Beautiful Ride

My life has truly been a beautiful ride.  Even though there have been hard times, I am stronger because of them.  Life is what we make it, and I am so grateful for the experiences I have had each and every day.
I am beginning another blog, Our Journey, His Timing, for women and families who struggle with infertility.  I hope to create a place where they feel comfortable sharing their stories, experiences, and suggestions.  It is hard to go through something like infertility, when not everyone around you understands it.  I'm not trying to say those of you that have beautiful families can't share your experiences with us, because I love hearing about your lives and I'm sure that others do to.  I just know that when you have others to lean on for strength, it helps so much!
I hope you can all find beauty in your life, and enjoy the ride.

Blessings

For a moment today I let myself compare my life to others. I wished I had so many of the things I see others with.

Then, Scott stopped me and reminded me of a song we sang at church. "Count Your Many Blessings" which is a favorite of mine. 

We stopped and sang the song together. Then, I reminded myself of all the blessings in my life. I have a strong and healthy body.  I have a loving husband, who cares for me so much. I have an incredible family that continually loves and supports me. I have a job that I love, which also helps provide an income for our family. I have the knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father.  

The list could go on and on.

If you ever get to the point of comparing yourself to others, STOP! Recognize the blessings in your life. They may be big or they may be small, but there are blessings. 

Each Day Be Grateful

Truth.

Sacrifice

Have you ever noticed the sacrifice that your leaders make for you?  What about your parents?  What about your friends? What about your co-workers?  

Today, I recognized the sacrifices that some great people in my life make.  As Scott and I had the opportunity to attend Stake Conference today I witnessed and saw many individuals that have made so many sacrifices in their lives to serve others.   (Stake Conference is a meeting where local members join together to hear local leaders share messages)

Several individuals were called to serve in callings that require a lot of time, service, and dedication.  As these individuals spoke, I recognized one thing that they all have in common.  They all knew that they were called by God to serve in their new callings.  They also had a love for those they have the opportunity to serve.  

There have been many times in my life when I have had the opportunity to serve others continually.  And can I just say that those have been the happiest times of my life.  When you serve others your forget about yourself, but surprisingly you learn more about yourself and find yourself than you would imagine.  You learn to love those you serve, and at the same time, you learn to love yourself.

  

If you want to find true happiness in your life, I would encourage you to find a way to serve others.  No matter what, serving others will always bring you greater happiness. I have experienced it, and I have seen others experience it as well.  

Stomping Grounds

This is one of my favorite times of the year, as it is for many others as well.
Every six months, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gather together to listen to the living prophet and the 12 apostles.  All are invited to watch or listen, members or not.  The messages that they share are messages that can bless all lives.
What a great opportunity it is to continue learning and coming closer to the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as we listen to the messages shared.  To give you and idea of what we hear, here are a few things I learned.

We all have the opportunity to learn and grow in the circumstances we each go through.
We need to stand tall, be courageous and share the message of the Restored Gospel.
Women need to speak up, share their feelings, and help others better understand what we need to do, because we also receive revelation and promptings of our own.
Mothers take on one of the greatest responsibilities and sacrifices of their life when they have children.  They give their lives to provide, teach, and love their children.

There are so many more, but the best way to learn of them is to listen or read them on your own.  We are blessed with receiving promptings that are for each one of us individually.  Something that I heard or got from a talk, might not be exactly what someone else got.
Go for it, check it our for yourself here...

One more thing.

I love being able to see the different parts of Temple Square and how many people are gathered there to listen and watch General Conference.
A Little over five years ago, I began my journey as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square.  When I received the call, I did not fully understand what my mission would be.  After a few weeks in the Missionary Training Center I learned that my mission experience would be very different from what I'd heard of others experiences.
Every day of my mission, I had the opportunity to meet individuals from all over the world.  Their stories and experiences in life amazed me and taught met so much.  I prayed day in and day out that the message I would share would bless their life in some way.
Being a missionary during General Conference was unbelievable.  We would have 14 hour days of talking to others, sharing our testimony, and hearing the testimony of those we met.  Yes, those were very long exhausting days, but some of the most rewarding days.
I wouldn't change the days I spent as a missionary for anything.  I met some of the most wonderful people, who taught me so much.  They helped me gain a stronger testimony and understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They have helped me become the person that I am today.
I am grateful for the opportunities I am blessed with in my life.  I am grateful to know that there is a living prophet on the earth today.  I am grateful to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in its fullness, as it was when Jesus Christ walked this earth.

