Pristine slate.

via: Pinterest

"Distill a whole year down into a day, act like we all start over with a pristine slate.
But to get yourself a new life you've got to give the other one away.

And I'm starting to believe in the power of a Name...cause it can't be a mistake if I just call it change." 

-December, Sara Bareilles

So I'll live this new year just as Brendan James puts it, with my "heart in my hand...like a loaded gun." 

(Genius lyrics, if you ask me. The imagery of that is just fantastic.) 

Happy New Year!

Top Ten Moments of 2013.

It's mostly from the mission. Okay, it's all from the mission. It's totally outweighed everything else I've done this year. Obviously.

January. Stephanie got baptized. She was the first one I taught from start to finish. That girl's testimony is the size of the Pacific Ocean. Speaking of which, she put faith into perspective for me by teaching me that, "Faith is a small dot in the middle of a big ocean. That's all you need" Smart girl.

March. Sister Johnson and I made a cake for President in hopes of bribing him to keep us together in Brockport one more transfer. It was more like bribing the Spirit, which usually doesn't work, but this time it did!

March 14. Easily the best birthday present...we went to the Sacred Grove and Smith Farm for district meeting. There is something about discussing Joseph right where he grew up. It never got old.

  

May. After a long, exhausting day, I came home to Sister Beardsley in my bed. Our roommates got more of the effect they wanted when I turned the lights on myself! It completely lightened my mood and let me know that missionary work is actually supposed to be fun.

June. President Christianson's last Zone Conference. And...it was in the Grove. 

July. Hill Cumorah Pageant 2013. I got to spend a lot more time with the cast than usual...we were Cast Trainers who gave them missionary workshops, pointers, etc. The only three weeks on my mission I felt like a celebrity!

September. Meeting Britani. Teaching her. Seeing her be bapzited. Taking her through the sites. She is the epitome of having having the gospel "written in her heart." Britani just gets it, and I'm so lucky to be one of the two that got to teach her.

October. My exit interview. Probably (definitely) the best experience I've ever had in the Grove. It was the perfect way to end an 18 month journey in the Cradle of the Restoration.  Even though I've had many experiences in this place, this one sealed my testimony of what happened to Joseph with his Older Brother and Father.

October (the next day.) The best surprise of my life. Ten minutes before I boarded this plane, I wrote in my journal, "I don't think I've ever felt more alone." There obviously were a lot of tears at the scene. I don't think I stopped talking the whole flight...my mom is a trooper.

2013 was the best year of my life. But guess what?

O Christmas Tree.

There is a tree in my house. With lights on it. And presents underneath. (Well, they were.) That is really kinda weird.

But check this out:

"Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches, and gaily-colored pictures, such as she had seen in the shop windows, looked down upon her. The little maiden stretched out her hands towards them when--the match went out. The lights of the Christmas tree...she saw them now as stars in Heaven." -Hans Christian Andersen

Changes your perspective, doesn't it?

Merry Christmas!

How Great Shall Be Your Joy.

When I got this text message yesterday, my mind immediately flew to this scripture:

"And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" -D&C 18:15

Even though Satan tries his best to make my mission seem like a failure, the Spirit is working overtime to remind me of so much success that I got to be a part of. It's the stuff that I actually want to listen to that I pay attention to. I'm 100% positive that someone has wanted to send a message like this to all of you--even if they hadn't had the courage to press the send button. 

You're making a difference.

Holy places.

"We might first consider the word place as a physical environment or a geographic location. However, a place can be 'a distinct condition, position, or state of mind.' This means holy places can also include moments in time—moments when the Holy Ghost testifies to us, moments when we feel Heavenly Father’s love, or moments when we receive an answer to our prayers." -Ann M. Dibb

Just because Brother Joseph and I share a common "holy place," doesn't mean you have to. It could be anywhere from the front of your steering wheel to that first time that you really knew God existed. The only reason that I can consider the Sacred Grove as one of my holy places is just because I got called to Rochester. I have many other places and moments in time that get the Spirit with me within .05 seconds.

However, this one may or may not be my most favorite.