Tuesday February 8, 2011
Time: LATE
My mom and I had an appointment with the missionaries tonight. I was hoping my dad would join us, but he didn't get home until we were just about finished. It was a very long meeting, lasting about 2.5 hours, but I learned something very interesting from Elder Carter tonight. He shared his own story of how he ended up going on a mission. First he explained that when he was 14 years old he stopped believing in what the Church taught. By the time he was 18, he completely abandoned going to Church. He started becoming interested in meditation, so he took a few courses and went to some seminars. He noticed that when he would attend these seminars, he would be happy for the day. But it started becoming more clear to him that when he went to Church, he was happy for the entire week. Elder Carter began to attend Church again and was doing well enough to get a temple recommend. He said his first time back into the temple was the true turning point in his life. He fell on his knees and asked Heavenly Father to give him assurance like he'd never felt before. If He did, Elder Carter would dedicate his life to the Lord, doing whatever it takes, including going on a mission. So, as some of us have tried at least once or twice, Elder Carter grabbed his Book of Mormon, randomly picked a page, and set his eyes on the first verse in sight. It read:
"And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end.
I say unto you, my son, that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering..." - Alma 38:2-3
This miraculous verse ended up turning a confused boy into a missionary. A darn good missionary who has been a blessing in the lives of many, including myself. I am so grateful for his dedication.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
02/07/2011 Journal Entry
Monday February 7, 2011
9:30PM
I just realized something. Before we went out to dinner tonight, I asked my mom to read a letter that I wrote to Elder Bartholomew (a missionary who recently transferred out of my ward). She started to read it, and then paused and said "I'll read it when we get back from dinner...it's too long." I said that was fine, and we left.
When we came back, my mom did her usual thing and immediately changed into her pajamas before she got comfortable on the couch. I went into the living room shortly afterward and heard a few curse words coming from the television. Then I heard some guy growling, looked over, and saw a bunch of blood all over him. She was watching a scary movie. I came to bring her the letter and asked (in a disgusted tone), "What are you watching?" She said, "It's called Asylum." The moment I started to tell her that I brought the letter for her to read, I had this feeling inside that this movie would prevent her from doing it. I had this deep feeling that Satan would influence her to turn me away; and that is precisely what happened. She actually seemed a little upset and disturbed that I came in the room to ask to her to read it. It's astonishing how strong Satan can influence people. He does not want families to bond and spend time together; that would only make them happy. Instead, he deceives them into thinking that a television show is more fun and important than their own child. I don't think that any movie will ever be important enough for me to turn away my child. I look forward to her progressing spiritually. I know that one day she will be able to recognize that her path is becoming more and more narrow as her spirit becomes stronger. I hope that she starts enjoying to read, because I would love for her to get a taste of "Putting On the Armor of God." It makes me sad to think about all of the lost time that we could have spent as a family if she watched less television. Obviously, I am also to blame, but as the parent, I wish that she realized her duty to be an example in everything she does. One day, it will all be clear to her.
