So I know this may not completely relate to missions, but I think it definitely does on some levels... I've been thinking a lot about doing things that dont make sense. I've been reading in 1st Nephi and as I've been paying attention to how many things he and his family did that didn't make sense, the number has been astounding.
-killing someone to follow the Spirit?
-dressing up as someone and talking like someone you aren't
-going to back to Jerusalem how many times?
-fleeing their home and riches just to go out to the middle of nowhere (and on top of that they didn't really know where they would be going)
And thats just in the first few chapters! These amazing people of the Lord, followed the promptings He gave them even when it didn't make sense. It made me start to think how many things I do (that I'm prompted to do) that dont make sense. Not really that many. I consider myself pretty logical and if something doesn't make sense, I usually steer clear. But I'm trying to realize that the miracles come when we blindly trust and do the crazy things the Spirit prompts us to do. And its an amazing feeling.
Do you do crazy things that dont make sense when you feel prompted?
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
how exciting is this??
Sisters in the Mission Leadership Council
This announcement made me SO excited! I know its inspired by the Lord and such a great opportunity for us as sisters to learn from and be able to serve other missionaries.
This announcement made me SO excited! I know its inspired by the Lord and such a great opportunity for us as sisters to learn from and be able to serve other missionaries.
I'm back!!
Ok so I started this blog too long ago and got so excited to help get girls pumped about going on missions, but then life caught up to me...
But now that finals are done, I'm officially back and really want to get back to posting regularly!! So be excited :) Because I am.
I ran to Deseret Books the other day and I saw this book and it made me wish that there were more advice/prep books for sisters going on missions. The book looks great by the way, I haven't read it, but I totally want to!
Well, like I said, be excited. Hopefully I'll actually be more consistent now that I have time to think!
And because I LOVE pictures... and I LOVE Spain...
But now that finals are done, I'm officially back and really want to get back to posting regularly!! So be excited :) Because I am.
I ran to Deseret Books the other day and I saw this book and it made me wish that there were more advice/prep books for sisters going on missions. The book looks great by the way, I haven't read it, but I totally want to!
Well, like I said, be excited. Hopefully I'll actually be more consistent now that I have time to think!
And because I LOVE pictures... and I LOVE Spain...
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
On Answers
Oh my goodness! So life has gotten away with me and I have been horrible about updating! But I did get a great question from one of our readers last week! She's actually a friend from a long time ago! And leaving to California on her mission in less than a month! (p.s. I'm SOOO excited for you!).
I was so excited to see this question, because I'm almost 100% positive that she isn't the only one who has ever struggled/wondered about this. But I love what she said about how it really isn't any reason not to go, but it does sometimes make you wonder.
The first thing I did was search for a talk by Elder Bednar that actually really influenced me in my decision to leave on a mission, but I found this gem in the process.
"I believe many of us unknowingly accept a faulty assumption about the Lord’s pattern. And this faulty assumption then produces erroneous expectations about how we receive spiritual knowledge. And that faulty assumption and our misinformed expectations ultimately hinder our ability to recognize and respond to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Let me suggest that many of us typically assume we will receive an answer ora prompting to our earnest prayers and pleadings. And we also frequently expect that such an answer or a prompting will come immediately and all at once. Thus, we tend to believe the Lord will give us A BIG ANSWER QUICKLY AND ALL AT ONE TIME. However, the pattern repeatedly described in the scriptures suggests we receive “line upon line, precept upon precept,” or in other words, many small answers over a period of time. Recognizing and understanding this pattern is an important key to obtaining inspiration and help from the Holy Ghost.
Now, we all acknowledge that receiving a big answer quickly and all at once is possible and, in fact, does occur in some exceptional circumstances. Perhaps we give overmuch emphasis to the miraculous experiences of Joseph in the Sacred Grove, of Paul on the road to Damascus, and of Alma the Younger. If our personal experiences fall short of these well-known and spiritually dramatic examples, then perhaps we believe something is wrong with or lacking in us. I am suggesting that the particular spiritual process evidenced in these three examples with Joseph, Paul, and Alma is more rare than it is routine, more the exception than the rule."
How great is that? I couldn't have said it better. And I totally agree with Elder Bednar, I think so many times in life, we expect (or just hope for) this lightning bolt of an answer like "THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO!". But, so many times, well most of the time, our answers don't really come that way. How would we be able to learn and grow and progress in our lives if the Lord clearly told us everything we had to do? The point is to learn to walk by faith (something I'm trying to learn right now). But the cool thing is, when we walk in faith, we can feel the peace of the Lord to help comfort us along the path of life.
What helps you keep going without knowing exactly where the Lord wants you to go?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Saturday night I get a text from my Bishop...
