We all have a destiny, we just have to find it
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How easy is it to find sunshine in the rain? It doesn't happen very often, but Utah is kind of one of those weird places that does that. All week, it has been rainstorms, heavy cloud cover, thunder, lightning, and wind. Although, yesterday, I came outside to mow my lawn as the sun was shining, but as I looked up at the sky, I noticed a tiny dark spot in the clouds. And in that tiny dark spot, it only rained in a little spot in my hard that only expanded about ten square feet. I walked to my door, no rain, I walked to the spot, rain. That was a true example to me of finding sunshine in the rain. Between all the rainstorms this week, it has been one of the happiest weeks I have had in a long time. Why, might you ask? It was because I found the sunshine through other people. I have never felt so loved until this week when I realized how much I had impacted the other missionaries. I don't think I still really understand how much I impact them, but enough that some reached out to me. I recently came across a talk a couple of days ago that explained about how much society has expected us to be miserable. He explained that we shouldn't allow despair take over our lives, that we should expect ourselves to be miserable because everyone else feels like they need to too. If you feel like you can go through things, it's okay to smile and say that everything is alright for this moment. I've been going through a lot lately, but even amidst that, I'm not sad all the time. If you understood my circumstance, people would expect me to be sad all the time because that's just how it works. Well, it doesn't. Yeah, I get moments where I'm quite sad, that it's hard to think to be happy, but it's not me twenty-four seven. I choose to be happy, even where it may be raining inside, I still have sunshine somewhere in there. So as you go through this destiny, as you go through hardships and trials, just know, you aren't expected to be sad all of the time. It's okay, if someone makes you laugh, keep laughing and keep that smile. There may be rain outside, but the sunshine is there somewhere, even if it needs to come from somewhere else other than the sky. Talk: It is Better to Look Up: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/it-is-better-to-look-up?lang=eng The Sunshine in the Rain Sometimes the rain comes down And leaves you in the dark The sun is hidden in the clouds Blocking the heat and the light You bundle up in your jacket An umbrella over your head To hurry inside where it's dry Inside is dark, a strange silence Raindrops patter on the roof Nobody says a word Then a song is heard It starts, at first, further inside You approach closer They are singing "There is sunshine in my soul today More glorious and bright..." You start to sing along And you can't help but smile More people start to join in And soon, everyone is singing The clouds start to move And begin to clear the sky Until rays of sunlight merges The sun shines over the rain The drops of water glistens You start to sing louder Until soon enough, the sun is there Shining brightly on your face It continues to rain But you found sunshine in the midst of it Song: There is Sunshine in My soul Today: https://www.lds.org/music/text/hymns/there-is-sunshine-in-my-soul-today?lang=eng&_r=1
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I apologize for not posting one last week, I have fallen a wee bit behind, but I'm back and ready for another post!
Our lives can sure get busy, sometimes a little too busy. Trudging through schoolwork, long days at the one job that pays us, fulfilling family needs, reaching goals, anything that can keep us constantly on our feet. So where's the space between all of this? I feel like a common excuse is: "I don't have time for that", and maybe that is so, but if it's important to you, there is such thing as finding time. I understand if this doesn't sound realistic, but the most important thing in our life is balance, if there isn't balance, the unbalance will continue to fall until you have crashed into a terrible basket-case. When I had school, I would be bombarded with homework at times. Often times I would either be sitting at a desk taking notes or sitting at home doing homework. Between all of this, I would also have a job and play rehearsals. I love writing, I can't even tell you how passionate I am about writing a new story down on my computer or notebook, I need to write. So when did I ever write my story? I wrote every single day, but how did I do it? I kept a notebook with me at all times, it didn't matter where I was, I had one. If there was even a couple of minutes of down time during a class, I would write; during lunch, I would write; in the car on the way home, I would write (when I wasn't driving of course); when I needed a five minute break from my homework, I would write. I was always asked, "how do you find time to write?" or "I don't have time to write, I'm too busy", but the thing is, if you want to do something you love, you find time to do it. I never really had the chance to spend a few hours writing, and yet, I have finished entire novels because I never stopped writing, even if it was sporadic. Sometimes, you maybe can't do what your love during class, or during lunch. For example, I play the cello. I can't just carry my cello around and practice whenever I had time during school. What I had to do, during a moment where I was very passionate on my cello as well, was I made some sacrifices. Instead of 45 minutes of a television show to finish my night off, I would do 45 minutes of practice. It can be anything, name something you are passionate about and stop telling yourself that 'you don't have time