The Second Coming

This post is long past due. I hope this can bring some hope into someones life, and maybe a little more understanding for some.

Growing up I was always terrified of the second coming. I didn't want it to come. I knew a lot of bad things were going to happen and I knew that life would be different. I was enjoying myself. I wasn't making good choices and I wasn't living a life that I should have been living. I didn't want life to be different. I wanted to grow up the way I wanted to, I wanted a family and I wanted to raise them in the church but not necessarily strong members. I didn't want the second coming to come because I thought my freedom would be taken away. I hope that in writing this I can help who ever reads it to understand that your freedom will not be taken away, it will be greater when Christ comes again. Do not make the same mistakes I made in thinking that life is going to suck when Christ comes. It is not going to suck, it is going to be the most awesome thing you could ever imagine.

There are many signs that we learn about from the scriptures. Wars, rumors of wars. The world is literally basically going to fall apart with earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, you know the whole works. It is going to be scary. But it says in the scriptures not to worry! We are not suppose to be afraid. We need to have faith. We need to pray for strength to make it though these hard times. Christ will comfort us. We need to prove to him that we will be faithful and that we will stand up for what we believe no matter what. We have to endure to the end. The end will be tough, but if we do not have strong testimonies it will be much more tough.

There are many questions that we have that Christ answers in the scriptures. We need to study those answers. They will not only help our testimonies grow but if we pray about them they will help us to feel at ease with the second coming. I Hope this has inspired you to strengthen your testimonies, to look deeper inside yourself to understand why you believe what you believe. Don't live for today only, live to make your life a life that you can smile about.

Religion class- I hope yall get something out of it!!

1. Review Matthew 14:22–33. Identify in writing what the reaction of the Apostles was when they first saw the Savior walking on the water toward them. They were all a little scared and didn't really know what to do. 
2. What did Peter’s response indicate about him? I think it indicated that he needed a sign in order to believe it. Once he had that sign he did believe it, until he got scared again, and then he began to sink into the water. I think we can really apply this to our own lives. 
3. According to Matthew 14:30, why did Peter begin to sink? He saw the wind boisterous, and was afraid. 
4. What did Peter do when he began to sink? What word in the verses describes the expediency or the timing when Jesus responded to Peter’s request? He said to the Lord "Lord, please save me!"
5. Read Doctrine and Covenants 88:67. Write a paragraph describing what principle from this verse relates to what Peter did to successfully walk on the water. How can this same principle be applied to your life to assist you in walking over the storms of life? 

Peter had his eye single to the glory of God, which made it able for him to walk on the water. He was filled with the light. He believed in his Lord and savior. I know that if I believe and if I have his light then I will also be able to accomplish the hard things in my life. 

Parables!

So I am taking this amazing religion class and each week we have a an assignment that we have to do, and we can choose how to do it! One of the choices is to write in your blog! SOOOOO I am going to be writing in my blog a lot more now! I am super excited! The best part.... Its all going to be spiritual!! Well unless I update it about life... which I need to do any way!! But for now this post is just about what I learned this week about parables! 

This week in religion we learned about parables. The thing that I liked the most was that in the bible dictionary we learn that a parable relates to life as it is, not as it should be. It is also interesting to me that a parable can relate to a person in exact proportion to that persons faith and intelligence. It makes me wonder where my faith is. I already know I’m a super genius, so it all depends on my faith. ;) I’m real humble to. When I read the parables that we studied in Matt. 13 this week I want to get the most out of them. I want them to understand them to the best of my ability what Christ was trying to tell me when he said this. I want to understand what he was trying to convey so that I can be a better person, a better disciple of Christ. Christ only spoke in parables. Conference is this weekend and even though our prophets don’t speak in parables, there is always an underlying message in what they are trying to say. How we perceive what our prophets are trying to teach us again depends on our faith and our intelligence. This again makes me question what my faith is. I am so excited for conference and I hope that I can get the most out of it. I hope that my questions will be answered and that I can a better person spiritually, and again a better disciple of Christ. 

First off I would just like to apologize. I realized today that my blog is a little boring. I have had the same background the whole time... and I don't even change my writing any more. SORRY! But I'm kind of over it. Although, I would eventually like to post a few more pics! So maybe someday. I guess I'm not real sorry because I do just write in this blog so that I can write my feelings and write about what I go through in my life. So enjoy. Especially this next little bit because yes I have started a new chapter in my life and I am THRILLED about it!

I have been a disfellowshiped member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints for the past two years 3 month. This past Wednesday I was able to be reinstated into the church and I would just like to share the wonderful spiritual experience. I will not share the sacred feelings and such, but I hope that my story will be able to change someones life, or maybe just get them thinking.

