Here + Now

^^Visiting Grandpa's Grave on Christmas Eve

So much has happened. I don't even know where to start. It has been a time of significant personal growth and learning. A time of perspectives and deeper love...it has also been a time where I just dropped off of the blogging world, and really soaked it in. I have made a goal to really live in the NOW. It is so easy to get caught up in what is to be...but we will never get this time back. Each day is a gift. 

 I will post more of the experiences but today..I am grateful for blue skies, the ones I love, and the simple moments to just breathe in the goodness of God! 

“Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” 
― Maya Angelou

EASTER

Three years ago, Easter took on a very different meaning for me. While living abroad in Israel, we studied and learned of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Every day we celebrated His life, His resurrection, His gospel. I came to know the Savior in a very real and life-changing way. After four months, I remember coming home utterly exhausted from the traveling, studying, and the jam-packed scheduling of our study abroad. The next morning was Easter Sunday. Still getting over extreme jet-lag, I walked into the chapel and sat down to quietly listen to the choir practice. All of a sudden, the choir started singing the hymn, "He is Risen." Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face. Not even 48 hours earlier, I had been singing the same song at the Garden Tomb. I was simply overcome with the truthfulness and joy in its message. The testimony that I had come to instill so strongly in my heart burned within me. The Savior lives and because of it, we, too, can live again. Easter is so much more than the bunnies and eggs, it is a truly sacred and powerful celebration. 

Our Savior Jesus Christ LIVES!

(**Please note that one does not have to go to/see any of these places to know Christ, cherish Easter, or have a testimony. It is when we center our lives on Him that we come to know Him and feel of His presence--and we can do that anywhere.)

I will occasionally go through my pictures trying to remember the places and the things I learned during my stay there. It then occurred to me that it might be neat to share some of the photographs we took of the places we study in the Bible and Book of Mormon. Visuals can be helpful! 

Besides, the land is beautiful. 

***

Galilee

Galilee is a place where the Savior lived, healed, and taught during His mortal ministry. 

This land is the location of 2/3 of the New Testament events

Gamla

We hiked for about two hours to get to a synagogue at the top of Gamla. This synagogue dates back to the 1st Century...THE FIRST CENTURY...it still exists from when Christ lived and taught!

Mt. Arbel

Mount of Beattitudes

Matthew 5

(pic from Kate)

                                                                                                   

Sea of Galilee

Matthew 14: 22-33

Capernaum

Location of MANY of the Savior's miracles and teachings. 

Mathew 9: 1: "came into his own city."

Home to Peter as well.

The Road to Jericho (Wadi Qelt)

The Savior came here to commune with God.

Jerusalem Center

Jerusalem

Steps leading up to the Southern Wall of the Temple where Jesus walked often.

Garden of Gethsemane

 (A friend captured this picture of Chels and I studying in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

It makes me want to cry every time I look at this. I had the opportunity to study about the Savior, a man who descended below all, with someone who has been with me through it all. I learned so much in this sacred Garden.)

Golgatha 

                                                   (now a local bus station ^^)

The Garden Tomb

“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death. And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.” (Matt 20:18-19) 

"He is not here; for he is risen." -Matt. 28:6

"The greatest events of history are those that affect the greatest number of people for the longest periods. By this standard, no event could be more important to individuals or nations than the resurrection of the Master. And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him." (D&C 76:22–23.) (Benson)

I know this to be true.

Because of Him, I am able to open my heart + mind in a way I never knew existed. I am able to find peace amongst sorrow and hope in the midst of despair. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, lives. 

Because of Him, I can love and live more fully. 

BECAUSE OF HIM

Enjoy your Easter weekend!

A New Year!

"With every new day, a new dawn comes--not only for the earth but also for us. And with a new day comes a new start--a chance to begin again."

happy new year!

I know, it is January 19th. I finally found a minute to jot down a few thoughts on here...

2013 was indescribably monumental. First year of marriage, graduation from BYU, new (real-life) job,  discovering love and life like I never have before. Man, it rocked! Best one yet, in fact. 

So what is 2014 looking like??? 

Lately, I am growing in my role as a teacher. 

The last 6 months I have been teaching every weekday and many Sundays. On average, I am teaching 6 out of every 7 days of the week. I have never worked so hard at a job in my entire life. I eat, breathe, and sleep teaching. I am always creating some master simulation to help the students grasp the information better, staying up-to-date on current information, or brainstorming a new method to help a certain student or class. I feel that I am being stretched and pushed in ways play-doe would only envy. I can do hard things. I still have a lot of work to do but I am seeing more and more who Heavenly Father wants me to be. It has been a blissful, emotion-filled, experience. “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.”  

However,

If I am going to stay sane, I need to work on a few things--> Goals for 2014: 

 

1. Me Time.  A quick run, learning a new hobby, spending more time reading and pondering scriptures, being out in nature, spending time w/ people I love, writing a letter to a friend, going to the temple, challenging myself more with my camera, praying longer, etc. It is MAKING time to disconnect and recharge those batteries, every day.  Have you ever felt your life is completely out of balance? Well…mine is. Extremes are easy, I need balance.

 2.  Eat. I know, this one is kind of absurd. I am not only striving to eat healthy...but really, I just need to eat. To eat consistently, period. I run from one thing to the next and before I know it, I am beyond starving and I am about ready to break. I let others needs come in front of my own and really, I can’t keep doing that—I need to eat!

3. Be Kind to Yourself.  Why is it so easy to pick ourselves apart for our imperfections? It’s okay to make mistakes. In fact, most of the time, we won’t do something the first time perfectly. 

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” {Albert Einstein} 

We need to give ourselves a break and not let the negativity seep into our happiness. We all have so much to offer—don’t compare and don’t condone. Don’t run your life trying to please everyone because, guess what???? YOU WILL NEVER PLEASE EVERYONE. Do the very best with what you have and don’t sweat the rest.

 

4. Be brave. I want to continue striving to push myself outside of my comfort zone. I have come to discover that my comfort zone is shrinking as I continue exploring new opportunities. I am more confident. This year, I am going to do things that scare me and not let fear keep me from jumping in with both feet. “Even the bravest of creatures have some fears but it is not enough to stop them from moving in the path they are destined to walk upon.”

5. Love. As I have been pulled in all different directions, I know the place I want to be the most. I work endlessly serving hundreds of other people every day that I am tired when I come home to serve the people that have been there through it all, the people that I will have forever, the people that I love the MOST. I want to serve my sweetheart and other loved ones better. I want to continue exuding love. Love for God, for others, for uncontrollable situations, and for myself. 

“Where there is love there is life.” {Mahatma Ghandi}

these are just a few things I thought were worth sharing. I can't wait to get started! How about you? What are you hoping to discover, change, or improve this year?

happy new year, friends!

****

Another thing we need to remember when it comes to setting goals is this: We almost certainly will fail—at least in the short term. But rather than be discouraged, we can be empowered because this understanding removes the pressure of being perfect right now. It acknowledges from the beginning that at one time or another, we may fall short. Knowing this up front takes away much of the surprise and discouragement of failure.

When we approach our goals this way, failure doesn’t have to limit us. Remember, even if we fail to reach our ultimate, desired destination right away, we will have made progress along the road that will lead to it. And that matters—it means a lot. Even though we might fall short of our finish line, just continuing the journey will make us greater than we were before.

You don’t need an invitation before you start moving in the direction of your righteous goals. You don’t need to wait for permission to become the person you were designed to be. You don’t need to wait to be invited to serve in the Church.

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf