I really wasn't relying on the Lord. I was trying to rely</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">on my own strength and just make it to the end of the day. I was</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">praying for help or strength. I wasn't focusing on Christ and my</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">purpose as a missionary. I realized I need to pray for strength every</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">day. At first it might just be enough to get out of bed and start my</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">day, but over time as I have more faith, I will feel the strength to</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">get through my whole day and be able to teach with power. Small by</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">small. Line upon line. Precept upon precept.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">D&C 64:33 has become a go to scripture for me. It's gooood! Go look it up. <3</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well know God is good and trying times are for our benefit.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Two quotes that I love (thanks Staci Castle):</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"All crosses are easier to carry when we keep moving." -Elder Neil A. Maxwell</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"There is divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They PREPARE, they PURGE, they PURIFY, and thus they bless." -Elder</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">James E. Faust</span>Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-23105874347101003392015-09-15T22:17:00.002-07:002018-08-17T07:56:17.457-07:00There is Always an Adventure Awaiting You<span style="font-size: large;">Over the past year in my life, I feel like my ambition for travel has grown so much. I just want to end this life with amazing life stories because of the way I live, learn, and understand the world. Traveling is so important to me. Ever since I was little, the strong desire to travel has always been within me. I've seen that desire come to life in the past year as I just realize how capable I am of doing that if I choose to. I've always loved photography and I've always loved capturing and seeing Gods creations. I think about the day Christ created the Earth, and how He made every part of it so different, so beautiful, and so unique and I can't help but want to see it all. The world is like a book, and if you don't travel, you are just staying on the same page. I simply don't think you can get the whole story that way. I love knowing that there is a world (literally) of possibilities of adventures I can have and lessons different places and cultures can teach me. My dream is to travel, learn, and embrace this beautiful world and this beautiful life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/139406396" target="_blank">CLICK HERE FOR MY VIDEO OF THIS SUMMERS ADVENTURE </a></span><br />
<br />Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-58587633933663728322015-08-30T16:04:00.002-07:002015-08-30T16:06:45.724-07:00Having a Piece of Heaven on Earth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Bd0_pAJF7kyO0Kk1JMHQyc26soBP8Xw4gtqzHsoiaW3N_svAAoJEUxuEn6CGsMkffikuvORu4JJ-s25M5_0R0lKYiGSVypmzbn4Ef6kIMN3-RFShzlrH1lUJvRecl9OIJD8wwgukU-g/s1600/IMG_9650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Bd0_pAJF7kyO0Kk1JMHQyc26soBP8Xw4gtqzHsoiaW3N_svAAoJEUxuEn6CGsMkffikuvORu4JJ-s25M5_0R0lKYiGSVypmzbn4Ef6kIMN3-RFShzlrH1lUJvRecl9OIJD8wwgukU-g/s400/IMG_9650.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Bd0_pAJF7kyO0Kk1JMHQyc26soBP8Xw4gtqzHsoiaW3N_svAAoJEUxuEn6CGsMkffikuvORu4JJ-s25M5_0R0lKYiGSVypmzbn4Ef6kIMN3-RFShzlrH1lUJvRecl9OIJD8wwgukU-g/s1600/IMG_9650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></a><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"> A few weeks ago, I went through the temple for the very first time to receive my endowments. It was truly a beautiful day and it was an experience I'll remember forever. The temple is a very different place of worship than I was used to, I'll be honest, but I have always had a testimony of temples and their purpose so I am eager to learn more. The first time through was just taking a lot in. When you prepare to go for the first time, you may or may not have 1,455,657,888 people tell you that. But I will never forget how I felt. First, I felt privileged to be there. Second, I felt so loved by Heavenly Father and everyone around me. As the words of the temple workers were uttered to me the first time, I may not have understood everything, but I felt God's love. I knew He knew me, and I knew He was proud that I made it to His house. Third, I felt in awe. I felt in awe of how much I DO NOT know. Once I had gone to the temple, I felt like a whole other door of the gospel was opened to me as if showing me that there is SOOO much to this gospel and to the Plan of Salvation that I do not understand and may not til I have passed from this world. Overall, it was just a great day filled so full with the Spirit. As I have gone back, I have already gained a love of the temple and I want to go ALL the time. I wrote about this already in my last post, but the feeling of being able and worthy to enter into the Lord's house is so so good. Please oh please, never forget that you are NO EXCEPTION to the blessings awaiting you in the temple. Each person is meant to receive those blessings at some time or another and no matter where you are in your journey of life, you CAN come to the temple, if you choose to make it a priority. I promise you the blessings are worth facing whatever opposition you are dealt and I hope you will seek to find a testimony of the temple, so that no matter what storms blow against you, you will know there is a lighthouse worth pressing forward for. You are important to Heavenly Father and He wants to bless you with the promises of a joyful eternity. This Earth was created for such a divine purpose and I got such a strong glimpse of that, that day there in the temple. We are all daughters and sons of our Father in Heaven, and we can always count on Him to lead us through our lives. The temple is Heaven on Earth and the best place to get perspective on our lives. I can not wait to keep going back and can already see how it might bless my life forever.</span></div>
