I Love to See the Temple

I really do love to see the temple.I love that I live so close to a temple that I can nearly see it from my house.  But more than seeing the temple,  I love being inside the temple.  Six hours in the temple can turn any bad day in to a day of joy.  Two hours in the temple can generally do that too, I was just fortunate enough to be able to spend six hours there today, and it was six hours that I greatly needed.  Six hours to refocus my thoughts and feelings on what really matters.  There are few worldly experiences that can come close to comparing with the peace and serenity found in temples.

I am grateful for the opportunity I had when I was younger, to live relatively far from a temple.  Until I was 12, our nearest temple was in Mesa Arizona, a 7 hour drive from home.  Not too far, but not exactly close either.  I fondly remember the biannual ward temple trips.  Although I was too young to attend the temple at this time of my life, I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to come to understand the importance.  No matter the cost, no matter the circumstances at the time, the sacrifice was always made.  The car was always packed, and the trip made.

I am equally grateful for the chance I have now as an adult to live in a place where temples are seemingly everywhere around.  I can see 5 in a normal days commute, and a 4 mile jog can take me up and around the one just up the hill from where I live.  I could go to a different temple every day of the week without ever traveling more than an hour.  I am so so so blessed with such an opportunity to learn and take part in such a wonderful part of the gospel.

I also had the chance today to follow a session where a future missionary was coming for the first time, which has me thinking a lot about missionary work, and the exciting changes that are taking place.  To think that in another year, there could be more than 100,000 missionaries out!!  In some ways I wish that I could go again.  The hubbub from the recent announcement I daresay has many a passionate return missionary in the throws of nostalgia.  I feel like I know so much more about how to be a good missionary than I did when I was a missionary.  I know the gospel better, I have a more sure testimony, and I better understand people and how drastically the gospel changes lives.  Of course, that is the point. . . to keep growing and learning, and applying the things we keep learning.  Just moving forward with faith, and learning to enjoy every step of the journey one day at a time!

Since I seem to be on a Mormon Messages kick lately, and since I still seem to be incapable of taking pictures (in all fairness, my camera is still in my mother's car in California, and my phone is on deaths door step). . .

Those of you who can- find time to go to the temple this week.  For those who can't, find yourself a refuge from the world somewhere (in the mountains, in a quiet place, it doesn't really matter where) for an hour or two.  I promise, whether your life be perfect, great, good, bad or terrible, it will improve it!

Fall Delights

I know that this is from last conference, but it was so good, and a concept I am really trying to focus on obtaining an understanding of in my own life.  Too often I am the little currant bush trying to be a shade tree. . . or perhaps anything that is not a currant bush. 

Conference this last weekend was absolutely supreme!  Too many of the talks were too touching to post them all on here, I'd have to post all 10 hours of conference.  Not that I don't recommend watching all ten hours to anyone and everyone, but no one comes to my blog for that.  I did especially enjoy President Eyring's talk, so I suppose that if I were to recommend just one talk to watch again soon, it might be that one, but ask in ten minutes and I might change my mind. 

On another happy note, to all my New Mexico stalkers, Happy Balloon Fiesta!  I dearly miss waking up on crisp October mornings to the sound of balloons above my house, getting up insanely early in the morning to make the journey to the field before the sun is even a thought on the horizon.  Warming my fingers on a cup of hot chocolate as the first rays of light slink over the horizon, and the balloon trucks show up one by one.  The bustle of ballooners making ready, and the roar of the fans as the balloons start to life.  The roar of the crowd's approval when the wind test determines that the balloons will indeed go up. Hundreds of balloons on the horizon in any direction you look.  And of course, the ever present smell of chile roasting through the city.   I hope you all go and enjoy it and take lots of pictures so I can ogle over them in extreme jealousy.  (Video below for those who have never had the joyous occasion of this wonderful occasion).

HAPPY OCTOBER!