The Final Count Down...

  My blog today will consist of some of my thoughts now that I am at the last week of my mission. There is so much that I wish I could talk about but I will try to keep this brief.. A mission is a lot like a roller coaster, there are a lot of high points a few lows, but they are a ton of fun and they go FAST!!! It may seem hard to believe that 2 years goes by fast but when you are forgetting about yourself and your needs the time flys by. There has been no greater joy in my life, so far, than the great and many miracles that I have been able to see and experience on my mission while serving the Lord. To grow in love faith and trust in the Lord.

  One of the things that I have gained such a greater understand and love for is the term enduring to the end. There are a few places in the scriptures that talk about this enduring to the end and how important it is. I like sports so I like to think of things like sports and enduring to the end is no different. Say you are running a race and you start off strong, you take and early lead there is no one close to you, or even if you are right in the middle of the pack. You are going along and all of a sudden you get tried so you throw on the brakes and walk off the track. Doesn't make much sense to me. Sure its easy and and you were tired but where does that get up in life? No where! I have often heard the quote, " I never said it would be easy, all I said is that it would be worth it. Life isn't easy! There are many curve balls many obstacles that pop up in our way that slow us down or discourage us, but we must go on. There is a prize out there for all of us if we finish the race. We may come out of it with a few bumps and bruises, scratches and scrapes, but in the end we will all be made whole, because of the love of our Great Savior and Redeemer. So don't give up work hard, especially if the time is short!

How Bad Do You Want It?!

  I have had this topic on my mind a lot these last few weeks. There are many things in life that we have, or more like get to choose how much, or how bad we "want" them. We get to choose how much effort we put into sports, or class, work or how much effort we put into following the Master, Jesus Christ. A great deal of how well we do in these things, or whatever it is that we are working towards in life, depends on how bad we want it! I know for me putting effort in my school work was a struggle because I didn't care for the work and at the time I didn't see what I would get out of it. But when it came to working with my hands I would gladly give all that I could. And now that I have been able to build such a greater relationship with my Savior, and I want to follow Him!


  We all my see different types of blessings or rewards to how much effort we put into things. For the same reason that all of us get different things out of what we read or the jobs we do, because we are all different. But one thing that will always be the same is that God will love us. The scripture comes to my mind from the book of Matthew chapter 11 verses 28- 30:  "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." We all have the different challenges different interests and the different things we enjoy as our reward to a job well done, knowing that you have given it our all. The reward that we know will be the same for the work that we put into it is, if we put all of our trust in the lord and "serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day." I know this to be true because this is what the Lord has promised us. So ask yourselves a question, How bad do you want to live with God some day? Then get to work and do what He asks of you, you know your best and so does He. When the road gets hard and the journey seems like it will never end, He will give you rest. This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.