This past weekend I had a pretty incredible experience I wanted to share. It was incredible because it brought such a mix of emotions that ultimately changed my life for the better. I hope it can help us all reflect on our own lives and how we react to the experiences we encounter.
I have spoken in the past about my biological father. When I was about 18 months old he left my mom and 3 kids. I was the youngest and have no memories of him from that time. Although it was an extremely challenging time for my mom, she has never spoken poorly of him. The strength and courage of my mom is a story for another day. Today I want to talk about how this experience has ended up bringing me great joy.
After he left, we were never to see from him again. I can remember three times in my life when I was able to communicate with him. I remember a birthday call when I was maybe 7 or 8, I spoke to him when my oldest daughter was born, and he replied to an email once. But I never met him face to face. I have a few pictures of him so I at least can see some physical similarities. For my entire life he has entered my mind at times and I have always had a lot of questions surrounding him leaving. It wasn't until I was a grown man with kids of my own until I finally arrived at a good place mentally and spiritually about it. It's incredible how powerful the need of a father, or at least a father figure, can be in a person's life. I know that many people have gone through similar family situations and my point today isn't to rehash. It's to help us all make the most of what we have been given and appreciate our challenges for how they shape us.
A couple months back, through some family history work, our family discovered a death certificate for a man with the same name, birthdate, and the last state we knew him to reside. The death certificate was dated 2011. To confirm this my brother sent off for a copy of the death certificate so that we could confirm it's validity. Sure enough, while I was sitting in church this past Sunday with my family, an email came through from my brother with a copy of the death certificate. At that moment I immediately felt sadness. My biological father had passed away 5 years ago and we had no idea. From what we can tell from the certificate he died alone in his home with no family around him. There were a lot of "unknown" boxes checked on his certificate.
It's important to note that I'm not angry at this situation. I don't harbor any ill feelings. I don't wish to speak poorly of him. But I feel it's important to note the feelings that came to me after the sadness settled in. At that moment I looked down the row and saw my beautiful kids sitting quietly (maybe the first time ever) and I was overwhelmed with joy. This particular day our whole family was fasting for a sister in law who's baby was recently diagnosed with some possible serious health complications. We had a conversation with the kids the night before about it and they all agreed to participate in the fast. Seeing them sitting there next to me and participating with us brought everything in to perspective.
Next I was filled with gratitude. Although my father was not there for me, I could be there for my kids. I have always promised myself I would be the father I never had and on Sunday I felt in my heart that I was being that father. I felt grateful for all of the challenges I have had in my life because they have shaped me in to who I am today. I have deep love for my kids BECAUSE of my trials. I am a better father and husband because of the pain of certain experiences. I don't have to allow the past to repeat itself, but rather allow it to make me a better person.
We have all been given certain challenges that have helped define who we are and what the future will hold. The key is allowing these challenges to make us better human beings. Now I'm no saint, but I am grateful I am allowing some pretty tough experiences to make me better. I hope my experiences can help others. I hope we all will allow our experiences to help us love better, live better, and be more grateful.
Lastly, as parents, I think sometimes we don't realize the impact we are having on the future of our children. Love them, help them, teach them. Make the most of it, no matter your circumstances.
Love you all!
Matt
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Monday, April 20, 2015
Grace
I had some thoughts from Easter and General Conference that I wanted to write down. I would love if any of you chimed in and shared your feelings. Hearing other people's experiences is very powerful.
As usual Elder Uchtdorf's talk really hit home with me. As many of you know I am not the poster child for a prime example of LDS living. I have needed the grace of God so many times in my life I often wonder if His grace really is sufficient. Does anyone else ever feel that way? Thankfully, we have Apostles of the Lord to help give us His word and help realize our true potential. I was reminded again that we will never reach our true potential without His grace.
How many of us get frustrated that we try and try to be obedient and still feel like we are coming up short? How often do we burden ourselves with the frustrations of our sins and weaknesses? I truly feel that this can be one of our hardest trials in life. The battle that wages in our own heads can be crippling at times. That feeling of never being good enough is very real. So how do we find that happiness that is preached to us? How can we be happy even during our hardest struggles? How can we look ourselves in the mirror each day and be happy with what we see? I am realizing more and more that the grace of God is what carries me through.
