Everyday Miracles

This past week has been filled with miracle after miracle.

Direct prayers being answered.

Glimpses of the bigger picture.

Love in my heart.

The power of The Atonement working in every breathing moment of my life.

How on Earth did I get so blessed?

I'm not sure, but to be able to give thanks for all that I have been given I feel that I really need to write about it and share some of my testimony/experiences with others :)

 

 

Ahhhhh. Deep breathe. Here it goes.

Sunday sacrament meeting rolled around and not only did I want to repent, I wanted a deep change. I wanted The Lord to be in control of my words and my thoughts. I wanted to feel the spirit so strong so that He could work through me and make me a better person in the process. That was just the beginning.

As my week progressed I found myself in deep spiritual reflection; strengthening parts of my testimony I never knew existed. The Lord helped me on my midterms, for I am certain the without His help it would have been impossible for me to recall all of that information and do so well.

During my nightly scripture study and seminary preparation the scriptures came alive to me. The words spoken and lessons taught were for ME. Another thing I had prayed for answered.

I prayed extra hard for Joseph this week. But something new that I added to my prayers was that the people he needed to teach could be prepared to receive the gospel, they could be humbled, they could search and then receive. Joseph gained a new investigator this week, and 3 more potential investigators. Seeing the miracles of his mission has changed my life. He also has a baptism next months and a full appointment book. :) I'm pretty proud of him. I told y'all I wasn't lying when I said he was going to be the best missionary evaaaaa ;)

Lastly, I have a friend who is going through a really rough trial. I prayed for her, but while I was praying I has the impression to not pray for a certain outcome, but instead for great peace and a glimpse at her greater future. She went to the temple then told me about her experiences. She used almost the exact same words. It was beautiful. -A miracle that can only be explained by the divine nature of Christ and God's plan.

These experiences don't even scape the surface of this week. Every prayer was answered. Even the small things that only matter to me. His hand was in every aspect of my life, and maybe the only difference between this week and any other week was my enthusiasm to look for it. The Lord is always there preforming miracles bigger than us everyday.

We can open our minds to see them when we give thanks.

 

This is why I started a golden list :)

Every single day write 10 things you are grateful for.

Try to make the list different everyday.

Write it in the sky or in s notebook, just write it somewhere because when you write it down you think about it more and it causes you a substantial about of time to ponder your life and blessings :)

This list has worked flawlessly for me-maybe even changed my life :)

 

I know that The Lord loves us. I know He is the All-Saving Redeemer and The Atonement is real.

He lives.

When we ask, we receive.

-And maybe more of a blessing than the actual blessing is giving thanks.

It has brought SO much joy into my life.

I am what He gives, and it is so much more than I deserve.

 

All my love, Lauren.

Missionary Package: Christmas

I had SO much fun putting this package together!

It was tiring, and tedious, but I am rather please with the way it turned out and it was a whole lot of fun :)

 

THE BOX:

My strategy for this package was to avoid crazy shipping costs by getting a small box and just jam packing everything possible in it. Mission accomplished. I lined the bottom of the box with Christmassy scrapbook paper and the sides with polka dots. I painted the box red and made a "Merry Christmas" banner for when he opened it! It was perfect for the box shape. I'm not sure how I would do that in a box with 4 flaps. Another smart box idea that I didn't think of is getting a flat rate box from the post office. I was kicking myself for a while once the pounds started adding up, but it all worked out pretty well for me. 

 

Gatorade (aka Priesthood PowerAde)

Chapstick

Tic-Tacs (Missionaries can't chew gum)

Hot coco with candy canes

 

Fruit snacks

Goldfish

Beef Jerky

Snickers

Starburst

M&M's

 

Sheet music for Love Story by Taylor Swift

and I Can Show You The World from Disney movie Aladdin

3 bookmarks

-Missionary quotes

-A poem

-My favorite scriptures

 

More "Open When" letters. I made these a couple months back but decided against sending them all at once because I am almost positive Joseph would just sit on his bed and open letter after letter until he had read them all haha! So I space them out, sending a few at a time:) You can find "Open When" letter post here. Making the letters was my favorite part of the whole package. Some of the topics were:

-When you're having companion problems

-When you need a good laugh

-When you're bored

-When you need to feel uplifted

-When you are discouraged

-When you feel like reminiscing

It was so fun writing these! For all of the letters I prayed for guidance on what to write and say. Especially the spiritual ones. It was really uplifting for me as I felt the spirit guiding me what to say, scriptures to share, talks to print out, testimony to bare. It was such a cool experience.

