The Purpose of Life

I am so grateful to have a knowledge of the purpose of life and why we are here! As I spend so much time sitting (going pretty stir crazy!), pondering, and thinking of the most important way to use time, I was especially impressed when I read a chapter from the George Albert Smith manual today. He was one of the prophets of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He said some profound things in chapter in 7, some things he spoke at a funeral. I remember the joy of teachings these important truths to others when I was on a mission. And I can't deny the inner desire and feelings I have had towards wanting and preparing for my own children, and to teach THEM the essential truths I have been blessed to grow up with all my life. I know there are many in the world without these truths, and as the Church is becoming more and more in the spotlight with an LDS, or "Mormon" presidential candidate, the world is becoming more aware of who we are as Latter-Day Saints, and as followers of Christ.

I have loved spending this off track and surgery recovery time studying the life of Christ. I have been taking notes and reading the 4 gospels in the New Testamant, just savoring the words and patterns the Savior has given us. I have watched gospel scholars share their insights on DVDs, such as "Messiah: Behold the Lamb of God." (I highly recommend it- I just checked it out from the library!) I have been studying more books during this special Easter season, and it has impressed me more and more that in coming to the Savior and honoring Him, we are likewise honoring God the Father.

In seeking to use my time well, even though I can't do much, my mind reflects upon the purpose of life, what I should be learning from life and its experiences, and what I can be doing to fulfill my mission and purpose! I'm so amazed at our pioneer forbears who sacrificed so much, left their homeland countries, and gathered with the Saints amidst persecutions, disease, and having nothing but the clothes on their back. I'm amazed at so much they sacrificed. And what did they do it all? For the knowledge we have today, to stand for the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and to build the Kingdom of God. They must have had a vision of the purpose of life and exercised great faith in their Savior to endure the trials. Thinking of these early pioneers and my ancestors gave me great strength and perspective on my mission through the difficult days!

I'm so emotionally grateful that the Lord has led me to my eternal companion. It's difficult to describe the joy and "at home" feeling I experience with my sweet husbnad Tyler. I'm grateful for the learning experiences God has blessed me with to this point in my life, and now I look forward to the years ahead. I feel a shift if my focus, wanting to know what I can do with Tyler to help build the kingdom of God! I know families are essential to God's plan of happiness, and I want to help bring His children to earth and teach what is important to the rising generation! Teaching young children at school is such a joy, and I can tell many parents are teaching their children important principles of the gospel at home... something I can't teach at school, but wish I could! I look forward to teaching my own children someday...

Here are some of my favorite kids... my nieces and nephews enjoying the Easter season!




Tyler learning about our Easter Egg Fight tradition!
And the winner... Kyle! But Tyler won all the other times. Tyler says, "Wait until next year... mwah ah ah!!"
I know this is a time to develop patience and to prepare and I want to prepare in any way I can! Tyler and I would love to have the miracle of having our own biological children, but many health concerns are in the forefront: my brain tumor could grow while I am pregnant; blindness is a risk for me as a diabetic to be pregnant; I have only one eye that can see right now; the doctors advise my sugars to be under VERY tight control if I want to have a healthy baby, and my sugars are often on an unexplainable roller coaster-- if my sugars are not tightly controlled, there are risks of birth defects for our baby. So that is the choice we face, and we are prepared and wanting to adopt! The unknown right now is time- we have been married almost 6 months, but we are 33 and 35, and want to start as soon as we are able! I know this time of developing patience as I recover from foot surgery, and figure how to better manage my health. I have made the big choice to teach half time next year, doing a job share with another teacher so I can be available if the opportunity for children comes our way! We are trusting the Lord and His timing for us!