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Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-49380701842181322092015-08-06T07:02:00.001-07:002015-08-06T07:06:53.388-07:00"I'll Go Inside Someday..."<span style="font-size: large;">If you think of the Mormons, most likely a beautiful, tall building comes to mind...the temple. This post is about the temple, but I don't want to waste a lot of space explaining the importance or purpose of the temple (as wonderful as they are and as much as I would like to). If you would like to know more information about the "Mormon Temples", <a href="https://www.lds.org/church/temples/why-we-build-temples?lang=eng" target="_blank">click here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So last night I wrote in my journal about a powerful experience I had on Sunday. I had my temple interview with my bishop and at the end of the interview, he asked the all encompassing question, "do you find yourself worthy to enter into the house of the Lord?" I always feel hesitant to answer this question because even though I know I haven't done any major things wrong, really what I'm being asked is if I feel worthy enough to be in the presence of the Lord. I know that I am far too flawed and imperfect to be in the glorious presence of my Heavenly Father so I always feel conflicted when I answer. But in the moment when he asked me that, the Spirit completely washed over me and I began to feel this complete peace in my heart and I felt so whole and complete. The Spirit was telling me that, "Yes! You are worthy!" Now that doesn't mean I'm perfect. I'm far from it. But to me, that moment of complete peace and comfort meant that my constant efforts of choosing the right in all situations and striving to be virtuous in all things was not going unrecognized by my Father in Heaven. My friends, that feeling was AMAZINGLY to feel. I started to cry as my bishop had asked this question because I looked up at a painting he had of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in his office, and I felt like my conscience was completely clean before them. I had nothing to hide or be ashamed of. Sure I have messed up, sure I have sinned in ways I am not proud of, and no you don't have to be "perfect" to be pure and worthy. The important part is repentance and coming to a point where you completely turn your heart to the Lord. I can promise you now, that ANY SACRIFICE is worth that feeling of peace and comfort knowing you are worthy to be in the presence of the Lord. Any path of repentance, no matter how hard it may seem, is worth being able to say that. Keep trying. Keep seeking after knowledge of our Lord and His house. Keep living the standards, though they are (trust me, I know) difficult at times. Make the temple your goal and you too will feel this joy that I describe. I want you to feel this way but more importantly, Heavenly Father wants YOU to feel this way because He loves you with an eternal, perfect, forgiving kind of love. Keep your eyes on the temple my friends, and do not give up on yourself. ❤️ </span><br />
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Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-7708176820677775312015-07-26T16:29:00.004-07:002015-07-26T20:17:49.105-07:00A Little Poem for Missionaries Everywhere<div class="p1">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Written by yours truly <3</span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">When you embrace the light </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">It's a glorious feeling to know</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">The life you live is better </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">And immediately begins to show </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">You want to do the best you can</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">You want to live the truth </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">In this you find your happiness </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">And live it in your youth </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">The day is nigh, when you shall hear</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">The whisper of His call</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">An invitation to do His work</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Be strong, choose right, walk tall. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">With cheerfulness you'll answer,</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Exclaim "Of course I'll come!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">I will work to serve your children</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Until my body's numb!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">In this He will delight </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">And bless you oh so great</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Especially because He knows</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">The struggling that awaits</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Once you decide to go </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">And you decide to make the climb</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Expect the Devils company</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">In record breaking time</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">he will test your goodness</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">he might even break your heart</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">And with everything he has and knows, </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Start taring you