Your Path Can Be Bright

The words of Dieter F. Uchtdorf are better than mine.

"My dear sisters, I was grateful to speak with you this evening at the general women's session of #LDSconf.  Wherever you are through the world, I hope that the Spirit touched you with new insights.  

In this painting, a pioneer girl is skipping along a bright blue path.  She has endured many dark and dreary days, but she has a spring in her step and looks optimistic, happy, and hopeful.  

As you walk through life, I hope you will feel a spring in your step as you trust the Lord and continue on your own bright path of discipleship.  Faith will lead you to open your eyes to the things Heavenly Father has in store for you.  Love for God and His children will continue to brighten your path, even on dark and cloudy days."

Know that the choice is yours to be optimistic, happy, and hopeful.  Take each day one step at a time.  Discover faith in your life, it will lead you to hope and love.

Notice His Hands

I'm keeping it short, sweet, and to the point today. 

All I ask is for you to take a moment during your busy day, and slow down. During this moment try and see God's hands in your life. 

Ask yourself, "Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to us or our children or our family today?"  Henry B. Eyring would ask himself this question for years and write down the answer to this question in a journal for years.  His gratitude grew, his testimony grew, and he became even more certain that God hears and answer our prayers.  

I know He is there. Everyday of your life He is there. He does hear and answer our prayers.  I've seen His hands in my life, and I know you can too. Just take that moment to slow down and notice Him for yourself. 

Life is Hard...sometimes

Let's be honest.  Life is HARD!
Sure we all make our lives look pretty fabulous on social media, and because of that our lives look like they are super easy and fun.  Let me tell you, I don't blame you for making your life look fabulous...I probably do the same.  Do we really want everyone to know what hard things we are going through, all the time?!
Mmmm...probably not.
We all struggle and go through hard times, more than once in our lives.
We each live a life that is different from everyone else.  Our lives take us on different paths, and they might be what we planned and expected, or they might not.
Do I have moments of weakness? Do I break down and cry on my husbands shoulder? Do I worry about my health? Do I worry about money? Do I worry about the future?
Yes, yes, and YES!
Do not be ashamed of the hard things that you go through in your life.  They give you experience.  They teach you how to make better decisions next time, if you need to.  They allow you to help others that go through similar hard times.  Most importantly, they make you, YOU!
"And if men come unto me I will show them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27)
What a great lesson to learn.  Know that our loving Heavenly Father does care for us and love us so much! Yes, he allows struggles in our lives, but just as we learn from that scripture, our weaknesses become strengths when we have faith in Him.
Will life get hard? Yes.  Do we need to give up? No.
Take this advice, as I have learned that it works wonders...

Love is Spelled Time

I think we all need to live by this sweet and simple quote from Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Love is spelled TIME."  How true is that? 

What really matters most in life, is those that we love.  And just in case you guys are questioning who I love...it's my incredible husband, my parents, my sisters, my in-laws, and my friends.  I truly love all of these people and don't know how my life could go on without them.  

And really, how can you come to love someone without spending time with them.  Can you love someone if you're hiding behind a screen, whether it be your phone, computer or the TV?  Can you love someone if you don't spend time with them?  The answer is NO! 

Memories are made when you spend TIME, and might I add, quality TIME, with those that you care about and love.  Take the TIME to go on an adventure, make a puzzle, go for a hike, go pick apples, work in your yard or house, the list can go on and on.  

If you find it difficult to find TIME, then you meed to make TIME for those that you love.  Dieter F. Uchtdorf said it best when he shared, "If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most."  

When it's hard to find the TIME, take a step back and reflect on your life.  See what you can do to better your life - and your family and friends lives too.  