Although it has been years since the hardest trial of my life and I came out of it a better person in many aspects, I still need the grace of God on a daily basis. Elder Uchtdorf said that obedience alone will not be enough for us to return to our Father. I love how he pointed out that every single child of our Heavenly Father is in need of his grace. No matter how good of a life we are living, we still fall short because of our sinful nature. If you look at that through the eye of man it can actually be pretty discouraging! But if we are able to try and look at it through the loving eye of a Heavenly Father who has provided us with such a perfect plan, it becomes a source of happiness and joy. For those of you that are parents, think of the joy it brings you when you are able to forgive a child. Think of a time when a child is trying so hard to do what is right but they slip up and come running to you for help. Even if it happens again and again we open our arms and love them and help them. How amazing is it that we have a Heavenly Father that treats us the same way! We don't have to live our lives in agony over our weaknesses. Rather we can strive to be better with the knowledge that our Father will make up the rest.
Now I'm not saying that the grace of God is an excuse for sin. We all need to put our heart and soul in to repentance and improving our actions. We all need to strive to love others. We all need to strive to be the best we can be. But we need to allow God's grace to aid us in our progress. Allow the enormous sacrifice of our Savior to do what it is meant to do! And be happy about it! Lift our heads up each day and know that even when we fall and come up short, our Father is reaching out to pull us the rest of the way. What an amazing truth.
Whether our current struggles are mighty or small, God's grace IS sufficient. If I have learned one thing through all of my life's trials, it is that we ALL need God's grace and that we all can find happiness through allowing it to work in our lives.
As usual Elder Uchtdorf's talk really hit home with me. As many of you know I am not the poster child for a prime example of LDS living. I have needed the grace of God so many times in my life I often wonder if His grace really is sufficient. Does anyone else ever feel that way? Thankfully, we have Apostles of the Lord to help give us His word and help realize our true potential. I was reminded again that we will never reach our true potential without His grace.
How many of us get frustrated that we try and try to be obedient and still feel like we are coming up short? How often do we burden ourselves with the frustrations of our sins and weaknesses? I truly feel that this can be one of our hardest trials in life. The battle that wages in our own heads can be crippling at times. That feeling of never being good enough is very real. So how do we find that happiness that is preached to us? How can we be happy even during our hardest struggles? How can we look ourselves in the mirror each day and be happy with what we see? I am realizing more and more that the grace of God is what carries me through.
Although it has been years since the hardest trial of my life and I came out of it a better person in many aspects, I still need the grace of God on a daily basis. Elder Uchtdorf said that obedience alone will not be enough for us to return to our Father. I love how he pointed out that every single child of our Heavenly Father is in need of his grace. No matter how good of a life we are living, we still fall short because of our sinful nature. If you look at that through the eye of man it can actually be pretty discouraging! But if we are able to try and look at it through the loving eye of a Heavenly Father who has provided us with such a perfect plan, it becomes a source of happiness and joy. For those of you that are parents, think of the joy it brings you when you are able to forgive a child. Think of a time when a child is trying so hard to do what is right but they slip up and come running to you for help. Even if it happens again and again we open our arms and love them and help them. How amazing is it that we have a Heavenly Father that treats us the same way! We don't have to live our lives in agony over our weaknesses. Rather we can strive to be better with the knowledge that our Father will make up the rest.
Now I'm not saying that the grace of God is an excuse for sin. We all need to put our heart and soul in to repentance and improving our actions. We all need to strive to love others. We all need to strive to be the best we can be. But we need to allow God's grace to aid us in our progress. Allow the enormous sacrifice of our Savior to do what it is meant to do! And be happy about it! Lift our heads up each day and know that even when we fall and come up short, our Father is reaching out to pull us the rest of the way. What an amazing truth.
Whether our current struggles are mighty or small, God's grace IS sufficient. If I have learned one thing through all of my life's trials, it is that we ALL need God's grace and that we all can find happiness through allowing it to work in our lives.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Make The Most Of It
In the beginning, when I was a single dad, I would drive up to Sugarhouse every Wednesday night to see my kids. By the time I left work and got up there I would be lucky if I had 2 hours with them. Every time it was the same. I would pick them up and Ty's favorite song (don't ask me why) was Skyscraper by Demi Lovato. He would call it "Scottie Scraper" and he would sing his heart out. We would drive to the same Paradise Bakery, sit in the same booth, and order the same food. Then we would head over to the same Barnes and Noble, go upstairs, sit on the floor, and read the same books. I would drop them off and start the long drive home. Hal talks to me about those days all the time. They will never forget it and neither will I.