apart</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">That serpent that would take your life</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">If was given the choice </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Finds joy in your discouragement </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">In your sorrow, he'll rejoice</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Soon you'll feel not good enough</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">You might even feel alone</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Your testimony might shake a little </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">You may be guilty prone </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Why is it right when you begin to feel</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">The surety of this trip,</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Does all this opposition come</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">And make you lose your grip?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">To answer this question simply</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">The bad is always there</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">As surely as the good moves forward</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">The devil sets his snares</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">But on the other side</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Lies the Winner of it all</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Trust the One who's victory</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Will always catch your fall</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Know that He is always there</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Have faith to move ahead</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">As surely as you take each step </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Each one is divinely led</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Press onward missionary</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Especially when times get rough</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Don't ever let the devil tell you </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">You are not good enough </span>Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-2045979736646192942015-06-29T20:07:00.002-07:002015-07-26T15:47:50.151-07:00You are Assigned to Labor in the...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Texas Dallas Mission</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Provo MTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">November 11th, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Well Yee-haw Skip-a-dee-doo daw! I'm serving a mission in Dallas Texas! For me, a mission call has been a LONG time comin. I have wanted to for sure go on a mission since I was 14 years old and ever since, I dreamed of reading my mission call and the words it would say. I have had countless dreams of places I was called whether it was Italy, Michigan, Iowa, or the middle east to teach Al-Qaeda. None of those dreams came true as it turned out (<i>I'm especially grateful about the Al-Qaeda one</i>). Since I officially turned in my papers, the three week wait to receive my call was near painful. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW! So when I was at work and received a text from my mom with a picture of a pretty white envelope that had come in the mail, you can imagine my excitement. I told all my friends and had to wait till 8 that night to open it. My emotions were ALL over the place in the minutes leading up to my call opening. The moment I slid my finger through the top of the envelope to slit it open, my heart began to beat out of my chest. Naturally I couldn't hold it together when I read the words, "Dear Sister Cowper." I lost it... I'm surprised anyone understood what I said considering I was bawling the rest of the time. When I read the words, "Texas Dallas Mission," shock overcame me for two reasons. One, I totally thought I was going to some foreign, Spanish speaking country because I have taken six years of Spanish class. The second reason is because I am VERY familiar with the Dallas area considering that is where my siblings have lived for ten years and we have made several visits. I know Dallas well. But this made it all the more special. If you were there or watched the video, you heard me let out an obnoxious cry as I put my hand over my heart when I read exactly where it was I was going. In that moment, I knew Heavenly Father knows me. Whatever apostle it was that assigned my call doesn't know me personally. He had no idea that my siblings live in Dallas. He had no idea that I have been there and driven through my mission several, several times. But the Lord knew. Out of the 409 missions all across the world, I was called to the one I need to go to. You know, I was always afraid that if I was called state-side, that I would be bummed. But I don't think in those few minutes or hours after I opened my call, I ever felt disappointed. I just felt and knew that Dallas, Texas is where I am supposed to be. I know the Lord has prepared me for people there, and has prepared people there for me. It feels right. There is a feeling of possessiveness when I get to call the Texas Dallas mission MY mission. I am so excited to serve the people of Texas and do my very best to bring them to the truth of their loving Father in Heaven and their wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the left is a picture of me and my other half Shelby. She has been my rock and my very best friend and I'm so excited to be a sister missionary with her. She has been called to serve in the Washington D.C. South mission.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the right is a picture of my friend Daryl and I. Him and I are going to the exact same mission and let's just say when he showed up late and found out I was going to Dallas, he ran and picked me up off my feet and carried me across the lawn screaming, "YOU'RE GOING TO DALLAS!!!" Ha ha. I can't believe I'm going to the exact same mission as my stake mission prep buddy. Can't wait to give ya a solid handshake when I see ya in the field. ;)</span></div>
