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.

Finally. Recognition.

I have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for basically my entire life. Today I finally, clearly and distinctly felt and recognized the Holy Ghost. This has been something I have struggled with -recognizing and feeling the Holy Ghost- for a long time. It is something that is essential for our learning and as a missionary something that I try to teach people about everyday.
The Holy Ghost speaks to us softly and quietly. He speaks differently to each of us. In the scriptures it tells us many of the 'fruits' of the Spirit. In Galations 5:22-23 it tells us "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,..." Doctrine and Covenants 11:11-13 it tells us it "leadeth to do good", in Helaman 5:30 it is described as "a still small voice of perfect mildness, as if...a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul". The spirit is quiet and yet oh so powerful. It is something that if we aren't paying attention to can very easily go unnoticed.
The job of the Spirit is to teach, protect, guide and comfort (D&C 36:2).
Today I discovered how the spirit talks to me. Unfortunately I recognized it after it was too late to respond. The Holy Ghost speaks to me through simple thoughts that come into my mind. The difficulty is descerning these thoughts from those of the spirit and my own. Someone once told me that if it leads to do good its from the spirit. Today the simplest thought came into my mind to move the phone from my back pack to my desk. Simple. But because of the simplicity I ignored it. The thought came to my mind several times but I continued to put it off. The result: our appointment that we had been anticipating fell through. The individual we were meeting arrived early and saw us in a meeting. They had tried to call but we obviously missed it, so they simply left. When we called them at the scheduled time they were already far from the meeting place and would not be able to make it. Earlier that morning my companion and I had prayed about this individual and felt a warm comforting feeling (the Spirit again) as to how the individual would recieve our lesson and the invitation we had for them later that day. Because of my decision not to follow the simple promptings I had had this individuals progression has been (hopefully temporarily) slowed. I am sad that I had to learn of/recognize the Spirit this way but one thing is for sure, I will never let this happen again and I will act on the promptings I recieve in the future.
We learn from our mistakes, so let us take those mistakes and use them to make us stronger and better than before. I love the Lord. I know that as we continue to follow Him and strive to recognize His promptings through the Holy Ghost and as we act on those promptings He will ever be there leading us along the path leading back to Him. I love Him. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I absolutely love being a missionary and sharing what I learn with other!
In the name of His son, Jesus Christ, Amen.