1 AM
Wow...I just got off the phone with my sister. We had over 2 hours of conversation. It was good for most of it, but her pessimism is kind of frustrating. I read her "The Meaning of the Atonement" by Cleon Skousen. She seemed to enjoy listening to it and obviously had a few questions. We also talked about the Word of Wisdom and she had lots to say about that... We talked about coffee and wine and how Jesus drank wine. I had to explain that it was new wine, but since there aren't any scriptural references that can agree with me on that, it must not be true. She makes up a bunch of excuses like "the wine back then was most likely less alcoholic than the wine we have today." She also said things that made no sense like, "people back then probably didn't drink to get drunk." You have got to be kidding me...This is coming from the person who said that man has and always will turn to some type of sedative. Anyway, at some moments I feel that she may have a Spiritual confirmation, but what saddens me is that she blows them off and turns to the philosophies of the world. We were talking about my mom and how she is almost ready to be baptized, but she just needs to live the Word of Wisdom. She already quit smoking about 3 months ago (after 40 years of addiction) and just has to stop drinking coffee. Kelli said that my mom is only doing this for me because she wants to see me get married. It really disgusts me when she says stuff like that because the fact is that my mom does receive her own Spiritual confirmations and Kelli has no right to deny her of them. She should not be claiming that they are false witnesses and that my mother is changing her lifestyle for me. That's ridiculous. I know that my mom doesn't have a perfect knowledge of the gospel and in this life she may never; but what I do know is that she does have a testimony (how small it may be) and no one can say that it is not strong enough to be baptized. Getting baptized into the Church is not something you just do. It takes commitment and action. Her faith is being proven by the fact that she is striving to break free from addiction and live out the principles of the Word of Wisdom. She is proving to Heavenly Father and herself that she believes in this gospel and that it is important to her. The more of her life that she dedicates to Him, the stronger her testimony will be, and the greater her spirit will grow. These life changes would never have been possible for my mother had I not received the "good news" of Christ. I will pray for Kelli and never will give up hope. After all, what would this world be without hope? All throughout the scriptures, Heavenly Father's children are constantly letting Him down and disobeying Him, but what does He do? He is always keeping an outstretched hand in hopes that His children will grab it.
9:30PM
I just realized something. Before we went out to dinner tonight, I asked my mom to read a letter that I wrote to Elder Bartholomew (a missionary who recently transferred out of my ward). She started to read it, and then paused and said "I'll read it when we get back from dinner...it's too long." I said that was fine, and we left.
When we came back, my mom did her usual thing and immediately changed into her pajamas before she got comfortable on the couch. I went into the living room shortly afterward and heard a few curse words coming from the television. Then I heard some guy growling, looked over, and saw a bunch of blood all over him. She was watching a scary movie. I came to bring her the letter and asked (in a disgusted tone), "What are you watching?" She said, "It's called Asylum." The moment I started to tell her that I brought the letter for her to read, I had this feeling inside that this movie would prevent her from doing it. I had this deep feeling that Satan would influence her to turn me away; and that is precisely what happened. She actually seemed a little upset and disturbed that I came in the room to ask to her to read it. It's astonishing how strong Satan can influence people. He does not want families to bond and spend time together; that would only make them happy. Instead, he deceives them into thinking that a television show is more fun and important than their own child. I don't think that any movie will ever be important enough for me to turn away my child. I look forward to her progressing spiritually. I know that one day she will be able to recognize that her path is becoming more and more narrow as her spirit becomes stronger. I hope that she starts enjoying to read, because I would love for her to get a taste of "Putting On the Armor of God." It makes me sad to think about all of the lost time that we could have spent as a family if she watched less television. Obviously, I am also to blame, but as the parent, I wish that she realized her duty to be an example in everything she does. One day, it will all be clear to her.
1 AM
Wow...I just got off the phone with my sister. We had over 2 hours of conversation. It was good for most of it, but her pessimism is kind of frustrating. I read her "The Meaning of the Atonement" by Cleon Skousen. She seemed to enjoy listening to it and obviously had a few questions. We also talked about the Word of Wisdom and she had lots to say about that... We talked about coffee and wine and how Jesus drank wine. I had to explain that it was new wine, but since there aren't any scriptural references that can agree with me on that, it must not be true. She makes up a bunch of excuses like "the wine back then was most likely less alcoholic than the wine we have today." She also said things that made no sense like, "people back then probably didn't drink to get drunk." You have got to be kidding me...This is coming from the person who said that man has and always will turn to some type of sedative. Anyway, at some moments I feel that she may have a Spiritual confirmation, but what saddens me is that she blows them off and turns to the philosophies of the world. We were talking about my mom and how she is almost ready to be baptized, but she just needs to live the Word of Wisdom. She already quit smoking about 3 months ago (after 40 years of addiction) and just has to stop drinking coffee. Kelli said that my mom is only doing this for me because she wants to see me get married. It really disgusts me when she says stuff like that because the fact is that my mom does receive her own Spiritual confirmations and Kelli has no right to deny her of them. She should not be claiming that they are false witnesses and that my mother is changing her lifestyle for me. That's ridiculous. I know that my mom doesn't have a perfect knowledge of the gospel and in this life she may never; but what I do know is that she does have a testimony (how small it may be) and no one can say that it is not strong enough to be baptized. Getting baptized into the Church is not something you just do. It takes commitment and action. Her faith is being proven by the fact that she is striving to break free from addiction and live out the principles of the Word of Wisdom. She is proving to Heavenly Father and herself that she believes in this gospel and that it is important to her. The more of her life that she dedicates to Him, the stronger her testimony will be, and the greater her spirit will grow. These life changes would never have been possible for my mother had I not received the "good news" of Christ. I will pray for Kelli and never will give up hope. After all, what would this world be without hope? All throughout the scriptures, Heavenly Father's children are constantly letting Him down and disobeying Him, but what does He do? He is always keeping an outstretched hand in hopes that His children will grab it.