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My cute mums and I.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"TEXAS!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Maddy's face = priceless</span></div>
<br />Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-46292782671551548462014-07-29T21:10:00.000-07:002015-06-29T20:09:46.396-07:00I am in Love with my Body<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"> That's probably not the most common thing you hear, huh? Well, its true! I wake up every day more and more in love with my body. But you see, here's the thing. I am not in love with it because of the way it looks. Nope. Nu-uh! I love my body for all that it is and all that it does for me! I wake up every day so thankful that my heart is still beating strong, my bones are in tact, and that I don't have any significant complications with my health. Not everyone can say that last part, so with that I feel especially thankful. I am pretty sure somewhere in every prayer I say, I make room to thank Heavenly Father for my body, because I have this weird theory that maybe if I thank Him enough, He will see how grateful I am and shield me from any complications. Okay, so maybe thats not completely how He works and if it be His will that I go through physical trials in my life, then I trust Him and will push through it. But for now, I am just enjoying my healthy body. I just love all the things that it does and can do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I recently got back from our team's cross country camp where we ran and ran and ran some more for three days in the mountains while we all camped together. It's such an enjoyable experience and I always come back from it loving my body even more. We do this 6 mile run up the mountain on the second day of camp known as the "guts run". Coach calls it that because he says its for us to see how long we can run on pure guts and determination when every other fiber of our being wants to stop running. By the end of the run, despite the ache and fatigue, I always just look down at my legs and think, "Wow! They can really do that?!" And there are so many other amazing experiences that I can have with this complex little machine. Run to the waterfall, bike the canal, swim in the ocean, zip-line through trees, hug those I love, play instruments, taste chocolate and so so much more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Everything our bodies can do and experience for us is purely amazing. The more I think about it, the more I start to understand Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness. Yesterday, I listened to David A. Bednar's talk called, <a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/06/things-as-they-really-are?lang=eng" target="_blank">"Things as They Really Are"</a> (I suggest reading it if you want a moment of "oh my heck, life makes sense now!") and it really gave me such a new perspective on my body and my purpose here. It was a part of God's plan for us to come to Earth and gain bodies because He knew there was a depth and intensity of experience that we need and of which we could only experience in this state of being. Our state of existence in the pre-mortal life could not have provided us the means to experience and feel in the way our body lets us feel now. This physical vessel that carries our spirit is the instrument that helps make up the foundation of our character and mind. Our bodies are literally physical instruments <i>given</i> to us in order to amplify our ability to <i>experience</i>. With it, we are able to more fully comprehend what it really means to obey and live the principles of the gospel. With it also, we experience feelings such as joy, excitement, love, disappointment, sorrow, fear, etc. We could not have done these things had we not accepted our Father's plan to leave His presence and receive a body. (The faith we must have had in Him and His plan!) The more you begin to understand these truths of our body and its purposes, the more we honor it as the vessel and instrument to carry us to salvation and exaltation. And the more we honor it, the more we want to take care of it, feed it nutritiously, and exercise. The more we take care of it, the more we will protect it by not engaging in dangerous activity. The more we protect it physically, the more we want to protect it symbolically as we strive to dress modestly to keep it covered and sacred to us. Our bodies are truly a sacred and beautiful instrument. Treat it well. And love it too! Don't beat yourself up because your body isn't the "ideal" image of what you <u>think</u> it should be. In fact, to come up with <i>one</i> "ideal" image of what our bodies should be is probably offensive to the One who created them, <i>each</i> beautifully and uniquely for each of us. Fall in love with your body and everything about it because like I said before, it is the vessel that will carry you to your salvation and exaltation!