for it'. Find time, and it will work out. And I'm not just saying this with passions. What happened to taking a breather every once in a while? Constantly moving, work, work and more work! Take a break. Even if it's brief. A common thing that I found useful to keep from being overwhelmed from homework is taking a brain break. Half an hour of homework, ten minutes of coloring, another half an hour of homework, have a snack, finish your homework, reward yourself with a television show. That is just an example, but don't just do five minutes of homework and a twenty minute break. If it needs to get done, get it done, but at least give yourself five minutes to do something else. Try to do things that are less a temptation such as coloring, meditating, going for a walk, having a snack, or taking a ten minute nap. Those that are temptations such as reading a book, watching a television show or YouTube, playing video games, or going on social media, could be a reward after you are finished, but shouldn't be considered for breaks. I'm sure we can all claim that we have procrastinated, but that's because we push ourselves too hard to do it all at once. Procrastination is another reason why there's no breathing space, and when temptations take over, it becomes harder to do the things that help our future. So I would encourage you, especially during times when you are busy, to consider certain temptations as more a reward for after rather than a break. I love watching Star Trek or Little House on the Prairie (very different shows, but that's just me), but I usually save those to watch only if I get certain things done first such as studying, attending YSA or family activities, or service opportunities. I used to watch an episode every night, but if there is a service project for my YSA Family home evening, I'm going to go to that. That still applied when I attended school, I didn't watch an episode unless I got all the things that are better done first, then I could watch something if I had time. These are merely suggestions. Taking time out of my day for passions or trying to find time to relax has really helped me breathe in this busy world. That is why I am discussing this in this post. Our destiny doesn't need to be so filled up and cram packed, we can find time to do things we desire. If a lot is happening, stop for just a moment, take a deep breath and give yourself a couple of minutes, then continue on with whatever you are doing. There is no such thing as not having enough time, if you want time to do it, you will find time in your busy day to do it, even if it means making sacrifices. While in Sunday School, we got into the subject about how getting closer to Christ can follow along our gifts and talents. One of the brethren mentioned how he was a black belt, but it had taken him several years to get to that point. Through working through certain skills and practicing every day, he was able to build up to be a black belt. He used this analogy in a spiritual end. We all start as white belts, but with practice and working on the skills of the Lord, we will eventually become the black belts God desires us to be. I recently started reading a book called "What would a Holy Woman do"? Although it pertains to women, it's often nice to think about what we can do to become spiritually closer to our Heavenly Father. One of the things I would like to point out is the blessings involved of doing the Lords work. We don't particularly earn blessings, rather we receive them if we allow Heavenly Father to. He has those blessings waiting for us if we just allow Him to give them. Even those who aren't a member of the church can receive blessings. Our trials are not forgotten, in fact, they are used to challenge us, but also allow us to recognize the blessings Heavenly Father will provide. We can learn to recognize these blessings by practicing our efforts through our studies and prayers. If we do that, our spiritual white belts will eventually turn into the black belts God has been preparing for us. These spiritual black belts allow us to fight back the adversary and become closer to our Heavenly Father. Blessings come in all shapes and sizes. As white belts, it is easy to identify the big obvious ones that happen during our big trials, but as we grow and understand more of the Lord, we learn of the little things He has provided for us too. A challenge that has been given to me is to write down a blessing every day, as there will be blessings found every day. Sometimes it is merely getting to the train in time and sometimes it's something as big as happening to be there during a Seizure to call for help. The more I have studied and understood God's work, the more I have learned to identify them. So as we journey on through our life, just remember that we can be a spiritual black belt if we strengthen ourselves through the Lords teachings. Every trial we face will build up our stage of black belt as long as we allow Him in our lives. I leave this with you with my testimony in knowing Christ lives, he knows us and wants to help us become better and spiritually minded, and I say these things through Christ's name, Amen. Think before you judge You don't know their story Their clothes could be rags Their faces may be sour But they are as human as you They face trials like you Perhaps they're in a dark place But they are trying to get out Because nobody wants that To think themselves evil or crazy You have your own story Little may know about it You wouldn't want to be judged Judged of harsh words So think before you judge Until you know their story I've obviously been in the mood to write poetry as you've seen in the last two blog posts. I drew this picture today in inspiration of this poem that I wrote in sacrament meeting.
