She said YES!

She said YES!

October 15, 2011

A few weeks ago I did a post labeled “Miracle on Lime Street”. Well, today my companion and I were able to see the beautiful couple be sealed for all time and eternity in the Palmyra, New York Temple.

My Niece Madison First day of school

It was such a BLESSING to see this couple make such a sacred covenant, or two way promise. Many people think that the things that happen in the Temple are SECRET…I am here to tell you that they are not… They are SACRED. I like to think about it this way… My niece Madison recently started first grade. She did all she needed to, to prepare for this big step. She was ready because she had gone to kindergarten. If I was to drive her to school, and say okay we are going to put you in 11^th grade instead, she would not have completed the grades to prepare her. Entering the Temple is all about being prepared spiritually. God wants all of his children to enter His Holy House one day. Now youth, always remember that this is what you are working towards, a  

TEMPLE MARRIAGE!

The Dillinbecks 

tRiCk Or TrEaTiNg fOr ThE TrUtH

tRiCk Or TrEaTiNg

fOr ThE tRuTh

Rica and I as Salt and Pepper 2010

"You can count the seeds in an apple, but you can't count the apples in a seed."

-Elder Costa

My Niece and Nephew as Kiss :]

With Halloween coming up I thought of many of my favorite traditions of the Holiday. I love dressing up, making candy apples, carving pumpkins, and also going TrIcK oR tReAtInG.  When I was little we would just set out with our big pillow cases and hope that we would come back with them full. It was always discouraging to go door to door and only get a piece or two of candy at a time. However when a persistent child continues to tRiCk Or TrEaT their bags become full.  As we plant seeds in people about the gospel, with time it will grow. At Halloween it is easy to get scared of all of the creative costumes that we see. When sharing the gospel, I think we see it through the same eyes, while in reality under those scary costumes is a Child of God who is “tRiCk oR TrEaTiNg” for the truth. Throughout this scary season always remember that one piece of candy counts, that each time we interact with someone and include the church we are planting a seed.

The Family in Masks.....

PUMPKIN CARVING

PUMPKIN CARVING…

My last companion Sister Correia was from Hawaii. When we became companions, one of the first things I told her was how excited I was about HALLOWEEN.  She confessed to me that she had never carved a pumpkin. At first I was SHOCKED that she had never had that chance... I know that my reaction would probably be considered an overreaction. However I knew how much FUN it was to carve a pumpkin, I knew it was not easy, but at the same time it was something worthwhile. I told her that I would teach her and we could do it together.  So we planned it out, we bought pumpkins and got down to business carving. We loved it, it took her a little bit to get into it, but she trusted me and she kept going. By the end we both had somewhat good looking pumpkins.

  

As I laid in bed that night, praising my pumpkin, I thought about how happy I was that I got to share one of my favorite traditions with Sister Correia and how she loved it in the end. At the beginning she was very hesitant at what she was getting into, but she trusted me and so she went forward. I thought about how that relates to sharing the BOOK OF MORMON with our friends. I know it is not something that they have usually heard of, or something they are familiar with. However, they might never have that chance if we don’t offer it. I know I could not just let Sister Correia carve her first pumpkin by herself; she might have really used the ice cream scOoP the whole time… I know that when we are willing to share the BOOK OF MORMON with our friends, it is a learning process for both people but both end up learning a lot :0

I mean there is a first time for everything :)

Twins on our last day :)

CLV(2011)

WWW.MORMON.ORG

Behind Enemy Lines

Behind Enemy Lines!

“I say again that youth today are being raised in enemy territory with a declining standard of morality.”

-Boyd K. Packer

Halloween 2010

I loved the talk Counsel to the youth that Elder Packer of the quorum of the 12 apostles gave in this last General Conference. He spoke to the youth! He talked about how the youth are being raised in enemy territory, and honestly that is the best way to describe it. Youth, you are behind enemy lines. There is so much sleaze around us in this world, that we start out on the wrong side. In the talk he gave a great story about listening to the Holy Ghost. I think that is one of greatest tools as we go out into battle in enemy territory. I know that as we continue to read the Book of Mormon, Pray, attend Seminary, and go to Church, it will only act as ammo for the Holy Ghost to work with us. Youth, you have the chance to be in this dangerous territory, use it to your advantage. It is time to suit up for battle and win :]

“If you are slipping into things that you should not slip into or if you are associating with people who are pulling you away in the wrong direction, that is the time to assert your independence, your agency. Listen to the voice of the Spirit, and you will not be led astray.”

