nothing is popping out for me today as a topic to write about. so i will just write a simple testimony today. something short, sincere, and something i know i should share more.
here are some things i know:
-that we have a Heavenly Father who loves each and everyone of us so much. i know we are all His literal children. these things i have known this since i was a very small child.
-that Jesus Christ, our older brother, is real and He too loves each and everyone of. He loves us so much that He suffered for every pain, suffering, sickness, sin, sadness, or woe we ever have or ever will have. He gave His life for each of us. what an amazing thing and what a loving brother.
-that families can be together truly forever.
-that there is a prophet of God on the earth today and right now that man is thomas s. monson. this is something that shakes me to the core every time i think about it, because i could never doubt it. the feeling of confirmation i receive every time i hear him speak is undeniable.
-that the gospel of Jesus Christ is restored on the earth today and that it is lead by our Him and our Heavenly Father through the prophet. that gospel is contained in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
-that the book of mormon is true. all of it. every word.
i know more things than this. my testimony is larger than this. but these six points are at the core of it all. i want to share the things i know with more confidence. i also want to not just share by living a good life doing good things, which i try to do every day, but with my words and actually speaking what i believe and know to be true. this is a big goal of mine. because it can be scary to share what you know, especially when you know others don't agree with you. but these are my thoughts. my beliefs. and if you are reading them, i hope you will think about what your beliefs are and maybe share them too.
-kellye
Lilypie First Birthday tickers
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
the wizarding world of harry potter
i know this is way over due. basically i have on thing to say about the whole thing:
it was amazing.
my only complaint is that too me, they used too little of the park for it. i wish harry potter world was a lot bigger. here are some photos of the day. my back was absolutely KILLING me the entire day which is why i am severely slouching in almost every single picture. it was such a fun fun day! read more under each picture.
it was amazing.
my only complaint is that too me, they used too little of the park for it. i wish harry potter world was a lot bigger. here are some photos of the day. my back was absolutely KILLING me the entire day which is why i am severely slouching in almost every single picture. it was such a fun fun day! read more under each picture.
here is our first view of hogwarts. me, my mom, and my grandmother went through suessland while everyone else went to ride the dragon roller coaster in harry potter. i don't do coasters. this is from the sneech train in suessland.
this is what greets you when you enter from suessland.
here is me, my mom, my grandmother, and my aunt at the train.
this is what greets you if you enter from jurassic park. AMAZING.
mirror of erised inside the castle.
the counter for the team points inside the castle. even though i would be in slytherin, i'm happy to see that gryffindor is winning.
a huge hall of photos. and yes, they moved. and talked.
entrance into dumbledores office. i'm not going to lie, this almost brought me to tears.
pensieve in dumbledores office.
dumbledores desk.
gryffindor common room
matt and me waiting to get into the ride inside hogwarts. by far the best ride i have ever done.
us in front of the 3 broomsticks anxiously awaiting lunch and our first butterbeers.
matt's first butterbeer
my first butterbeer
katie's first butterbeer
they had turkey legs for lunch, i had shepherds pie
matt and me enjoying our day
katie and me in the street
inside olivanders
the whole gang! me and matt plus my parents, my sister, my grandmother, my aunt laila and uncle jason and their 3 boys, nickolas, zack, and gavin
the family on the bridge for one last look at harry potter
it really was an amazing day. if i could go back a million times, i would. and i don't think i would ever get bored.
Monday, October 25, 2010
s.s.s. no. 6
sorry to be a day late again, this has been a crazy busy weekend with lots of visitors! i will fill you all in on all of that later, for now i want to post something short and sweet.
my something spiritual today isn't so much a topic as an observation. i know all of you can relate, no matter what you believe or what church you attend.
it is amazing to see someone grow in the gospel. to watch the process from the start is extra incredible. matt is that person for me. he has been LDS for a year and half now and every day he does things all the time for the gospel that amazes me. just from this past weekend, i have 2 examples.
