The Plan

One of the hardest times in my life was when I lost someone very close to me. My Grandmother LaJuana raised me. She taught me how to be a good person, and how to keep my life in line with what God wanted from me. Because of her I knew that through Christ I could overcome any trial.

When I had to leave her and move to Arizona. I had a very hard time. I called her every day it seemed to talk to her. While I was in Arizona I began meeting with some missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  They taught me that Families could be together forever. They taught me that life did not end when we die. They called this plan; "The Plan of Salvation" or " The Plan of Happiness."  While learning about it, I did not understand what it ment to be with a family forever. It was nothing I was concerned about. However when I prayed and asked Heavenly Father if the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints was true, the over whelming feeling of joy I got let me know that it was His Church and that Joseph Smith was called as a Prophet to restore these precious truths. 

It was not until later that year when my grandmother passed away that I realized how precious  The Plan of Salvation really was. When she died, I cried alot. I was sad that I did not get to say good-bye. I was sad that I would not see her on this earth. But as I remembered Gods plan I noticed that life does not end here. I knew that I could see her again. I knew that if I was willing to be obedient to Gods Commandments and live the life he asked me to that this was possible. I felt a great peace. 

The Plan of Salvation is a wonderful plan. This has been given to us at this time to let us know where we came from, why we are here, and where we go when we die. I know that these truths have been given to us because I have read the Book of Mormon. I have prayed to Heavenly Father and gained a testimony through he power of the Holy Ghost and came to know that the promise given in Moroni Chapter 10:3-5 is true. That if we read the Book of Mormon and ask if it is true we will know by the power of the Holy Ghost. 

The Path To Christ

In life we often come upon road blocks. They keep us away from something that we want to obtain. Rather it be a mountain we want to climb, or a street we want to enter. These signs can be frustrating and keep us from something amazing and beautiful.

When we put up road blocks in our life that keep important things from entering we can miss out on wonderful opportunities and blessings Heavenly Father has in store for us. When we are going through our day are we filling it with uplifting activities that draw us closer to God and our families, or are we using our time to fulfill selfish desires.


"Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent." Doctrine and Covenants 60:13


We have been blessed with many talents and abilities. When we begin to break commandments, and harden our hearts to the Lord; often times our time begins to be filled with unrighteous activities These activities are a road block and send us to a road of destruction.

When we fill our time with reading our scriptures, praying, spending time with our families, and work/education we are using the time our Heavenly Father gave us wisely. The Gospel of Jesus Christ has the potential to strengthen a family far more than any worldly thing. When we develop a stronger relationship with God and Jesus Christ and follow the commandments; we can lift the road blocks away, and be able to enter into the Kingdom of God.

I know that as I have made Heavenly Father a priority in my life, I have been able to see far more blessings than I could ever imagine. I truly know that true happiness comes from being obedient to our Heavenly Fathers will.  He knows the bigger picture, and knows the path we need to be on to be able to return to live with him.  We just have to trust him to guide us along the way.

Somethings just take WORK!

Making a wish is very simple. Receiving that wish almost never happens instantly. To have a wish come true we might just have to do something to receive it. We cannot wish for a job, and not go and fill out applications. We cannot wish for money without having a job or means to receive it. We cannot wish to get married if we just stay home all day. If we want anything in life we must get up and work for that.

The Gospel is the Same way.  We have been given the tools to be able to return to live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. As we use these tools we have been given our lives are more blessed. We find greater Joy and greater peace.

The Tools:

Reading Scriptures

Prayer

Keeping ALL of Gods Commandments

Repenting when we fall short

Gain an understanding of the Atonement

Following the prophets

These are just a few of His tools. If we are willing to show him our love by following his word, we can truly feel peace, joy and love.  In Doctrine and Covenants 82:10 it states:

       "I the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." 

I know that if we are willing to be obedient  we will receive all the promises and blessings our heavenly Father has to offer us.

Sister Renfro

"DARE TO STAND ALONE"

   There are many moments in life where we are in a situation where we can either join the crowed, or stand for what we believe. 