 

Warm socks for the winter months

Lint roller

Hand sewn Hand Warmers.

I just sewed two square pieces of material, flipped it inside out so the seams weren't shown and filled them with rice before stitching them up completely. You can also fill them with oats and they will work the same. You pop them in the microwave for a minute or two and they will stay warm for up to a couple hours! Just slip them in your pockets and they will keep them nice and toasty:)

 



This was the final product before I shipped it away.

I put the letters in the box and wrapped almost everything because I thought it would be fun for him to have something he could actually open on Christmas morning.

Everything has a cheesy saying to go along with it, if you couldn't read them in the pictures just leave a comment on this post and I will send them to you:)

I loved putting this together and any of my ideas are free to be used!

Goodluck!

 

All my love, Lauren.

Playing Catch Up

I know, I know, this post is sooooo over due.

But, life is busy, and that's a good thing.

 

Anyways, I am a Junior now!

As lame as it sounds, I really do feel a ton older.

Although I am as positive as positive can be I want to go to BYUI filling out all the college recruit letters is really fun haha!

Makes me feel official ;)

The first 2 weeks of school were crazzzzzyyy.

It never fails, I always get "those" teachers.

The unorganized ones who are mean and scary that everyone in the school avoids at all possible costs.

Yup. Without fail, I always get um.

Buuuuuut, I got a couple *cough* 5 *cough* schedule changes and not things are looking pretty good.

I'm happy with it.

And the really great thing is now that all my friends are driving we go every Friday to get food after school

Haha. We call it Food Friday. I'm so clever.

So there's that. This year really is going to be a bundle of fun:)

 

 

 

And........ Joseph hit his 1 month mark!

Yayyyyy.

Here's a pre mish picture to commemorate.

But mostly because I am sad and miss my bestfriend and look at old photos way too much.

Enjoy!

 

This one is sooooo awkward haha I love it

 

 

 

 

Today in church they had the Laurels teach and the topic was virtue.

You know when you feel like you know what you want to say but then you get all emotional and flustered and it comes out all wrong?

Yea, hi. You are my people.

Trust me, I even had it all written down but between my messy hand writing and teary blurred vision I lost it all.

But, I've been periodically sobbing all day and think I have finally got my thoughts together,

hopefully I will get this out a little better.

And if not, well, I'll just delete it ;)
Ok. Virtue.

By definition it means behavior showing high moral standards.

But broken down and with lots of thought it means sooooo much more.

I feel like it's a constant topic in Young Women's class of you have to be prepared for your future husband which yayaya is great but honestly I am soooo sick of hearing.

Literally every time it is brought up I cringe a little, especially with the topic of virtue.

Maybe that's why I got flustered, because this lesson I prepared on virtue got tuned into a "Ladies, you have to be virtuous so you can find a virtuous guy" Then I look around and see all the mortified Beehive's faces.

To me, virtue is the ultimate quality of Christ.

Yes, you need to marry someone good. It is one of the (if not the) most important decisions in this Earthly life.

But so many people never get married, or like my Mom, you marry a good guy and he goes astray.

I could probably ask any woman, "Do you love your husband?" ... yes

"Is he the most perfect love for you?" .... yes

"When you married him did all the world become perfect, did every temptation go away, was there no more trial or suffering ever because you married the man of your dreams?" ...

HEEYYCK TO THE NO.

You could marry the prophet and still have struggles!

Look at Lehi and Sariah, he was the prophet! And did she still murmur? Yes.