the first one was while his parents were here. they were only here for about 48 hours and the one thing he wanted to make sure they saw was the columbia temple. we took them there saturday and then matt answered all of their questions without any hesitation. and the way he answered was so inspiring to me. he is straight forward and in every answer he tells exactly what he believes with his testimony. i know he doesn't even realize how strong his testimony is.
the second one happened last night. matt had a busy sunday because of a band rehearsal he had to attend from 2-5:30 and was not that happy when he found out that he had to go back to church from 7-9 for a priesthood meeting, a meeting for all the men of the church over 12. he asked my dad to go with him and he agreed so they suited up (literally) and went to church. when he came back, he could not stop talking about how amazing it was. he told my grandmother and me what all of the talks were about and how they made him feel. he told us what inspired him and how he felt about it all. he was just on cloud 9 after the meeting.
it truly amazes me the fire he has for the gospel. he is such an example to me. he gets upset with his current work and school schedule because it limits his ability to participate in extra church activites. all he talks about right now is how he wants a job that will allow him to be home at a good time and to do all the things for the church that he wants to do. of all the things i admire about matt, his love for the gospel of Jesus Christ is number one without a doubt.
i hope i can catch some of the fire from him. he makes me want to be a better saint. and all of us know someone like that, so let's do it! let's emulate these wonderful new-comers to faith and be strong and up front about what we believe not just in word, but in action!
my something spiritual today isn't so much a topic as an observation. i know all of you can relate, no matter what you believe or what church you attend.
it is amazing to see someone grow in the gospel. to watch the process from the start is extra incredible. matt is that person for me. he has been LDS for a year and half now and every day he does things all the time for the gospel that amazes me. just from this past weekend, i have 2 examples.
the first one was while his parents were here. they were only here for about 48 hours and the one thing he wanted to make sure they saw was the columbia temple. we took them there saturday and then matt answered all of their questions without any hesitation. and the way he answered was so inspiring to me. he is straight forward and in every answer he tells exactly what he believes with his testimony. i know he doesn't even realize how strong his testimony is.
the second one happened last night. matt had a busy sunday because of a band rehearsal he had to attend from 2-5:30 and was not that happy when he found out that he had to go back to church from 7-9 for a priesthood meeting, a meeting for all the men of the church over 12. he asked my dad to go with him and he agreed so they suited up (literally) and went to church. when he came back, he could not stop talking about how amazing it was. he told my grandmother and me what all of the talks were about and how they made him feel. he told us what inspired him and how he felt about it all. he was just on cloud 9 after the meeting.
it truly amazes me the fire he has for the gospel. he is such an example to me. he gets upset with his current work and school schedule because it limits his ability to participate in extra church activites. all he talks about right now is how he wants a job that will allow him to be home at a good time and to do all the things for the church that he wants to do. of all the things i admire about matt, his love for the gospel of Jesus Christ is number one without a doubt.
i hope i can catch some of the fire from him. he makes me want to be a better saint. and all of us know someone like that, so let's do it! let's emulate these wonderful new-comers to faith and be strong and up front about what we believe not just in word, but in action!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
the secret life of our puppies
matt and i have come to a horrible conclusion about our puppies.
we think they may be drug lords.
they aren't dealing the kind of drugs we humans typically think of as being illicit. no, it's much crazier than that.
they deal and trade.......... pine needles.
we have noticed this weird behavior for a while. whenever they go outside one of them (usually fergye) comes back in with a single bunch of pine needles. how do we know they have this in their mouth? because whichever one doesn't have the needles, usually porkchop, will bark incessantly at the other because they want them. they usually go to a corner in a room matt and i aren't in to do this. we hear it from somewhere else in the house, look at each other and say "pine needles". is this not ridiculous?
so why do we think they are like drug lords with it? well, these pine needles tend to have the same effect on the puppies as drugs do on humans. including (but not limited to);
-feeling like the NEED to have them all the time
-trying to try and sneak them past us, even when we have already taken them away
-not wanting to share and becoming aggressive when someone else wants some
-when the needles are taken away, they act absolutely crazy including running around in tight circles, running as fast as they can from room to room for no reason, getting in the laundry basket and biting all the clothes, etc.