The reason for writing this poem is tender, and it isn't necessarily what I had to learn, but what I wished others had to learn. Someone made a false judgement to someone close to me and it's causing an unfair trial towards him. Those who know the story seek to help him and work with him, but those who don't know the full story have judged him in a very harsh way. We all can say, especially in our uneasy life (particularly in High School), that we face those insecurities of thinking of people judging us. I have grown to ignore the thoughts of being judged because I found myself more comfortable with myself. Judging is not a bad thing, but it's unrighteous judging that causes issues. While we drive, while we pass people at work or on the streets, at the store, anywhere, we run into people who have their own story. We shouldn't judge so harshly if we don't know their story. The next time you have road rage from someone cutting you off, consider what their story might be. Perhaps they heard that their child was having a seizure and they needed to get there as soon as they could. Maybe they had a job interview that would earn him enough money for his house that he is losing and was running late. We don't know that persons story and they don't know ours. It's really a matter of perspective to think that of other people. So I would challenge you this week to consider trying to think of a good reason rather than being angry or frustrated at a stranger or even a friend. Between driving, work and other public places, there can be a lot of frustration and chaos. So with a change of perspective, simple righteous judgments can lead to not only a better day for you, but a better understanding of other peoples situations. Christ is there for us, always.
It does not matter if you're in prison or an abusive home It does not matter He is there for us Perhaps we feel answers don't come right away But that does not mean we are abandoned The time will come When we find the answers from our prayers But He is always listening No matter where we are No matter what we have done Or what we are doing Some things are meant to happen Even if it may not be something we want But that is what is better for us Christ knows us better than we know ourselves That is how we know he will not leave us He knows what we are going through He has felt our pain He has endured all sickness and affliction There is one person who has a perfect knowledge Of all our trials That is what makes Christ so perfect To have a perfect understanding Of our strengths and weaknesses That is why when we pray We end with his name Because in the Name of Jesus Christ We know he is always there for us For those who don't know me very well, one of the things that I have learned is accepting change. I have moved a lot in my life, but every move has brought me with a new perspective in a different environment. I am comfortable with change because that is what I've always grown up to go through. Although, can I just say, there are still a lot of things in my life that I struggle to accept in change.
When I graduated, I wanted to change; I wanted to go on a teaching mission, move out, go to college, get a job I enjoy, all of that. Well, that didn't necessarily happen. What I wanted to change was not what God wanted me to change to. I had this moment of heavy fog after I found out I could not serve a teaching mission. I thought I could just skip my list of plans and go straight to college, but I wasn't sure. This was the hard part of this change that I didn't understand, and that hard part was not knowing what I needed to change into. College? Marriage? Job? Even after I found out about the service mission opportunity I was so confused, that's not what I wanted to do. No. That is what the Lord wanted me to do. Every move was because of a change in career in my family, I just got to tag along for the ride. That change I was dependent with my family. This change after graduation was a moment in my life where I had to make my own independent choices, but at the same time, I also needed to depend on the Lord. I did not choose to move, my family did. The Lord wanted me to serve a mission, I had to choose to follow what he wanted me to do. This change is what needed to be done, even if it was something I wasn't expecting. The reason why I am talking about this particular subject is because I am still going through a moment of change right now. When I first began, I stepped into training and was guided through that process. Now I am coming to the point where I need to choose where I need to go next. Temple Square Campus has a lot of options and I need to ask the Lord where I need to go. Where I need to change to. This week I had the chance to go on a Global Service Center Blitz, where a group of us traveled to the GSC and got to see what they do there. It was some interesting work, but I didn't think I could be over there. Although it was merely a week, a change in my schedule threw me off. Both Monday and Tuesday I just felt awful, like something wasn't right. I felt like I was being pulled away from my social life from the COB and placed in a desk in a dark building. It didn't hit me until yesterday when I realized how much I actually enjoyed the work at the GSC, I just needed to open my eyes to see it. Right now, I would probably say the GSC isn't for me, but it isn't because of the lack of social life or the darker building, it's because I feel it's still right to stay at the COB. It was the change of perspective I needed to learn from the GSC. That was also the change in General Conference. That is why this point is so important. Us as members were all expecting the church would announce some big change during General Conference only to hear nothing. I was reminded by one of the Elders that it wasn't a change in plans, it was a change in attitude. My attitude at the GSC was sour at first, it was strange, but after watching some of the talks, I realized that no matter where I was, I needed to serve the Lord. My perspective changed and now I wish I can be at the GSC just a little bit longer so I could have a better attitude for a longer amount of time there. So there are two important elements in change that should always be remembered; a change in perspective, and a change in attitude. As we go through our lives, things will change even if it is a temporary moment of time or a big change that will influence the rest of your life. These changes are all part of the plan God has planned for us, our job is to accept them with a full heart of gratitude and both our perspective and our attitude will change with it. Can I just say thank you for those who read my posts, it makes my day to know someone cares about what I write.