So, on to the wonderful quotes from George Albert Smith- such glorious, beautiful teachings!
-"Our comprehension of this life is that it is eternal life-- that we are living in eternity today as much as we ever will live in eternity. ...the intelligence that God has placed within us, that which has power to reason and to thinn, that which has power to sing and to speak, knows no death.. I am thankful that there has been revealed to us and made plain in this latter-day that this life is not hte end, that this is but a part of eternity, and that if we take advantage of our privileges here, that this is but the stepping stone to greater and more desirable conditions."
-This life is not given to us as a pastime. There was a solemn purpose in our creation... let us study what that purpose is,... We are here to prepare ourselves and develop ourselves and qualify ourselves to be worthy to dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father. ...We believe that we are sowing the seed today of a harvest that will reap when we go from here.
-"What a happy people we should be with the knowledge we have that this probation is not ot prepare us to die, but to live, that hte Father's desire for us is that we may avoid every error and receive every truth, and by applying truth in our lives become more like Him, and become worthy to dwell with Him."
-"Brethren and sisters, this is a serious matter. We should think of it seriously. We should look into our own lives and discover if we are prepared for that great future life, if we were called hence tomorrow whether we would be prepared to give an account for our earthly deeds; whether we can feel that we would receive from our Heavenly Father the wecome plaudit of "Well done, good and faithful servant.""
-"What is our trouble? It is that we have sought the creature comforts, we have sought the honors of men, we have sought those things that selfishness puts into our souls. We have sought to set ourselves up and have preferred ourselves to our Father's other children... let us not be deceived by the abundance of good things of this world... but let us labor for the salvation of our souls.." (*This encourages me to not worry about all my 'stuff' but focus on people, and helping build the kingdom and doing God's work-- including having families!)
-"Remember that it is the intelligence that you acquire that is eternal, the truth which you learn here and apply in your lives, the knowledge and experience you gain and profit by--these you will take with you when you go home...The thing that God has given to you that is worth more than all the rest is hte opportunity to obtain eternal life in the celestial kingdom and have as your companions, throughout the ages of eternity, sons and daughters, husbands and wives with whom you have associated here on earth." (*This is what helps me when I'm going stir crazy-- just enjoy the time I'm getting to study and learn!)
-"Now a good many people in the world do not know what the resurrection is. Do you teach your children and your associates what it means?... The purpose of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to prepare every man, woman and child for hte time when all those who have died will be brought forth from their graves, and when our Heavenly Father will establish his kindgdom upon this earth and the righteous will dwell there and Jesus Christ will be our King and our Law-giver."
-"All the good we accomplish here, and all the development we make, will enhance our happiness eternally, encourages us to do our best."
-"If those who have passed on could speak to us, they would say, 'Press on, press on, for the goal that will bring us eternal happiness together.' Do the things the Lord would have you do, and you will not miss anything that is worth while; but on the contrary you will be continually laying up treasures in heaven..."

I love how Pres. Smith taught that life is one of the steps in the grand eternal pathway of progression! I don't want to lose sight of the purpose of life, and I want to do all I can to "PRESS ON" and do as my faithful ancestors and many others have done for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to be a strong link in the chain of generations! I want to pass on a great legacy of faith to my children and to theirs. These are eternal truths given to us from a loving Heavenly Father!

As for other recent happenings... I am grateful for wonderful friends, coworkers, and family who have brought dinner, sent cards and flowers, and have emailed in my recovery. I've become hungry for social interaction, and love spending time with my sweet husband in the evening and at my parents'! Mom and Tyler have been there at my doctor appointments, my dad came to help give me a much-needed blessing on a tough night this week, mom has taken us on a little outing to the grocery store, and last night Tyler took me for a beautiful drive up the canyon! There are a few pictures-- some pretty silly-- below.
This first one is when Tyler did me a favor and delivered this birthday present to one of my girlfriends. Doesn't he look manly?





Oh, and how I have missed EXERCISE! I had to learn this lesson after brain surgery, to not take the blessing of being able to walk, jog, and run for granted. I'm so grateful we found out that there is NO malignancy in the tumor they removed on my foot, otherwise I may have had to lose my foot! I still have my foot, and although it's a pretty ugly scar, it will heal in time with patience and care! Meanwhile, I feel the pounds coming on! I usually go running every day just to MAINTAIN my weight, but without exercise, I feel the pounds coming on! I can't wait to get back to runnin, and I'm so grateful I'll be able to do so again someday! I'm also so glad that Tyler accepts me the way I am! :) What a cutie, that sweet man!
With my foot wrapped up the first week-- it had a little blood bag to drain the excess blood! I tried to crop out the blood bag to spare you the sight... wasn't so nice on the next picture, though!


Next week, Thursday, I'll hopefully get the stitches off when I go to the doctor, but we shall see! Hopefully I'll have a prettier picture of my foot by then. :)