My earliest memory of having to stand up for myself was in third grade.  I remember being bullied quite a lot. I had faced hard trials in my life and when I turned to a friend, I received unkind words. I will not repeat the story, or the words that were said. However I will share the part of the story when I stood alone. 

While in the playground this friend came to me with a group of kids. They started teasing me about what I had shared with her. I can remember feeling betrayed and hurt. During this moment I expressed "I do not care what you think of me. Christ is the only friend I need." They teased me for that statement; however I could not recant what I knew to be true. 

As I look back at that moment in my life I am grateful that at that time I knew I had a Heavenly Father. I knew that Jesus Christ was my friend. He was my Savior and redeemer. I most likely did not know everything he had done for me but I did know he loved me. 

 I did not have the Fullness of the Gospel. I had just a small portion of who Christ was and What Heavenly father had planned for me; but I knew that through Christ I could be healed. 

Now as a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I can say that that moment in my life was healed by what we call the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Atonement consists of Christs suffering for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane, his suffering on the cross, and his resurrection three days after his death. 

My favorite scripture about the Atonement is in Alma 7:11-13

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and ^aafflictions and^btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ^ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 12 And he will take upon him ^adeath, that he may ^bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to ^csuccorhis people according to their infirmities.

 13 Now the Spirit ^aknoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the ^bflesh that he might ^ctake upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

I know that Jesus Christ knows what we are going through. He feels the pains, sicknesses and weaknesses that we have. Through him we can be healed as we follow his teachings.  I also know that the fullness of his gospel has been restored.  We have a prophet today. He loves us and cares about us.  As we listen to the council of prophets of old and our modern prophet we will live better and happier lives.

Sister Renfro

"May we ever be courageous and prepared to stand for what we believe."
    Thomas S. Monson

Lighthouse

Light is truly fascinating. It illuminates a dark  room in an instant. It provides us warmth and comfort. Sailors use lighthouses to keep them safe from danger. 

As a believer in Christ we too have a light that can keep people safe from the temptations that Satan puts in the way.  A belief in Christ is something we should let shine proudly. 

People see us, and they can be influenced by our actions. Both in word and deed.  President Utcdorf speaks of this. "Everyone wants to be happy. When we members of the Church radiate the light of the gospel, people can see our happiness and sense the love of God filling and overflowing in our lives. They want to know why. They want to understand our secret."   Our secret should  not be hid in the closet. We should  be willing to let everyone hear of the Gospel that blesses lifes

This video is of a YouTube sensation who is a member of the church. Though she was nervous to do so, she opened her mouth. We are all missionaries; rather full time or member missionaries it is each of our duty to share the gospel with others.

 Let our lights shine bright. mormon.org

Accepting the Challenge

There are times when we wake up and just do not want to face to world. Where our dreams would be a better reality. This whole outlook is something I know I am not a lone on.

It is time to WAKE UP! lets face the world. Life is such a journey, but it is not an easy one. Trials come, broken hearts happen, dreams fade, and we fall, some days harder than others.

When the end comes though all of these challenges we face will be just a blimp on the map. Our good memories will outshine those bad ones just as the sun outshines the moon.

Life is like an obstical course, and there are two ways you can look at it.You can see it an think "I will never get through all of that!" or you can look at it and think "That looks like fun, I accept the Challenge LETS GO!".  Personally I have been a part of the first way, but then I started thinking about how there is no adventure, no passion and no scar stories or growth in that.  Going through life should be a little challenging. We should come out with a few scratches, bumps, and bruises. Because when we finish all of those trials will show how much I went through, and how I finished with a smile. Not because I sat there and felt that I could not do it, but because I accepted the challenges and conquered the obstacle course.

This life is hard, but we have an advantage over the trials we face. In a way we have a cheat sheet to this obstacle course of life. We have a Heavenly father who loves us. We have Jesus Christ who lead a perfect life.  A life we can read and study a bout in the Scriptures. We have the Bible, and the Book of Mormon. Two records of Jesus Christ that show us how we can be more like him. We have commandments, that if we follow we are promised blessings.  This life is not meant to be easy,  but it can be done with comfort as we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.   Let him lift you up!












