Saturday, December 17, 2011

I have decided I want to keep everybody more updated on my preperations to serve a mission. I kind of just want to write down my thoughts and maybe get some feedback from y'all (i'm going to be saying it eventually, going to Oklahoma and everything, I may as well start now.)


I have been thinking about how I got to this point in my life. I have been thinking a lot about change in life. Lets face it, most people don't like big life change. I for one have never been a big fan. As I look back at every big life changing event and how hard it was I am so thankful that change took place in my life. Every time I look back and look at where I am now I realize that if it had not been for that drastic change in my life I would not be where I was.

I feel like the last 18 months of my life have been preping me for the next 18 months of my life. Sometime in the year 2010 I decided I was going to go to Snow College. It was a rather impulsive thing. I don't remember ever praying about my decision, but I knew I wanted to go to school and be on my own. I knew this was what I needed to do, but it was a huge change. I was moving to a place where I would not know a single person. I was scared to death, but I packed up all my things and moved anyway. 

I had many experiences while at Snow College that built me and shaped me into the person I am today. My testimony grew tremendously. The Lord blessed me with fantastic friends who were, and still are, great examples to me today. There were countless instances were I saw the hand of the Lord in my life. I love this scripture:
  • Psalms 145:9

    9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. (Italics added)
  With the help of the Lord I developed habits that were preparing me for a mission. As I studied the scriptures, I developed a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I felt the Spirit bear testimony of this book and that it is another testament of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Okay, so my first point is this:  Leaving my life at home was a huge leap of faith, but because of that leap I am now in a better place than I was 18 months ago. That's the point of this life. To grow and to become a better person. You can't become better if you're never progressing anywhere.  Hebrews 11 and Ether 12 are incredible chapters on faith.

A couple of my favorite verses are Ether 12:12 "For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith."  and Hebrews 11:39-40 "
 39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.


Well, Lots happened in between those first few months of being at school that have gotten me to this point in life, but I feel like I've covered the most important details up to this point. 

So, six months ago I had no idea I would be going on a mission. Six months ago I saw my life going a VERY different direction. At some point I realized that my life wasn't going to take that direction. I had no idea what I was going to do. I am so thankful to my Father in Heaven that he knows what I need in my life more than I do. I'm so thankful he answers prayers.  I'm so thankful that he sees the bigger picture. I love this simple illustration: 

September 11, 2011 was a day I made a life changing decision. I was sitting in church listening to the speakers and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. Serving a mission was something I needed to do at this point in my life. I can't even describe the excitement that I felt that day and the following week. I knew the Lord was supporting me in my decision to serve a mission. There has been oppostion to my decision to serve a mission, but as I go through that opposition this scripture speaks peace to my heart:

  • 2 Nephi 2:11

    11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

Now here I am, sitting in my room writing this blog and I find myself in the same situation I was in 18 months ago. This is a huge change for me and it isn't comfortable AT ALL. I had made a new life for myself being at school and now I am leaving that life to start a new life and serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints.

I will miss all my friends and the fun times we had, but I know I will see them again. This isn't the end and the relationships we form here on earth can continue.  I know that as we each act on the promptings from the Holy Ghost, the Lord will bless us more than we may know. He has nothing but our best interest in mind. It just so happens we need to have huge life changing experiences from time to time to help us become better people.

As we take that leap of faith, the Lord WILL catch us. He will NEVER let us fall.  So, as I end this post, that feels very scatter brained, I just want to say again "Life is about change, sometimes its painful, sometimes it's beautiful, but most of the time it's both".




Friday, December 16, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npe-RwInkTU

 Check out this video everybody! I absolutely LOVE it!  The gospel of Jesus Christ truly does bring happiness to our lives! :D  I really needed to see this video. I needed the reminder that somebody in Oklahoma is ready to hear the message of the gospel and I need to share it with them.

Home for Preparation

Lorielle is home now to finish her preparations for serving a mission. She is planning on making a list, checking it twice, and getting all she needs to serve the Lord. She will be in the MTC in less than two months.