Struggles and trials do not just go away because you are married to a great man.

This is where virtue comes in.

The MOST important relationship in your life should be the one you have with Heavenly Father and Christ.

And know this is all my opinion.

But I have shared with you guys multiple times how terrified I was that when Joseph left I felt like standing on my own would be hard.

-And it has been, but it has been the GREATEST blessing I do not think I am capable of explaining.

My testimony of The Atonement, Prophets, Book of Mormon, My Savior, God, has been elevated so much.

Through study of The Book of Mormon I have determined political views, and morals which will help me stand when the going gets rough.

It's The Book of Mormon that will help you become like Christ and obtain virtue, not a husband.

This topic was obviously for me because I learned so much.

 

 

 

 

I feel bad ending this post on such a heavy note so it's been really rainy and wet here and I enjoy that.

I stopped running for about a month, then started back up to train with a friend for a race, and phew it's hard getting back into it haha, but I love running!

I went out early Saturday morning and ran up a mountain to see the sunrise, then I laid in the grass for a while pondering.

I know it totally sounds like I wasn't running much, but I ran a lot haha.

I just took advantage of the super peaceful moment and took a break.

Here are some photos I took while running!

 

 

Yes, Las Vegas really is just 1 big ol' dust hole.

But I kinda secretly love it.

 

 

All my love, Lauren.



A Lot To Say About Nothing

It's been an eventful week, and a difficult week.

And I have a lot to say, about nothing in particular.

Just a lot to say.

 

First of all, I had no idea how big of a cheese ball I am.

My humor, taste in movies, romance.

I am oh so cheesy.

And you know what?

No regrets.

I love being cheesy, I love watching romantic comedies in my pj's and crying in all the sad parts and practically jumping up and down cheering in all the kissing parts.

Yes. Now you all know.

I'm one of those girls, but ahhh do I love it.

So sweet!

 

 

McKenzie.

My best friend.

The one I go to with all my good and bad.

LET ME NOT EXAGGERATE WHEN I SAY I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I WOULD BE WITHOUT HER.

She teaches me so much and she is so smart.

Probably the smartest person I have ever met.

And yesterday she left for college.

Uhh, it aches to say goodbye.

But Provo, you're lucky.

I've been saying goodbye a lot lately and I don't think I can take one more.

Here are some pictures of us, and my favorite memories with her.

And then the dreaded goodbye. :(

 

 

 

 

 

Being sick is awful.

I seem to have had EVERYTHING wrong with me lately.

Infections, cough, migraines, achiness, "that time of the month"

You name it, I've had it.

And accompanied by an awful rash was an awful sigh of depression.

I think I was just so sick and stressed out I lost my mind for a couple days there haha.

But with a trip to the temple and some support from great friends and family I made it through!

I'm just done with being sick.

Getting better and on the road to recovery!

 

I got this nifty planner and I am way too excited about it.

It's purple and has lilacs on the inside.

I has a monthly calendar and DAILY!

I keep looking at it and flipping through the pages and it brings me SO MUCH JOY.

LIKE I CAN'T EVEN. I'M SO HAPPY.

But I can't use it until the 2014.

Life is hard.

 

Advice Corner: Everything happens for a reason.

I know I'm a broken record and it's so cliché but seriously guys.

Everything. Happens. For. A. Reason.

I'll share something personal.

This week 2 am I was miserable.

One of the worst pains I have ever experienced.

It was physical, emotional, physiological, spiritual pain.

Everything ached I can't even explain.

And I prayed and felt pretty angry.

I didn't feel relief when all I wanted was comfort.

But I needed to feel that pain.

Gosh I had to, because the very next day I experienced the most beautiful miracle that I would have never been able to witness if I hadn't survived the pain from the night before.

God answers all prayers, but He has His own timetable.

Trust in it.

Endure it.

And He is waiting to bless you.

My testimony burns tonight.

1 Nephi 20:10

Alma 40: 23

 

Phew writing that took a lot out of me.