Tonight we were able to spend a couple precious hours with Hal and Ty before they head to North Carolina for 6 months. Although I completely understand that this is how our life is, it doesn't make the time away from my kids any easier. Half of a year away from them. That is a lot of missed moments. Thank goodness for facetime :) My point tonight is this: How many moments are we missing when our kids are right in front of us? How many times have we allowed our selfish desires to interfere with an important moment with our kids. I know life is busy but it's never too busy for them. I would do anything to have more time with my kids and I even find myself missing opportunities when I have them.
Make the most of it. Make the most of everything we do but especially the time with our kids. Yesterday I was 18 and in high school. Now I'm 32 and have an 8 yr. old. Time moves along so fast. Let's all make a little bit more of an effort to make the most of our time with our children. They will forever be grateful and remember the small moments we spend with them.
Love you my friends,
Matt
Tonight we were able to spend a couple precious hours with Hal and Ty before they head to North Carolina for 6 months. Although I completely understand that this is how our life is, it doesn't make the time away from my kids any easier. Half of a year away from them. That is a lot of missed moments. Thank goodness for facetime :) My point tonight is this: How many moments are we missing when our kids are right in front of us? How many times have we allowed our selfish desires to interfere with an important moment with our kids. I know life is busy but it's never too busy for them. I would do anything to have more time with my kids and I even find myself missing opportunities when I have them.
Make the most of it. Make the most of everything we do but especially the time with our kids. Yesterday I was 18 and in high school. Now I'm 32 and have an 8 yr. old. Time moves along so fast. Let's all make a little bit more of an effort to make the most of our time with our children. They will forever be grateful and remember the small moments we spend with them.
Love you my friends,
Matt
Saturday, September 6, 2014
LOVE and CHOICES
Once again, it has been too long since I have posted on my blog. I have had many thoughts lately and I feel like today would be a good time to write them.
Many of you know what has transpired in my life over the past few years. I love and appreciate all of my friends and family who have supported me and lifted me up. I have the utmost love and respect for all of you and have gained strength from your support. I have always been very open with my experiences with the hope of helping others who may be struggling with trials. I have come to find that EVERYONE is struggling with something in their lives and EVERYONE needs the love of a Savior to overcome. I hope that my thoughts today can help you all to reflect on your life and if nothing else, generate some thoughts and feelings about yourself or a loved one.
Today, almost 4 years since I was excommunicated from the LDS church, I was able to baptize my sweet 8 year old Hallie. For those of you that don't know, excommunication from the LDS church is not an act of hate or rejection. It ultimately provides an opportunity for people to change and return to living a life based on the principles and ordinances that have been outlined in the scriptures and church doctrine. Unfortunately, my life had spiraled out of control and I had to suffer some serious consequences. I had allowed the adversary to lead me astray from the covenants I had made and looking back I realize that my excommunication is what I needed to truly change. I have been blessed beyond what I ever imagined. But I still had to make a choice. I will never forget sitting across from my bishop and he told me that I could make 2 choices. I could choose to give up and leave everything and everyone behind and continue down my current path. Or I could make the most difficult choice of all...to CHANGE. In that moment he promised me that I would be happier than I have ever been in my life if I chose to change. Even though I could not see the future, and the future was going to try me almost to my breaking point, I chose to change. And from that moment forward my loving Heavenly Father immediately began blessing me. The blessings that came in to my life and the experiences I have gained over the past 4 years could fill a book. I strongly believe that the choices we make today determine our destiny.
So here is what I want to get at today. At the end of this I would also like some honest opinion but I will get to that in a second. Let's set aside religion for just a minute. I think most of us believe in God. Most of us have faith that God is real and that he cares about us. Most of us at some point have felt God in our lives. We don't need a church to tell us that. What has God said to be the greatest commandments? LOVE. Love God and love others. I believe, and I believe it without an ounce of doubt in my heart, that God loves us as his children. His love is a love that I can only compare to the love I have for my kids and then magnify that love beyond what I am able to comprehend. How comforting is that? No matter who you are, what you have done, where you are at in your life, tall, short, young, old, and anything and everything in between, he LOVES you. And he wants us to share that love with everyone around us. He wants us to love our families, our friends, our coworkers, our acquaintances, our neighbors, ourselves, everyone. That I believe is a universal truth and we all will benefit from an increased effort to love and allow others to love us back. Let's all make the CHOICE to LOVE more.
