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.

Washing machines to Spiritual beings!

I have had this Blog in mind for quite sometime but for some reason it has taken me FOREVER to turn that thought into action so...I hope the time was worth it and that you will be able to get something out of this post.
During my time in Georgia our washer had some issues...it started out with the drum just being off balance and not sounding too pretty when it went into the spin cycle. Of course the more we used it the worse it got until finally it sounded like it was going to fall through the floor. Being the little farm girl I am I did my best to fix it but being unable to figure out how to get the front panel off without any tools I had to use something creative to balance out the drum.Looking around the apartment I tried to find something that I could use...finding nothing that even resembled a rope or string I decided to make my own. Now to find the materials. I thought for a while then decided to chop up some reusable cloth grocery bags and braid them together. I did but found the material was not at all as strong as I had hoped so I decided to also braid in some plastic grocery bags for strength. Hot dog! It worked perfectly!!

I now had something to work with! Now, how to use it...I found that by lifting the top of the washer I could tie the rope to part of the drum, which I did. I then made a handle using a butter knife. Now when the washer went into the spin cycle all we had to do was hold onto the knife/rope and compensate for the lack of balance! It worked great. But alas, after a few months this quick fix job wasn't very affective anymore- never mind the fun of being jiggled to death every time.

Now I will do a lot to not have to pay for something and it was the last thing I was going to do to go and pay to get my clothes washed. So I purchased a pair of multipliers and finally figured out how to get the front panel off. Now I could actually see what the real problem was from the inside! I was so excited! I found that the drum had come off of two of the springs. But now I faced another problem...I needed a wrench to be able to fix it properly. We asked several of our neighbors for one but found that most of them didn't own one, didn't know what one was or they were too small so I went back to the drawing board. Without the proper tools I was unable to completely fix the problem so I had to be content with another 'it'll do', temporary fix by readjusting the rope and just placing the drum on top of the springs. It wasn't going to last very long.
Finally, the next week I was able to obtain a wrench that worked and was able fix it properly. It worked perfectly! I was so excited!
Alright. Now to tie this experience into a spiritual analogy! Here are some things that came to mind during my 'fixin it up process': We cannot simply judge things (people, events, experiences, etc.) from the outside and expect to see the whole story or figure out the lasting solution. We cannot fix something from the outside and expect it to last. More often than not the superficial fixes cause lasting and greater damage. Even when we get an inside peek if we don't have the right tools or mind set we won't be able to do a whole lot of good. But, when we look deep inside, when we search for what the real problem is and we have the right tools-when we have a desire, love, hope, and faith- we can with our Saviors help make anything as good as new (and even better!)!
We cannot expect to live up to our Savior and His example if we don't seek to increase the 'tools' or talents He has given us to grow and help those around us. We cannot expect to help a friend who is broken inside by picking them apart. We must serve, love, and become their true/trusted friend. Life is not about the superficial or surface looks, actions, or motives. Life is about love. Life is about growing. Life is about looking inwardly fixing yourself and then helping others along as you learn and grow. Life is about gaining and maintaining an Eternal perspective.
At times our life can appear to be impossible to fix but I know that through our Savior and His Atonement ALL things are possible. I know that He knows each of us better than we know ourselves. He knows how to and can 'fix' a broken spirit. He knows you. He loves you and He has ALL of the right tools to help you come back to Him and our Father. Trust Him. Let Him guide you and He will heal you. I love my Savior with all my heart. I love this-His Gospel and I am so grateful for the experiences I have had and for the opportunity I have had for this short time to be a tool in my Father's hands. I love you, my brothers and sisters, and I pray that each of you will have a blessed day and ALWAYS remember to turn to our Savior. In His precious name, even 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).

If God knows what my wants and needs are then why do I need to pray? If  He knows why would I need to ask Him?
These are some really good questions. There could be a lot of answers to them but the most important and simpliest answers are because its a commandment and because of  faith. "And again, I command thee that thou shalt ^apray ^bvocally as well as in thy heart; yea, before the world as well as in secret, in public as well as in private" (D&C 19:28).
Christ is our perfect example and even he, who had the ability to see his Father at any time, even he prayed to our Father. "And when he had said these words, he himself also ^aknelt upon the earth; and behold he ^bprayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him" (3 Nephi 17:15). Our Savior who in just a few short hours would be in the presence of our Father knelt down in humble adoration and prayed to his Father to talk to Him and to pray for the multitude.
I am so grateful for the Savior and his example that I have to follow. I have previously written a post on pray. Pray is amazing, it is simple, and it is more powerful than we can comprehend! I love it!

