Sharing Ice Cream

 One day while working at Cold Stone Creamery and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory I had a couple of delightful but weird encounters. Both encounters involved costumers who were at a loss as to which of the many flavors of ice cream they should choose. As an employee part of my job includes satisfying the costumers.
When I first began working at Cold Stone all that meant to me was 'give them the samples they request and make the ice cream they choose with a smile on your face.' As the years have accumulated however, I have found that instead of just standing and waiting for them to ask for samples I suggest things that I really enjoy or that they may ave a particular interest in according to popular demand. It has always been rewarding when I succeed in helping them find the flavor that satisfies their cravings.
The encounters mentioned above, for some reason in particular made me feel elated at the success. In both incidents the costumer and I collaborated for several minutes about likes, dislikes, and previous preferences -both taking longer than the average costumer. Ultimately they chose a flavor that I love. I always love inviting people to taste it and sharing facts about it (did you know our Banana ice cream is made with REAL bananas?! none of this fake flavor business! P.S. It's delicious). For some reason these two experiences sparked a deeper satisfaction and happiness than any others. I didn't know if it was the process we took to get there or what, but today I feel as though it was for my Father in Heaven to teach me a lesson.
Something as simple as sharing an ice cream flavor that I loved and seeing it make others happy reminded me of my time serving as a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a missionary I was continuously sharing what I loved and my testimony of our Savior on a daily basis and the feelings that came when seeing others come into the church or strengthening their own testimonies was and is indescribable and brought so much happiness to my heart. For some reason as I have been home and gotten back into the flow of 'normal' life I ashamedly admit that now that 'sharing' happens far less than it should. As I was sitting in a Church meeting today it hit me that sharing ice cream I enjoy with others is okay but that I KNOW and have experienced joy in such greater abundance by sharing things of far greater importance and impact.
So to the lesson: once great truths have been taught to you and you have felt their power and ability to strengthen, lighten, and shape your life share it with EVERYONE around you whether it is through words, invitations, service, or examples and do your very best to NEVER return to old habits or ways of thinking/living. Sure we all falter and sometimes feel we have gone too far in the opposite direction but, our Father is our Creator and there is NOTHING that he can't or isn't willing to fix -and most of the time through the 'fixing' process we become stronger and better than before. He loves us so much that at times it is incomprehensible but it is there and true. I know that if I do more than just share simple things I like such as 'ice cream' and continue to share my love and testimony of this gospel that the peace and happiness I will feel will be so much greater than that of sharing worldly things. I know those that I share it with won't just be momentarily satisfied as they would be with ice cream but that if they accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ and come to love it and live it too they "shall never hunger" nor thirst (3 Nephi 20:8, John 6:35, Isaiah 49:10). I love this Gospel with all my heart and I know it has the power to change our lives for the better if we allow it to. I say this in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ, amen.

Just Do It!

While driving home from Savannah we passed a police officer who had pulled someone over. After passing him I kept a close eye on him in the rear view mirror and grunted as he pulled into traffic. I thought 'Great, now I really have to go the speed limit.' While fighting the urge to speed I was constantly looking over my shoulder wary of becoming his next 'victim'. I voiced my frustrations and my teaching companion simply said 'just go the speed limit.' Oh how simple that would have been but sometimes I like to do my own thing (I guess you could say I am a little stubborn at times) and instead I continued to look over my shoulder as I pushed between four & five over the speed limit. If I actually went the speed limit I assumed that I would be left in the dust by the surrounding vehicles or tailgated until an opportunity to pass me arose.
How often do we push the limits to simply not be left behind by our friends or be looked down upon by the crowd? I know I do it far to often and its generally because of an assumption. We must learn here in this life that if we want to become different from the world we must live in the world but not of the world or in other words we must live God's standards and not the world's. His standards are not always the easiest or most convenient to live but He has promised that if we do we will have "peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come" (D&C 59:23).
Why live life on the edge and be constantly looking over your shoulder with guilt? It makes no sense and yet we do it over and over again.  "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon" (3 Nephi 13:24, Luke 16:13). I know that this is true. I know that though something might be easier to do or not do at the time doesn't mean it is the right choice. We must follow our Savior and be exactly obedient to Him and His commandments. Today I was reading in Preach My Gospel under Faith in Jesus Christ (p.62-63) and it said  "Having faith causes us to try as hard as we can to learn about and become more like our Savior. We want to learn what His commandments are and then obey them." If we want to become different from the world we must be different from the world! We must follow our Savior "at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God" (Mosiah 18:9).