Family... Isn't it About Time?

OH HOW THIS WEEK HAS BEEN GREAT!!!!

So I pretty much am going to talk about the Craig family!!!!!!! THEY ARE AMAZING! Pray for them like crazy!!!!!Okay so they are pretty much the most perfect, fun family you'll ever meet!  So many miracles have happened with them!  We found them just a month ago and they are loving the gospel! We are teaching the most amazing GOLDEN family! [It amazes me how true the promise is from the savior saying," I will go before you."] The Craig family is a miracle! We have taught them these past 3 weeks and have had such amazing lesson with their whole family! A family of six! you will fall in love their girls. A miracle took place with them this weekend! So we taught them as a family more in depth about the Restoration and read with them the Book of Mormon. The most perfect fellow shipper was there! He testified of the blessings of the gospel in his young family, and the brought the most amazing spirit as he thanked God for eternal marriage. The lesson could not have gone more perfect. BUT it didn't end there! 

Following the lesson with said they need to come to church to gain a testimony! They were a bit hesitant I think because they said they would try but weren't sure! Then a miracle happened. I get a call from Brother Craig (Jimmy our investigator) and I say hello and the person that replies was not jimmy but Bro. Stamas (the first counselor in the stake presidency)!!!! He was at the high school football game and Jimmy and his family just happened to sit next to him! So Jimmy told me on the phone at the game that "Mr. Stamas here roped us in to coming to church." What a miracle! God does live. No coincidence. What I love the most about the story is that the Craig family knew That it was God's doing! The are recognizing the hand of God more and more!

Well their whole family ended up coming to church!  It was such a perfect meeting for them to be in!  The spirit was amazing! I got up to bare my testimony on ETERNAL Families!  I brought up with a little 4x6 picture of my family and held it up crying cause I really can't wait to be with my family forever!  I looked at the Craig family and just knew that they would go to the temple one day and be sealed for all time and eternity!!!!! There are pictures of the Craigs below and their daughters!!!!  We are so excited for them!!!

 President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a talk called Living the Gospel Joyfully. I feel as though I have gained a better understanding of what this means!  I want to share my thoughts- He gave a metaphor to the commandments that Heavenly Father gives us.. Lampposts along a road. Rather than the analogy that is commonly given and the verse that says we have to choose the 'strait and narrow path,' I think this illustration reveals more to my understanding. 

God gives us a choice. We can decide to take the journey during the day, where we can see everything around us, and we feel we have control over our direction. We can see more than 500 feet in front of us, and probably on all sides. We know what we are approaching, and what we leave behind, and we feel as if we have the power ourselves to decide which direction and how far we will go. 

 I would challenge you to see the other option. taking the journey at night, on one of those nights where the moon is hidden behind the clouds. And there are only a few lights outside. I would argue that in those times, when you can't see what's in front of you, what's behind you, what you may be approaching, or how far you have to go to get to your destination, that you grow the most aware of your reliance on the light. We may only be able to see a few steps in front of us, and we don't even know exactly what direction we are going. But that is what makes it so beautiful, and that is what truly defines faith.

My faith has grown the most when I use the whatever light or [faith] I have to move. Being joyful while following the will of God is FUN!  It is SO FUN TO BE HAPPY!  I realize that with this incredible gift I never have the time to be sad.. With the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life I simply do not have to wait for happiness!  What a bea-u-tiful gift!

I love each of you!  A lot of you have emailed me asking if I really am this happy?  The answer is :

yes.

Pics!

1. the Craigs!

2. The Craig girls!

3. My companion! 

4. Ward service project... I chopped wood ha