Part 2 of this post is my belief in a religion and my choice to follow it. I do believe and stand by the doctrines and principles of the LDS church. I believe this church is lead by God. I believe in a living prophet. I believe in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I believe in the need for baptism. I believe in the holy temple. I believe in eternal families. I believe in the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. I believe that we as God's children should seek out truth. I encourage anyone who has a desire to know if these things are true to kneel and ask our Heavenly Father in prayer and to put it to the test. I understand that there are many things that can be argued here. But I believe it because of my own personal experiences and I want to share it. I respect everyone's beliefs, but I feel a strong desire to share my experiences with others. Whether someone believes in the church or not, I believe that what I can share is very universal.
This leads me to what I need some opinion on from you as my friends. I have a strong desire to share my experiences on a greater scale. My desire to do this is simply based on a strong desire to help others who are struggling through this life. I have contemplated compiling my experiences in to a book. I have also batted around some social media ideas via instagram or FB. Can I get some honest feedback? Any suggestions? Any ideas? I would also like any comments on my thoughts about LOVE and CHOICES. Please leave comments on my FB page if you feel so inclined. Once again I love and respect all of you and appreciate any and all feedback.
Thanks,
Matt
Many of you know what has transpired in my life over the past few years. I love and appreciate all of my friends and family who have supported me and lifted me up. I have the utmost love and respect for all of you and have gained strength from your support. I have always been very open with my experiences with the hope of helping others who may be struggling with trials. I have come to find that EVERYONE is struggling with something in their lives and EVERYONE needs the love of a Savior to overcome. I hope that my thoughts today can help you all to reflect on your life and if nothing else, generate some thoughts and feelings about yourself or a loved one.
Today, almost 4 years since I was excommunicated from the LDS church, I was able to baptize my sweet 8 year old Hallie. For those of you that don't know, excommunication from the LDS church is not an act of hate or rejection. It ultimately provides an opportunity for people to change and return to living a life based on the principles and ordinances that have been outlined in the scriptures and church doctrine. Unfortunately, my life had spiraled out of control and I had to suffer some serious consequences. I had allowed the adversary to lead me astray from the covenants I had made and looking back I realize that my excommunication is what I needed to truly change. I have been blessed beyond what I ever imagined. But I still had to make a choice. I will never forget sitting across from my bishop and he told me that I could make 2 choices. I could choose to give up and leave everything and everyone behind and continue down my current path. Or I could make the most difficult choice of all...to CHANGE. In that moment he promised me that I would be happier than I have ever been in my life if I chose to change. Even though I could not see the future, and the future was going to try me almost to my breaking point, I chose to change. And from that moment forward my loving Heavenly Father immediately began blessing me. The blessings that came in to my life and the experiences I have gained over the past 4 years could fill a book. I strongly believe that the choices we make today determine our destiny.
So here is what I want to get at today. At the end of this I would also like some honest opinion but I will get to that in a second. Let's set aside religion for just a minute. I think most of us believe in God. Most of us have faith that God is real and that he cares about us. Most of us at some point have felt God in our lives. We don't need a church to tell us that. What has God said to be the greatest commandments? LOVE. Love God and love others. I believe, and I believe it without an ounce of doubt in my heart, that God loves us as his children. His love is a love that I can only compare to the love I have for my kids and then magnify that love beyond what I am able to comprehend. How comforting is that? No matter who you are, what you have done, where you are at in your life, tall, short, young, old, and anything and everything in between, he LOVES you. And he wants us to share that love with everyone around us. He wants us to love our families, our friends, our coworkers, our acquaintances, our neighbors, ourselves, everyone. That I believe is a universal truth and we all will benefit from an increased effort to love and allow others to love us back. Let's all make the CHOICE to LOVE more.