How would I feel??? To teach mission prep instead of Sunday school? Well I would feel GREAT about that Bishop. haha When I got his message, I freaked out a little bit with excitement. Of course teaching Mission Prep would be one of the most exciting things ever for me (and about 100 times better then teaching Sunday school). The only catch was that mission prep classes are held an hour and a half before our actual church hours start. He asked me to start going this past Sunday, but that little hour before church was one of very BEST parts of my week.
So, why I am telling you this?? It was the best part of my week because the Spirit was SO strong in that little class. We were talking about the Book of Mormon and the power it has to convert. And I know that it does have power to convert people. I know that. And there is a special Spirit that comes when we testify. I was asked to do a little demo of teaching with one of the other RMs and I forgot how strongly and how quickly the Spirit just permeates the room when you testify. It was an incredible feeling to be able to teach and testify again. And made me miss being on my mission sooo much!
But, I was really grateful for this experience, because it got me thinking how different, but yet similar, life is on the mission versus at home. I've only been home a little over a month, and I'm doing all the right things, but yet still, its hard to feel the Spirit as strongly as you felt it on the mission on a daily basis. But having this experience made me realize we need to be recommitting everyday to hear the voice of the Lord in our lives and follow those promptings.
What do you do to hear the voice of the Lord more strongly in your life?
What do you do to actually follow His promptings?
"Alicia, how would feel about helping with mission prep instead of regular Sunday school?
How would I feel??? To teach mission prep instead of Sunday school? Well I would feel GREAT about that Bishop. haha When I got his message, I freaked out a little bit with excitement. Of course teaching Mission Prep would be one of the most exciting things ever for me (and about 100 times better then teaching Sunday school). The only catch was that mission prep classes are held an hour and a half before our actual church hours start. He asked me to start going this past Sunday, but that little hour before church was one of very BEST parts of my week.
So, why I am telling you this?? It was the best part of my week because the Spirit was SO strong in that little class. We were talking about the Book of Mormon and the power it has to convert. And I know that it does have power to convert people. I know that. And there is a special Spirit that comes when we testify. I was asked to do a little demo of teaching with one of the other RMs and I forgot how strongly and how quickly the Spirit just permeates the room when you testify. It was an incredible feeling to be able to teach and testify again. And made me miss being on my mission sooo much!
But, I was really grateful for this experience, because it got me thinking how different, but yet similar, life is on the mission versus at home. I've only been home a little over a month, and I'm doing all the right things, but yet still, its hard to feel the Spirit as strongly as you felt it on the mission on a daily basis. But having this experience made me realize we need to be recommitting everyday to hear the voice of the Lord in our lives and follow those promptings.
What do you do to hear the voice of the Lord more strongly in your life?
What do you do to actually follow His promptings?
Friday, January 25, 2013
¿Por qué?
One of my favorite questions to ask all of my companions was "so why did you decide to serve?". I absolutely LOVED hearing their responses. And the best part of it was that not everyone had or has a huge story or some grand experience that led up to going on a mission, but they are all there for a reason. And its because they found that reason and moved forward in faith.
I wanted to share why I decided to go on a mission.
I feel like this is an interesting topic these days with the new announcement by President Monson. But I know that the decision to serve a mission should be a personal one between you and the Lord. Because, honestly, who knows you better than him? Um, nobody.
Anyone that knows me, knows that I LOVE to plan. I mean LOVE. Maybe too much. I live by lists and my Google calendar. That being said, I also love setting and achieving goals and just knowing where my life is going. Going back to Octoberish of 2010, I had just started my Junior year at BYU. I had been at school for a few years, but I had reached this point where I didn't really know what I was doing. I didn't know where I would be in the next couple years and it really started to bother me a lot. This might seem crazy, but it really got me thinking into what I wanted to with my life and what I had been doing up to this point. And weirdly, all of a sudden the word mission just kept coming up in my life. Like ALL the time. It was seriously kind of weird. I'd find myself talking about missions to a good friend and his wife (who had both served missions), or a lesson in Relief Society by a returned sister missionary, or just a random experience that would somehow be connected to a mission in some way. And I didn't put it all together at first, but soon enough I started realizing this might be just be something the Lord was trying to tell me.
I went to my cousin's wedding reception in Salt Lake that fall, and who do I run into? Sister Eggroll! A girl that had served her mission in my home ward in Maryland a few years before! (and had taught my family how to make homemade egg rolls). I had run into her on campus a few times, but I hadn't really gotten the chance to talk to her. But, that night I got to talk to her and I was just glued to her side, asking her all about missions and my dilemma about going. She of course was totally for me going on a mission and she even told me that she was probably a biased opinion and not the best source (but it's what I secretly wanted).
After talking to Sister Eggroll that night, I had the push I really needed to start seriously thinking and praying about what the Lord wanted me to do. Even though that experience really helped kickstart the search, it definitely didn't mean the next few weeks/months weren't a really hard time for me, because they were (and probably for my mom and roommates too!). There was a lot of thinking, talking, fasting, reading scriptures, and praying. Lots of it. Oh and maybe a few too many phone calls crying to my mom... And it didn't help anything that I can be very indecisive about certain things, and this was one of them. To make a very long month sound short, I eventually received the answer I needed. The answer I needed to know that the Lord needed me on a mission at this time in my life.