-having the munchies for strange things. namely, poop.
-feeling ashamed and embarrassed when they realize what they are doing is wrong
we don't think they actually deal, just trade. porkchop will bring fergye a q-tip from the trashcan as an offering for the pine needles. if that doesn't work, which it never does, matt and i think it's cause she wants more. maybe a lysol wipe? or their butterfly? or maybe even the rubber chicken?
they are crazy dogs. i hope we can get them help for all of this behavior otherwise, they have a rough road ahead of them. and i'm worried, because the first step to over coming an addiction is admitting it....
and they can't talk.
we think they may be drug lords.
they aren't dealing the kind of drugs we humans typically think of as being illicit. no, it's much crazier than that.
they deal and trade.......... pine needles.
we have noticed this weird behavior for a while. whenever they go outside one of them (usually fergye) comes back in with a single bunch of pine needles. how do we know they have this in their mouth? because whichever one doesn't have the needles, usually porkchop, will bark incessantly at the other because they want them. they usually go to a corner in a room matt and i aren't in to do this. we hear it from somewhere else in the house, look at each other and say "pine needles". is this not ridiculous?
so why do we think they are like drug lords with it? well, these pine needles tend to have the same effect on the puppies as drugs do on humans. including (but not limited to);
-feeling like the NEED to have them all the time
-trying to try and sneak them past us, even when we have already taken them away
-not wanting to share and becoming aggressive when someone else wants some
-when the needles are taken away, they act absolutely crazy including running around in tight circles, running as fast as they can from room to room for no reason, getting in the laundry basket and biting all the clothes, etc.
-having the munchies for strange things. namely, poop.
-feeling ashamed and embarrassed when they realize what they are doing is wrong
we don't think they actually deal, just trade. porkchop will bring fergye a q-tip from the trashcan as an offering for the pine needles. if that doesn't work, which it never does, matt and i think it's cause she wants more. maybe a lysol wipe? or their butterfly? or maybe even the rubber chicken?
they are crazy dogs. i hope we can get them help for all of this behavior otherwise, they have a rough road ahead of them. and i'm worried, because the first step to over coming an addiction is admitting it....
and they can't talk.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
a crafting realization
i don't use hot glue enough. it's an amazing thing. it's fast, like i want all glue to be, it's strong, like i want all glue to be, and it's easy to fix your mistakes.
so why do i rarely use it?
i don't know. but this has got to stop.
hot glue- be prepared. i'm coming for you. we are going to be good good friends. i may use you too much but guess what, you will have to deal.
so why do i rarely use it?
i don't know. but this has got to stop.
hot glue- be prepared. i'm coming for you. we are going to be good good friends. i may use you too much but guess what, you will have to deal.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
s.s.s. no. 5
i cannot believe it's been an entire week since my last post! there will definitely be a couple in the week to come to catch everyone up, this week has just been super busy!
so for today's something spiritual there is only one thing on my mind: family.
for the past 4 days matt and i have been in florida with my family, staying with my aunt and uncle and 3 cousins and spending a day with my parents and grandmother. this coming weekend my parents and grandparents plus matt's parents are all coming for the weekend! i can't wait!!
this past weekend was just such a wonderful few days, and as always, way too short! all i could think of the whole time was how blessed we are to have families. to have people around us whole love and support us no matter what, it's amazing. just hearing their loving words and talking to them about things on our mind and having nothing but love poured back out to us is truly awesome.
the most amazing blessing in my life is undoubtedly my family and even more than that, the fact that we are an eternal family. in the LDS church, we believe that families continue after this life and into the next. we truly believe families are forever. the family is, in my opinion, the central unit in our religion and the thing that everything is based on, after our love and belief in our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father.
i cannot say enough for how blessed i am to have my family. i also cannot express my belief in what they family is and what it's role in the Father's plan is any better than the leaders of the LDS church have in the document The Family: A Proclamation to the World. so although it not short, it also not long, and i would love for you to read it. i have pasted it below.
