Hope on. Journey on.

                One of my favorite quotes is from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk this past general conference. It simply says “Hope on. Journey on.” Although it is short and sweet I have found such powerful meaning within it.

                We often seem to focus on our trials instead of the blessings that are in store for us. We allow our trials to take over our lives and bring us down. The more we focus on them the harder they seem to get adding more and more weight to our shoulders. Not only does that cause those specific trials to be harder, but it also causes our whole perspective of trials to change all together. The worse these feelings get, the harder it is to be happy.

                Elder Holland’s words remind me that no matter hard the situation at hand may be if I simply hope and journey through it I can recognize the great things ahead of me. This reminds me of multiple situations where I would come home late from practices or games and stress over the load of homework sitting before me and the amount of sleep I would get that night before waking up at 5 to go to seminary and start another crazy day. The funny thing about all those situations is that no matter what those assignments always got finished. Sounds like these experiences made me pretty happy right? Wrong. I had spent all night feeling so stressed and angered that I failed to recognize the blessing I had just received. If I would have “hoped on” and “journeyed on” and done my work with a faithful heart I probably would have much happier as I left my house early that next morning and been a lot more receptive to the amazing lessons I was being taught. We are blessed with tender mercies everyday of our lives. It is our choice whether we keep ourselves in the right mindset to fully recognize them or not.

Imagine if you gave someone a really cool birthday present and they just toss it to the side because they’re so mad that their cake was vanilla instead of chocolate? You would feel pretty bad right? Now imagine how the savior feels when he blesses us and we toss it to the side because we’re mad something didn’t go exactly like we wanted it to.

                So when life gets hard and things get tough remember these simple words from one of my favorite people. “Hope on. Journey on.” Who knows maybe they can help make you as happy as they make me?

                Discovering sunsets, one day at a time. Hope on. Journey on.                                                                                                                                                                

               

To Those Whose Noble Names I Bear, Whose Light Within Me Burns.

           I've recently discovered the importance of genealogy, sounds boring right? yeah that's what I thought at first too! Before this summer I never would have even considered the thought of finding joy in reading about people I've never even met, now I'm embarrassed to admit that I ever even thought that way!
            The joy in finding the name of someone to fill a gap on your family tree is nothing short of utterly amazing. That joy was a feeling that completely changed my point of view on technology. How often do we find ourselves mindlessly checking our Facebook, instagram or twitter? Just staring blankly at a screen reading post that within a week will be forgotten, post that typically have no great meaning to our life. So let me ask you this, would you rather spend your typical hour or more on your social media websites, or sacrifice half that time to read about and study the people who came before you? The ones who form your roots?
            I know I have had experiences lately that have cemented the importance of family history into my mind forever. At first I did it for the prizes promised for completing a certain amount of hours or names, once the prizes were earned I was comfortable saying I was done. I was comfortable until I saw my family fan chart. right there in the middle was a gap, a gap of blank spaces where names belonged. it hit me so hard that it hurt. I began to think about when we meet again with our families in Heaven, I thought about those missing names and imagined them as empty seats at the table, seats of people who had amazing stories to tell that nobody else knew. I began to search for the answers I needed to fill those gaps and soon enough just filling in gaps wasn't good enough for me, I needed more. Who wants to go to the ultimate family reunion and not know anything about the people who are there? Not me, that's for sure! The stories of these people have amazed me.
            So in honor of pioneer day I wanted to stress this point to you. By studying the pioneers before us we become pioneers to those behind us. We all have the ability to guide our posterity into the future, to set a path and pace of good and wholesome things for years to come. As technology expands we must expand to, expand our ability to focus on the best things that our electronics have to offer.
           Even though I know my ancestors aren't reading this blog I still feel compelled to write my thanks for them down. So "To those who came before me in seasons long ago, To those who are the loved ones that I have yet to know, To those whose noble names I bear, whose light within me burns, To those in gratitude shall my hear be turned." Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Discovering my sunsets one day at a time. No empty chairs.