these things i know for sure

typically, on the first sunday of each month, my church holds something called fast & testimony meeting.

it is a time where members of the congregation are invited to come up to the pulpit & bear a verbal witness of their feelings regarding the gospel of jesus christ.

i love feeling inspired & strengthened by other peoples faith & testimonies.
the spirit is strong, real, and powerful.

***

only once every two [slash twenty] years, do i actually get up & share my own thoughts.
and that's usually due to one of the following reasons:

a. my hardcore/irrational fear of public speaking/standing/breathing.
b. my child's obsession with misbehaving during the first hour of church.
c. i don't feel like crying an inevitable river.
d. all of the above.

***

today we didn't have fast & testimony meeting because there was a special conference held.

and i found myself missing it.

if we would have had it, i do believe, [even though it's against all laws of normal-angie-nature] i might have stood up in all my bloated-pregnant-glory, went to the front of the chapel & expressed the feelings of my very full heart, my angie-convictions:
the things i know for sure.

***

my testimony is simple.

we are all children of a kind, loving heavenly father who knows us better than we know ourselves.
he wants what's best for us.
he wants us to have true, lasting happiness.

because he loves us so much, he created a perfect plan for us.
this plan was designed so we could reach a fullness of joy.
{part} of that plan was for us to come to earth, gain a body & experience mortality.
i believe that we chose to come to earth, totally knowing we'd be h-core tested here, and spend our time seeking for god's light to direct us from birth.

heavenly father sent his only begotten son, jesus christ to save us from the bands of death and give us hope for eternal progression. i believe that jesus christ is our creator, our savior & redeemer, our friend & will one day be our judge. he loves us so much that he suffered & died for our grief, pain, disappointments, loneliness, depressions, and sins. i believe he rose again & lives. because of him we have the opportunity to learn, grow, become, experience, try, fail, repent, and one day live in glory with god again.

sometimes it's not easy for me to see beyond this mortal realm. i look at all that is goin' down in the world today....all the heartache, political turmoil, violence, and uncertainty. i feel overwhelmed by the trials that close-close friends & fam of mine are going through. i am saddened that life is just so dang hard sometimes. people disappoint & hurt each other. tragedies happen to super-good people. depression is a very real thing. circumstances are often complicated. money is freaking annoying. and things just don't always seem fair.

but in quiet & still day-to-day moments...i have spiritual clarity. i remember that we all have a purpose here. i remember that the way is not easy, but it is simple. i remember the sweet peace the gospel brings.

and i am reminded of very small, but equally profound, personal instances in which god has testified to me through the power of the holy ghost, the very source of all my happiness:

*that we are all children of god.
* that jesus is the christ.
&
*and that there is, in fact, reason to rejoice.

*these things i know for sure.

{happy november!}