just know that nothing in this world can replace family relationships. president david o. mckay, former president of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, said "no other success can compensate for failure in the home". i know this to be true. i am who i am because i was raised by MY parents, who are wonderful amazing people and did everything they could for katie and me to turn out to be good and happy people. i am eternally indebted to them and i believe the way i pay them back is when i am fortunate enough to have children of my own, i raise them the right way and love them and support them as much as my parents did me. that way this cycle is a great one that benefits the world and those around them.
i hope we can all take time to thank our families for everything they have done for us and to thank our Heavenly Father for the blessing of putting us into family units here on this earth. i am going to try to show and express my gratitude this week. thanks for reading and please, take the time to read the pasted proclamation below. whether it will be your first or one hundred and first time reading it, it's worth the few minutes of your day it will take. it is inspired and true.
so for today's something spiritual there is only one thing on my mind: family.
for the past 4 days matt and i have been in florida with my family, staying with my aunt and uncle and 3 cousins and spending a day with my parents and grandmother. this coming weekend my parents and grandparents plus matt's parents are all coming for the weekend! i can't wait!!
this past weekend was just such a wonderful few days, and as always, way too short! all i could think of the whole time was how blessed we are to have families. to have people around us whole love and support us no matter what, it's amazing. just hearing their loving words and talking to them about things on our mind and having nothing but love poured back out to us is truly awesome.
the most amazing blessing in my life is undoubtedly my family and even more than that, the fact that we are an eternal family. in the LDS church, we believe that families continue after this life and into the next. we truly believe families are forever. the family is, in my opinion, the central unit in our religion and the thing that everything is based on, after our love and belief in our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father.
i cannot say enough for how blessed i am to have my family. i also cannot express my belief in what they family is and what it's role in the Father's plan is any better than the leaders of the LDS church have in the document The Family: A Proclamation to the World. so although it not short, it also not long, and i would love for you to read it. i have pasted it below.
just know that nothing in this world can replace family relationships. president david o. mckay, former president of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, said "no other success can compensate for failure in the home". i know this to be true. i am who i am because i was raised by MY parents, who are wonderful amazing people and did everything they could for katie and me to turn out to be good and happy people. i am eternally indebted to them and i believe the way i pay them back is when i am fortunate enough to have children of my own, i raise them the right way and love them and support them as much as my parents did me. that way this cycle is a great one that benefits the world and those around them.
i hope we can all take time to thank our families for everything they have done for us and to thank our Heavenly Father for the blessing of putting us into family units here on this earth. i am going to try to show and express my gratitude this week. thanks for reading and please, take the time to read the pasted proclamation below. whether it will be your first or one hundred and first time reading it, it's worth the few minutes of your day it will take. it is inspired and true.
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
In 1995, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” This proclamation is a declaration and reaffirmation of doctrines and practices that prophets have stated repeatedly throughout the history of the Church. It contains principles that are vital to the happiness and well-being of every family. Family members should study the proclamation and should live by its precepts.
“We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
“All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
“In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.
“The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
“We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.
“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
“The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.
“We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
“We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society”
Monday, October 11, 2010
s.s.s no. 4
i know i'm about 10 hours late for this actually being posted on the sabbath but it's all for a good reason and in line with todays topic (which i was already planning to write about yesterday)
today i want to talk about the miracle that is creation and life.
this is something all religious people share, the absolute awe that is life and the world around us. yesterday, matt and i took the puppies for a walk down the river walk. all i could do was look around and think how beautiful this world is. as the season really begins to change here and a few leaves are starting to fall, you see how beautiful the life cycle is and how amazing the world we have to live in is. matt says people over use the words awesome and amazing, and i know i do, but it is truly awesome to look around. the world is beautiful! hearing the river and seeing it, walking under the shade of very old and large trees, seeing wildflowers blooming in a field, watching streams flow over rocks to create little waterfalls on their way down to the river, it's all so wonderful and i think this time of the year reminds us especially of all of that. i simply do not know how anyone could see these things and experience the world around them and doubt the existence of a Creator. God is real and if you don't know about that, just look around. there is absolutely no way all of this just happened, it's planned, it purposeful, and it's because a Heavenly Father loves us. it's all a blessing.
