Happiness Is!

I have been reading Jesus the Christ because of an invitation issued to my stake by our Stake President. This is the invitation he extended to us:
"As the Holy Ghost has stirred our souls with desire and has enlightened us with pure insight into Christ’s perfect example of His perfect love, I extend this invitation to each of you: FIRST, I invite you to study the life of Christ. More specifically, between now and our next stake conference on November 8th and 9th, I encourage every member of the Austin Texas Stake to study the four Gospels; in addition, to studying the 3rd Book of Nephi, and the inspired work of Elder James E. Talmage entitled, “Jesus the Christ.”SECOND, I invite each of you to strive every day to become as Christ by expressing charity through your actions that you may always have His Spirit to be you and that you may be found possessing His love, even a manifestation of His divine nature, on your last day." ~Stewart W. Dickson

What an inspired invitation. There has been so much that I have learned as I have studied a little closer the life of our Savior. Christ is what happiness is!

My purpose for mentioning this invitation was because as I was reading in Jesus the Christ I found a great note talking about what happiness is. Because of the title of my blog I thought it only fitting to share with you the insight that I gained from reading.

Reference: "Jesus the Christ" James E. Talmage Chapter 17 note 2. pg 231.

"Happiness includes all that is really desirable and of true worth. Happiness is genuine gold. Happiness is as the genuine diamond, which, rough or polished, shines with its own inimitable luster. Happiness is as the ruby, red as the heart's blood, hard and enduring.

"Happiness is true food, wholesome, nutricious and sweet; it builds up the body and generates energy for action, physical, mental and spiritual.

"Happiness leaves no bad after-taste, it is followed by no depressing reaction; it calls for no repentance, brings no regret, entails no remorse.

"True happiness is lived over and over again in memory, always with a renewal of the original good.

"Happiness is not akin with levity, nor is it one with light-minded mirth. It springs from the deeper fountains of the soul, and is not infrequently accompanied by tears. Have you never been so happy that you have had to weep? I have."

I really enjoyed all of these thoughts but I think the one that had the most personal meaning to me right now in my life was the one about true food "generating energy for action, physical, mental, and spiritual." Happiness has always created an energy within me to be more motivated in so many areas of my life. Obedience is happiness. That is what I have come to find.

I would love to hear your thoughts on which one meant the most to you, and why.

These are times when I have had a taste of what True Happiness is!

Even When You Have To Ride Up Mountains

Writing the first blog post is a difficult thing to do. It seems that it sets the tone for the whole blog.

My whole life I have been learning and changing. In recent years part of my focus of learning has been becoming healthier and keeping a healthy lifestyle. As a freshman in High School I was a stick, literally. In the 3 years I was in High School I gained some weight but was still decent by the time I graduated.

I went to college and gained the freshman 15+. I didn't realize it was happening, it just all of a sudden creeped up on me, and I was overweight. I blame the cafeteria food. :D I wasn't getting asked out on dates, now granted I did go to a college town where the majority of the people are not LDS. In fact the group was extremely small, and I went when I was 17 so I was really young compared to everyone else who was there. I didn't stay very physically active. I knew something needed to change. As I was preparing to go on a mission, I began to be really interested in cooking. I moved home for several months just before my mission and I would love to cook lunch and take it up to my dad at his work. The greatest was that he loved the food I cooked him. :) My dad happens to be a tough critic on food, so it can be nervewracking to cook for him. I started realizing that I wanted to make changes to the way that I ate. I started trying to learn a little about good foods to put into your body and very slowly began to make changes.

Then the mission came. My first area I was in a car for 6 weeks, then it was taken away and given to Elders so the next 5 months my transportation was on bike. Let me just say it is interesting enough wearing a skirt riding a bike. Often we would get conversations from people that we would run into just because of how interesting it was to see 3 girls riding around town in skirts on a bike. :) I came to love riding my bike. It was a blast. There was a point on my mission when I thought back to a blessing I had received from my Father. In that blessing he talked about how I would "Love" things on my mission. That was my attitude that I was blessed with for my bike. Even though there were crazy hills, we were in dresses, and it would mist constantly in Oregon and even every once in a while pour, I loved it. I would often ride down the street in the rain singing "I hope they call me on a mission" to myself, just because I thought it made the whole situation hilarious. I would often think to myself, "at what other time in my life, would I be willing to ride a bike in a skirt, in the rain and love it." I thought it was such a great opportunity I had. As my mission progressed, I began to lose weight. Once I realized how much I loved my bike I tried to use it often, even when I had a car for transportation. Some of my companions were really great in indulging me with my new love. The weight that I was losing began to become noticeable. I had to have a skirt taken in, and a shirt my Aunt sent me for Christmas fit rather nicely. Months later I was given a companion who was so cute and she was skinny. It was with her as my new companion that I began to realize how my clothes were not fitting me any more and that they were actually really baggy. One Sunday as we were getting ready for church she suggested I try on one of her skirts. I had mentioned to her previously how my clothing was really baggy and I needed to go shopping for new clothes. I refused to try on her skirt, I did not want to be humiliated and saddened that her skirt would not fit me, I already knew it wouldn't so why try it. She continued to harrass me :) so finally I gave in and tried on her skirt. To my utter amazement, I fit. I was shocked that I could fit in her clothes. I wore her clothes to church that Sunday and then the next preparation day she took me to Goodwill and that was that. I had lost 5 dress sizes, or 40 pounds. Many of my mission friends asked me how I did it. My reply was always I am not sure. I have reflected on it a lot and aside from having a ton of physical activity introduced into my life, I think a big part of it was the fact that I learned to love me for who I was, despite my physical qualities. Once I was happy with myself, I was able to make a transformation of myself and with that came confidence and even, after my mission of course, dates! :)

Coming home from my mission I was a little scared that I might gain back the weight that I had lost. But after 2 1/2 years I am still plugging along at roughly the same weight, except I have added more muscle because of regular and consistent exercise and good nutrition. I am working on gaining a degree from Texas State in Health and Fitness Management. This has become a lifetime committment to me. The joy that I have felt from being healthier has given me a desire to help encourage others in that same path. It is possible to make those changes, it is not easy but with determination it is possible. I have met so many people who have made the same transformations in their lives. Accomplishing goals they previously had never thought possible. It is such an inspiration to be surrounded by others who are determined to be better, and they accomplish it through their determination, perseverance and patience. Mountains can be conquered.