Taking the TIME for those you love it totally worth it, just try it out and see for yourself!

p.s. If you want to read all of what Dieter F. Uchtdorf talked about you can find it in his talk "Of Things That Matter Most" - Enjoy!

Gratitude

Words cannot express the gratitude I have right now.  I have felt such an outpouring of love from so many family and friends that I don't think I can say thank you enough.  

The kind words, prayers, and love coming my way is something that I recognize each and every day. To my husband, Scott, who has been there for me every step of the way through recovery, Thank you! To those of you that have brought over meals for us, Thank you! Those of you reaching out to me and seeing how I'm doing, Thank you! Those of you offering your help, Thank you! To those of you keeping me company, Thank you!

This past week has been a big change for me from my everyday routines.  For the past three years now, I have been waking up early, getting ready, packing a lunch, and heading out the door to go teach for the day.  This week has been nothing like that.  I have not been to work all week and I seriously feel lost.  Sometimes you forget how wonderful your job is until you have it "taken away" from you.  I miss teaching, my students, my co-workers, my life as a teacher.  

I am so grateful for the life I have.  Although there are trials in life, that doesn't mean I still can't be grateful.  I am grateful for the trials that come into my life, because I know that they make me stronger.  There is purpose to our lives, and we are blessed with a great way of learning through our trials.  

To go through the trial of having surgery and losing a part of my body, it has been difficult.  To think that the future of me and Scott starting a family may be even more difficult now, it's hard to accept.  However, I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me.  If Scott and I are to have a family, there will be a way. 

I am grateful to have the knowledge that I have.  I am grateful to have loving family and friends to support me and help me along this adventure, we call life.  I am so grateful to have the life I have and to be healthy and strong.  

I Can Do All Things...

The last 48 hours have been quite a trial for me.

Before school even got out on Friday at 1:25 PM I was feeling so sick to my stomach. I couldn't even finish the day with my class and had someone come in to finish the last few things of the day with my class. 

By 1:40 PM I was on my way home, praying that I would make it home safely without starting to feel extremely sick again. I made it home and immediately got into bed, but could not get comfortable in any position at all. The pain continued to get worse and worse, so Scott came home from work to help out and get me through what I thought would hopefully go away. 

Nothing was helping at this point. I called my OB to see if this was a reaction from taking my third cycle of Clomid. The doctor did not seem too concerned and he said it was a just a reaction and that the pain would eventually subside. I couldn't believe that's all he said with the extreme pain that I was in. So we waited and waited. I tried to fall asleep and by 3 AM I  couldn't handle the pain any more.  We grabbed our things and headed to the Emergency Room...the last place I wanted to be. However, I was so ready for the pain to go away. 

We got checked in and had tests started immediately. After blood tests and ultrasounds, the OB on call came in and said that my left ovary was about 8 cm, about the size of a tennis ball, and was torsed. Well, that explained the pain! 

They prepped me for surgery and off I went. The next thing I knew I was out of surgery and not feeling the pain anymore. 

Turns out that my ovary had completely died. It had become so enlarged and twisted that there was no blood flow for about 12 hours causing the ovary to die. They OB that did my surgery removed my left ovary, which ended up being 10 cm. 

So, after all of this, I can say that I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without Christ. He is my strength. I know that he has suffered more than I have and I can lean on him no matter what. 

I can do all things through Christ, and as you put your trust and faith in him, you can also do all things through Christ. 

Inspiration Sunday

Sundays are special days.  Sundays are the day of worship.  They are the day of rest.  A day to reflect on your relationship with your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  A day to strengthen your testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  A day to share your testimony with others.

Scott and I had the opportunity to speak in church today.  We are loving those that attend our ward, the group of members that attend church with us, and have felt so welcomed already.  While preparing my talk the past few days, I have felt that I should share inspirational thoughts more often.  As I studied and searched what I would be speaking about, I found so many wonderful quotes and messages to share.  Finding all of those quotes and messages gave me so much joy and made each day even better for me.  I have given myself the challenge to fine a new quote or message to share with you.  So, from here on out, I hope to bring joy to your life and make your day better with the messages that I share.

I hope that you all had an uplifting Sunday and are ready for a new week.

Have a great week!