The Sabbath Day!!!
Peace and rest, that is what they tell you Sunday is about... along with the three hours of church that makes you realize how hungry you can really get during a 3 hour sitting session. :P It's really not that bad, promise.
Some Sundays do feel bit long, but this was a pretty great Sunday, I will say. I got to catch up with Danielle, who's been on vacation for a little while, and also found out Lorena is in our ward! She is so great. She shared her testimony today and I feel as though she always hones in on the simple doctrines that they tell you to share when you bear testimony, but she just makes it sound good. Sometimes when people say the same things, I hear it, and I feel it a little bit, but it's been a while that I've really FELT it, deep down in the person's heart, and Lorena always seems to nail it. Bryce also got up today and supported Ben Schilaty's thoughts about allowing the gospel to change us, and adding on to the thought further, by emphasizing how it's a process and how we need to have a long, lasting conversion, one that grows within a process and is who we are.
We talked about talents as well. I realized I may have a handful, maybe on one hand, maybe two, but nothing spectacular, which I am okay with. Those that I do have though, I need to continue to strengthen so I can use them to help others, because I feel as though that's a big reason why we have them in the first place.
We also talked about the Lord being our Savior, Exemplar, and Friend. I was asked what I do to encourage the Lord's hand in my daily life. And I thought about it and wanted to make sure I gave a great answer, and at first all I said was, "I pray often." And I thought to myself, "Wow. Great answer, pal." And I thought about it for a moment and really did think that was the best answer I could give. I do my best to pray often each day... when I leave the apartment to go to work, when I don't want to go to work and I pray for a positive attitude, when I get to work and give thanks, when I am dead tired and I still have so much to do... I do my best to rely on Him in ALL things, not just in times of struggle or challenge, but in all things. I try to treat Him as a friend and talk to Him often, as I would a friend, telling Him almost everything. As I have done so, I feel as though I am not rote, but really do get personal because I feel as though He is someone who cares, and with that, I give myself opportunities to be open to the Spirit, which has allowed to more readily recognize and act upon service opportunities and sometimes missionary opportunities.
Bryce and I also had dinner with Rob, who decided to remove his name from church records, but recently decided he wants to work on coming back to the church. We also had the Wageners there with us because he is close to them as well. It was an incredibly delicious dinner and it was even greater because of the good company. We didn't talk church at all, mostly politics because he loves politics, and just a little of life here and there. After the missionaries left, we talked with him a bit, just about life and such, then left. It was comforting to see that even though he had planned on leaving the church, he wasn't in some bitter, depressed mood, but he was in a happy, totally content mood. I mean, yes he did decide to work on coming back and that may have helped, but hey, Heavenly Father will take what He can get, and we will too. :) He is just a great person who wants people to be happy and wants our country to be safe and strong and it's always fun to talk with him and hear his opinions and ideas.
So today was just a great, all-around Sunday. It was calming and relaxing, along with productive and progressive.
I am grateful God gives us this journey to learn. It's not just one moment or one day, but this whole life experience in which we get to learn and grow and progress each moment of each day, and for most of us, we are granted years of those moments and days. And if we mess up and fall, we get back up, try again, find another method or option, and find ways to succeed. We don't stop at one chance, or a second chance, but He gives us an endless number of chances, because He loves us. His plan is real. His plan is possible. Even though we are weak, it is possible for us to succeed, because He made it so. Christ made it possible. We have a heavenly family who will do all they can to make sure we have the best chances to come back to them after we succeed in this journey here. Imagine the homecoming....
Peace and rest, that is what they tell you Sunday is about... along with the three hours of church that makes you realize how hungry you can really get during a 3 hour sitting session. :P It's really not that bad, promise.
Some Sundays do feel bit long, but this was a pretty great Sunday, I will say. I got to catch up with Danielle, who's been on vacation for a little while, and also found out Lorena is in our ward! She is so great. She shared her testimony today and I feel as though she always hones in on the simple doctrines that they tell you to share when you bear testimony, but she just makes it sound good. Sometimes when people say the same things, I hear it, and I feel it a little bit, but it's been a while that I've really FELT it, deep down in the person's heart, and Lorena always seems to nail it. Bryce also got up today and supported Ben Schilaty's thoughts about allowing the gospel to change us, and adding on to the thought further, by emphasizing how it's a process and how we need to have a long, lasting conversion, one that grows within a process and is who we are.
We talked about talents as well. I realized I may have a handful, maybe on one hand, maybe two, but nothing spectacular, which I am okay with. Those that I do have though, I need to continue to strengthen so I can use them to help others, because I feel as though that's a big reason why we have them in the first place.
We also talked about the Lord being our Savior, Exemplar, and Friend. I was asked what I do to encourage the Lord's hand in my daily life. And I thought about it and wanted to make sure I gave a great answer, and at first all I said was, "I pray often." And I thought to myself, "Wow. Great answer, pal." And I thought about it for a moment and really did think that was the best answer I could give. I do my best to pray often each day... when I leave the apartment to go to work, when I don't want to go to work and I pray for a positive attitude, when I get to work and give thanks, when I am dead tired and I still have so much to do... I do my best to rely on Him in ALL things, not just in times of struggle or challenge, but in all things. I try to treat Him as a friend and talk to Him often, as I would a friend, telling Him almost everything. As I have done so, I feel as though I am not rote, but really do get personal because I feel as though He is someone who cares, and with that, I give myself opportunities to be open to the Spirit, which has allowed to more readily recognize and act upon service opportunities and sometimes missionary opportunities.
Bryce and I also had dinner with Rob, who decided to remove his name from church records, but recently decided he wants to work on coming back to the church. We also had the Wageners there with us because he is close to them as well. It was an incredibly delicious dinner and it was even greater because of the good company. We didn't talk church at all, mostly politics because he loves politics, and just a little of life here and there. After the missionaries left, we talked with him a bit, just about life and such, then left. It was comforting to see that even though he had planned on leaving the church, he wasn't in some bitter, depressed mood, but he was in a happy, totally content mood. I mean, yes he did decide to work on coming back and that may have helped, but hey, Heavenly Father will take what He can get, and we will too. :) He is just a great person who wants people to be happy and wants our country to be safe and strong and it's always fun to talk with him and hear his opinions and ideas.
So today was just a great, all-around Sunday. It was calming and relaxing, along with productive and progressive.
I am grateful God gives us this journey to learn. It's not just one moment or one day, but this whole life experience in which we get to learn and grow and progress each moment of each day, and for most of us, we are granted years of those moments and days. And if we mess up and fall, we get back up, try again, find another method or option, and find ways to succeed. We don't stop at one chance, or a second chance, but He gives us an endless number of chances, because He loves us. His plan is real. His plan is possible. Even though we are weak, it is possible for us to succeed, because He made it so. Christ made it possible. We have a heavenly family who will do all they can to make sure we have the best chances to come back to them after we succeed in this journey here. Imagine the homecoming....
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