Part 2 of this post is my belief in a religion and my choice to follow it. I do believe and stand by the doctrines and principles of the LDS church. I believe this church is lead by God. I believe in a living prophet. I believe in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I believe in the need for baptism. I believe in the holy temple. I believe in eternal families. I believe in the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. I believe that we as God's children should seek out truth. I encourage anyone who has a desire to know if these things are true to kneel and ask our Heavenly Father in prayer and to put it to the test. I understand that there are many things that can be argued here. But I believe it because of my own personal experiences and I want to share it. I respect everyone's beliefs, but I feel a strong desire to share my experiences with others. Whether someone believes in the church or not, I believe that what I can share is very universal.
This leads me to what I need some opinion on from you as my friends. I have a strong desire to share my experiences on a greater scale. My desire to do this is simply based on a strong desire to help others who are struggling through this life. I have contemplated compiling my experiences in to a book. I have also batted around some social media ideas via instagram or FB. Can I get some honest feedback? Any suggestions? Any ideas? I would also like any comments on my thoughts about LOVE and CHOICES. Please leave comments on my FB page if you feel so inclined. Once again I love and respect all of you and appreciate any and all feedback.
Thanks,
Matt
Friday, November 22, 2013
Fragile
It has been a looooong time since I have posted on my blog. So many things have happened I want to share. But tonight in particular I want to share an amazing experience with the birth of our daughter Lyla Rose. I am really putting my feelings out there but I feel a strong desire to share.
When I started this blog 3 and 1/2 years ago I was at a very difficult and challenging point in my life. I had made many mistakes and was working through a tremendous trial as I tried to rebuild my life. I caused a lot of pain and hurt many hearts. Although it was a painful experience, it all has lead me to this point. I have dedicated my life to change. I have married THE MOST AMAZING woman in the world and have literally been given a second chance at life. I have 4 incredible children that I love with all of my heart. I am able to fully serve in my church. I have many friends who have helped along the way whom I will cherish forever. I share all of this because last night, when Lyla came into this world, I realized more than ever before how fragile life is and how lucky I am that repentance and forgiveness is possible.
Chrisi decided that she wanted to try a VBAC for this birth. Chloe was a C-section but Chrisi didn't want to go through that again. We decided on an amazing birthing center with amazing midwives who helped every step of the way. A natural birth allowed us to experience Lyla's birth very intimately. When labor finally started we were so excited to welcome Lyla into the world. Watching and helping Chrisi move through labor and push through contractions was a very emotional experience for me. The strength that women possess is amazing. I was able to see first hand the miracle of birth and what women and mothers go through to give birth to a child. Chrisi gave me so much last night and I will forever be grateful for her.
At the very end, Chrisi was absolutely spent as she pushed one last time. When Lyla was born, we as parents, experienced the most emotionally draining 5 minutes of our lives. The umbilical cord was wrapped around Lyla's neck 3 times and she was motionless and her face was a dark, dark blue. Our midwife immediately placed Lyla on Chrisi's chest, unwrapped the cord, and began performing mouth to mouth. I held little Lyla's hand and was beside myself with emotions as our midwives worked to get her breathing. For 5 minutes they helped her as she struggled to get air in her little lungs. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she began breathing and color returned to her face. I was a weeping mess. Chrisi was amazingly calm and collected (of course) and was able to hold her little girl close to her. We sat and cried to together as we shared her first moments of life. We were so grateful to our nurses who stayed focused and were extremely professional. I have not been able to stop thinking about the emotions that went through.
Life is fragile. Lyla was in the womb for 41 weeks and her life depended on that umbilical cord. And then in one moment, that cord could have taken her life as soon as she came into this world. I know that many people in my circle have experienced very painful trials and I was only given a glimpse of what it would be like to lose a child. But I learned last night that every single moment we have is a blessing. Every single decision we make has consequences. Every challenge we have in this life is for our growth and development. I learned once again that God is real and he is watching over us. Even when we lose a loved one, make a mistake, or go through a physical challenge, our Heavenly Father loves us and is watching over us. He wants us to take experiences like last night and become better because of them. He wants us to take the pain we suffer and turn to him for help.