the reason i didn't post last night was because right when i was about to, my best friend allison called me to talk. she was driving back to indianapolis (where she currently lives and works) from visiting her family back home (in lexington, ky, where i am from). her sister just had her first baby and allison's first niece. she is such a beautiful baby, i can't wait to meet her in person. but she isn't the only new baby now, 2 of my other friends have had babies in last 3 weeks and i have many friends and cousins that are expecting within the year. it's just that time in my life where everyone around me is having babies! all of this to say, babies are truly awesome. the fact that the Lord trusts us and loves enough to enable us to bring life into the world and to raise His children as mortals is unbelievable and awesome all at the same time. what a privledge yet a huge responsibility, to love and nurture and teach one of His beloved spirit children. i can't wait (but am) for the day i get to do that.
the summary of today's something spiritual, look around and take in all of the beauty and wonder God has provided for us. how blessed are we? do we all take time to thank Him for it all? i know i could thank Him more. i could thank Him more in prayer and by going out and experiencing all that He has provided for us. i am so eternally grateful for this earth, the miracle of life, and the love our Heavenly Father pours out on us everyday.
today i want to talk about the miracle that is creation and life.
this is something all religious people share, the absolute awe that is life and the world around us. yesterday, matt and i took the puppies for a walk down the river walk. all i could do was look around and think how beautiful this world is. as the season really begins to change here and a few leaves are starting to fall, you see how beautiful the life cycle is and how amazing the world we have to live in is. matt says people over use the words awesome and amazing, and i know i do, but it is truly awesome to look around. the world is beautiful! hearing the river and seeing it, walking under the shade of very old and large trees, seeing wildflowers blooming in a field, watching streams flow over rocks to create little waterfalls on their way down to the river, it's all so wonderful and i think this time of the year reminds us especially of all of that. i simply do not know how anyone could see these things and experience the world around them and doubt the existence of a Creator. God is real and if you don't know about that, just look around. there is absolutely no way all of this just happened, it's planned, it purposeful, and it's because a Heavenly Father loves us. it's all a blessing.
the reason i didn't post last night was because right when i was about to, my best friend allison called me to talk. she was driving back to indianapolis (where she currently lives and works) from visiting her family back home (in lexington, ky, where i am from). her sister just had her first baby and allison's first niece. she is such a beautiful baby, i can't wait to meet her in person. but she isn't the only new baby now, 2 of my other friends have had babies in last 3 weeks and i have many friends and cousins that are expecting within the year. it's just that time in my life where everyone around me is having babies! all of this to say, babies are truly awesome. the fact that the Lord trusts us and loves enough to enable us to bring life into the world and to raise His children as mortals is unbelievable and awesome all at the same time. what a privledge yet a huge responsibility, to love and nurture and teach one of His beloved spirit children. i can't wait (but am) for the day i get to do that.
the summary of today's something spiritual, look around and take in all of the beauty and wonder God has provided for us. how blessed are we? do we all take time to thank Him for it all? i know i could thank Him more. i could thank Him more in prayer and by going out and experiencing all that He has provided for us. i am so eternally grateful for this earth, the miracle of life, and the love our Heavenly Father pours out on us everyday.
Friday, October 8, 2010
counting down to harry potter
this time next week, i will be in the wizarding world of harry potter. am i excited?
YES
in case you don't know this about me, i am a huge harry potter fan. always have been and definitely always will be. i have read all of the books many times. i have seen all of the movies many times. i just love harry potter!
when i was in the 7th grade, i had a wonderful english teacher named mr. ball. at this point, there were only 3 books out. mr. ball hadn't read any of the books and wasn't convinced that he should. so me and all of my friends worked super hard to convince him to read them and he did, and then became a crazy huge harry potter fan. he started a harry potter fan club for our 7th grade team, which of course i was in, where we met just once a month and played harry potter trivia. it was awesome. (7th grade was just an awesome year, i loved middle school)
the first movie came out when i was in 8th grade. this was before theaters did midnight movie premiers so mr. ball, who was still teaching 7th grade english, arranged for the first showing to be a private showing for his 7th grade team. well guess who else, he invited, the original harry potter fan club. we all dressed up and missed school to see it, it was amazing!
