Yes, I am still alive.

Well folks it's been a while!
Life has decided to throw some crazy curve balls at us so we've been keeping busy!

I won't go into too much detail but we've been blessed with a wonderful service opportunity/missionary experience and we have been doing our best to take full advantage of it.

But this experience has definitely backed up my previous post about how we should be kind to everyone we meet because they are all fighting a hard battle.

I have loved this opportunity because i've been able to share the joy that the gospel brings into my life with some people that have lived in darkness so long. People that never even knew that real, pure happiness was attainable. People that think life is about just surviving, having no idea about the wonderful plan that Heavenly Father has made for them. People who had no idea how bright their future could be if they turned to the Savior instead of trying to face this world alone.
People who need love.

I was lucky enough to be sealed to my best friend in the house of the Lord and because of the knowledge of the eternal love that our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ have for us, we are able to share that love with these people and teach them that it is accessable to them no matter who they are or what they've done.

Of course it's hard sometimes.
Of course things can be going great one second then all come crashing down the next.

Satan is good at his job.
He sucks, but he's good at his job.
There must be opposition in all things.
And if that's the case, why focus on the bad?
We know it's there.

Ignore it.

Positivity is key.

A man came into my work today. Very large, had trouble breathing while talking, probably in his 60s. He looked tired. My immediate thought was, this guy could be Santa Claus.
That thought was diminished quickly considering the whole 5min he was here he didn't smile once.

He came in to make a payment on his insurance, and I noticed a unique necklace around his neck. I asked him what it was and it was a token that implied he had diabetes. He went on to tell me that technically the diabetes had taken his life twice already. (still a chance he's santa, he lives forever) anyway, I responded with "wow! you must have some work to do here if youre still around after all that!" Apparently he'd heard that one before when he responded with "I'll tell you what I told my little religious mother when she said the same thing to me, I said thats a bunch of crap! Either I'm too rotten that the devil doesn't even want me, or God is keeping me here to suffer."

What do you say to that?

Me being the  Alittle-too-peppy-for-your- negative-atttitude-to-bring-me-down kinda girl that i am, just laughed and said "don't be ridiculous"


I continued to tell him about my friend Beth, a 96 year old woman who I used to walk her little poodle every morning for.
Beth was a very small frail widow who told me every single day I went to see her that she wanted to die. and wanted to know why she was still here, she should've died years ago.

I loved talking to Beth. I loved looking through her old photo albums and listening to her stories and trying to make her laugh, which was hard, but when it happened it was hilarious. Watching old ladies laugh is one of simple pleasures in life. And when we ran out of things to talk about, we would talk about chocolate. She considered herself a "chocoholic" which is probably why we got along so well.

Anyway, one particular day Beth was having a hard time with the fact that she just wouldn't die. I didn't quite know what to say, so I sat there for a minute then said "Beth, maybe you're still alive so that we could be friends." She nodded and said "maybe."
I never heard her complain about being alive again.

We only knew each other for about 2 months. And I found out that she passed away a few months ago.
She finally got her wish, but I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to know her.

She never did or said anything that drastically changed my life, never left me with any words of wisdom (at least that I remember) but she was my friend and that what was important. We had fun when we were together.

So maybe this santa guy just needed someone to be his friend and he wouldn't have been such a negative nancy.

Be kind.

Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.




Well sheesh! Enough of that. These serious posts... What have I become?!
And no pictures? Props to you if you made it through this whole post.
I'll get funny again one of these days.

For now I'll let Jon be the funny one-

"I'd rather eat something I don't like that someone else made, then make something I do like myself."
He's lucky he married a good wife ;)

I know there were more but I just can't remember them!!
Next time.