Life is good folks.
Any day that started out with a road trip to your homeland (Columbus ✌🏻️❤️😊) full of Jesus Jams, hugs from your favorite Sister Training Leader Sister Hill, and a few hours in the temple is a GREAT day!
So, I'm going to spend a majority of my time today talking about the temple. For those of you who are wondering "What the heck is a temple? And why does Sister Reynolds ALWAYS rave about her time there?" Here is a short blurb on Temples. Temples are literal houses of God on the earth. Just like the people in the Old Testament built temples to worship God, we continue to build them on the earth today. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we meet in regular old brick meeting houses every Sunday, but Temples are the special, set apart, big, (usually) white buildings where we go to make sacred promises with God. One of the most exciting things we get to do in the temple is be sealed/connected by Gods power to our spouses, children, and family for ETERNITY. That's forever folks, none of that till death do us part stuff in here! These are my 2 current favorite temples, and the temples I call home. (Columbus OH, and Salt Lake City UT)
There are no weird sacrifices or rituals or crazy shindigs involved, only peace, worship, and eternal happiness. When each temple is built, it is opened to the public for tours and explanations of the things we do inside. After it is dedicated by our Church Leaders, only prepared, worthy members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints over the age of 12 can go inside. We want EVERYONE to come inside, but it is considered a piece of Heaven on Earth so we all have to make special preparations to come in. The Temples are places of refuge in the crazy storms of life we face today and I will always be grateful for the time I get to spend in them.
Seriously, if you're looking for a place to be still and come to know God, go seek out a temple. They're the happiest places on earth #comeatusDisneyland
So yeah, it's been a good week. We've been working hard to help Jeremiah come to church. He is so close to finding his answer but we know he won't receive any revelation if he doesn't ACT so we are lovingly pushing him to take a leap of faith and JUST COME TO CHURCH (sometimes I get fired up when people get close to having sir life changed for eternity). We were also excited this week to hear our Ward Mission Leader's (fancy church job title for the guy who helps us do missionary work in his congregation here in Springfield) vision for the area. Right now it would take us about 2 hours to drive from the top of the congregation boundaries to the bottom. It's a large area because the people are so spread out. However, he really believes this is the time we are going to see some serious growth. We talked about how we only need a few more families to come into the church to be able to split into 2 congregations instead of just one. A lot of the members honk he is crazy, but I like crazy visions that stretch us. His vision has also helped my vision of our tiny town we live in, Urbana, shift a bit. Lately I've just been seeing so much potential in our area. I feel like it's just ready to burst, and if we put in the right amount of work and faith I know we will see miracles. Urbana is a place of miracles and we are going to do our darnedest to make some happen this week!
Sister Davis and I have also enjoyed Spring's arrival this week. The leggings were ditched, the sweaters were burned, and the sun came out to meet us. We spent many a lunch hour in our "Happy Place", a small square of cement, lovingly labeled a porch, outside our back door that faces our creepy woods. It's a good cloud watching perch and I will admit I spent a lot of time with my head in the clouds this week. ❤️
Well, a lot of people in Ohio have asked me how I know this Church is true. I have and will always point them to the temple. There are a lot of religions out there that can provide some semblance of peace and happiness. Any time we are taking steps to build our faith in God we can feel peace and some spark of happiness. But real, genuine, everlasting peace only comes in and through our acceptance of Jesus Christ and His gospel here on earth. A big part of accepting his Gospel is accepting his Temples and not only making promises with him when we are baptized but coming to the Temple and making even more sacred promises with Him. The current Prophet of Christ's church, President Thomas S Monson, has said
"Until you have entered the house of the Lord and have received all the blessings which await you there, you have not obtained everything the Church has to offer. The all-important and crowning blessings of membership in the Church are those blessings which we receive in the temples of God...The world can be a challenging and difficult place in which to live. We are often surrounded by that which would drag us down. As you and I go to the holy houses of God, as we remember the covenants we make within, we will be more able to bear every trial and to overcome each temptation. In this sacred sanctuary we will find peace; we will be renewed and fortified...My beloved brothers and sisters, may we make whatever sacrifices are necessary to attend the temple and to have the spirit of the temple in our hearts and in our homes. May we follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who made the ultimate sacrifice for us, that we might have eternal life and exaltation in our Heavenly Father’s kingdom. This is my sincere prayer, and I offer it in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, amen."
-The Holy Temple--a Beacon to the World, April 2011
I know that President Monson is God's mouth piece on earth today, and I know that all God wants more than anything is to see each of us go to the Temple and receive all the blessings and Eternal Happiness he has in store for us. Go to the temple, even if it's just to visit the grounds and learn about it, and I promise you will find MORE peace and happiness than you can even comprehend there. The church is true folks and Christ's full and complete gospel is on the earth today. I love living it, I love teaching it, and I love soaking it all in.
Keep your heads up, your hearts high, and your minds on the most important things in life! LOVE YA!
✌🏻️Sister Reynolds✌🏻️
Pics of the week
Pics of the week
#headintheclouds #ourhappyplace
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