02/06/2011 Journal Entry
Sunday February 6, 2011
Today I received the Priesthood finally. It was amazing. I've never felt such an amazing feeling. The only other time that I could compare this feeling to was when I was first baptized into the Church. When I was being given the Priesthood by the laying on of hands, I started to tear up. When the ordination was complete, my eyes filled with tears and it was so strong that I absolutely could not overcome it. The men whom I requested to participate were Bishop P***** (conferring the Priesthood to me), Kyle B******, Scott H***, Ryan P*****, Elder Shaw, and Elder Carter. A few things about these men:
Bishop P***** - NEVER have I met anyone constantly filled with the Spirit as Bishop P***** is. I have told him a few times that I could never imagine him being anything but a Bishop. He was made for this calling, and I would not be surprised if the Lord has much greater plans in his future. His dedication to the gospel is like no one I have ever met. Every word that comes out his mouth sounds as if it is directed by the Spirit. I love Bishop P***** and hope to always have him as a great friend and counselor.
Kyle B****** - a truly great example of someone who is dedicated to living the gospel. I remember him talking about the specifics of the Sabbath Day one time. He said that him and his wife were having a 2 hour discussion on the Sabbath Day and what are considered appropriate activities. Their oldest child, Clark, wanted to hang out at the lagoon with his fellow kindergarten classmates and their parents on Sunday nights to roast marshmallows and hot dogs. Kyle and his wife eventually came to the conclusion that, while this would be a great missionary opportunity for them, they should not participate in this activity; the reason that he mentioned in class was because "this week we can go to the lagoon, so next week why can't we go to disneyland?" He is very smart and I hope to build a better relationship with him. There is a lot that I can learn from on how to be a worthy Priesthood holder.
Scott H**** - I don't know too much about Scott, but he has been a great Gospel Essentials teacher. I hope that one day I will be able to take his place in that class :)
Ryan P***** - He is the Bishop's brother, along with being my home teacher. I've only known him for about 2 months, but I can feel the sincerity in his voice when he talks about the gospel and its truthfulness. He is someone that I want around in my life to also learn from. His voice is nearly identical to Bishop P*****.
Elder Shaw - Elder Shaw is one of those goofy yet sincere missionaries. I always feel the Spirit when he speaks. I know of his worthiness by the way he makes me feel during discussions. He's a very likable guy and a missionary that I would love to always keep in contact with. He lives on a farm in Canada and has horses.
Elder Carter - This guy, alongside Elder Shaw, is one of the greatest missionaries that I've been blessed to have in my life. It almost brings me to tears just thinking about how much he has helped me. He's very outgoing. As a matter of fact, when I first met him at Church I thought he'd been out on the mission field for a while, just from his charisma. Turns out, that was his first Church meeting since leaving the MTC. Elder Carter has helped me with my masturbation and pornography struggles by advising me to read the book "Putting On The Armor of God" by Steven Cramer. This book is tied for my favorite Church book. He's the first missionary I've had that has no problem giving you a big hug before he leaves your house. Him and Elder Shaw were instrumental in my receiving of the Priesthood today. I am grateful to have them in my life.
