Seeking God's correction.

Dear Emmia and Kirk,
 I was usually a pretty good kid. I stayed out of trouble and tried not to put more stress on my single mom than was needed. I tried to follow all the rules and be a good girl.
I'm sure I slipped up a time or two with minor rules but I remember one time in particular that really affected me. One time I didn't get home until 3 am. I'm sure teenagers do this all the time but it was unheard of for me. I was at a friend's house and we started the movie late and I fell asleep. By the time I woke up it was really late. My mom called me and I knew she wasn't happy. Driving home I was scared. When I got in the house mom grilled me for an hour. My heart hurt so much with guilt. One of my worst fears was to cause extra stressed on an already tasked mom. But there was a little part of my soul that was saying "Wait a minute here! I've been a good girl thus far. I haven't gone to booze or drugs to drown my loneliness. I haven't rebelled with major things. I didn't follow curfew once. Why is this such a big deal?"

Looking back on it I know now why my mom yelled at me. She was scared to. She loves me and wants the best for me. That little rebellious thought is gone. now I know that her corrections and love helped me stay on the right path until I had faith in it.

Have you ever felt like that? Where you think you are doing well and you get cut to the curb? You think you've figured it out but then you get punished for one small thing? Your body is ok and working already then WAMMY something goes wrong that leaves you in a lot of pain for one small act? You pick up a glass thinking to drink water and its milk? walking along and all of a sudden you've stubbed your toe? You think "he's the one!" and then he's not, leaving you with pain and bitterness in your heart?

This happens to all of us. the sinners the saints and the people in between. Trials come to all of us that are unexpected and often it makes you realize something you did not want to think about; a flaw in your character, a lack of patience or endurance, or simply that life's not fair.

Why do these things happen?

because God loves us. He loves us and wants the best for us.

Sometimes we grow into something God doesn't want us to be. Maybe we have grown according to the will of others, found nourishment from bad soil or have wrapped around something that is harmful to us.



God doesn't want us to be just a good person or a better person. He wants us to be His heirs; His Children.

When we seek for His loving corrections he transforms us.

"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ would take the slums out of people, and then they would take themselves out of the slums.

The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature."

   -Ezra Taft Benson.

When we follow Christ even when we feel like our lot in life isn't fair Christ will change us, change our thoughts and patterns until we are grateful for those unfair things. Health problems? they teach us to take care of what we can and trust in God with the rest. Drinking milk but expecting water? you learn to expect the unexpected AND to look before you decide to act. Stubbed toe? teaching you to watch the path you're on. heart ache, abuse (from yourself or others)? Helps you see that giving your trust to God is worth it.

I have many many moments where I feel God has cut me down and given me something I cannot handle. But in those moments I realize that He is in it and afterwards I know I can handle it when I walk with Him.

Jesus Christ walked on water and when I follow Him I can, despite all the storms I'm given and go through I can walk on water too.

Love,

  Ryn

From explosive mess to an old lesson re-addressed.

Dear Emmia and Kirk,
As missionaries we have these planners. And they look kind of boring (see picture below). . . so as sister missionaries we like to decorate them so they aren't boring. As I was making mine yesterday I learned (or relearned) a very valuable lesson.

At first I didn't know what to do. Nothing new, that always happens. I went through a bunch of Ensigns flipping pages trying to find that perfect picture. Glue flying, scissors snipping and one paper explosion later I acquired two amazing pictures and plastered them on my planner whilst sweat was plastering my face... and me, huffing and puffing.

 (this is pre-explosion)

Then I wanted to have a picture of Jesus Christ but. . .  no room.

Moral of the story: Always put Jesus Christ first in your life.

My planner looks amazing and it is centered on Jesus Christ but "always center my life on Him" was the nugget of truth I got when I was making it. See? Valuable lesson in an every 6-week task of planner making:)
See isn't it beautiful? (and its got His name on it:)
The lesson I learned while making this planner isn't anything new for me. I've learned all my life to put Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father on high priority, but this little moment in my life will always remind me to keep Him first in my life.

Always love Him first. Always pray first. Always pay your tithing first. Always try to be like Him. Always follow Him.

Life has taught me many things but the most important are to hearken unto his voice and trust in Him.

So kids, (hopefully that's OK to call you that) Find Him in the simple things. He is there. Maybe you have to look really hard to see His hand or maybe, like my situation above, the Spirit just shows us the things you need to remember.

I love this picture! (As you can see part of it is on my planner)
There is a lot of moments in my life that look like that. Stars exploding and mass chaos everywhere!! But just like new stars are born from the old, my bright future is put together from the pieces of the past.

Jesus Christ is the one that helps me to move past all those pieces of the past(heehee) and live in the present and have bright hope for the future:) He is my Savior. He is my Friend and Brother and He always has a place in my heart. (no matter how chaotic it is in there.)

Love, Ryn.