Refiner's fire

"Perhaps refining isn't about bringing out the best in you. Perhaps refining is truly about bringing out the worst - because only then is the Master able to scour the flaws and imperfections away and create a shiny, clean vessel."

President James E. Faust said, "Here then is a great truth. In the pain, the agony, and the heroic endeavors of life, we pass through a refiner’s fire, and the insignificant and the unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright, intact, and strong. In this way the divine image can be mirrored from the soul. It is part of the purging toll exacted of some to become acquainted with God. In the agonies of life, we seem to listen better to the faint, godly whisperings of the Divine Shepherd."

He doesn't say, "In the picnics of life, we feel a hug and know that all is well and life will be full of easiness and butterflies," although it is true that the Lord's love is available even during trial and hardship. The purpose of life is to test us - to try our faith and our strength, to give us an opportunity to be heated to the breaking point so that the flaws are revealed, and then overcome them to become a clean and beautiful masterpiece.

"Our needed conversions are often achieved more readily by suffering and adversity than by comfort and tranquillity.... The Prophet Joseph was promised that “thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.” - Elder Dallin H. Oaks

The challenge, then, is to not shirk from the refiner's fire, to not hide from its cleansing influence, and to have faith that in the "agonies of life" the Master is truly creating a masterpiece.

Day Zero # 16 - December 16, 2011

I find it extremely ironic that goal #16 happened to be accomplished on December 16, 2011.

I married the man of my dreams and the keeper of my heart in the temple, for time and all eternity.

And I couldn't be happier about it!

Viva la Vida.

Day Zero # 3 - Read the Book of Mormon in Spanish

I finally finished it.

After about 15 false starts and failed attempts, I read the entire Libro de Mormon all the way through.

Now on to the Doctrine and Covenants!

Viva la Vida.

Old-fashioned adventure

My mom and I happen to work in the same office.

We also happen to enjoy going on adventures together.

So when she saw an ad for Blickenstaff's in a Utah Valley magazine, we spontaneously left work and drove up to check it out. No worries, I worked overtime last week, we can afford it.

Blickenstaff's has a lot of fun things - and a lot of old-fashioned things, including games, toys aaaaaannnnnddd candy...

Like these, for example: 

We also enjoyed one of these, and I figured out how to make a moaning sound by blowing into a bottle... And I saved some for Ryan. He was happy :)

 And bought a gumball from a gumball machine that was taller than me...

Definitely more fun than working :)

Blickenstaff's is located in Riverwoods in Provo, sort of kitty-corner from the Provo Beach Resort. Definitely worth visiting, especially if you like old-fashioned candy!

Viva la Vida

I have some really good friends. People who have been really great to me, even when I may or may not have been really great to them. People who stick with me even when I'm flying all over the place not sticking to anything. People who can laugh for me when I'm too stressed to laugh, cry when I'm too sad to cry, and smile just to make me feel like smiling. To all of those friends, thank you. I hope you know who you are, and how much my life is better because of you. I hope I can be a friend like you someday, and I hope that someday when you're too stressed to laugh, I'll laugh for you, and when you're too sad to cry, I'll cry for you, and that I'll be the smile that makes you feel like smiling. I have a way to go before I can get there, though, I know.

One of these friends posted something on her blog that made me happy. And I can't say it any better than she can, so let me quote her here:

"It’s true that the most important moment we have is the one we’re living right now. The past is past. We’ve lived, made mistakes, triumphed some, and hopefully learned a little. The future should be prepared for, but it isn’t here yet. My dear friend is always citing the motto ‘Viva la Vida’ - live the life. We only get each moment once. And each of us has only one life to life. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to make mine as beautiful as I can. I’d like to be able to look back when I’m old and feel content with the life I’ve lived, knowing that I didn’t waste any part of it waiting for something to happen to me. I’d like to happen to the world instead."

I want to happen to the world, too.

Viva la Vida.