Stake Conference

The adult session of Stake Conference was tonight.  It was wonderful.  The main themes were trials and the Atonement.  The Spirit was wonderful and strong.  Mom gave a great talk.  I wanted to share what I wrote to my brother about the occasion (or part of it).
I am so grateful for my trials. Grateful that the Lords loves me and trusts me enough to give them to me, and let me get through them. That I am able to learn lessons and grow. If He gives me something I look at and think may be too hard, but it doesn't get taken away, then it means I can do it. I don't have to do it alone. He is there, he understands, and he can lighten my burden. I know that things are hard, but so long as they are teaching me and bringing me closer to my Saviour and what He wishes for me to become, then I accept them with a glad heart knowing it will be rough at times, but so worth it. And remember, that every loss will be compensated to those who are faithful (Elder Wirthlin). Oh, how I love this gospel. It is true. It brings joy and peace. There is strength and comfort to be found during our trials, those hard blessings. I thank the Lord for what he is teaching me, and who that is making me.
I hope that each of you, no matter what you may be going through in your life, will be able to find joy and gratitude for it. Even, the hard things. Especially the hard things.

Grey Epiphany

I was lying in bed the other night imagining having a new bedroom with white walls and someone had asked me what colour I was going to paint them.  My immediate response was purple.  The lighter than lavender colour that is my current room.  I was going through my reasons for that choice, and one of the things I like about it, is that often it almost seems grey.  I followed that path of thought to dissecting the colour grey.  As I did this, I realized grey is the most amazing colour.  It is anything and everything and nothing all at the same time.  Grey can convey light, calm, and welcome feelings.  Or it can convey dark, harsh, and depressing ones.  It is a beautiful mixture of all colour and a complete lack of colour that can make something so multifaceted.  Grey can do anything.  It encompasses everything, and yet is nothing.  It has within its power to convey, enhance, or diminish any feeling, emotion, message or energy.  I am a very colour oriented person, and connect to them more than most people do.  I love the messages they can send, the ideas and emotions they each represent, and the energies they have.  Thus the colour grey astounds me.  All colour, all light.  No colour, no light.  Which direction is it coming from?  The darkness towards the light, or the light into the darkness?  Is it more a lack of, or more a tainting?  Is it more white and therefore light and colour, or is it more black and have no colour and light?  Does it have any colour?  What a mind-boggling dilemma, and a powerful colour.  Grey can stand alone, or be used in combination with any other colour.  It can express the ideas that come with each of the other colours without being that colour.  It is the great chameleon. It has found a way to exist and be all, without being anything.  It may now be at the top of my colour list (although it is technically considered a neutral, unlike browns which are not).  Grey has an infinite number of uses and abilities, all based on this state of being an existent non-existent.  I still love the tints of purple that I loved before my discovery of grey.  The implications, benefits, and beauty of those colours (and all colours for that matter and not just purples) still exists.  Only now, it seems to be overshadowed by the mysterious magic of the colour Grey.

Apology

I have been so neglectful of my blog.  There are many reasons I could attribute that too, but as I am not a fan of excuses, I won't.  I do want to make it known however, that it has not been due to a lack of lessons or insights.  There have been many challenges, blessings, lessons, and growth since my last post.  I just never transferred them to the blog.  I am sad mainly for myself of missing the opportunity to share them with you as I know that it is unlikely that I will go back and post them all now.  But I am also sad that I haven't had more of an interaction with you, and you have missed out on hearing so much.  I pledge to do better in the future.  Not perfect mind you, but better.  And so long as I am improving, I think it is safe to say I am on the right path.