This weekend I had the chance to help with translators for General Conference, I was able to be there for all of the sessions giving out translators to people ranging from Portuguese to Mali Gasi (or however you spell it, it's apparently a language in Madagascar). It was a way of serving that allowed those who chose to travel across the world to come to General Conference to listen to it in their own comfortable language. There were people from Africa, Japan, China, Polynesia, Philippines, Korea, Finland, Sweden, and so many other countries from around the world. How grateful I am that they were able to come to this conference, to make their way over here to hear the prophet and the General authorities speak on the gospel. I was very grateful for them being there to take the time to come and watch conference, so I took the time and I learned so say 'thank you' in multiple languages. I learned to say it in Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, German, Russian, French, Haitian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Finnish and Tongan. It was so nice to see a familiar face who came to the last session and to tell them 'thank you' again in their language and they just looked at me with a smile and responded in their own language. Although it was fun to learn to say 'thank you' in multiple languages, it was the service that allowed me to truly connect with those I may not know how to communicate with. It was the service to make sure they could watch conference comfortably. As a missionary, service is in my name, and although my service is on a desk fixing errors or helping with translators, we do everything we can to make sure the Gospel Library and Churchofjesuschrist.org runs smoothly. We see it in our homes, at our schools and work, and when someone is there to help and serve, it communicates in a positive way. I'd like to consider it like a language, a language that no matter the barrier of understanding, we can still communicate through service. Perhaps words can't be expressed, but a simple act of kindness by serving others can truly unite us together. If we know how to say 'thank you', that is all that counts in return of such service. Unity is service, and service is a language that we all must understand. That is a very important part of our destiny. I apologize that I took so long to make another blog post, one day I hope to have a consistent basis on writing, but right now it's when I feel inspired to share another story of finding your destiny.
This last week I made the mistake of running a little too close to the time of departure of the train. As I was rushing towards the train, I felt the clinks of materials fly from my backpack and land on the asphalt. I turned around to see my badge, my COB badge and other important materials scattered across the parking lot. I really hoped nothing else spilled out, but I shoved them back in my backpack, zipped it up and continued running until I barely got on. It was a little crazy, well apparently I still forgot something, but somehow, it ended up on the train instead of on the parking lot. I get a notification through my Facebook from someone I've never met mentioning that he found my temple recommend and not only that, but he also lives in Salem and works at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. How convenient is that? Not only convenient, but a true tender mercy. He hunted me down through Facebook, so I tried to hunt him down to get my recommend. So Sister Garrett and I came over to the Joseph Smith Memorial to try to find him, but by the time we got there and got a hold of him, we realized he was already getting on the train back home. He said he could just drop it off at my house. Now usually you don't give your address to random strangers. But I did for this special circumstance. I explained to my mother the situation so she wouldn't be approached with a stranger giving her my temple recommend. Luckily, he dropped it off later and happened to be there just as I got home so I got to meet him, he explained to me: "I was getting off before I came across a picture of Christ on the floor and thought 'hm, that looks like a temple recommend and sure enough, it was". I will say, I am truly grateful to know there are good people out there, but not only that, that the fact that a good person happened to come across my temple recommended. And this person took the effort to try to find me so he could get it to me. Our destiny doesn't just involve us, sometimes we need to help others as well. This man had done something very generous to me because he took just a half a second to reach down and pick up my recommend. He knew I needed that and tried to find a way to reach me, and the best way these days is through Facebook. I realized that anything we take even the slightest time of our day from to help someone else, it brings the world to them. That man was able to allow me to attend the temple trip the next day and serve in my Friday shifts at the temple as well. That man let me know that miracles happen when someone else chooses to serve, even if it means merely picking up a left temple recommend on the train. If he wouldn't have picked it up, it would've either ended up in the wrong hands, been caught on the bottom of someones shoe or bag, or ended up with the train Host to get lost in the UTA lost and found inconveniently out of the way for me. This man was my good Samaritan and I feel we all can be a good Samaritan if we choose to take just a few seconds or even minutes from our day to help someone else. Because that too is part of our beautiful destiny. First things first, if you are wondering why I titled it this is because if you have ever watched Pixar's UP, when the dogs get distracted by... "squirrel!", that basically describes me. I often like to consider myself like Anne Shirley of Green Gables who just dreams herself into everything, but upon that, distractions is something I am known for. I even have a Girls Camp badge to prove it. As I described this to one of the sisters, she explained that instead of shouting "squirrel!" at the COB, we shout "apostle!". The irony of this all was when she was demonstrating the pointing of an apostle, Elder Rasband happened to be there right at that moment, exactly where she pointed. It was one of those moments of, "hey, there's actually an apostle there!"
