sabbath day special: temples

{Photography runs deep in our blood}

Above are some of my favorite people in the world, and I'm lucky enough that they are also my family.

Last weekend my parents and sweet Caroline were in town for the sealing of my baby cousin Lydia to her parents, so Pat and I drove up to Layton to join in the celebration. My aunt Mary and uncle David have been through a lot to adopt that little baby girl, and now, a year later, the adoption is finalized and she's theirs forever.

My favorite thing about all of these photos is how genuinely happy everyone looks. There are days in life that seem nearly perfect, and this was one of them.

Sidenote for those that aren't familiar with what it means to be sealed: Sealings are ordinances performed inside of LDS temples, and we believe these ordinances are very sacred. They bind families together forever and provide hope and security in families through trials. For even more information, go here.

sabbath day special: fasting

"To fast is to go without food and drink voluntarily for a certain period of time. Fasting combined with sincere prayer can help you prepare yourself and others to receive God's blessings."
- True to the Faith, "Fasting"

I've been an advocate for fasting since preparing for my mission, when I found out that fasting has somewhat "supercharged" spiritual power. Then, I came to realize on my mission that if I needed something major done, and I needed it done quickly, all I needed to do was fast - maybe that is why it's called fasting? My companions and I joked in awed whispers that we saw answers to our fasts literally within the day or over the next couple days.

I've still seen this to be true, though I think there isn't so much urgency in my questions as there was on my mission. However, today I was reminded just how much power fasting has, and my mother was an integral part of the whole thing. Maybe she was my angelic messenger for the day, and this was a small miracle in my recent life?

I was fasting for a couple different things - mostly more knowledge and understanding and hope in my life at this time, but also other somewhat intangible things. I didn't necessarily know how the answers could come immediately or in general. However, the lesson in Sunday School was along the lines of what I was thinking of and I thought, "Wow, maybe this is what Heavenly Father is trying to tell me? Cool." And I was grateful and learned a lot. But then, when I got home I checked my phone and my mom had texted me to tell me to check my email inbox. The email I had waiting for me contained literal answers to everything I had been fasting for. It was there on the screen, blaring right at me and I knew that she had been inspired to tell me all of those things. I read it three times over, as tears streamed down my face and I felt love fill every part of me.

I love this gospel and I love my Heavenly Father and I love my mom. I love how perfect the plan is for us to have these little moments of assurance and comfort. That we can choose to do things that God has asked us to do, like fast, so that we can receive His blessings. And I love that He has put us in families, so we can have little angels around us. Or for those that don't have the best family situation, He gives us friends or others that love us to convey important messages of a more divine love.

I'm so glad for this sabbath day and that I can have little miracles and angels that help me in my daily life.

the apple of God's eye

First, I would like to thank the band Sleeping at Last for making the most beautiful song I've heard in a while, which I stumbled upon this weekend because of a series of fortunate events. It nearly brings me to tears every time I listen, so I've probably almost cried approximately 150 times. What can I say? I am, as a general rule, an emotional nuclear bomb.

Anyway.

I had one of the best drives I've had in a while tonight.

It was one of those magical moments where the weather, my thoughts, and my music are completely and perfectly in sync with each other - a phenomenon I call my trifecta.

The weather: The sky was a vibrant pink ahead, with a brilliant yellow and gold sunset behind, so bright that it lit up the mountains to the left. Overhead shone the most vivid, complete rainbow I've ever seen, with a second softer rainbow right next to it. The end of the rainbow was so clear and defined I could see the full spectrum. In the distance smoky rain clouds threatened to break the sunset, but in that moment they just added to the intrigue.

The music: this song. "Sun" by Sleeping at Last

"We are the dust of dust."

"We are the apple of God's eye."

"We are infinite as the universe we hold inside."

My thoughts: I am so grateful I have a God who loves me. That He knows what I need and blesses me with a beautiful world to love and enjoy. That He gives me the friends that I have and the family that I love. I have been given so much and have so many opportunities to live and be happy.

I love the line from that song {called "Sun" appropriately}, "We are the apple of God's eye." Sometimes I have a tummy ache and sometimes I feel like I'm hard to love and sometimes I find it hard to believe that I am someone special. But we all have this incredible, unconditional, and infinite love from a God that doesn't care about all the things that we as humans care about. He loves us and will always love us. I love that and I felt that especially tonight, due to the tender mercy of my trifecta at the right time.

We are the apple of God's eye, how beautiful is that?