What is Your Best?

So I have been thinking lately like I usually do and want to put up a question for you guys. Define doing your best? You know when they say that I can't take a another step or do it one more time; certainly you can take another step and then you might say I can't take another step but you probably could take another step and so on and so forth.


So if your best is gauged at your top level at which you can not do anymore, and you tell what your top level is by what you have done in the past how can you tell what your best is when you are doing something that you have never done before?


So what is your best?

New Stage of Life

I can't believe it! I have hit 15 months that is so crazy. Well I'll be going into a new stage of the mission. Now to the point where I'm the older one and now in charge and all that stuff. It is wierd lately. Now that I know that I am 15 months out, it is like I'm subconsciencly telling people what to do, and teaching them how to be missionaries. I just hope that I don't turn into a snob of a missionary and thinks he is bettern than his greenie comp. But this is all subconsciencly so consciencly it won't happen. I still can't believe that I have single digit numbers till I get home! 9 more months! When I'm home boys I'll be buyin'!

Families are Amazing

This one is my favorite

Have you guys seen these? I'm not too sure if you've heard but the church is making a big push on online missionary work with websites like mormon.org, youtube channel, Mormon Messages, and the raido channel, Mormon Channel. I'm probably preaching to the choir but they are there.

But one of the most pressing things that the mission has impressed on me is just how important families. When you are gone from your families your start to realize how much they mean to you and how much you care for them. A lot of times I get all tense and stressed out, because there isn't anything that I can really relieve it but the one thing that I've found that relaxes me most is when I go to a family who has a lot of kids and spend time with them. It is like I'm back home and it is so enjoyable. Families are truly God's vehicle for helping use get to the Celestrial kingdom.

Also about families, I just looked on my ancestory on New Familiy Search.org and found out that I have Irish, Scottish and French blood. Of course many others but now I can truly be Napoleon and not have to say that I wish I was Irish.

Love your Families!!!

Brigham Young Had the Right Idea

I know I have written a lot lattly but there is so much to catch up on. Also there isn't anybody to talk about what is going onto out here so I can get going pretty easy.

Well I don't have to say that Brigham Young had the right idea. The grid system is the only way to go. I don't know what kind of system other areas have but if you don't have a system to your streets people are going to get lost. Let me explain: Here in Michigan the streets are the ones in charge. If a street just decides to end then it can end and if it wants to start up again a mile away then it can. Streets also have two names it can be called either St. Joesph or it can be called Litchfield St. Streets aren't the only thing that don't have a system. Address numbers don't have to follow in any order. Numbers can go from 136, 138, 134, 142. Or they can jump like no other 678, 690, 734, 1568, 1684, 238, 432. And not too often from what I've seen they don't even have to be on the same street, like odds and evens on both sides of the street. Also addresses need to be given correct city addresses. If a address is in the Reading city limits don't give it a Hillsdale address. Enough said. Brigham Young had the right idea.

The Smack Down

Safety for the Soul

This is an awsome talk. It basically helps me in everything that I need on my mission. The Safety for the Soul, encouraging me to keep going, telling me to keep going, telling me that He will be there for me always. Christ is the source of all help, He is there for us always: "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." (Doc. & Cov. 84:88)

Second is the boldness of Elder Hollond. It is so wonderfully plain on how he lays it down. I can't describe how bold he was. You just have to read it. It is something I have to work on to be more bold on my mission.

Here we go!

Hey guys, as you well know that the Council of Elders is my thought process and right now the gospel is all I'm suppose to think about so that is what is going to be on the blog. So I'm not trying to replace With His Stripes We Are Healed but right now I'll will try to put my thought process about the mission and such here.

All right, being a missionary is so cool and then at times it is so hard.
The other day we were eating at a member's house and we were having chocolate cake for dessert. This was no ordinary chocolate cake but a very dark chocolate cake in which I am not favorable to. So trying to get rid of the cake I was eating it as fast as I can without getting noticed. So I took a big bite (even though I don't think it was that big) and got caught. The member said "Slow down man there is still more cake." After the dinner Elder Forbes mentioned that when the member caught me he laughed because he knew I wasn't eating it because I liked but because I was trying to get rid of it. It is awesome when you are able to work with your companion and are like one. It maybe what it is like when we are married.
Being a missionary is so cool; It is cool to here your name as Elder. It is cool to be known to missionary type things. It is like being a different branch of the church, like being the marines of the church to go out and fight. Just imagine you are what you finally get to be. I don't know if this is all making sense, right now I can't but my thumb on exactly the feeling I want.

This is all very romantic though, you hear the stories of missionaries who are are working day in and day out and with all you heart, might, mind, and strength work and finally finding a goldmine of golden investigators at the last house of the street. This makes it all sound very romantic. But as we find out in life not many things in life are romantic and it isn't any different in missionary work. Things in life don't change partly because we are going through it. One way to explain this is as we get older everyone says how does it feel to be 20? It doesn't feel any different. Missionary work doesn't feel any different you, go out day to day doing the same things. Especially with the council I start wondering why I'm not excited about sharing the gospel not feeling that missionary spirit. Am I doing something wrong, or what? Am I not doing the right techniques to get the desired effect? Am I door knocking correctly? But then again everyone has there agency. It is also hard to stay focus on the gospel 24/7 and you desire to do something else. P-Day usually aren't enough. Everything seems to become less exciting and you loose that motivation.

So words of encouragement. PRAY! Keep the Lord in everything you do. There will be times that you pray just to pray and you are going through the motions. Don't do that. Stay away from feeling you are going through the motions. That is where a lot of this problem comes from always remember your purpose: "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the
restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance,
baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." Even if you don't feel like praying pray and put effort into it because you always need his help. Stay busy; One important tidbit stay out of the appartment as much as you can. Go from 10-9 and stay out and teach. "A teaching missionary is a happy missionary" Why? Because you are fullfilling your purpose and you have a reason to be out here. If you feel discouraged, don't. Elder Pearson said "Discouragement comes from missed expectations. Chronic discouragement leads to lower expectations, decreased effort, weakened desire, and greater difficulty feeling and following the Spirit (see Preach My Gospel [2004], 10). Discouragement and despair are the very antithesis of faith." If you need help always go to the scriptures. They are that Safety for the Soul that Elder Hollond recently talked about. For me General Conferences have always been an answere when I need it. Always hold on to the rod!

Just starting out

Here is a trial run