The Power of Prayer

Though most of us have heard about prayer do we know: What the purpose of prayer is? How to pray? or How to receive answers to those prayers?

Hopefully this will help answer those questions. Remember prayer is simple-just a child talking to his/her father- and yet it is so powerful.

What is the purpose of prayer?/What is prayer?

"Prayer is a two-way communication between God and man."

"No on can know of spiritual truths without prayer."

Prayer shows our faith, obedience, and use of our agency (right to choose). When we pray we are acting and not being acted upon.

How do I pray?

1. Address our Heavenly Father ("Our Father in Heaven,...")
2. Express the feelings of your heart (gratitude, questions, requests to confirm that the Book of Mormon is true, and so on).
3. Close ("In the name of Jesus Christ, amen").

"Don’t worry about your clumsily expressed feelings. Just talk to your Father. He hears every prayer and answers it in His way" (Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer).

Answers to Prayers

It is important to know that we are each entitled to receive personal revelation which comes through sincere prayer. In the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord tells us, "...I will answer you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost..." (D&C 8:2). Though He will always answer in some way or another "it is a mistake to assume that every prayer we offer will be answered immediately. Some prayers require considerable effort on our part. True, sometimes impressions come when we have not specifically sought them. They generally concern something we need to know and are not otherwise able to find out" (Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer).

"He is our perfect Father. He loves us beyond our capacity to understand. He knows what is best for us. He sees the end from the beginning. He wants us to act to gain needed experience:

When He answers yes, it is to give us confidence.

When He answers no, it is to prevent error.

When He withholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth. We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to act" (Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer).

The Lord hears our prayers and He will ever answer. I know this to be true. I am so grateful for the amazing gift of prayer we have been given so that we can personally receive answers and revelation from our Father in Heaven. I know my Father loves me beyond comprehension and I am grateful for that knowledge and the peace and joy it brings to my heart. I say these things in the name of our elder brother and loving Savior, even Jesus Christ, amen.

Vitality of the Book of Mormon

"Just as a man does not really desire food until he is hungry, so he does not desire the salvation of Christ until he knows why he needs Christ. No one adequately and properly knows why he needs christ until he understands and accepts the doctirne of the Fall and its effect upon all mankind. And no other book in the world explains this vital doctrine nearly as well as the Book of Mormon." -Ezra Taft Benson (LDS.org - Ensign Article - The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants)

The Book of Mormon was written plainly so as Nephi says "ye cannot err" (2 Nephi 25:20 p.99). The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It lays out the Doctrine of Christ plainly and simply so that even a child could understand. Everything in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hinges on whether or not the Book of Mormon is true. Read from it, pray and ask God about it, and find out for yourself if it is or is not from God. If you take the prophet Moroni's challenge at the end of the Book of Mormon to "ask with a sincere heart, with real intent (meaning you fully intend to act on the answer you recieve), having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of  it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost." I testify as does Moroni that "...by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:4-5 p.529).

I know that the Book of Mormon is another testiment of our Savior Jesus Christ and that if we abide by its precepts as the prophet Joseph Smith stated we will "get nearer to God...than by any other book". (Intro. of The Book of Mormon). I love the Book of Mormon. I love being a missionary. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

I Know.

I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the one and only true church on the earth today (Ephesians 4:5). I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God, as is the Bible and together they teach us the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that through the prophet Joseph Smith the fulness of the gospel has once again been restored to the earth. I know that I can live with my family and my Heavenly Father for all eternity if I remain faithful and endure to the end. I know. You can know these things for yourself if you follow the prophet Moroni's exhortation "...I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy chost ye may know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:4-5). The key to this is having 'a sincere heart' and 'real intent', meaning you truly want to find the truth and fully intend to act on whatever answer you recieve. Faith is a principle of action. You must be willing to act before you can recieve. If you want to read more of my testimony in my Savior Jesus Christ and why I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints look up my profile on mormon.org
The Atonement is real, He lives. I am a daughter of God who loves and knows me personally. I am a Mormon.
In the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

~Faith~

"Be aware that faith is not a free gift given without thought, desire or effort. It does not come as the dew falls from heaven. The Savior said, 'Come unto me' (Matthew 11:28) and 'knock, and it shall be [given] you' (Matthew 7:7) . These are action verbs- come, knock. They are choices. So I say choose faith. Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism." -Richard Edgley Oct. 2010

Faith is also a principle of action...choose faith.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/faith-the-choice-is-yours?lang=eng