Happiness Is... -- 6 May 2014

Ice Cream. Laughter. Meaningful friendships. Powerful study. Tender mercies. Simple pleasures. The Spirit. Expressing yourself. Eating Chocolate Chip Cookies. Eating Sandwiches. Mexican food. Having purpose. Following Christ. Not being able to stand on your own. Giving it your all anyway. Falling. Standing back up. Having a testimony. Being looked after. Being prayed for. Praying for others. Trying to do your best. Rain. Rainbows. Sunshine. Hope. Feeling the love of God. Little dudes. My mom. My mission president. Never giving up. Standing between a rock and a hard place. Bearing witness. A companion who cares. Hoping it will work. Believing it will work. Having faith even when it doesn't work. Having a vision. Seeking the Hand of God. Following Christ. Doing His will. Courage. Fear. Being full. The piano. Singing. Knowing the hard things can be done. Enduring to the end. Repentance. My dad. My brother(s). The book of Mormon. Spiritual Guidance. Did I mention sandwiches and cookies?

Good morning my friends. How are you? Have you found a reason to celebrate lately? Such as: Chris' birthday, Star Wars day, Cinco de Mayo, being alive, getting married, etc? If not, I encourage you to find one. Not create one, but find something in your life that's worth celebrating.... "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy."

This is another small paragraph from my letter to my mission president this week:

"This is dumb. I'm really honestly just tired of jumping back and forth from square 1 to square 99 over and over and over again. I don't know how to do this. Let's be honest, but I'm just done worrying about that. I'm so sick of the stress and never feeling like I'm good enough. I'm tired of wanting to give up but mentally just barging through my trials and challenges, convinced that I'm smart enough to handle them. This is Christ's work. Not mine. This is His power, not mine. So, if you're looking for me, I'll be back at square 1. If you're looking for Him, He'll be there with me. You'll probably find me on my knees... and you'll probably find Him right there with me. And when I stand up to do His work, it will be under His arm as this broken little child of God limps toward each door, and every other broken child, and invites them to stand under His arm with me."

So, if you're broken, join the club. And find reason to rejoice in the arms of the Savior. In the quoted words from a favorite talk of mine: "It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. . . . it is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever."

If you're looking for me, I'll be celebrating. :) All will be well, and I will be standing taller as I allow him to strengthen my feeble knees.

I love you all.

Rock on.

Peace, love, and temple marriage.

Elder Hill