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Come Follow Me

"Come Follow Me"

When I read the scriptures, and I hear those words. "Come Follow me", I think to my self if that is something I would be willing to do. The world we live in today is obsessed with many materialistic things. Some people must have the latest fashion, the nicest cars, and the perfect face. Others may be satisfied with the things that they have, but would they be willing to give it up?

Something I have noticed as I have grown up is that people love their things. I am just as guilty as the next. I would have a very hard time giving up some of the things I hold dear to my heart. However, I think of how much I love the savior Jesus Christ and if he asked me to follow Him, I know now that I could do that. I had a really good friend who taught me a very good lesson on things.

A large group of us decided we wanted to go on a night hike. I was told that it would just be more like a nature walk so I wouldn't need a good pair of shoes. So I wore flipflops. Some of the other girls did not have the proper shoes either. When we got to the mountain, we could tell that this was not going to be an easy task. But, we were their and hiking is one of the best things to do in the night. So we went forth. About a mile in, my feet were starting to get cut on the rocks and I was not sure I could make it to the saddle where we were going to have a campfire. I about gave up and wanted to leave. One of my good friends took off her shoes and gave them to me and took my flip-flops.  I was worried and told her that I did not want to ruin her shoes. She looked at me and said "One day you will learn that things are just things, and that is all they are." I am not sure she realized the impact that had on me. I see now that no matter the value of a possession it is just a thing. The only important possesions we have are those that no one can take away from us.

One of my most prized posetions is my testimony. IT is something that I treasure. Something I will never have to give up, and something that will bless me far more than any material on this earth or beyond. I know that God lives and his son Jesus Christ. I know they love us, and are there whenever we need them. I know that The Holy Bible, and The Book of Mormon go hand in hand to build up the faith of the people around the world. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Gods church on this earth, and that I have been baptized by someone holding proper authority. I know that I love this world, and I will do my best to follow my savior even if that means leaving everything else behind.

WHERE ARE THE MIRACLES?

Each day I get up, I hit my knees and I say a prayer. I speak with my heavenly Father, and ask him for the strength to get through the day, and for the guidance I need to serve Him. However; my life has not always been one of prayer.  I have not always known that I can receive help for my day.

There have been times in my life when I was not sure what tomorrow would bring, but it was not something I wanted to face.  Looking back, they were not all big trials, but there were quite a few that I would not want to experiance again. I remember that there would be times when I had to question the divinity of God because life was just too hard. What was my problem? I could not see the miracles.

There were so many times when I felt like I had just "woke up on the wrong side of the bed." I could not be happy with the day because there was no reason to. It was not until I came on a mission to serve my Heavenly Father when I realized how to get through those trials.

Something I have grown a strong testimony of is Christs love for the people in this world. One of my favorite scriptures is in Alma Chapter 7: 11-13 which states:  
     And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and 
     this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the
      sicknesses of his people.

      And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people;

      and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, 

      according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people 

      according to their infirmities.

      Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh 

      that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions 

      according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

When I read this scripture, I can see how much Christ truly knows us. I can see that he understands our trials because he has suffered them for us individually. I also understand that Christ has given us this because he sees that sometimes we just have a bad day, a bad week, or a bad year. He is there to help us and guide us. 

One way I have noticed that has helped me be able to see the role Heavenly Father plays in my life is to cound the blessings. Cliche, maybe; but it works! Go through your day and come up with little miracles. Sometimes it takes a little time, but I can promise you that if you look hard enough you will find one. And when you find one, more will come.  

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When we let the world take over our emotions, we are no longer in control. We can give our sorrows and troubles to Christ. That is why he came. As we follow the Commandments and have the desire to follow the teachings of Christ, we will be happy. I know this will all of my heart! Jesus Christ Loves you!