</span>Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-11423038717128566242014-07-24T14:50:00.002-07:002015-06-29T20:09:52.454-07:00Satan is a Bumwipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last night I really got a glimpse of Satan's work in action. I witnessed the destruction he has caused in a loved one's life. It made me mad. Not at my loved one. At Satan. I had never felt the true reality of Satan and his mission to destroy the way I did in that moment last night. Before my eyes, it was like I could see Satan's joy in every frown line on the face staring back at me. To spare you from any unnecessary details, lets just say, I ended the night feeling pretty stinkin' helpless despite my best efforts to help and enlighten the situation. I realized the <i>helplessness</i> of my situation, but I also realized the fact that I did <u>not</u> feel <i>hopeless</i>. The Spirit really just gave me the biggest confirmation of the power of Jesus Christ. Words not of my own thoughts entered my mind and just comforted me saying, "Satan has a strong hold on 'said loved one' but Christ is so much more powerful. Satan is a no good, wimpy little spirit who has never had a body and who has never accomplished anything worthwhile. But you see, Jesus Christ, He is someone truly powerful. He is not only a being of flesh and bone, He is a being of <i>resurrected</i> flesh and bone. Jesus Christ Himself has overcome death and broken the bonds of sin. He is real power because He has real power! Satan has nothing on Christ. So fear not, because Satan can not win. Just pray for a miracle and pray for the atonement to heal and redeem 'said loved one'." Last night, I truly just gained such a strong conviction in my heart that Christ is so much more powerful than Satan. When we look around our world today, it may seem like Satan is winning sometimes, but we must have faith in Heavenly Father's plan and in the eternally powerful atonement that Jesus Christ performed. However, you might wonder why so much bad and heartbreaking things happen if Christ can beat Satan. Well, Satan only has "power" over us as we let him and because this life is supposed to be a test to prove if we can choose the right, we often find ourselves in a war against Satan. But because Christ loves us so much, He is constantly working for our happiness and in the end, we can trust everything will be okay through Him who has All Power. We must remember that <i>no matter</i> how strong of chains Satan has on someone's heart, Christ can break those chains. He can overcome <i>anything</i> Satan throws His way. Whenever you feel like Satan is winning in your life, or in the life of someone you love, I plead with you to stay strong in the faith of our Savior Jesus Christ and to always remember the infinite power of His mighty atonement. It may not feel like Christ has won yet, but I <span style="font-style: italic;">promise</span> HE WILL. Not one fiber of my being doubts that Christ will win and not one morsel of my soul doubts that everything will be okay in the end. Just have faith in our Savior and know He is forever more powerful than that little bum wipe named Satan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who created the heavens and the earth, a light which CANNOT BE HID IN DARKNESS;" D&C 14:9</span><br />
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Take that Satan...take that.Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-23886316125227008082014-07-08T22:15:00.000-07:002015-06-29T20:09:57.451-07:00We're Wasting Eternity on our Phones...Literally<span style="font-size: large;">Airports are a regular place for me to be. I spend time waiting and people watching at the airport at least once a month. In the summer that average goes up to about two or three times a month. One time while I was at the airport, I was waiting for my luggage at the carousel and I was watching a woman and her adorable little kids. The mom looked like quite the fashionable woman. Cute white jeans, pretty pink blazer, bow-tie hair bun, bronze watch, and giant heels. She had a little boy and girl running around her. I enjoyed watching them frivolously playing with each other, chasing each other and laughing. They were adorable and I couldn't help smile as I listened to their little shouts of thrill and their adorable cartoon-like laughs. Every once in a while they would run around their mom and grab her legs and pull on her shirt. But something that caught my attention about the situation was the mom's pure fascination with her iPhone. I don't know what she was doing but her eyes and thumbs were glued to her phone. I continued to watch, simply just intrigued by the scene before me. I noticed that never <i>once</i> in fifteen minutes did she look up to acknowledge her playing children or even watch when they would run into the busy crowd at the carousel. Whatever she was involved in with her phone had her full and undivided attention. Now I have to take a step back for a moment just to address the fact that I don't know what she was doing nor do I judge her. The point of this post is not to chastise or judge this woman. After running into her later, she seemed like a very enjoyable, loving woman. But back to my point, it was initially sad for me to watch. How divine of a moment was given up to enjoy the simple scene of her children being happy, laughing, and playing. The opportunity was sacrificed to even just be in the presence of those she loved. Maybe the situation wasn't anything precious at first glance, waiting at a luggage carousel and all, and yes, maybe she has already given so many moments of her life and attention to her children, but it still seemed like such a withdrawal from the presence of her children. The presence of human existence for that matter, and it really got me thinking. These little devices that are supposedly connecting us with more people, seem to be doing just the opposite. It seems that the more people get drawn into their electronic worlds, the more they withdraw themselves from the real one. And it got me thinking personally. How often do I withdraw from my real life in order to build up my electronic one? Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, whatever it may be. How many precious moments of eternity have I plain and simply given up, wasting my time over things that in the end, do me absolutely no good? Whether those moments be precious times with those I love, or opportunities to interact with strangers that I could learn a lot from? How many opportunities to serve someone in need have I let pass me by because my eyes were glued to my phone? What if a frazzled mother holding a new baby was struggling to corral her busy children when her purse spilled all over the ground, and I couldn't offer my help because my eyes were fixed on my phone. My point is that we are here for a divine purpose. Every moment is precious and often quick to pass us by, so let us not give up those moments because our phones have us entranced into their tricky behaviors of slavery. Who knows what small and simple moments of beauty or opportunity God may put in our path? Great things come to pass by small and simple means and we must not give them up. Our phones and our social media life have their time and place, so let's make sure we are controlling ourselves and giving the appropriate time in the appropriate places for these things. It's something I know I need to work on, and if you agree, I hope you will admonish yourself to do the same. After all, "moments are the molecules that make up eternity", so let us savor and make something out of each one. Let's build our own Eternity to be something beautiful with the moments we allow ourselves to experience (and I don't think our phones will do that for us, do you?).