well of course the news was there to see how everyone liked the movie, and since we were the first people to see it, they wanted us to do the movie reviews for the news. so mr. ball picked me and my best guy friend brett to be on the news to do all the movie reviews. it was so much fun and so cool to be on the news that night.
this is just one story of my love for hp. there will probably be more to come to lead up to the big event next weekend. i really just cannot wait.
YES
in case you don't know this about me, i am a huge harry potter fan. always have been and definitely always will be. i have read all of the books many times. i have seen all of the movies many times. i just love harry potter!
when i was in the 7th grade, i had a wonderful english teacher named mr. ball. at this point, there were only 3 books out. mr. ball hadn't read any of the books and wasn't convinced that he should. so me and all of my friends worked super hard to convince him to read them and he did, and then became a crazy huge harry potter fan. he started a harry potter fan club for our 7th grade team, which of course i was in, where we met just once a month and played harry potter trivia. it was awesome. (7th grade was just an awesome year, i loved middle school)
the first movie came out when i was in 8th grade. this was before theaters did midnight movie premiers so mr. ball, who was still teaching 7th grade english, arranged for the first showing to be a private showing for his 7th grade team. well guess who else, he invited, the original harry potter fan club. we all dressed up and missed school to see it, it was amazing!
well of course the news was there to see how everyone liked the movie, and since we were the first people to see it, they wanted us to do the movie reviews for the news. so mr. ball picked me and my best guy friend brett to be on the news to do all the movie reviews. it was so much fun and so cool to be on the news that night.
this is just one story of my love for hp. there will probably be more to come to lead up to the big event next weekend. i really just cannot wait.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
s.s.s. no.3
my third installment of something spiritual for the sabbath. and i have a great topic to share this week. if you aren't a member of the lds church, this will hopefully teach you something new about our beliefs. if you are a member of the church, i hope you share the testimony i do of my topic and have had it strengthened this weekend.
todays topic: a modern day prophet.
in the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints, we believe that the heavens are currently open and that God has a prophet on this earth today. ever since the boy Joseph Smith prayed to our Heavenly Father and through Him and His son, Jesus Christ, restored the gospel of Jesus Christ onto the earth, we have had a living prophet on the earth. once a man is called as the prophet, he retains that calling until his death. there have been 4 prophets in my lifetime.
the current prophet is Thomas S. Monson. he is an absolutely wonderful man. i remember the talks that he gave before he was prophet and was a counselor to previous prophets. even as a child he stood out to me. he is such a wonderful story teller. i remember katie and i would get excited when it was his time to speak at conference (twice a year broadcasts from salt lake city) because he could keep our attention even as children. every time i hear him speak or see him on tv, i am absolutely positive he is a prophet of God. i could never deny it. a warm feeling of absolute assurance of his authority overpowers me.
what is the role of the prophet? he is the president and leader of the church but he also the prophet to the world. he receives revelation directly from the Lord in regards to anything and everything the Lord wishes to share with his people. it is an amazing feeling to know that our Heavenly Father loves enough to give us a man who we can completely rely on to share the Father's will with us. i know he would never lead us astray. i know he loves and prays for everyone. i know that the prophet is truly a man of God.
i hope that if you still have questions about what all of this means, you will ask me or visit www.mormon.org. what i have shared today is my testimony of the fact that there is a living prophet. i know with everything in me that everything i have shared is true. and if you know it too, i hope this has in someway has inspired you.
todays topic: a modern day prophet.
in the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints, we believe that the heavens are currently open and that God has a prophet on this earth today. ever since the boy Joseph Smith prayed to our Heavenly Father and through Him and His son, Jesus Christ, restored the gospel of Jesus Christ onto the earth, we have had a living prophet on the earth. once a man is called as the prophet, he retains that calling until his death. there have been 4 prophets in my lifetime.
