The beginning

I am embarking on a new journey.  I have decided to go back to school and get my bachelor's degree. I have enrolled in a great new program offered through BYU-Idaho called Pathway.  As part of one my classes I am working on a "Becoming" Project.  I chose the Christlike attribute of Charity and will be working on developing more Charity throughout this semester.  I have decided to share what I learn on my blog in hopes that it will help someone else also.

First, I want to share my story as to how I came to the Gospel of Jesus Christ - 

The gospel of Jesus Christ has impacted my life in so many ways.  I can not begin to imagine what my life would be without it.  I am a convert to the Gospel, I joined the church in my early 20's after I had been through a divorce after one year of marriage.  I kept felling like something was missing and felt I needed to keep looking for it.  I was helping a work friend prepare for her wedding reception and spending a lot of time with her family.  Her grandparents came for the wedding and I was invited to the Sunday family dinner.  As I set at the table with the sweet family listening to the grandparents talking about their mission, a warm and peaceful came over me that I had never felt before.  I knew this was what I was looking for.  I ask this family what it was that brought this feeling into their home and the shared with me their brief testimonies and invited me to meet with the missionary, they told me to think about it and to let them know the next weekend at the wedding reception and they would be happy to introduce me to the missionaries.

I thought about meeting with the missionaries and prayed several times about it.  At the wedding reception I told them that I would like to meet the missionaries.  They took me right over to them.  The missionaries and I talked for a few minutes and made an appointment to meet that Monday.  On Monday the missionaries arrived at my home and gave me the first discussion.  At the end of the first discussion, they said that they usually didn't do this but they wanted to ask me if I wanted to be baptized.  I thought about it for a few minutes and said that I would like to be baptized and could we do it by the next Sunday.  They said that we could but we would need to meet every evening that week to make it possible. That evening as I walked through my house to lock all the doors before going to bed, I realized that I had felt completely at peace and had been able to walk through my entire house without having to reach around a corner to turn the lights on for the very first time ever.  I attended my first sacrament meeting on Sunday and was baptized that evening. 

About 6 month later I met my husband.  We were married a year later and 1 1/2 months after the birth of our first daughter we went to the temple to be sealed for time and eternity.  We will be married 25 years next month (November 3, 2015).  Life has held many challenges and trials and I know the testimony that started growing when I sat at that table with my friends family has grown to so much more.  My faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ is the center of everything in my life.  I have never felt like that piece is missing in my life since being baptized and am so grateful to my friend Leslie and her family.

Why did I choose Charity as my attribute - 

There are several reasons but mainly because I have become aware of how I have let my life experience and disappointments change me in a way that I do not like.  I no longer see the good in people first.  I want to see the good in my fellow brother and sisters.  I want to be someone in this world who considers others in all that I do.  

What I have learned so far - 

It is not an easy thing the change the way you think and speak.  I have started by asking for Heavenly Father's help to control my words and thoughts in my morning and evening prayers.  I have done this for several weeks now and I am starting to see improvements in my thoughts and actions.  I have also committed this week to look up a charity related scripture and quote for each day.  These are the ones that I found the most meaningful.

My favorite scripture this week - 

Leviticus 19:18 - Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself...

My favorite quote this week - 

As we follow the example of the Savior, ours will be the opportunity to be a light in the lives of others. - President Thomas S. Monson