monday musing #30

What a fabulous Sabbath Day! It's always good to be home, especially on the Sunday before Christmas. I had the opportunity to attend two Sacrament meetings today and I was so grateful! I absolutely love all the Christmas hymns. 

I thought a lot about our Savior. Obviously He is the reason for the season. 

I thought about how I gained my testimony of the Savior. Here are two experiences that stuck out today:

I was in 9th grade. It was my first on-stage production. Savior of the World. His Birth and Resurrection. What an amazing experience that was. By the end of all the rehearsals, we basically had everyone's lines memorized from listening to them so many times. We had seen the scenes acted out over and over again. Sometimes the spirit was stronger than others. Sometimes instead of paying attention we tried to do our homework or laughed a little too loudly with our friends. But through the whole process; day one of rehearsal to the curtain at the end of the final show, I came to know my Savior. I really learned the scriptures that were quoted, I understood the role of each character in that first Christmas story, I came to know more about His life and His teachings, and how He is the center of everything. I came to know He lives and I came to know that He will come again. I will never forget one special moment where the whole cast was kneeling down, hands up, eyes gazing into heaven, and the special words that we sung. The spirit overpowered everyone in the room and emotions started pouring out as we sat there in wonder and awe. 

Come Lord Jesus, to the manger;

may we see thy tender face?

Great Creator, here a stranger, 

infant in this humble place.

Come Lord Jesus great Redeemer, 

light of morning from the east.

We will be thy children ever,

dry our tears, all weeping cease.

Come in glory, to the earth

Come to us to rule and reign.

Ready us to kneel and greet thee

Come Lord Jesus Come.

Jesus, once of humble birth,

now in glory comes to earth.

Once he suffered grief and pain;

Now he comes on earth to reign.

Now he comes on earth to reign.

One year ago, I was in Decatur, Alabama and I had the opportunity to testify of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The experience in the musical was still with me. It was the first time I can actually remember knowing that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I never valued the true meaning of Christmas more than I did as a full-time missionary. It was a really special time in my life to share that sweet message with others. A message of hope, joy, peace, and light. As a missionary I came to know my Savior even deeper. The trials were many as I endured a lot of pain, sadness, and confusion. I often wondered, "Why me??" The desire that I had my whole life to serve was being thwarted by something I couldn't control. And that's when I really came to learn about my Savior's love. He has been there. He has felt it all (and more). He still believed in me and LOVES me. And most importantly, He was there to help me every step of the way as long as I came unto Him. I like to think that I went through my own little Gethsemane. I got to tap into a small portion of the pain and suffering the Savior experienced for all mankind. And through it all, I became a better person. A stronger one. Someone who has more compassion and understanding, an unwavering testimony, and a desire to continue on despite difficulties put in our path. And that, my friends, is what the Savior can do for each one of us. 

He lived. He died, And He rose again.

Carve this message on your heart. Make it a part of you. Share it with others. Testify with the spirit and they will know it's true. 

Have a wonderful week and continue to embrace the gift.

with all my love,

Mary

monday musing #29

We'll Bring the World His Truth

Ok, I love missionaries. Like a lot.

Today I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is such a blessing. I was just loving church today. Fo real. It felt so good to be there. To partake of the Sacrament, to think about my Savior, and to reflect on how I can improve. 

The gospel brings so much joy into our lives. It provides a simple path to return to our Father in Heaven. It teaches us about loving those around us. It lifts us when we're down. It's the answer to pretty much everything. 

Your scripture for the day:

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." --2 Timothy 1:6-7

Preach on. 

The work is working.

Fight the good fight.

[insert any other good tagline that you've shared with me]

I love YOU.

♥mary 

the cute people I work with :)

my cute friend that came home :)

monday musing #28

D E A R   S I S T E R S

It's that time of year. The most wonderful time of year! And this year, there are many reasons that make it so. 

 number one. 

the birth of our Savior (and all other things Christmas)

number two. 

so many of my favorite missionaries come home!!!

I know so much can happen in 18 months, but at the same time, it seems like not much has changed at all. And pretty soon this mission life of yours will feel like a dream. Of course, the people you taught and loved will still be real, the companions that you learned so much from become some of your best girl friends, and any time you hear anything about that place where you've spent this year and a half living, your heart just about stops and a big grin immediately appears on your face. But other than that, life is pretty much normal Ü

Now. For all of you who have a little bit longer to go. Fear not. You're just as important (maybe even more so) cuz y'all are the ones that will still be out there preachin' the good word. And I will still be your #1 fan until the day you come home too! 

This weekend I had the opportunity to go to Salt Lake. Not once, but twice. It was magical. But seriously. The city is one of my most favorite places in the whole wide world. Throw in a tree and jolly tune and I'm done for. 

If you had been there you would've seen me pointing at the temple and yelling "I'm getting married there!", hablaring with the Hermanas, staring in awe at the scenery, running up the escalator to get there just a bit quicker, and of course, taking pictures. After the excitement had worn off and I was at home, laying in my bed, I had a few thoughts. 

{Stand in holy places}

The minute you walk onto Temple Square you can feel the Spirit. The feeling never gets old. Also, the lights. They are so bright and beautiful! Kinda like the Savior. He is a light unto the world. 

I'm sure y'all have seen the new Christmas video. I showed it to my girls today and then asked them two questions.

--How can you discover, embrace, and #sharethegift?--

--What can you do to make Christ the center of your Christmas this year?--

Have a very fabulous week! I'll be praying for you as always!

love, mary

He's in Peru! 

Sometimes when there's a disaster you have to label yourself so everyone knows you're not dead #RAlife

Love these cute kids! 

monday musing #27

Happy December!

I hope y'all had a fabulous week like I did!

My week was filled with all things missionary! We had the assistants over for thanksgiving and I couldn't help but think of one year ago when it was my first day in Decatur, Alabama and the houses that we went to and all the people I got to meet. Oh, and the freezing cold weather haha! It's crazy how much can happen in a year!

I also had a friend receive his mission call. It's so amazing to me to see the gospel really change someone's life and then see them have that desire to share it with others.

And we went to play dodgeball at the church with the fam bam and the new missionaries and their trainers were there for a meeting. It's always fun to see missionary gatherings!

And then yesterday, my cute brother gave his farewell talk. How he got old enough to be a missionary is beyond me! Here's a short thought from his talk.
He told the story of a boy named Benjamin who was an accomplished violinist. He played it so much that his mom had to lock it up sometimes until he finished his chores. When he got older he went down to salt lake to audition for a spot in the regional orchestra. They said he was the best hey had ever seen. By this time, he was around 19. When he returned back home his bishop talked to him about serving a mission and he knew that's what he needed to do. So he put off playing in the orchestra and fulfilling his dream. Well his family didn't have enough money to pay for his mission and he didn't want his mom to sell any land from their farm. She told him that the only other thing of value that they had was his violin. So the next day he played it all day and then it was sold. He left on his mission and years later said it was the best decision he ever made.

This story really impacted my brother when he was about 12 years old because of the sacrifice this young man made. He gave up the one thing he loved for the God he loved even more. From this point on, Jacob knew that he wanted to serve mission.

I am so grateful for the example of my little brother and for his desire to serve. He has such a strong testimony and love for the gospel. He always looking for opportunities to help those around him and be kind to those in need. I'm going to miss him like crazy but Peru is one lucky country!

Thank you all for your service as well and for sharing your experience with me!