Before I received the Priesthood today, I taught my first Church lesson in second hour. 2 weeks ago, Kyle B****** asked me to teach the Word of Wisdom in the Gospel Essentials class. I was extremely nervous to start, but 2 minutes into the lesson all of my fears went away. I now understand what it is like to teach with the Spirit. I am so grateful to be worthy enough to have the Spirit to be with me during these times of desperation (that's what it felt like, with all the nerves kicked in). A huge part of this day was that I was accompanied by so many loved ones. My dad took the morning/afternoon off, Aunt Shari mustered up the courage to fight her anxiety (which has caused her to miss out on my important family events), Kent (my aunt's boyfriend of 15 years) joined us, my mom, Nathalie, Mary Lou, and Max (Mary Lou's 2 year old). It meant so much to me to have my family there to support me. I have never had a better Sunday than today. After Church, we all came back to my house to eat and then left together to visit the Newport Beach Temple. Me and Nathalie want to get married there. Hopefully she will be temple worthy by November because we want to have our wedding on 11/11/11. It would be awesome :) I love her so much and I feel like everything in life is going great. I have a lot of things going on and it is certainly stressful, but with Heavenly Father on my side, I can get through anything.
I just started listening to a lot of gospel songs. It is so uplifting and positive. When I hear anything else besides gospel music, I start to get a bad feeling inside. These are definitely spiritual promptings. I know that my path is becoming narrower and narrower each and every day.
I heard this song today called "He Wants It All" by Forever Jones. It made me cry. As I write this, I feel so good inside. I feel that my life is going down the right path. I want to give my all to Heavenly Father and this gospel. I want to serve him in any way that I can.
Today I received the Priesthood finally. It was amazing. I've never felt such an amazing feeling. The only other time that I could compare this feeling to was when I was first baptized into the Church. When I was being given the Priesthood by the laying on of hands, I started to tear up. When the ordination was complete, my eyes filled with tears and it was so strong that I absolutely could not overcome it. The men whom I requested to participate were Bishop P***** (conferring the Priesthood to me), Kyle B******, Scott H***, Ryan P*****, Elder Shaw, and Elder Carter. A few things about these men:
Bishop P***** - NEVER have I met anyone constantly filled with the Spirit as Bishop P***** is. I have told him a few times that I could never imagine him being anything but a Bishop. He was made for this calling, and I would not be surprised if the Lord has much greater plans in his future. His dedication to the gospel is like no one I have ever met. Every word that comes out his mouth sounds as if it is directed by the Spirit. I love Bishop P***** and hope to always have him as a great friend and counselor.
Kyle B****** - a truly great example of someone who is dedicated to living the gospel. I remember him talking about the specifics of the Sabbath Day one time. He said that him and his wife were having a 2 hour discussion on the Sabbath Day and what are considered appropriate activities. Their oldest child, Clark, wanted to hang out at the lagoon with his fellow kindergarten classmates and their parents on Sunday nights to roast marshmallows and hot dogs. Kyle and his wife eventually came to the conclusion that, while this would be a great missionary opportunity for them, they should not participate in this activity; the reason that he mentioned in class was because "this week we can go to the lagoon, so next week why can't we go to disneyland?" He is very smart and I hope to build a better relationship with him. There is a lot that I can learn from on how to be a worthy Priesthood holder.
Scott H**** - I don't know too much about Scott, but he has been a great Gospel Essentials teacher. I hope that one day I will be able to take his place in that class :)
Ryan P***** - He is the Bishop's brother, along with being my home teacher. I've only known him for about 2 months, but I can feel the sincerity in his voice when he talks about the gospel and its truthfulness. He is someone that I want around in my life to also learn from. His voice is nearly identical to Bishop P*****.
