Category Archives: Family Life
Murphy’s Farmhouse
We thought it’d be fun to stay on a farm one weekend. Little Micah loved it! Micah would wake up at 6 am and we would hear:
Cow: Moo
Micah: Moo
Duck: Quack Quack
Micah: Quack Quack Quack Quack!!
We loved seeing the cows to go get milked everyday. It was a very peaceful stay away from the big city!
Dingle Peninsula
We drove around the Dingle Peninsula. It was super pretty. I thought Dingle was prettier than the Ring of Kerry although they were both a very nice drive. When we went to Dingle, we went to a tiny branch for church called Tralee. It was the smalled branch I have ever been to! There were hardly enough people there to run the branch. Nevertheless, the rented building was remodeled and I felt like I was at the temple. It was a neat experience for us to go to a small branch and see how the church is growing.
London Pictures
I decided that London was one of the hardest places to take pictures at! It’s because it’s so crowded. I enjoyed our trip to London but I am so grateful I don’t live there. London is the most populated city I’ve ever been. I’m not used to crowds and lines. It was a new experience for me. It was the first time I’ve taken a real subway system! The tube is absolutely amazing. I can’t believe a train comes every 2 minutes and it’s packed with people. We went on a Harry Potter walk and shopped at a fancy shopping district. I thought London was exactly what you see in the movies. The best part of the trip was meeting my long lost cousin for the first time.
Manchester Pictures
Preston England Temple Pictures
The Dublin Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints went on a temple trip in March. The stake spent a whole day traveling to get the temple by taking the ferry and bus. Then they spent the entire week doing temple work all day long. The temple patrons and their families can stay at the temple accommodations which is like a hotel. The temple only charges 11 pounds per person per night. My husband called it EFY for adults. 🙂
I’ve never had to travel so far to go to the temple since I’m from Salt Lake City. It was so nice to be able to go to the temple again! I haven’t been for three months. Every time I go to the temple I can feel the peace and comfort of the Holy Ghost. I’m so grateful that I can go to the temple to pray to God and ponder about life’s questions.
Can’t help but to add some pictures of little Micah. 🙂
Living a life guided by revelation
Today marks five years since I got baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was one of the most difficult but life changing decisions I have ever made. I was never a religious person. My family wasn’t religious either. I didn’t know if there was a God nor did I care to find out. Whenever I saw missionaries I would run and hide behind the couch. I was an epitome of the “disappointing investigator”.
Growing up in Utah, most of my friends were “Mormons“. They invited me to church, activities, dances and camps. The social part of church was fun and all but I was never interested in learning religion. Most of my friends tried once or twice to teach me the gospel but usually left me alone after I told them I wasn’t interested. Some of them were more persistant than others. 🙂
Yet, like most people I went through a series of hard times in my life. I was plain miserable and depressed. No matter how hard I try to pick myself up, I felt hopeless and my life was falling apart.
I could go on with details of my conversion but the details don’t matter as much as how it happened. Eventually after years and years of people inviting me to read the Book of Mormon, I was finally ready and willing to read the book. Along with reading the Book of Mormon, I started to pray everyday to ask God if He exist and if the Book of Mormon is true.
It was March of 2008 when I started reading the Book of Mormon and I got baptized on April 19, 2008. I didn’t know very much doctrine and I didn’t have a sure knowledge of God when I got baptized. I just knew that I felt the Holy Ghost a few distinct instances during the time I was truly investigating the Church. However, the feelings always left me and I had to act on pure faith. It was not an easy decision! I felt very criticized and doubtful at times but that just lead me back to my knees to pray to ask God again. On my baptism day, I felt dark and lonely but all the darkness went away when I made it to my baptism and received the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Now after five years, I can truly say that I know without a doubt that God lives and that He does answer prayers. I know without a doubt that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on the earth and is lead by apostles and prophets that are called by God. I also know that Jesus Christ is the foundation of this Church. I know all this because I have lived the last five years of my life being guided by revelation from God through the gift of the Holy Ghost.
My Original Plans
- Graduate from high school, go to the University of Utah
- Graduate in 4 years in Electrical Engineering
- Get a nice job and make lots of money
- Get a MBA and be promoted
- Become successful!
- And hopefully get married sometime around 30 if the right guy comes
- And may be have kids sometime
God’s Plans for Me
- 2008 – Get baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints
- 2008 – Move to Logan, go to Utah State University on a scholarship and meet lots of new friends. Attend church, institute, read scriptures and pray everyday, be part of lots of clubs, and here have the best roommates in the world!
