Turning

     Well just recently I have gone through some big milestones in my life. You know the events and the moments in them that you'll remember for a lifetime (until you're senile)? That's what I'm going through. For those of you who don't know I am a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I serve for 18 months. Well I just got to my half way point. And if that's not enough I just had my 20th birthday. At first, I took it as a double spiritual slap to the face. Satan, (you know the bad guy that whispers horrid things to us to make us feel down about ourselves so we don't reach our full potential and tries to convince us that we should hide our light from others? yeah him) he was really trying to drag me down. And the funny thing is I was given him power to do it!! And I didn't even realize it. So I was going through this junk and kind of coasting on the path when I learned about affirmations; telling ourselves positive things in the mirror to ourselves.
      I love when God who knew I was going through a hard time (even when I didn't know it) helped me out and even gave me the tools to get better. I love God's mercy. All I was praying for was answers to why I was feeling so down when I should feel happy about all these amazing events in my life and God gave me not only the why but the how.
      The ladies might appreciate this. I remember when I was little and I was in ballet and trying (and failing) to spin. Me, being my little self I didn't know how to spot; where you look at one thing while spinning so you don't get dizzy. That's how I felt when Satan was trying to drag me down. I wasn't focusing on what I needed to. I felt all of those unhappy emotions like anger, frustration, doubt, annoyance, worry, fear, confusion, unfairness and they just spun me around in circles. That's what life is like if you don't have anything solid to focus on. You just end up going around and around, turning to and fro and you end up getting dizzy and falling down. But with something to focus on you can dance through life with a smile on your face.
  So I invite you to find something to focus on. Something solid for you so that you can move forward with all you got, no matter what stands in the way. Let me know what you come up with. :) For some it might be their career, their family or a simple something they do everyday.
      For me, my focus is the most solid thing I know to keep my eyes on: Jesus Christ. He will be there forever and because I will always exist and have a forever spirit, like everyone else, its nice to have a forever thing to focus on. He is my Guide and my Savior. He loves me and helps me with anything. Whenever I focus on Him
    I really don't know where you are at in life, if you like cats or dogs, have religion or not, if you are a pepper or a salt person but I want you to think about this next question:

If you knew that someone had lived every moment of their lives for you, then gave that life up just for you:

how would that make you feel?

how would you live?

what would you do for that person?

I know Jesus Christ did this for me and His sacrifice makes me feel like I am important and I know that I am. I want to live my life for Him and I will be like Him and serve Him by helping people like He did. I will focus on Him and turn to Him every time my life takes me for a spin. I will trust Him. I will be His, always.

Fighting

I have been having some interesting experiences lately. Nothing that could be video recorded or documented. They have been mostly in my head or in my spirit. I’ve been fighting a lot of things. Have you ever felt like that? That you’re doing spiritual kung fu in your mind? That dark and dire enemies have crept into your thoughts and tried to take control?

At these times where I’m wrestling with very real foes I remember that I and all of us are in a war, an unseen war which makes it all the more dangerous. Most people don’t know that we are in a war where heavenly and hellish forces are clashing to win their souls.

Does that change your perspective of who you are? Do you understand how important you are? Don’t worry if it doesn't. It didn't for me for the longest time and I have to remind myself all the time. It’s a continual journey for all of us. Finding out who we are and getting through this life of inner battles and outer conflicts.

The thing that always keeps me going through the difficult times is the knowledge that God loves me and knows my potential; who I can become. And that I have promised Him to do anything He asks and to trust Him. I know that those promises keep me close to Him and Him close to me; through good times, bad times and the worse times. Through this battle of mortality I have the One that created it all by my side and He has given me the armor I need (the Atonement of Jesus Christ, The gospel, covenants, scriptures, prayer, The Plan of Salvation, commandments, etc) to survive this war and get through to the great times.