the current prophet is Thomas S. Monson. he is an absolutely wonderful man. i remember the talks that he gave before he was prophet and was a counselor to previous prophets. even as a child he stood out to me. he is such a wonderful story teller. i remember katie and i would get excited when it was his time to speak at conference (twice a year broadcasts from salt lake city) because he could keep our attention even as children. every time i hear him speak or see him on tv, i am absolutely positive he is a prophet of God. i could never deny it. a warm feeling of absolute assurance of his authority overpowers me.
what is the role of the prophet? he is the president and leader of the church but he also the prophet to the world. he receives revelation directly from the Lord in regards to anything and everything the Lord wishes to share with his people. it is an amazing feeling to know that our Heavenly Father loves enough to give us a man who we can completely rely on to share the Father's will with us. i know he would never lead us astray. i know he loves and prays for everyone. i know that the prophet is truly a man of God.
i hope that if you still have questions about what all of this means, you will ask me or visit www.mormon.org. what i have shared today is my testimony of the fact that there is a living prophet. i know with everything in me that everything i have shared is true. and if you know it too, i hope this has in someway has inspired you.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
awesome new game!
last night was the most fun matt and i have had in a while. seriously. our friends bob evans (not a joke) and colt hosted a game night at their place with some of our college friends. we all brought food and pretty much snacked the whole night, the way every good party should be. i made yummy little bite size cheesecakes from scratch! i told matt, i'm not a newlywed anymore, i'm a wife. i need to start making things from scratch. so i did. we also brought the puppies, it was their first party, who were a big hit with everyone except colt's cat. after everyone got there we started the gaming.
it began with a fun game of taboo, girls v. boys. the first game was a tie! 55 to 55. the second game though, the ladies took charge and we won by 5! cause girls are better than boys. duh. that was a lot of fun but it was nothing compared to what was about to happen.
hillary, colt's girlfriend, suggested we all play the picture game. a lot of us had never heard of it but we all agreed to it, we all love new games. she went and got a bunch of computer paper and cut them into quarters until everyone had 13 pieces of paper, the number of people playing the game. we all numbered the papers 1-13 and put them in a stack in order.
to start the game you have to write a phrase on the paper labeled 1. it can be anything, seriously. mine was "ring around the rosies pocket full of posies". matt's was "san diego: it's german for a whales vagina", from anchorman. so needless to say, anything goes. you have 2 minutes per round, so you had 2 minutes to come up with a phrase. then, with that card on top, you pass your entire stack to the right.
the person to your right then has to draw a picture based on the phrase you wrote down on the paper labeled 2, again in 2 minutes. they then put paper #1 on the bottom of the stack and pass the entire stack to the person to their right with #2 on top.
now this person has to write a phrase on card #3 based on what they believe the drawing is telling them. this is basically a big game of telephone but you rotate every round drawing and then writing. it goes on like that all the way around to person #13 (who would be the person to your left) and then the real fun begins.
once everyone gets their stack back, you do not look through your stack yet. someone in the group starts and goes through their stack with the group. it is absolutely hilarious! oh my gosh. i have not laughed so hard maybe in my entire life. the drawings are super funny but the sentences are where you just die laughing, they get so far away from where they started! here is an example.
hillary's sentence was "cuckoo burrow sits in the old gum tree". she passed it to bob, who did an excellent job of drawing who then passed it to katie who wrote "cuckoo burrow sits in the old gum tree". well katie handed it to matt, and he did not know what a cuckoo burrow was exactly but he was pretty sure it was a man (wrong) so he drew a man with a hat on sitting in a tree. when he handed it to me, the only thing i could think of was a line from the best you-tube video ever, the mobile leprechaun, and i wrote "i think a crack hear got up in a tree and played a leprechaun". from there, it just went crazy. i can't remember how it ended because i was crying so hard from laughing, i couldn't even think straight.
you don't think this game is going to be nearly as awesome as it is but i'm here to tell you, you will have the best time playing it. so if you want to get a game together, call me and matt first!!! we want in!
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