Here is a picture of us saying that we have accepted the challenge. I love how Buddy is just looking around and probably thinking, "What the honk is going on?" He is such a funny puppy. 
We all signed our names (Chris drew paw prints for Buddy and Bella. I thought it was so creative!).
As I have gotten married and moved out of my parents' house, I've realized how much busier I am. Life is crazy hectic sometimes and I don't read my scriptures as much as I used to. When I was taking seminary, the teachers would have us read whatever book we were going to be studying for the next year over the summer. I remember reading the Old Testament four times (I still don't fully understand it to this day) without a problem. I was always focused on reading my scriptures consistently every night before I fell asleep. My mom told me once that she admired that about me because she knew how important the scriptures were and still are to me.
I'm so grateful that I was taught the gospel in my home. Every morning at 7:00 am, my family and I would have family prayer and family scripture study before my sisters and I went to the bus stop to go to school. It was really nice because we would have discussions about what we were reading every morning.
Once I was married and moved to Texas with Chris, I've realized that we are more busier than ever. Chris works so many hours during the day and he is exhausted when he gets home from work. I have school, visiting teaching, taking care of Chris, and walking our puppies every day (the pups and I both really need the exercise. They are the ones that keep me in shape, believe it or not). I don't have as much time as I used to to simply sit down and read my scriptures. I really miss that. I guess the best thing we have to do is make the time. If it is that important to me, I will make the time for it. I know that for sure!
With that one simple challenge, JD put everything in perspective for me. When I was living with my parents, I had a vinyl saying plastered on my bedroom wall. It said, "The most important things in life are not things." I really liked that saying. We need to stop thinking that these temporal things like the Internet, social media, or even our smart phones (or any phone for that matter) are all that we need in our lives. We need to know how to be a good person. We need to know what Heavenly Father wants us to learn and what He wants us to do with our lives.
Who needs temporal belongings when we have all these spiritual blessings that our loving Heavenly Father is just waiting to give to us?
With that one simple challenge, JD put everything in perspective for me. When I was living with my parents, I had a vinyl saying plastered on my bedroom wall. It said, "The most important things in life are not things." I really liked that saying. We need to stop thinking that these temporal things like the Internet, social media, or even our smart phones (or any phone for that matter) are all that we need in our lives. We need to know how to be a good person. We need to know what Heavenly Father wants us to learn and what He wants us to do with our lives.
Who needs temporal belongings when we have all these spiritual blessings that our loving Heavenly Father is just waiting to give to us?
This is what we signed to say that we finished the Book of Mormon. Yayyy! :)
I'm so thankful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm grateful for a loving Savior who suffered and died not just for me, but for every person who is living or has ever lived on this earth. I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon and I know that it is the most correct book on the earth today. I'm thankful for Joseph Smith who translated the Book of Mormon so we could have it with us now. I'm so grateful that families can be together forever. I don't know what I would do without my family. They have always been with me through thick and thin. I'm grateful for the missionaries out there who gave up 2 years or 18 months of their lives to go to a different place and share the glorious gospel to those who are waiting to hear it. I'm very grateful for those people who put things in perspective for me and remind me what is really important in life.
This is one of my favorite pictures of Christ. I have always loved Greg Olsen and his paintings. He is such a wonderful artist. Whenever I get the chance to see his artwork, I feel the Spirit so strongly.