And then I started my papers.
It was seriously one of the most exciting times in my life. I had made this huge decision and started to move forward in faith. And the best part of it was constantly seeing the little positive confirmations in my life that this was what was in the Lord's plan for me. And the cool thing is those little positive confirmations didn't stop then, but continue to show up in my life almost everyday.
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I wanted to share why I decided to go on a mission.
I feel like this is an interesting topic these days with the new announcement by President Monson. But I know that the decision to serve a mission should be a personal one between you and the Lord. Because, honestly, who knows you better than him? Um, nobody.
Anyone that knows me, knows that I LOVE to plan. I mean LOVE. Maybe too much. I live by lists and my Google calendar. That being said, I also love setting and achieving goals and just knowing where my life is going. Going back to Octoberish of 2010, I had just started my Junior year at BYU. I had been at school for a few years, but I had reached this point where I didn't really know what I was doing. I didn't know where I would be in the next couple years and it really started to bother me a lot. This might seem crazy, but it really got me thinking into what I wanted to with my life and what I had been doing up to this point. And weirdly, all of a sudden the word mission just kept coming up in my life. Like ALL the time. It was seriously kind of weird. I'd find myself talking about missions to a good friend and his wife (who had both served missions), or a lesson in Relief Society by a returned sister missionary, or just a random experience that would somehow be connected to a mission in some way. And I didn't put it all together at first, but soon enough I started realizing this might be just be something the Lord was trying to tell me.
I went to my cousin's wedding reception in Salt Lake that fall, and who do I run into? Sister Eggroll! A girl that had served her mission in my home ward in Maryland a few years before! (and had taught my family how to make homemade egg rolls). I had run into her on campus a few times, but I hadn't really gotten the chance to talk to her. But, that night I got to talk to her and I was just glued to her side, asking her all about missions and my dilemma about going. She of course was totally for me going on a mission and she even told me that she was probably a biased opinion and not the best source (but it's what I secretly wanted).
After talking to Sister Eggroll that night, I had the push I really needed to start seriously thinking and praying about what the Lord wanted me to do. Even though that experience really helped kickstart the search, it definitely didn't mean the next few weeks/months weren't a really hard time for me, because they were (and probably for my mom and roommates too!). There was a lot of thinking, talking, fasting, reading scriptures, and praying. Lots of it. Oh and maybe a few too many phone calls crying to my mom... And it didn't help anything that I can be very indecisive about certain things, and this was one of them. To make a very long month sound short, I eventually received the answer I needed. The answer I needed to know that the Lord needed me on a mission at this time in my life.
And then I started my papers.
It was seriously one of the most exciting times in my life. I had made this huge decision and started to move forward in faith. And the best part of it was constantly seeing the little positive confirmations in my life that this was what was in the Lord's plan for me. And the cool thing is those little positive confirmations didn't stop then, but continue to show up in my life almost everyday.
the future Hermana Crowder !
more on opening my call soon!
Whats your ?
So I am really excited with how many people have seen this blog in the little time it has been alive! But I'd love to hear what you think, more specifically what you hope to hear about! So post a question or comment on the what's your ? page!
what's the best part of the MTC? The Bookstore!
just kidding, but seriously. well only kinda :)
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Getting Started!
Hey you! (future sister missionary, girl deciding to leave on a mission, returned missionary, or awesome person reading this blog!)
So the idea for this blog kinda just fell into my lap over the course of the past couple months. I will tell you all more about that in posts to come! But I am really excited for this chance to share a little bit of experience and excitement I have gained from serving the Lord the past 18 months. I am a fresh returned missionary (only home 1 month+) and I realized how much I absolutely love helping people (and miss it). So hopefully some of the things I share on here can help you feel more comfortable and calm about the transition from normal to mission life, maybe help you decide if a mission is what the Lord wants you to do, or just help in some other area of your life.
**And maybe you can help ME in the readjustment to normal life again :)
And feel free to comment and let me know what you want to know, what types of things you'd like me to blog about. I want this blog to be for you.
So the idea for this blog kinda just fell into my lap over the course of the past couple months. I will tell you all more about that in posts to come! But I am really excited for this chance to share a little bit of experience and excitement I have gained from serving the Lord the past 18 months. I am a fresh returned missionary (only home 1 month+) and I realized how much I absolutely love helping people (and miss it). So hopefully some of the things I share on here can help you feel more comfortable and calm about the transition from normal to mission life, maybe help you decide if a mission is what the Lord wants you to do, or just help in some other area of your life.
**And maybe you can help ME in the readjustment to normal life again :)
And feel free to comment and let me know what you want to know, what types of things you'd like me to blog about. I want this blog to be for you.
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