By most people's standards I have, in the past, hit ROCK BOTTOM. I have been given an opportunity to reclaim many things that I lost and I just want to share that. No matter what we endure in this life, we can all find happiness! We can all change. We can all become better people. Hope is never lost for anyone. If you feel alone as you go through a trial give me a call! I promise you are not. We never know when we may be hit with an enormous trial. But we can make the most of this life by remembering what is most important and giving respect to the small miracles that happen to all of us. God forgives, hearts can heal, spirits can be reborn, challenges can be overcome, people can change, and love will always prevail. I have so much more to improve in my life, but I will move forward after last night with renewed faith in not only myself and my family, but in all of us as children of God. Much love to all of my family and friends and to all of those who are struggling. Life is fragile let's make the most of it.
Matt
When I started this blog 3 and 1/2 years ago I was at a very difficult and challenging point in my life. I had made many mistakes and was working through a tremendous trial as I tried to rebuild my life. I caused a lot of pain and hurt many hearts. Although it was a painful experience, it all has lead me to this point. I have dedicated my life to change. I have married THE MOST AMAZING woman in the world and have literally been given a second chance at life. I have 4 incredible children that I love with all of my heart. I am able to fully serve in my church. I have many friends who have helped along the way whom I will cherish forever. I share all of this because last night, when Lyla came into this world, I realized more than ever before how fragile life is and how lucky I am that repentance and forgiveness is possible.
Chrisi decided that she wanted to try a VBAC for this birth. Chloe was a C-section but Chrisi didn't want to go through that again. We decided on an amazing birthing center with amazing midwives who helped every step of the way. A natural birth allowed us to experience Lyla's birth very intimately. When labor finally started we were so excited to welcome Lyla into the world. Watching and helping Chrisi move through labor and push through contractions was a very emotional experience for me. The strength that women possess is amazing. I was able to see first hand the miracle of birth and what women and mothers go through to give birth to a child. Chrisi gave me so much last night and I will forever be grateful for her.
At the very end, Chrisi was absolutely spent as she pushed one last time. When Lyla was born, we as parents, experienced the most emotionally draining 5 minutes of our lives. The umbilical cord was wrapped around Lyla's neck 3 times and she was motionless and her face was a dark, dark blue. Our midwife immediately placed Lyla on Chrisi's chest, unwrapped the cord, and began performing mouth to mouth. I held little Lyla's hand and was beside myself with emotions as our midwives worked to get her breathing. For 5 minutes they helped her as she struggled to get air in her little lungs. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she began breathing and color returned to her face. I was a weeping mess. Chrisi was amazingly calm and collected (of course) and was able to hold her little girl close to her. We sat and cried to together as we shared her first moments of life. We were so grateful to our nurses who stayed focused and were extremely professional. I have not been able to stop thinking about the emotions that went through.
Life is fragile. Lyla was in the womb for 41 weeks and her life depended on that umbilical cord. And then in one moment, that cord could have taken her life as soon as she came into this world. I know that many people in my circle have experienced very painful trials and I was only given a glimpse of what it would be like to lose a child. But I learned last night that every single moment we have is a blessing. Every single decision we make has consequences. Every challenge we have in this life is for our growth and development. I learned once again that God is real and he is watching over us. Even when we lose a loved one, make a mistake, or go through a physical challenge, our Heavenly Father loves us and is watching over us. He wants us to take experiences like last night and become better because of them. He wants us to take the pain we suffer and turn to him for help.
By most people's standards I have, in the past, hit ROCK BOTTOM. I have been given an opportunity to reclaim many things that I lost and I just want to share that. No matter what we endure in this life, we can all find happiness! We can all change. We can all become better people. Hope is never lost for anyone. If you feel alone as you go through a trial give me a call! I promise you are not. We never know when we may be hit with an enormous trial. But we can make the most of this life by remembering what is most important and giving respect to the small miracles that happen to all of us. God forgives, hearts can heal, spirits can be reborn, challenges can be overcome, people can change, and love will always prevail. I have so much more to improve in my life, but I will move forward after last night with renewed faith in not only myself and my family, but in all of us as children of God. Much love to all of my family and friends and to all of those who are struggling. Life is fragile let's make the most of it.
Matt
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The Little Things
This week I have been trying to focus on the little things in life that bring peace and happiness. I think of my sweet children a lot. They are little things that bring me the most joy. And it is their attitude towards life that helps me look at things differently. I forgot that one could find so much joy playing with a rock, rolling on the ground, making faces, or jumping up and down. My kids teach me every day how life can be enjoyed no matter the circumstances. In times of wealth or poverty, sickness or health, peace or turmoil, we can all look to the little things to find happiness. It really does help me to occasionally sit down and write my blessings on paper. I find that most of them don't consist of money or worldly objects, but small and simple treasures that make my life complete.
