Beauty From the Ashes

Today was an amazing day. Like one of those days where I just kind of sigh and think "Man, true happiness exists and it is this." There are many reasons why today was awesome, but the main one has to do with a building that I have personally been obsessed with for months now - The Provo City Center Temple.

In the third session of the dedication Elder Nelson talked about how this temple was an example to all of what happens when God takes something destroyed and makes something beautiful from it. He discussed the scripture in Isaiah that talks about how God will "give unto them beauty from ashes." That to me was absolutely amazing. It came right after a talk by Elder Whitney Clayton where he talked about the patience that went into planning, preparing, building, and readying the temple of the Lord. Elder Clayton related this to our lives.

For me, the reason I love this temple so very much is because it is a symbol of the Savior and his resurrection. I can't imagine what it must have been like for those who followed the Savior to watch his crucification and then resurrection. I love the gospel movies that show Mary and her surprise when she sees him in his resurrected form and her joy at knowing he was made whole again. To me, that is the same story of what has happened with the temple. It was a dark, sad day when the tabernacle burned. 3 and a half years later the temple stands as a symbol of light and love and beauty. For many it holds similar feelings of surprise at just how amazing it looks and how much joy it brings to everyone who sees it. It is am emblem of the Savior. Everything about the story of this temple leads us to the Savior, and in turn to God.

This temple is an example to me how God takes things that are so broken down or imperfect and creates beauty from them. It is an example of how after dark and lonely times, there is light. It is an example of giving all we can to serve the Lord. It is a connection between past and present. This building, now a dedicated house of the Lord, is a sign to me that God exists and that he wants us to understand his plan for our lives.

I am not from Utah Valley. I never even saw it when it was the tabernacle. Shoot - I don't even live in Provo. But, I do know that the Provo City Center Temple is truly the house of the Lord. I know that God can take us in a broken state and make us beautiful. I know that Christ was crucified and that he rose on the third day. I know that he lives.

Happiness truly is being able to feel of God's love and know that he cares. And that, is why today was so awesome. :)

A Little Piece of Heart

Sometimes I feel like I have a lot to say, and no where to say it all. This week has been one of those weeks. So, I thought I would write a blog. It's not really my style, but hey, it's a medium to get on my personal soapbox and share some thoughts, but more importantly I thought I would share a piece of my heart, so here it goes.

I have often heard people describe this time of life as the "decade of decisions." I agree with that. It is a time of life where we meet decisions that need to be made. I would like to add to that and say that it is a decade of change. Change is hard to do. No matter who you are, it takes effort to change. It takes time to change. It takes goals to change. So, the big question is, how do we change? What is it that drives us to become different? To act different? Maybe it's forced - forced from actions of others, forced from circumstances, forced from need.

Recently I have been trying to change a lot. Change my attitude, change my appearance, change my fitness level, change my financial status. I want to make sure my life is worthwhile. I want to make sure I leave a dent on the world. I want to make sure I am the best me I can be.

My change is motivated from a belief that there is something more - or it can be said, a faith that I can grow and become more that what I currently am and this faith, that is what has helped me make a difference.