Welcome Back!

HELLLLOOOO Bloggies!! I have missed you all! This is easy to say since I know all of you who actually read my posts. J

I had a great spiritual experience earlier this evening and I needed to share it w/ ALL THE WORLD, or at least w/ those who care about me. As you may have heard, via Facebook, I have been under the weather lately. The kids I nanny have all had different battles w/ the sickness bug and alas, my time has come to dress for battle. My uneducated guess is that I have strep throat. Bleh! It’s the worst. Especially since I recently found out that it doesn’t just “go away” w/o antibiotics. My insurance-less life is truly getting in the way of a healthy me. *Note to self- I really need to work on getting a job that provides benefits.* Anyways, my visiting teacher, Amanda, has been super awesome! We’ve been getting along quite swimmingly and today during our texting I asked her if she knew if there were doctors in the ward. My, all-knowing, mother told me to ask and I obeyed. I try to do so every now and then. ;) Anyways, she called me and gave me a few people and then asked if I wanted her to send over some brethren to give me a blessing. I accepted and she went to work. A bit later I got a call from a brother, whose name I forgot, in the ward and he said that he and another brother would be over soon to give me a blessing.

I sat anxiously waiting. Mostly, because I didn’t want them to have to wait for me or for the dog to jump on them if someone else answered the door and no one put him away. It was useless anxiety, really. Well, we introduced ourselves, no last names exchanged, and John and LJ sat w/ me for a little bit to find out what’s up. Long story short, we got down to the blessing and before the anointing prayer (is that right?) was done I was overcome w/ the Spirit. The sealing blessing took place and these brothers were so wonderful and carried the Spirit w/ them so strong that I was happy to be sitting down. It seems like it’s been such a while since I’ve last felt the Spirit so strong that it was such a relief to feel it again. It was a sense of “coming home.” Within the blessing was said a few things that I needed to hear and that I knew was coming straight from the Lord. I know He DOES love me and knows me, but it’s great to hear it out loud every now and then and in a different voice than my own.

Thank you Heavenly Father for the restored gospel and for the priesthood on the earth right now. It has been such a great blessing and opportunity for me. I love being in the presence of others who have such great countenances about them. I feel like it is so limited these days for me and I have come to better love waking up on Sundays to go to church and relish in the Spirit that is there. I will do, not try, harder to not take it for granted. I will do what it takes to get me on the same level that I used to be, spiritually, and then progress from there.

Be strong, be happy, and find the joy in your life!

Your Smile- Josh Turner

Your smile
Will always be one of my favorite things
Like backyard barbecues and front porch swings
An evening breeze through a window screen

Your smile
Makes me feel just like a child inside
Like Christmas morning sparklin' red and bright
And Grandpa's pipe and my first bike

Your smile
Like daylight drippin' through the mountain pines
Pure sunshine, summertime
Your smile
Like a wheat field in the southern breeze
Apple trees, sweet and ripe

Your smile
So much joy from such a simple thing
Like an old wheelbarrow filled with summer rain
A blue sky day and sun on my face
And your smile

Your smile
Like daylight drippin' through the mountain pines
Pure sunshine, summertime
Your smile
Like a wheat field in the southern breeze
Apple trees, sweet and ripe

Your smile
Right there with butter beans and cherry pie
And all the other simple joys of life
That warm my heart
And make it all worthwhile
Your smile