</span>Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686359660962024397.post-2981640102037477452014-07-06T13:31:00.001-07:002015-06-29T20:10:02.668-07:00Joseph Smith, my New Friend and Hero<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMhpoVkbwtv-86cDTpoP-F2Xle_9f_03qRFmyqjetSN1_-g4rM0_gQQzdXwZkmKYb6Fb7mcsc5UH-E1MmScZZX7JYCTrWvKK5wh1bWvazCoBjsB9NYqpFZeIQGoF8ainMCrpvW_6Qcf4/s1600/joseph-smith-prophet-restoration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMhpoVkbwtv-86cDTpoP-F2Xle_9f_03qRFmyqjetSN1_-g4rM0_gQQzdXwZkmKYb6Fb7mcsc5UH-E1MmScZZX7JYCTrWvKK5wh1bWvazCoBjsB9NYqpFZeIQGoF8ainMCrpvW_6Qcf4/s1600/joseph-smith-prophet-restoration.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Last night, I sat bored in my bed, postponing the idea of going to sleep. Then I got the idea of watching a movie on Netflix. Just a few days earlier, I discovered <i>17 Miracles</i>, a very moving movie about the Mormon pioneers, was on Netflix and after it was done, a list of similar movies popped up. So many looked good and I was impressed to see so many uplifting movies featured on Netflix. So last night I decided to see if there were any that interested me while I lay there bored in bed. I suddenly came across the <i>Emma Smith-My Story</i> movie and thought it appropriate considering earlier this week I just watch the <i>Joseph Smith-Prophet of the Restoration</i> movie and like I said, the <i>17 Miracles</i> movie. It's not like these are the only kind of movies I wat<span style="font-family: inherit;">ch, but I guess ever since Youth Conference, I have just been on a "Restoration" kick. Anyways, back to the Emma Smith movie. I really loved it! It was such a personal depiction of the life of Joseph and Emma Smith and it really made them come to life for me. They were no longer just characters I have heard of many times in church stories, and they were no longer just figures in history that I often learn about. It hit me that they were real people with real lives. Not just stories. I started getting emotionally attached to the characters as the movie carried on and such a strange feeling of familiarity and friendship with Joseph Smith washed over me. I felt like I was watching a friend that I loved dearly. During the movie, I shed a few tears, but as soon as it ended, for some reason I just started crying. So much emotion just swept over me. After the movie ended, two things about their story touched my heart deeply. The first thing was their love. The love and affection and commitment they had to each other is heartwarming and quite honestly super cute to teenage-girl-hopeless-romantic me. I don’t think I can ever think of Joseph Smith ever again without thinking too of Emma. Together, they pushed through the fires and storms of hell and built each other up out of their weakness. Their</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">strength and unity and complete love is a beautiful story in and of itself. But that is not all. The second thing that inspired me was their truly powerful, powerful impact that I can still feel, sitting here generations later. Their faith was astonishing. I just love how strong their faith and love for God was no matter how weak they were. Their whole lives revolved around their work as wholly devoted servants to their Heavenly Father. Their testimony of the gospel restored to them was so amazing. Everything they did was for the building of the kingdom and nothing could slow them down or distract them. That is a trait inspiring to me personally. I think the part that got me crying the most was the scene where Hyrum (Joseph's brother) and Joseph were watching Emma play with the children and Hyrum turns to Joseph and asks, "Are you scared to go to Carthage?" and he just looks at Emma, then nods his head. I really think he and Emma both had a pretty conscience idea of what was going to take place at Carthage jail. How heart wrenching?! To know that you were leaving your family behind! To see your husband and love of you life trotting off on a horse to his impending death. My chest literally aches thinking about the emotions they must have felt. But despite their fear and the reality of the situation, he still went through with it! He knew that it was in the best interest and safety of the people of Nauvoo and knew it was his duty to defend what he knew. Like I said, after the movie, I just starting crying thinking about my new friend Joseph Smith and the wonderful gospel I have and the convenience at which I have it. How blessed I am. My last thought as I pondered what I just watched was how hard it is to deny the truthfulness of this gospel once you understand Joseph's own witness and undying testimony. He knew what he saw and what he experienced and the things that God revealed to him were true. He knew the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints truly contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His life itself was a testament of these things and that testimony was sealed with his martyrdom at Carthage jail. I was thankful that just by watching these simple movies, my testimony and relationship with Joseph Smith was deeply enhanced and I can now say that Joseph Smith truly is my hero!</span></span>Kyndalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391794891182684751noreply@blogger.com0