My trial has forced me to look at life in a more simple way. In the past I created a lot of problems for myself by making my life too complicated. Because I forgot to cherish the little things, I lost track of what is truly important and I found myself far from where I needed to be. We cannot escape the trials of life, but we can control how we overcome them. Cherishing the little things in life is one way to help overcome trials and feel consistent joy.
My trial has forced me to look at life in a more simple way. In the past I created a lot of problems for myself by making my life too complicated. Because I forgot to cherish the little things, I lost track of what is truly important and I found myself far from where I needed to be. We cannot escape the trials of life, but we can control how we overcome them. Cherishing the little things in life is one way to help overcome trials and feel consistent joy.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Facing New Challenges
As I begin my "new life" I am grateful for many things. I have been blessed with many wonderful friends and an amazing family. As I have said many times before, the people in my life are literal angels. One of those being my wife. I believe that she was placed in my life 7 months ago as an an angel and she has become my wife and companion. Her and her daughter have changed my life and I thank my Heavenly Father for the chance to be a husband and father. My own 2 kids continue to be consistent angels in my life who love their daddy and teach me important lessons whenever I am with them. I love my kids and my family.
Our first few months of marriage have been bliss of course :) and we are excited for our new life together. But, as life goes, there will always be challenges that we face. My trial that I went through was very difficult and tested my faith and obedience. It was the hardest thing I have had to endure. But as hard as it was I am grateful for it because it has prepared me for any challenge that comes our way. I know without a doubt that a loving Heavenly Father is watching over us. I know that I will need continued faith and obedience as we face new challenges together. I know that the Atonement is real and that our Savior loves us. I believe 100% in eternal families and the importance of repentance. So my point today is that our triumphs over past trials will help us as we face new ones. We are constantly learning and progressing. I believe that is one of the main reasons why we have trials. To teach us. To make us stronger. To bring us closer together.
With this election coming up and the turmoil that the world is in, I have been thinking a lot about what is really important. I am someone who has lost something that was very dear to me because of my own bad decisions. I lost sight of what was really important. And now as I have been given another opportunity I will face my new challenges with more understanding. I will focus more on the little things that bring happiness. Laughing, conversation, family time, patience, love, kindness, service, etc.
I know that if you are struggling with something major it can be difficult to believe there is hope and happiness ahead. I have said and I will say again that there IS hope and happiness. Believe in God and move forward with faith and endurance. When you come out on top you will be better prepared for the next challenge. And the next. And the next. :) You will be stronger and better. You will learn and grow. You will be happy with yourself. Here's to facing new challenges and being happy!
Our first few months of marriage have been bliss of course :) and we are excited for our new life together. But, as life goes, there will always be challenges that we face. My trial that I went through was very difficult and tested my faith and obedience. It was the hardest thing I have had to endure. But as hard as it was I am grateful for it because it has prepared me for any challenge that comes our way. I know without a doubt that a loving Heavenly Father is watching over us. I know that I will need continued faith and obedience as we face new challenges together. I know that the Atonement is real and that our Savior loves us. I believe 100% in eternal families and the importance of repentance. So my point today is that our triumphs over past trials will help us as we face new ones. We are constantly learning and progressing. I believe that is one of the main reasons why we have trials. To teach us. To make us stronger. To bring us closer together.
With this election coming up and the turmoil that the world is in, I have been thinking a lot about what is really important. I am someone who has lost something that was very dear to me because of my own bad decisions. I lost sight of what was really important. And now as I have been given another opportunity I will face my new challenges with more understanding. I will focus more on the little things that bring happiness. Laughing, conversation, family time, patience, love, kindness, service, etc.
I know that if you are struggling with something major it can be difficult to believe there is hope and happiness ahead. I have said and I will say again that there IS hope and happiness. Believe in God and move forward with faith and endurance. When you come out on top you will be better prepared for the next challenge. And the next. And the next. :) You will be stronger and better. You will learn and grow. You will be happy with yourself. Here's to facing new challenges and being happy!
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