Anyway, I would just like to say how neat of an experience it is to serve at the Church Office Building, I have met some remarkable people and am set on moving forward as the sister missionary I am supposed to be. The message I would like to say for finding your destiny today is to smile. Smiling is the best medicine, especially when you try to find a reason to smile. I find joy in everything and that so everything makes me smile. I smile as I walk through Temple Square and listen to inspirational music, I smile while walking through the revolving doors, I smile as I see all my new friends I had made in the SMTC, I smile when I find a new thing to do or standing in line for my yummy lunch. I love this acronym that I've heard in the church for smile: Spiritually Minded Is Life Eternal I would just to testify how grateful I am to have breath in this life, I am grateful for the people I have met and the opportunities I have been able to do, I am truly grateful to be able to have the chance to serve a mission and serve the Lord in a way I would never expect, and for that, I would just like to leave you on this blog in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. Like seriously, Satan is on the warpath, especially to those who have chosen to serve. He knows what God has in store for us, so must he create that opposition we all despise, but guess what? We're stronger than he thinks we are and we can go through this! He's pulling my strings alright, those 'flaxen cords' as you would call them and it has become quite difficult to truly accept what is best to avoid that. Let's take for example wanting to spend the two weeks of summer Shakespeare. They are doing Henry VI and man I can't tell you how much I want to do it, but is it really right while I am called to serve? It's such a difficult decision when my passion still leads to theater and I'm still living at home, hanging out with friends, etc. What do I do with that? I continue to pray about it, but even something as minor as that has bothered me and brought me with a lot of questions. I really really want to do it, I can't even tell you how much I want to, but like the scriptures (or my mother) say: "oh be wise, what can I say more', I must make decisions that will impact and strengthen me as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There is nothing wrong in it, but there is a fine line between good things and great things and serving this mission is the great part of this destiny
My mother gave me a good reminder this morning when she told me I needed to remember to add more spiritual things in my emails. For those who read my emails, I apologize for not further adding my spiritual moments as much as I should. It's all fun and all that, but this has truly been a spiritual experience as well. I was told that I will receive miracles every day, I just need to open my eyes and look at them. While I write in my journal every night, I try to include the miracle I noticed that day, even if it was something as minor as having the perfect amount of change to pay for my lunch or even something as big as getting on the train in time and my dad happening to be in Salt Lake to drop off Lunch money for me. As I think about it, it doesn't have to be just me to notice this. We all will go through some form of tender mercy, what we need is to look for it. Perhaps that is a part of the destiny that we fail to recognize unless it's something big, but every day there is a miracle. So I would encourage you, as you write in your journals, or even add in your thoughts, what miracles you found today, or maybe even throughout this week. Some examples: maybe you dropped your pen and while walking away, someone calls you over and gives it back; or perhaps you had just enough time to eat your lunch before attending a mandatory meeting, or maybe even finding yourself stuck in a traffic jam needing to get on the exit and a car happens to let you pass. Even in the roughest of times, miracles happen, they may be more difficult to find than other days, but they are there. Another word for them is Tender Mercies. I do have a testimony of God's power and how he can provide tender mercies on a daily basis and I would encourage everyone to look for those because they really do exist. |
Kaylee CasuttI have been writing for over eight years now and have been both building to publish my first book and serve as a service-missionary of The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Everything I write will contribute to the journey destined I have been striving to find and build. Archives
May 2020
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