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.

Failures, anyone?

Dear Emmia and Kirk,

As I look back on this last year and forward to the new I ask myself a lot of questions: 

What have I done?

What have I become this past year? 

What do I want to be? 

What are my new years resolutions?

Can I even remember my last ones?

Which ones did I accomplish?

Which ones are unfulfilled?

How can I get better?

What should I aim for?

What haven't I aimed for?

What in the world is wrong with me?

Why am I asking all these questions anyway?

Hmmm, maybe I should learn how to play the guitar?

Woo I wonder if I could read all the standard works in a year!?

Wouldn't that be an accomplishment!?

But what about the other goals I want to get done? like:

-become a Preach my Gospel Missionary

-declutter(I have soo much stuff right?

-make every prayer meaningful

-get in shape and eat right, yay!

-develop talents and abilities

-turn 21(not a given one if you think about it)

-always be myself(which is super hard, no?

-maybe figure out how to do a podcast

-and learn how to crochet and knit a pattern

-become fluent in Spanish

How am I ever gonna get all these things done?

What about last years goals that did not happen?

like at all?

Was last year a failure?

Maybe it wasn't?

I wonder if you got confused with all these questions?

     This past year was all a year should be. It had up and downs and unexpected turns and paths. Yeah I made a bunch of mistakes and goof ups but I also did a lot of good.

So as I tried to figure out my goals for this year as well as reflecting, my sister emailed me and gave me this sound advice:(without even knowing it)

 "Remember that "failures" are only failures if you don't learn from them."

 So I'm not going to limit my goals this year just because I "failed" some goals last year. I learned from them so they're not really failures.

 

I know I may not know the path but I know who is with me. My Savior never leaves me and with Him and can return to God. I focus on him and through all the trial and mistakes I try to always remember:

So my new years resolutions are:

Use the Atonement daily, one day at a time.

Master the simple things

Love and serve others

Be balanced

Return with Him

And any others He wants to to do:)

 So go out and learn and grow. I'm certainly doing it or trying to, and that's what life is all about.
   Because we are eternal beings (we have always existed and will always exist) this is the only time in our existence where we will have such a close understanding of and think of beginnings and ends, months and years, and the everyday mortal things.

Enjoy it!!! Reach out and grab it. Cherish and love every bad hair day, flat tire, broken relationship, wrong turn, right way, family laughter, precious moment, held child, falling leaf, snowflake, or rain, skip or trip or run, frown or smile, dashed hope or accomplished dream. Because its only fleeting and you'll realize as you look back on it all, your failures or mistakes will be your most triumphant memories, where you overcame and changed and loved the most.

God gave us this opportunity to be human together. Lets enjoy the journey; potholes, bumps, wrong turns and all. So lets do this new year thing together. What are your resolutions?
Love,
Ryn