The past two years have been a bit crazy. I had to decide who I really wanted to be and what I really wanted to do with my life. I am still so confused about many things, such as what I will do for a career, but as far as my religion goes. I know who I am. I am a daughter of God. I KNOW this. And because I know this I know what I can do with my life, what I deserve out of life and what I have to do to receive those blessings that I am entitled to. My father in Heaven LOVES Me! And I love him to, I hope that my actions and my thoughts prove that. I know I am not perfect, I still make many mistakes, but each day I try.

There is no greater happiness than the happiness that you can receive through the gospel. This gospel holds all the truths for life. Although, its not just going to hand them over, you still have to search and find out for yourself. Which is what I have done. It took me 22 years to read the Book Of Mormon the whole way through. But I did it. And my life has been blessed greatly because of that. That book comes from God. It is prove that Christ did come to the Americas, and that He will come again.

I am so grateful for all the blessing I have received and I love my religion. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.



As for the rest of life right now, Next week the in International Dance and Music festival! And I am SOOO excited!!! I am hosting Russia and my house, and I work with the performances. Its going to be a SUPER busy week! But I look forward to it! Well I hope life is great for everyone!! Have a GREAT day!

-H. Dawn

OH LIFE!

Life is just so great right now! I love my job, but I love the days that I have off so I can spend them with my parents. I have been helping my mom with the garden and the orchard and with transplanting raspberries. We also put in a raspberry patch so we are going to have a LOT of raspberries! I'm quite excited!

It has been interesting because I am the only one home, so I have to do things I normally wouldn't. Like fix sprinklers. Which is less hard than I thought it would be :)

Also I bought a scooter! It is super legit! Its just a little black 150cc. But it is retro so its super cool!!! :) Although I don't have my motorcycle licence, and they haven't sent me my paper work so its not registered yet so basically I only ride it around my block.  I love riding it though, it is just so fun! I also enjoy just going for a bike ride! I love riding my bike! I ride it to work when it is warm, and just go on short bike ride occasionally!  So fun!

I am so glad it is starting to get warm! I am trying to organize a group of people to go hiking tomorrow! I hope we can get people to come!! :) We are going to go hiking and then possibly to some hot springs! I LOVE SUMMER TIME!!!

This week I got a letter from Jesse on Tuesday, a letter from Parker on Thursday and a letter from Morgan on Friday. I just love those boys! And I love that they are on their missions! They are such good kids! BEST MAIL WEEK EVER!!! :)

So my parents and I have started playing cards after dinner on some nights! Its great fun! We usually just play hearts, but sometimes I try to teach them a new game and sometimes it works but sometimes it doesn't! Like "Burn" and "Golf" they somewhat understand, and we can occasionally play! But I tried teaching them "The game is Mow".... it didn't work so well! they hated it!! HAHA!!! :)

The conference issue of the Ensign came in the mail today!!! I LOVE conference! I am so excited to read and study the talks! I love the Gospel! I was once in a really dark place, and even now I sometimes have bad days. But because of the Atonement I have felt more joy and happiness and love than I think I probably ever deserve! Heavenly Father loves me so much and I know this for a fact! And I love him! And I am so grateful for the sacrifice that his son made so that I can feel that happiness and love! I love reading and learning something new from my scriptures everyday! (Its better than shufflin' ;) ) In Romans 5:19 is talks about how one obedient person can lead many to righteousness. I hope I can be that obedient person, I hope I can be a light and an example! I LOVE this church and I know what making the right decisions can lead to. I love you all! Even if I have never met you! I LOVE you because Christ loves you, and I just want to be more like him!

Welp that's my life dudes and chicks! I hope everything is great for ya'll!! More later!!!

-Hailey Dawn

This little thing I like to call LiFe

So its been a while! I thought I had written about Estonia on my blog, but I guess not! I am probably not going to go into to much detail on Estonia, or Russia right now though. I kind of just want to update this thing on my LIFE!

So I got home from Russia on Dec. 20th. It was awesome because all of my nieces and nephews where there and I just love them! Kayla came to visit the week after Christmas, and that was so much fun! We went down to southern Utah and did a little hiking and then came back and basically just watched the office! But we had so much fun! I love that girl!

On Jan. 2nd. Kayla left to go back to Topeka, on Jan. 3rd David and Jessy moved to Cali, and on Jan. 4th Jesse left for the MTC to go serve a mission in Farmington New Mexico. I am now an only child. Do I love it? Probably not. I love being home with my parents, but I miss my sibling lots and lots!

I am currently working at D.L. Evans, and I LOVE my job! I love the people I work with, I love what I do, yes I just LOVE my job!

While I was in Russia I met a missionary named Elder Jenkins, he gets home in 12 days so I am planning a trip to Utah soon so that him, Selina, and I can have a little reunion! It should be GREAT! Also Elder Searle get home in 28 days. 28. I'm a little excited! :) :) :)!!!!

So I think that is my life in a nutshell!! I will hopefully write more soon. Hopefully about thoughts that I have, not just whats going on in my life! :)

-Hailey Dawn