Elder Shaw - Elder Shaw is one of those goofy yet sincere missionaries. I always feel the Spirit when he speaks. I know of his worthiness by the way he makes me feel during discussions. He's a very likable guy and a missionary that I would love to always keep in contact with. He lives on a farm in Canada and has horses.
Elder Carter - This guy, alongside Elder Shaw, is one of the greatest missionaries that I've been blessed to have in my life. It almost brings me to tears just thinking about how much he has helped me. He's very outgoing. As a matter of fact, when I first met him at Church I thought he'd been out on the mission field for a while, just from his charisma. Turns out, that was his first Church meeting since leaving the MTC. Elder Carter has helped me with my masturbation and pornography struggles by advising me to read the book "Putting On The Armor of God" by Steven Cramer. This book is tied for my favorite Church book. He's the first missionary I've had that has no problem giving you a big hug before he leaves your house. Him and Elder Shaw were instrumental in my receiving of the Priesthood today. I am grateful to have them in my life.
Before I received the Priesthood today, I taught my first Church lesson in second hour. 2 weeks ago, Kyle B****** asked me to teach the Word of Wisdom in the Gospel Essentials class. I was extremely nervous to start, but 2 minutes into the lesson all of my fears went away. I now understand what it is like to teach with the Spirit. I am so grateful to be worthy enough to have the Spirit to be with me during these times of desperation (that's what it felt like, with all the nerves kicked in). A huge part of this day was that I was accompanied by so many loved ones. My dad took the morning/afternoon off, Aunt Shari mustered up the courage to fight her anxiety (which has caused her to miss out on my important family events), Kent (my aunt's boyfriend of 15 years) joined us, my mom, Nathalie, Mary Lou, and Max (Mary Lou's 2 year old). It meant so much to me to have my family there to support me. I have never had a better Sunday than today. After Church, we all came back to my house to eat and then left together to visit the Newport Beach Temple. Me and Nathalie want to get married there. Hopefully she will be temple worthy by November because we want to have our wedding on 11/11/11. It would be awesome :) I love her so much and I feel like everything in life is going great. I have a lot of things going on and it is certainly stressful, but with Heavenly Father on my side, I can get through anything.
I just started listening to a lot of gospel songs. It is so uplifting and positive. When I hear anything else besides gospel music, I start to get a bad feeling inside. These are definitely spiritual promptings. I know that my path is becoming narrower and narrower each and every day.
I heard this song today called "He Wants It All" by Forever Jones. It made me cry. As I write this, I feel so good inside. I feel that my life is going down the right path. I want to give my all to Heavenly Father and this gospel. I want to serve him in any way that I can.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Welcome to my life
Hello world. I give you the most generic title of a blog because, well, to be honest, I'm brand new to the blogging universe. I've never been into stuff like this. The only thing I have relatively close would be my Facebook account, but I use it strictly in unconventional ways. You know, like finding old friends and stuff. I'm not too sure how many people are really interested in what I am doing at every moment of the day or care about how minty my toothpaste is. Maybe there are a few who would, but I'm not the type to disclose such confidential information :-) Anyway, back to what I'm here for. I started keeping a journal a few days ago. I wanted to jot down all of the significant events that happen it my life. What I've noticed is that most of the experiences tend to have some spiritual aspect to them. These entries will hopefully be of importance to my future generations and will always live on as a testimony of my faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. If this blog can help anyone during their own spiritual quest, then it would make me that much happier.
A few things about me
Name: Anonymous
Age: 20
Birthplace: Santa Ana, CA
Currently Residing In: Irvine, CA
Religion: Christian
Thanks for reading. Until next time,
Anonymous
My scripture for this day is my favorite one of all;
"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day." - Alma 37:37
A few things about me
Name: Anonymous
Age: 20
Birthplace: Santa Ana, CA
Currently Residing In: Irvine, CA
Religion: Christian
Thanks for reading. Until next time,
Anonymous
My scripture for this day is my favorite one of all;
"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day." - Alma 37:37
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