A Beautiful Heartbreak

Life is a constant struggle. Constant. But I feel that as continue on through all the struggles in my life that God requires of me, I can never truly forget that God loves me. Even through the tears, the pains of frustrations, the unfilled expectations and the unexpected turns of life - my spirit never gives up the hope and the reality that God does live. He lives. And He knows the songs I cannot sing.

I'm realizing now, more than ever before, that my life is a Beautiful Heartbreak. Thank you Hilary Weeks for this beautiful song and music video.

I'm Going on a Mission!!!

Three weeks ago I received the best of piece of mail that probably I'll ever receive in this life. I received my mission call. And I am humbled to tell the world that I have been called to the Brazil Recife mission! There, I will serve the people of Northeastern Brazil for 18 months. I will learn to speak in their native tongue - Portuguese - and it will be the hardest, yet the best, experience of my life thus far.

Tonight I was watching this video about Jesus Christ and, in reflecting on the Atonement, I realized that this is the purpose of my mission to Recife. I have the most magnificent blessing to share the message of the Infinite Atonement. And what a most precious gift that has become to me. I have a Savior who loves me. I have a Father in Heaven who forgives me so constantly and frequently, I can't but help feel of His great love for me when I recognize this. And I have the blessing of having the Holy Ghost constantly at my side and in my heart - which helps me remember that I am never alone, even though I have been inclined to feel like that a lot lately.

And this weekend, I have the opportunity to become closer to Heaven then I have ever been before. And I am so grateful that this time has finally come. It has definitely been a bit of a bumpy road -- BUT -- I am clean. I am worthy. And I am ready to make this next step in my life. I am ready to take His name upon me more fully.

For any of you out there who are hiding from the shadows of your past - listen up. I know the Lord is tapping on your heart - telling you to change. I've been where you are now. And the burden is so heavy to carry. I once carried that weight too. I testify to you that this side of life - a side only possibly with a repentant heart and aid of Church leaders -is SO worth it. The Lord loves YOU. Bring it into the light. And in the light you will stay with His help. =) Where else could be better then that?

When you begin to kid yourself that your effort to be a little better isn't good enough, consider this from Elder James E. Talmage; "the best, if offered willingly and with pure intent, is always excellent in the sight of God, however poor by other comparison that best may be."

Burdens. Whose Are They?

Life is full of many things that burden us down, and if we are not careful, we might just keep us down. Recently I've been feeling those burdens weighing me down, but it wasn't until after three full hours of church, and I was finishing up listening to a fireside that I realized what the Spirit was trying to help me realize for a while.

My burdens aren't my own, well, if I choose them to be that way. Christ has atoned for me. He can help me carry those burdens, I don't have to do it alone. I can't do it alone. In Matthew 11, verse 30, it says: "for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light". When we choose to take our burdens and given them to Christ, our burdens our shared. They become, in part, His burdens too and then we share that yoke with Christ, and oh is it so much better that way! =)