I look at the title of my post and laugh because it should probably say

"A Lot To Say About Everything"

but I'm too lazy to change it :);)

So oh well

All my love, Lauren :)

 

 



He Hears My Prayers

Heavenly Father hears my prayers, and He answers me.

Gosh I have no idea how this is all going to come out!

So I will just be blunt and get on with it.

 

Elder Joseph Rosequist.

Not a day goes by I don't miss him, but today I reeeeaaalllllyyyy missed him

The past couple days I participated in an eagle project and a private school in town and it was great, but the whole weekend my heart ached and missed him.

We have so many memories there.

We did an eagle project there last year, and he used to go to that school so there's pictures of him on like every wall..... Or it just seemed like there was.

Anyways, the past couple days I've just missed him.

I've wished he was here.

I'm so proud of him serving a mission, but who wants to say goodbye to a great friend for 2 years?

So last night I prayed.

I prayed I could feel close to him and receive comfort.

I prayed that I could have peace and more than anything just a connection with him.

So I went to church like normal and it was a great day.

I came home and napped and then made dinner for the missionaries coming over.

Our Elders just transferred and we got Sister missionaries!

It was our first Sunday with them(and my first time ever meeting them)

And for some CRAZY reason, I felt prompted to ask if one of the sisters had ever met Elder Rosequist. (She just got out of the MTC)

AND SURE ENOUGH....

 

Yes! She had met Joseph!

AHHHHHHHHHHH

They sat next to eachother at orientation and had met again in the mail room!

And of course she told me allllll about how great and impressed by him she was.

I told y'all he would be the best missionary.

And we talked about him, and it was just what I needed.

It was just what God knew I needed.

I know for a fact that this was an answer to my prayers!

It was just so cool.

 

And that's not the only answer I have got to prayers lately.

It's everything.

It's in every breathe.

In every step I can see The Lord's hand in my life.

There's a short poem here that I love.

It totally describes my life lately.

I am what He gives me, and I am so grateful that He has been so generous.

 

All my love, Lauren.

 

 

A New Light

I'm well aware I sound like a broken record, but everyday I learn something new.

New about myself or about life.

I'm beginning to understand who I am. A tiny part of who I am, because I think life isn't "discovering" who you are it's inch by inch making decisions and choosing who you are going to be, but anyways I'm rambling and just going to get to the point.

 

1. God will never leave you comfortless. NEVER. He is bound by covenant that if you are faithful and ask for His help He literally cannot and will never deny you.

 

 

2. Forgiveness doesn't have to be a 2 way thing. Stop holding onto grudges because you are only hurting yourself. Honestly the person you are mad at could blatantly not give two craps how you feel about them, but you know who cares? You. Do what's right and what you can to fix things and then let it go. It's not hurting anyone but yourself. And if you don't forgive others you can't be forgiven.

 

 

3. I always consider myself to be afraid of commitment, but I actually think the opposite is true. Recently having something I love dearly being ripped away from me, I want love more than anything else. I just want something and anything to cling onto. Maybe my being afraid of commitment was just mistaken from fear of committing to the wrong person, because it couldn't be anymore more clear than it is now how badly I just want to feel secure in the right things.

 

And that's a wrap.

All my love, and good night. Lauren

Words of Wisdom

Lately I have made it a point to ask for advice. /it all started a couple weeks ago when my friends were passing around this horoscope app on their phone. Horoscopes are total bull and I usually never waste my time with them but In the odd occasion we read mine and it was hilariously accurate. It probably could have been fitting for 50% of the population and I just fell in there, but it was ironic, and hilarious and apparently I need lots of help. So here I am, inspired and thirsting for advice!

 

I have asked a large range of people from my best friend, to strangers, to the churches missionaries. I asked for one piece of advice on life and one bit of relationship advice. I have gotten some really great stuff back. Here are a few of my favorites!

 

LOVE

 

Communicate. Often times the source of problems in a relationship is bad communication so don't wait to tell the person how you feel about something whether it is good or bad. Be ready to talk and understand and solve the problem at hand. If they do something you like tell them! Share the joy and let them know that you appreciated what they did!

