I have been asked by multiple people if I am going on a mission. A lot of this came after the big news on Saturday, which I think is kinda funny seeing as I have now reached the ripe age of 21 (which now would make me even older in the mission field). So I am going to just write a bit about that and about my experience with this amazing session of General Conference.
Over the years, people {family, friends, and strangers} have asked me if I was going to serve a mission. (And had this age change been declared two years ago, then I definitely would have gone on a mission.) As people asked me about it, I decided that I would not try to make a decision until May 2012, but I also did not see why I wouldn't serve. However, May came along and I went through a long decision process, and came to find that I needed to stay home. I needed to (and still need to) focus my efforts on something else. I didn't understand exactly why, but I knew that it felt right.
When the announcement was made at conference, I did feel a little pull at my heart. But the talks all reaffirmed the same feelings that I had in May: I could serve the Lord in other ways. He knows that I would drop everything to serve a mission, but instead I have been guided to see how I can fulfill His will outside of the mission field. I have come to see the purpose of life.
The purpose of life is to become like Christ. The purpose of life is to serve others. The purpose of life is to be so immersed in this service that you forget yourself. The purpose of life is to recognize all that God has blessed you with, and show your gratitude by giving all that you can in return. The purpose of life is to become the very person that Heavenly Father knows you can be. The purpose of life is to live for each day. The purpose of life is to have a family--to see into a window of how God feels about us by having our own children. The purpose of life is to remember that great things come out of small, seemingly inconsequential actions. The purpose of life is to have faith. The purpose of life is to offer my whole life, soul, and heart to God. The purpose of life is to bring this purpose to others through example and teachings.
When the announcement was made at conference, I did feel a little pull at my heart. But the talks all reaffirmed the same feelings that I had in May: I could serve the Lord in other ways. He knows that I would drop everything to serve a mission, but instead I have been guided to see how I can fulfill His will outside of the mission field. I have come to see the purpose of life.
The purpose of life is to become like Christ. The purpose of life is to serve others. The purpose of life is to be so immersed in this service that you forget yourself. The purpose of life is to recognize all that God has blessed you with, and show your gratitude by giving all that you can in return. The purpose of life is to become the very person that Heavenly Father knows you can be. The purpose of life is to live for each day. The purpose of life is to have a family--to see into a window of how God feels about us by having our own children. The purpose of life is to remember that great things come out of small, seemingly inconsequential actions. The purpose of life is to have faith. The purpose of life is to offer my whole life, soul, and heart to God. The purpose of life is to bring this purpose to others through example and teachings.
I may not be fulfilling this purpose in a concentrated 18 months, but I can do it every day for the rest of my life.
Now for a quick run-down of the week:
On Wednesday we watched the debate.
Thursday, as you know, was spent writing a paper and getting distracted.
On Friday we went to Shake Shack for dinner and then shopping at Georgetown for a while.
Saturday morning, Carly and I went to Eastern Market for these pancakes and some perusing:
This morning I made my big breakfast--whole-wheat pumpkin cinnamon rolls, quiche, fruit salad, and OJ. I was really nervous about the cinnamon rolls (mainly because it was first time making cinnamon rolls ever), but they turned out just fine. (Except for maybe the frosting. Definitely an area for improvement.) We had a ton of leftovers, so luckily the fine people of the Barlow Center were willing to help me out with that.
We also did some exciting things today for the holiday (apparently Columbus Day is celebrated in places outside of Utah), but I will write about that later. I need to start some homework. Love you!
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