Why I believe Wednesday Missionaries and Priesthood Power

. This event in my life holds a special place in my heart because it helped through a difficult time. I remember the day I was told my grandmother was in a hospital in Indy, my parents asked/told me I would need to pack so I could take care of my two younger cousins so my aunt could focus on my grandmother. I remember during the drive to my aunts just praying for the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to show up at some point so I could get a priesthood blessing to help me be calm, and have the ability to help with my cousins. I prayed that prayer everyday not sure how and when it would be answered but knowing it would be. The oldest cousins was in school, kindergarten, I believe and I was home with the youngest all day. It was hard, my aunt and uncle had just switched phone service and I couldn't call long distance to my family, I was getting daily updates from my father every night and him calling to make sure I was doing fine. My uncle was working, then going to work basketball games, and then heading to the hospital to check on his wife and mother-in-law, so the kids didn't see him or their mother for most of that time. All the had was ME??? I remember one night both of my aunts who were staying at the hospital came home to take the oldest to a basketball game for her. I had a question I wanted to ask my aunts but wasn't sure how they would react to it, so I went to bed. I couldn't sleep so I went back out and talked to them and asked if it would be okay with them for us to have someone give grandmother a priesthood blessing, they agreed and told me to never be afraid of asking or talking about something that is important to me with them. So, Elizabeth Thomas, called me back and I told her we had permission to have someone give grandmother a blessing. I don't know how it was arranged all I know is that it was. That weekend as all of the family gathered, including me and the two that I was watching at the hospital. The two priesthood holder from Carmel, IN came and gave the blessing. I remember them saying how impressed they were that the whole family was there. It was a blessing that gave me comfort, and peace, but before I could ask them for one of my own they were gone. So I continued to pray and even know I am so amazed by what happened. See I was home alone most of the time, and missionaries can't come into a house with a single women or maybe even a women alone (not really sure which it is but I know definitely single woman.) So in the middle of a really cold January I was trying to figure out how was I going to get this blessing. I figured the front porch or the garage with the door up might be the best I could do, or I knew one of the neighbors was a stay-at-home mom, if that would work those were my choices. But Heavenly Father had a different plan and a better plan: on Martin Luther King day, my uncle stayed home from work, my aunt came home from the hospital, and bright and early two missionaries showed up at the door. My uncle invited them in partly because I was standing in the doorway with them, because I needed to talk to them, and because he felt they had the chance to come out of the cold themselves for a bit. They were able to give me the priesthood blessing I was needing at the time to help me comfort and be calm for my younger cousins. I'm not sure I did all that the blessing asked of me, but I know that Heavenly Father sent them to me the only day I could have gotten the chance to talk to them, and get that blessing. That is why I KNOW and BELIEVE missionaries are inspired by the Holy Ghost to go where they are needed, and one of the reason I believe in the priesthood power.

Why I believe Wednesday: Temples, and Eternal Families...

Before I start I guess I should explain that I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you may of heard us called the LDS church or just the Mormon. That is who, what I am and what I believe (start nasty comments about me now.LOL) Last week I talked about the broken road I have taken, and how I started on a healing road recently. This weekend I had the chance to the Nauvoo Temple, in Nauvoo IL, usually when I'm in the temple I feel rushed by my own time schedule especially if I've made the drive to Chicago on my own and have to make it back yet. This time, yes I made the 6 hrs drive by myself but I wasn't worried about the drive back since I had one more day in Nauvoo before coming home. So I really got to enjoy the time in a peaceful, quite, and calming building. I had time to think and ponder about what I was actually doing in the temple that day. What we do in the temple is we bind our families in an eternal family. And for a girl that comes from an broken uneternal family this is important to me, I want to have an eternal family. I want my family to be fixed eternal family, meaning I want ALL of my family to be with me in heaven not just a few scattered people here and there. So by doing ancestors work we are building up our family the only way we can at the moment by connecting the past, granted there will be a gap in our work and we accept that. So Saturday in the temple I was able to see how my Broken Road was a road that at each turn took me to the temple. When I was on my internship I was able to go to the Orlando Temple on my day off twice a month, and start building my testimony of temples and the work we do there. I also realized that even if I could go into the temple because it was closed, I wanted to be where I could look at it and feel that peace. When I came home I didn't take the time to go as much, but come May I had the chance to go to Utah...and boy did I go to the temples then. I went to as many different temples as I thought I could convince my sister to go to and had fun. Then I came back and dated a guy who made it a point to go each month...that lasted a short time but the work that I was able to get done during that time helped me more than I had thought. I then started making that drive by myself, and got more work done and families sealed for time and all eternity, which is the whole point of temples. So for the first time I was able to see the best thing that came out of my last two years, it wasn't about the two guys I dated, it was how they were able to help get my work to where it is now. My journey has been one of building my testimony of temples and eternal families. That is why I believe.

Why I Believe Wednesday Bless the Broken Road.

A couple of my friends to "Why I Believe Wednesday's," and they post them elsewhere, I could post mine there also but very few people could read it there so I'm placing it on FB. Back in July, I heard the song "Bless the Broken Road," and I know I've talked a little about it but this time I won't hold anything back, no more lies, lines and half truths...well almost. My broken road started two years ago and took me through HELL to then take me to Rockford, IL. I've always knew when your mentally not ready to be in a relationship you shouldn't be in one. This didn't stop me from going into my second relationship in two years. It's fun to be in a relationship and realize that he's trying to control you, or yelling at you with the sole intent just to make you cry just to prove that he has that kind of power over you. Or to realize the real reason behind him calling off the wedding is because he really thought I would just let him control me completely and then realize that I would never make it as easy as he would like it be. When I was in the relationship I could see and get only part of the abuse but until the day I drove away for the last time did I fully get it. I was almost outside the town limits when it felt like this veil had be lifted from my mind, and for the first time MY THOUGHTS were back, I could once again think for MYSELF, the promises that I had made years ago came back. The lessons I was taught by my protectors can back in full force. The only way I can truly describe what happened is using this scripture Ether 4:15 from the Book of Mormon : "Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel." It was like the veil was rend and only once it was lifted could I see that Heavenly Father was there the whole time trying to get me to listen to Him and help me out of my HELL. There really isn't a day that goes by that I'm not thankful that He really did finally find a way to get me out even if it meant convince the guy I would never give my control to him completely.

A few months later I was at a church dance where I had walked out of the church building to avoid a song, I ended up spending the rest of the time talking to a guy. At the end of the dance the guy wanted my number and even though I enjoyed talking to him I could tell that he really want more than I could give him. I also felt that I was lying to the guy part of the time which didn't give me confidence about giving my number to him...I wasn't sure he would be able to understand my Hell and the choices I had made. So I didn't give it to him and over the next few months realized how much I really needed a friend to talk to and almost wished I had taken the guy up on the offer. So I ended up being HIGHLY ENCOURAGED, to attend a Young Sexy Adult conference in Rockford, IL...where I heard "Bless the Broken Road," which really helped me to see that there really is a reason for the path I've taken. Not long after that song and pray that I had prayed, I was asked to dance with I guy that I had met there and he asked for my number. This time I realized how much I needed someone to talk too, already felt guilty over saying no the time before, so I gave me number. With having someone to talk to, the changes I've been making already in my life, knitting, and teaching Sunday school. I've gotten of the Broken Road and started on the Healing Road. I know that Heavenly Father has been guiding my steps because I can see how I needed to go through part of the past two years to get to where I am now. There where just times I stopped listen, but that didn't mean He left me, he was waiting for me to return back to him. He is always waiting with open arms no matter how long it takes us to get back to him, but two years were enough time for me...this time. That is Why I Believe.