 

Don't kiss your boy friends best friend in revenge. It will just be bad for everyone.

 

Timing is everything, slow and steady wins the race.

 

Really get to know the person you are dating. Take a sincere interesting in getting to know them and who they really are. Don't rush into the idea of being in love, instead take things slowly and enjoy getting to know them. Really, really getting to know them. It's so common in the LDS culture to spend little time dating before rushing into marriage but make sure you know who the person you are dating and if you want to spend your life with them.

 

Don't be close minded, date lots of people and do lots of things. Other wise how will you know what you really like?

 

LIFE

 

 

Pray about everything. Every decision, every opinion. Pray in faith that you will get an answer then be ready to accept it.

 

 

Don't worry about what other people think about you because God made you the way you are now for a reason. Do what you want and say what you want (not bad) because you should be happy. Don't care what other people might think.

 

 

Be patient, people are going to frustrate you and make you really mad all the time, but what can you do? Being angry isn't going to help anyone! Just forgive them and be patient. Life will go on, there are so many other and better things you can focus your energy on.

 

 

Never procrastinate the day of your repentance.

 

 

Whatever you are going through, the answer is to always keep your eye on the temple and your relationship with Heavenly Father and Christ stronger then any other relationship in your life.

 

 

 

So I guess I just have some pretty awesome people in my life who are incredibly wise.

I'm feeling extraordinarily blessed.

So I suppose I should leave you all with my advice.

 

For life, wherever you are whatever you do be in love. Even when you are going through a really crappy time find something to be absolutely ridiculously head over heels in love with. Find something you can focus all your energy on and just be happy! Don't let the storm sink you! Adjust your sails!

 

For relationships, don't change who you are to please anyone. If they love you they should be falling in love with YOU. Not someone who adjusted their personality to appeal to that said person. Just be you! Or you will never be happy and may end up resenting the person you changed for. I'm not saying be stubborn and not willing to progress, because I am not saying that at all. In a relationship both people should be expected to give a little and make sacrifices to accommodate but don't change who you are as a person to fit somebody else's ideal.

 

These are things I really wish I had learned sooner, I speak from experience. But all I can do now is just move forward, focus myself in the Lord and give gratitude for all that I have been blessed to learn.

 

 

All my love, Lauren.

 

 P.S. Feel free, in fact I am encouraging you to leave a bit of advice for me below un that little comment box!

 

 



Back To December

I'm trying to think of what I want to say and how to say it. I know what I want to say but it could all come out 100 different ways and its so stressful trying to figure out how to put it all together, but I promised I would share monumental parts of my story (life) if I thought it could in some way help others. The good, the bad, the ugly, all of it. So here goes nothing.

 

My friend Joseph, the one I mentioned in my blog post Head First, Fearless got his mission call. In order to understand what this means to me I will have to give you all a little background information. I will start with how we met.

 

December 23, 2011 I was invited to my church with the other youth to play a game called fugitive, everyone dresses in black and it basically a giant game of cops and robbers. I don't usually go to these activities they invited me to because I was really active in the church and I didn't feel like I fit in or knew anybody, but my events for the night ended on a sudden cancelation of plans and I didn't want to spend the night just sitting around so I decided to go. I got dropped off at the church and it was freezing cold so I looked around and hopped into a random car I saw on e of the girls in my ward sitting in. We were talking for a minute before I asked who's car it was. She pointed out a guy who I later came to know as Joseph. I thought he was extremely cute standing in front of the car laughing within a group of guys. It felt like a movie moment, time standing still, me looking all starry eyed as I can imagine. I really wanted to know him. I imagine him laughing right now when I make him read this later. So the game started and I didn't see this Joseph until that round had finished and we all ended up in the neighborhood park. This is when we came up to me and introduced himself. I hopped in the shot gun of his car and we became fast friends. From that moment a year and a half ago to now he has become one of my best friends today. Over the time span of one and a half year I have become active in the church again and I give so much credit of that to him. He has always been such an example to me and motivation to be better. He's constantly teaching me lessons about life, family, the church. He is constantly teaching me about service and missionary work and how to love and the best part is that he teaches all by example. He shows me how to be better.