-Boyd K. Packer

Counsel to Youth by Elder Boyd K. Packer

READ ME :{

CLV(c)2011

www.mormon.org

The Youth's Webpage

LINCOLN LOGS

Lincoln Logs

As a child, I played a lot with Lincoln Logs. My brother Max and I would sit and play for hours. Unfortunately it would always end up with us throwing the logs at each other , its been a good memory. This past Christmas, my nephew received some LINCOLN LOGS. I decided to relive some of my childhood and play with him. I was so impressed with how he quickly caught on to building these strong log houses. At first he was just putting pieces together, but by the end he was building houses that could withstand our attacks. When I asked Hayes why he had built the house so strong he said that it was to withstand the storms! That's when I had Helamen 5:12 from the Book of Mormon pop into my head. Hayes taught me, that I need to build MY foundation strong so that when storms come my foundation will stand still. As we go through our life we are going to have many storms and sometimes we are going to break down. However the STRONGER we make our foundation the longer we will last. There are many things you have to do to make a little log house strong...and they are many things we have to do to make our testimony strong. Read the Book of Mormon, and pray about it. The Book of Mormon is ONE thing that will give you a strong foundation...don't believe me? Try it out!!!

  

“And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

-Helamen 5:12

WHAT MAKES YOUR FOUNDATION STRONG?!?!?

CLV(C) 2011

www.mormon.org

Miracle on Lime Street

Miracle on

Lime Street

The sealed family to be :]

Yesterday I felt a strong prompting to call one of the families I had worked with in my first area. I decided to listen to the prompting. It was such a good feeling to talk to someone from my first area and to hear how things were going. In the conversation we were able to talk about him and his wife going to the temple. They had both worked SO hard to get temple recommends, and they had succeeded. However they had another stumbling block to over come. They needed money to buy the temple clothes so that they could attend. I felt so bad, because I knew they were ready, and all that was holding them back was money. I told him to pray and Heavenly Father would make it happen. I explained to him, he just wants to see if we will exercise faith. The key part that we discussed is trusting in the Lord. Last night, I was able to pray for his family to find a way.

Today, while working at the Joseph Smith Farm I received a phone call. It was him calling me to tell me of a MIRACLE! He said that he had just gotten off the phone with the missionary that had baptized him. The missionary told him that he had been saving up money for them so they could go to the temple. I know that because he exercised his faith, his prayers were answered. Him and his wife will now be able to be sealed for all time and eternity in the Palmyra Temple this month. When we exercise faith, blessings Will come!

http://www.mormon.org/

CLV(C)2011

Change Please :]

 

“Change is an essential part of life’s experiences.”

- Elder Steven E. Snow

Youth, you face MANY changes. Many changes start with your body...Some of you will get tall,  some of you will stay short. Your voices will change, you WILL gain weight, but these are all things that are just going to happen and so we have to LOVE it. As you get older temptations and pressures become a lot heavier. It all starts when you turn 12 and walk into Junior High. You are entering a new school, making new friends, and learning new things. It just sounds like A LOT of change because it is! To be honest with you change is going to be something that continues to happen to you. When I first went to college MANY things changed. I had a hard time with the big changes, until I picked up a Book of Mormon. I realized as everything around me changed, the Book of Mormon did not. I knew I could dive into Nephi building a ship and feel like nothing had changed. I came to realize how LUCKY I was because, I had been given something that DOES NOT CHANGE.

 

“Many of these changes come as we naturally make our way through our earthly journey. Our lives change as we progress from childhood through youth and on into adulthood and finally old age. Schooling, missions, marriage, employment, and retirement are all examples of milestones of change.”
- Elder Steven E. Snow

Youth....GOOD NEWS...Things are going to keep changing.  CHANGE is a good thing. When we come to a big life change and think of it as a NEW opportunity we can make it into something new and exciting. Always remember when you come to a change, think positive and make it Right :]

http://www.mormon.org/

CLV(C)2011