- 2008 – Grow spiritually so here are some callings: Family Home Evening Mom, Primary Teacher, Ward Missionary, Bulletin Board Specialist
- 2009 – Meet Dallin, your future husband
- 2009 – Be an EFY counselor
- 2010 – Get engaged, go to the temple and get married in the temple
- 2010 – Transfer to the University of Utah and study Computer Science
- 2010 – Live in the University Village and meet lots of happy families.
- 2010 – Have some more church callings: Relief Society Presidency, Stake Primary Presidency and Ward Missionary
- 2011- Have a baby and name him Micah!
- 2012 – Graduate from college and be a full time mom
- 2013 – Take your family to Ireland and serve in the Bray Branch.
Has my life been easy the last five years? No. I still have lots of trials and problems. Were the decisions I’ve made easy? Not really. But has it been worth it? Most definitely! I know by experience that because the atonement of Jesus Christ my burdens can be made light. Living a life following God’s plan is not always the easiest but it has definitely been full of joy, blessings, fulfillment, and miracles.
Can you believe what I would’ve missed out on if I never decided to get baptized five years ago?! I would not be the person I am today or have my family or be in Ireland for that matter. I would be completely lost in my own world.
I love the quote by Presiden Hinkley that says “When you save a girl, you save generations.” It’s so true!!
I like to look for rainbows
It’s 50 degrees f (10 c) outside and the sun finally came out! I can definitely understand why Ireland is famous for their rainbows. It’s because it rains so much here! It rains pretty much everyday.
This is the most magnificent and brilliant rainbow we have ever seen! It reminds me of the primary song When I am Baptized.
I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain
And ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again.
I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.
I want to be the best I can and live with God again.
I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away,
And I can be forgiven and improve myself each day.
I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.
I want to be the best I can and live with God again.
My husband came home from work busting through the door. He told us to go outside quick! Micah was going to the potty. We ran outside and Micah had no pants on but at least I remember to grab my camera. 🙂
Knowsley Safari Park
This is our adventure at the Knowsley Safari Park in Liverpool, England. The animals at this zoo runs around your car! So much fun. We highly recommend it.
Why I only support marriage between man and women
I claim full responsibility for this post. These are my beliefs. I do not speak behalf of anyone else or any organization.
Where do you draw the line between church and state? Was America founded by the hand of God and His laws? If so, what are His laws? Are there a universal defined morals that can not be changed? I’ve heard a lot of your beliefs and debates. Here is my beliefs (you don’t have to read if you don’t want to… it’s very religious and it most likely be different than yours):
I don’t believe this is an issue on equality rather an issue of is there a God? I believe there is a God and He has defined laws/morals. I believe that God’s laws will always be decided by God Himself and cannot be changed by majority vote or democracy. Just like I believe that God has said sex before marriage is immoral and adultery is immoral. I believe that a relationship between two same-genders is defined by God as immoral. I believe that by allowing same-gender marriage is similar to if we all voted in the right for us to run red lights, to steal or to murder. I believe that as a nation will have to face the consequences of what ever laws are put in place whether those consequences are good or bad. I believe that when we obey God’s laws we are blessed and when we don’t we eventually have to face negative consequences. It may seem unfair that God doesn’t want same-gender relationships but it’s may also seem unfair to people who want to have sex before marriage or people who want to have multiple partners or people who want to steal to get things for free. I believe that these acts all the equivalent in God’s eyes but the good news is that God has the power to help us overcome our temptations to sin. We can also repent for the mistakes we make. I also believe that it’s easier to avoid sins rather than repair sins.
I believe that ideally children should be born to a mother and a father who are married. Now, because the world is not perfect, I believe that the government should have laws that support traditional family values and help families that do not have both a mother and a father for the betterment of our society.
This is why I believe that marriage should only be between a man and a women. I believe that our government laws should uphold good moral principles that are established by God himself.
I also believe that God has given us a choice to choose for ourselves what to believe and how we want to live our lives. He can only give us guidelines. He can never force us to believe what He wants us to. I believe that God loves everyone and He will allow us to make choices for ourselves even if those choices are not aligned to His will.
So weather or not the supreme court decides on Prop 8 is now up to the supreme court. The voice of the people have already spoken and the issue is equally divided even within different religious congregations. I will accept what the supreme court chooses but I won’t change my beliefs. Everyone can and will continue to live their lives the way they want.
I believe the future is as bright as I can make it be. The best thing I can do is live by what I believe. Our society needs to work together to love, to vote and to compromise because all our individual choices will affect the future of our world.
It always brings me peace to know that no matter what happens God will be the final judge and everything will turn out the way He wants it to.
________________________________________________________________
If you want to know what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes on this topic you can look on their website:
http://www.lds.org/topics/same-gender-attraction?lang=eng
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-responds-to-same-sex-marriage-votes
________________________________________________________________
Feel free to express your beliefs, opinions and comments. Please keep it nice and kind.
Hubbard's Cupboard 