Good Fun, Good times

Well.. my blog has missed a couple of days because I've been away having fun with friends and family. On friday I went to visit Lorna in Montacute. She's all grown up and has her own little cottage in a cute little village. It was lovely just to walk around the gardens and chat. It was great.

Then it was off to Bournemouth for a suprise birthday party for my Dad. He'll be 60 soon! Lots of family and lots of fun. My neices just get cuter and cuter.

Love

Someone sent me a forwarded email today entitled 'A Child's Definition of Love' there was a lot of comments, some were really funny.. and true! but this definition stuck out most to me,

 "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it.
 But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
          Jessica - age 8

Puzzlement

puzzle
Originally uploaded by jfuchs.

...bafflement, befuddlement, bemusement, bewilderment, mystification, obfuscation
confusedness, disarray, mental confusion, confusion, perplexity, bewilderedness, daze, discombobulation, fog, muddle, stupefaction, stupor...

"There are times I almost think
I am not sure of what I absolutely know.
Very often find confusion
In conclusion I concluded long ago."

..I'm glad I don't always feel this way!

Mission Possible

Well.. My papers are almost off. I had my interview with Stake President this evening and all went well.. I do need to go back and get an extra test done at the doctors, but either way my forms will be sent off within a week.

I'm so excitied! Everyone keeps giving me advice.. so I thought I might record a couple of the ones that I remember right now.

• Simply Obedience - Be 100% obedient
• Learn from your companions
• Love the people
• Make the most of it

I really hope that I manage all of these and more!

Espanol

spanish flag
Originally uploaded by davidcharding.

Hablo un poco de espanol :D

I had my first spanish lesson after work today. It was quite scary, the teacher kept speaking spanish! It was fun though - can't wait for the next one. (We are following the BBC course.)

Generally us English are quite poor at learning other languages. I have always been really impressed with the quality of language learning in all the european countries I have visited, and hope that one day us British will do the same.

Symbols

"...symbols are important. They direct, concentrate, discipline, and inform the thought. To be effective, thought must be so motivated and directed... successful performance is directly related to the power of concentration, to the will, to the desire, to total interest and involvement. The person has to be excited; then he can do amazing things... The mind can do astonishing things just by thought. It is a matter of concentrating and ordering it."

The Meaning of the Temple - Hugh Nibley

Amazing! That quote said it all.

All is well

OK.. so it doesn't look exactly like RS, but that was the idea. Today we had a summer social event with Relief Society. We went to the Malvern Hills, Benbows Farm and then to Gadfield Elm Chapel. It was a wonderful day full of fun and beautiful scenery.

We talked about a lot of people that had a part in the history of the Church from our own land. I am so thankful for all that have made it possible for me to have what I do now. I was especially impressed today with a thankfulness for those of the United Brethren, who although they did not know the fullness of the Gospel were united in searching for that truth. And when they heard that truth, they knew it. I already know the truth of so many things, yet I really felt that I need to do more of this searching.. and realising.

Friends

There is nothing quite like 'em.

To Know God

Mesa Arizona Temple
Originally uploaded by Hedgen.

"We need to know God more fully, in order to love Him more deeply and obey him more completely"
- Jeffrey R Holland

When I heard this it just resonates as truth. It also works in reverse, because when we keep His commandments and love Him, we learn to be more like Him and therefore know Him. (1 John 2:3-6).

NB. The Jeffrey R Holland talk this was taken from was 'The Grandeur of God' from a General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in October 2003. You can read or listen to it it many languages.
Check it out.

points of view

You know what? I really love people.. I mean, as much as I love the world around me and think that science, technology, nature, the functions of the human body, mathematics are all amazing, people are the best. What would the world be like without people to interact with. Understanding another persons point of view can open up a whole world without even moving. Our minds are amazing things! Thoughts, feelings, emotions.. WOW! To live in a beautiful world, with all the 'things' you could ever imagine would just never compare to sharing a moment with someone you love, holding a hand, giving a hug.. interacting and coming to understand another being who is like yourself. We really are blessed to have so much in our lives. Our Heavenly Father really knows whats best and how we can experience joy. He knows it all and yet at times I really don't get that. I constantly need reminders.. like a snooze alarm every 5 minutes - that might do the trick.

Words

By the hand of Mormon
Originally uploaded by Hedgen.

"...we are generally conscious of the role of language in shaping rather than merely reflecting our realities..."

Words can mean so much. Words can hurt and words can uplift.. but is that statement really true? Do they shape our reality? Language is a difficult thing to define. I think the scripture in D&C 50 is true, we can only really understand fully when we communicate with the Spirit. Interestingly though, speaking or writing my feelings, putting thoughts into words often helps me to feel them more...

Gorgeous

Gorgeous
Originally uploaded by Hedgen.

The world around us is so amazing.. its at sights like this that I truely realise. Breathtaking. I am always reminded of the hymn 'How Great Thou Art' when I see such beauty around me.

I was reading recently President Hinckleys book 'Standing for Something' where he talks about Gratitude. He says about gratitude "..it is a divine principle. I doubt there is anything in which we more offend the Almighty than in our tendency to forget His mercies and to be ungratefuk for that which He has given us." (Also see D&C 59:21)

I am so thankful for the world around me, the beauty of the world, the amazingness of our minds and bodies, for families and friends, for learning and for the Gospel. I am so thankful for the love that I can feel from my Heavenly Father and from my Saviour Jesus Christ. If only I could remember to be this thankful every moment of my day. I'll try!

the start

Well.. here goes. My first day of blogging is also my last day of living with my bestest friend Lorny the Sloth. O the days and nights of fun we have had.. things will never be the same. We have had so many end of an era times recently its not funny.. but this one, although bigger than all the rest has left me just waiting for times to come. Hopefully my mission papers will be posted soon.. I'm so excited!

Miss you already Lorny.