Sister Renfro 

Jesus Calls His Apostles

Christ gave his apostles the authority to go out and act in the name of God. To heal and bless the people. That authority has been restored back to the earth from Christ himself to his prophet Joseph Smith. The scriptures can teach us all things and for that I am grateful.

Thank You!

   Around this time the word "Thank You" is probably used more, people are more giving, and for the most part more kind.  So in the spirit of Thanksgiving I would just like to share something that has lead me to a place of happiness. Something that I am very thankful for. I am thankful for scriptures. Growing up I loved to go to church. I tried to read my scriptures as much as possible. I knew that God loved me, and no one could take that away. When I would read the Bible, I wouls start in Matthew and just highlight everything I read. Being a small child I did not understand why people highlighted in their scriptures... just that they did it. I never really understood what I was reading. I knew who God was, who Christ was, and I was familiar with the child stories of the Prophets.

Skip a few years into high school and that knowledge of Gods love started to fail. I faced trials, and was in a deep confusion of what the purpose of life was. I did not understand why things were hard, and instead of coming closer to God when I needed him, I turned away.  I was not too happy and I was not sure why. When I got into college, I realized that I needed that relationship back with my Heavenly Father so I started to read a book that my grandma had gotten me in highschool. I think it was a pathway for youth. It would give me a daily scripture and share stories of how I can face the trials of the world. Soon after that, my Step-mom invited some missionaries over fromThe Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  This part of the story is long. The missionaries came to my house for the next year or so visiting with my family.  I started feeling answers to questions I had growing up. I began to feel happy, and  see that there was purpose in this life. However it is through the Scriptures that I gained a testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I was reading in revelations just scamming through and I came upon Revelation 3:20 which states "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come  in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Some reason this hit me. I knew that these missionaries in my home were sent to bring me back. I knew that  I could ask my Heavenly Father and he would answer me. I also knew that it would take faith. I would have to open the door to allow Him back into my life. I prayed and received an answer that The Church of Jesus Christ was Gods church. The same church that was on the Earth with Christ. I am grateful for the scriptures. I feel that they can answer our prayers as we study them. I am also grateful for my Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ. I feel that I was once a lost sheep, but Christ knew exactly how to find me.

Help!

Asking for help seems impossible. I suppose our human mind figures that we can just do everything on our own. Personally this is something that I have a hard time with. I feel that even when I am in the hardest of times, that I can just figure it out on my own. ]

There have been times though when my pride had to be humbled and I had to just ask for help. One of the more recent times, I was driving home and my breaks went strait to the floor. I had been procrastinating getting them fixed, and I was about to face the consequences. I only had about $300 in my bank account, and knew I was not going to be paid anytime soon. I went with out a car for a couple of days... I had to call off work a few times as well. That ment that on top of buying new breaks, I would be out of work. I decided that I would brave the drive,( because I knew that I could not afford a tow truck) to the nearest break place. I went in, and let them know what happend, and got lectured for driving my car without breaks. They originally said that it would cost me about $300 so I had just enough! But as time went on more and more problems with my breaks came up. I needed to replace a lot of things. The total cost by the end was $600 and I just did not have it. I prayed, and asked what I should do because my parents did not have the money to help, at least thats what I felt. But I knew that that was my only option. So as much as I wanted to do it on my own, I knew I had to make that call and ask for help.

I learned two lessons that day. One asking for help is something that we should not be ashamed to do. Sometimes we get ourselfs in situations where we just need someone to give us a hand. Second I learned not to procrastinate things that are important.

Just like needing help in life, we also need to be able to ask for help spiritually. God is there for us, and he  has given us the resources we need in order to survive and be helped spiritually. We can pray to Him, and he will hear our prayers. We also need to ask for forgiveness, and not procrastinate the day of our repentance. While we are here on earth, we are in a probationary state before we get to be judged. In Helamen 13:38 it speaks of this.

38 But behold, your ^adays of probation are past; ye have ^bprocrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for ^chappiness in doing iniquity, which thing is ^dcontrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head.

When I stand before God and his Son Jesus Christ, I want to know that I have not procrastinated and that I have done all that I can to better follow my savior.