Here's the background story I was nervous about sharing. A week before I met Joseph I had a long prayer with my Father in Heaven, and my first one in a long time. I wanted to come back to the church so badly, I wanted to change so much and feel accepted again. I wanted to repent and rediscover the truth I knew existed but I needed help. I knew I couldn't do it on my own because I had been trying for several months and changing had been so ineffective so I prayed for someone to come into my life and help me and show me the way. That person was Joseph, and I knew it the second I saw him that God had sent into my life the closest I have ever come to an angel. In that first moment that I saw him the moment is the same every time I see him. It's confirmed every time we are together that he was brought into my life to help guide me back to the iron rod. After we became friends everything became so easy. I began to journal every single night, then it was easy to add in prayer every night, and that eventually led me to studying the BOM and Scriptures every night which has become the foundation of my testimony. I know now with a certainty and fiery burning in my soul that this church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was the Prophet that restored the Gospel on the earth, that He truly saw The Son and The Father in the Sacred Grove. I know that Christ is my Savior and my King and he suffered for all my sins, and everyone's making the Atonement real. I know the God is the Father and He loves me and is aware of me. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the true and living Prophet today and I know for a fact that if I am righteous, obedient, and faithful I can return to live in Heaven with my Savior again.

I am so blessed that Joseph came into my life when he did, and I am so thankful for my Heavenly Father sending him. The work and service he did for me will affect so many. I am so grateful.

 

Joseph leaving on his mission is such a huge deal for me because it scares me. I'm scared that I wont be able to stand with such strength when he's gone, and even though my testimony is strong and I know that what I know is true I wont have his constant reminder beside me.

 

All these thoughts came into my mind yesterday when he finally opened his call. I had anticipated it for a couple of weeks, but when the moment came to really find out where he was going and when, I kind of lost it. All my fears came alive. Would I see him after his mission or would we lose contact? Will I be able to stay strong? What am I going to do when he's gone and no longer just a call or text message away? He hugged me and I cried. Maybe if I held on extra tight I could freeze time again and get my thoughts straight and pull myself together. I had to put on a smile the rest of the right because I was helping my Mom out with an activity that was going on at out house but the second everyone left I was upstairs sitting on the floor of my shower sobbing trying to figure it all out. I couldn't figure it out myself so I knelt down in the shower and prayed. I let the water run over my back for a good 10 minutes while I poured out my soul and when I was finally finished I stood up, wiped my tears and let the over whelming peace flood over me. While I have found myself this past year and a half leaning on Joseph when grounds were shaky I realized it is not time to lean on Christ. Joseph would leave and go serve his mission and I will be absolutely fine. 

 

I instantly had a greater understanding that he would be a part of such a bigger piece of work then staying behind and making sure I was on track. He will be spending the next 2 years of his life being The Lord's hands and The Lord's mouthpiece. He would be leaving his family for 2 years, so other families could be together for eternity, and I cant think of anything more important then that. So for the past day I have been nothing but joyful. I know that sometime in the next 2 years I will have rough days and wish that he could come over and talk me through it, I know that I will miss him, and I know that I will cry, but I also know that I can call on my Savior in Heaven who will gladly take my pain away.

 

 

 

 

This is Joseph. And this is the moment I found out he was going to be serving in the Denver, Colorado mission. Have I ever mentioned that this guy gives the best hugs in the history of the world? I wish I could buy them at the store and bottle them up, then give myself one on a bad day cause these things are killer. Will knock a frown right off your face every single time. And I am SO proud of him. I have never met a person in my life so eager to serve! I'm not exaggerating when I say he will make the best missionary in the whole world. I'm hoping this all makes him very embarrassed :) And I am so ready for him to start this new chapter in his life. Gosh it will be a great one.

 

All my love, Lauren.