Blessings in Disguise

This weekend has been absolutely insane. It was wonderful, and I really wouldn't have it any other way, it was just a little...crazy.


Friday, like I planned, I went to the Logan and the Vernal Temples. Ogden was closed until today, so I just went to those two. I got to the Logan Temple around 9:30, read my scriptures until a little after 10, and went up to the baptistry. As I was ringing the doorbell, a lady came by and told me the baptistry didn't open until 11. I had an entire hour and nothing to do. I figured I'd have an early lunch, so I found a Subway and had a delish sandwich. After lunch, I still had half an hour before I could go back. So I drove around, and saw a store that said "Movies, Books, Music, Coffee" Well, I wasn't too interested in movies or coffee, but I love bookstores, and music is just a given. So I went inside, and quickly found that it was more "Movies" than anything else. I browsed around in what few books and CD's they had, but got bored pretty quick. They had another section at the back of the store that was kind of just a bunch of random stuff. Shirts, posters, shot glasses, etc. I thought I'd check it out, but after taking one glance at one of the posters, I just left. It was about time to go back to the temple anyway. I got to the temple a little after 11, and kind of just felt...icky. I hadn't done anything bad. I had removed myself from a compromising situation when I felt I needed to, but even though I hadn't sinned necessarily, I still felt...defiled. Impure. I prayed that I would be able to feel the spirit as I went into the Temple, and I did feel a little comforted, so I thought I'd be okay. I walked again up to the baptistry door and rang the doorbell. No one answered, and an older man who was probably a temple worker came up to ring the doorbell as well. They answered that time, and the lady inside asked me what I needed. I told her I was just there to do baptisms, and she said that all of the workers were just getting there, and the baptistry wouldn't open until 12. So I walked back to my car, determined that this time I would spend the next hour preparing for the temple, rather than just kill time and perhaps distance myself from the spirit. I drove around trying to find a place that overlooked the temple, where I could sit and ponder and prepare, but if you've ever been to Logan, you'll probably know that the temple is pretty much the highest thing in the city. There are some mountains to the east, but I couldn't find a way up any of them. I did find a beautiful canyon and a nice park at the entrance though, so I stopped there for a while, and did everything I could to prepare myself to enter into the house of the Lord and to have the spirit with me. When I got back at 12, I felt much more prepared and worthy to enter the temple. 


Blessing: The baptistry didn't open until 2 hours after I wanted to go in. In those two hours I learned a lot about temple preparation. Just because I had a recommend, didn't mean that I was prepared to go to the temple. 


The Logan baptistry is actually quite small. Despite its size, it's a very beautiful place. The work is being done, and the spirit is there. After doing baptisms and confirmations, I started on the looooooong journey to Vernal, Utah. Google maps says that from Logan to Vernal is about 4 hours and 45 minutes. That meant I wouldn't get to Vernal until around 6. 'Nother thing. Google maps also says that the quickest way from Logan to Vernal is through Wyoming. So I began the long drive, starting by going up Logan Canyon. I passed Bear Lake, I went through Wyoming,  two or three national forests, I saw a bunch of deer, antelope, ravens, and 3 bald eagles. Took a few wrong turns, learned some lessons in patience, faith, and prayer, went through Flaming Gorge at sunset, aka the most AMAZING time to go through Flaming Gorge. The sunset would've been absolutely beautiful without being in Flaming Gorge, and Flaming Gorge would've been absolutely beautiful without the sunset. Together, they were just plain freaking awesome. I got to the Vernal Temple at about 5:56 pm. Not bad timing, considering all the...detours I took. The Vernal Temple is really a beautiful building. It's definitely the smallest temple I've ever been to, but it's still very beautiful. So I went up to the baptistry doors and rang the doorbell, not knowing if there was even anyone inside. A temple worker opened the door, and said something to the effect of, "Is this all of you?" or, "Are you the only one?" Well, come to find out, there was a ward scheduled to do baptisms at 6:00 that night. Otherwise, the baptistry wouldn't have been open. So I was able to join the ward and do baptisms and confirmations. 


Blessing: The Logan Temple didn't open until 12, I got lost a number of times on my way to Vernal, and I stopped twice for gas and snacks. I got the the Vernal Temple at the only time that day that the baptistry was open. 


On my way home, I took another wrong turn, but figured out my mistake (before I got all the way to Moab) and got back on the right track. I learned something about myself that I never knew before. I really don't like passing cars in the oncoming lane of traffic. It scares me to death every time, especially in the dark. The drive home was only 3 hours, but after such a long day, I was tired. Luckily, I had my Fritos, honey-roasted peanuts, and a good friend to keep me awake. Well, the drive was pretty uneventful. I didn't fall asleep, I didn't hit any semis head on, I didn't even have to swerve to avoid any deer. As I was coming down Provo canyon however, on the last leg of my journey, a big chunk of ice appeared in my lane. It didn't really appear, it was just dark and I didn't see it until it was too late to miss it. I decided that instead of swerving to avoid it, I'd just place my tires evenly on either side of it and pass right over. Well, I either misjudged how much clearance my car had or how solid the piece of ice was, because I didn't just "pass right over." In fact, I don't think there was much left of that chunk of ice after I hit it. But, my car didn't start making any funny sounds, so I wasn't too worried. I got home around 11, said hi to my parents, and crashed. I really think I would've slept past 12, but I had work at 8, so I was up again at 7:30. I got in the car to head off to work, and it started right up, but when I pushed on the gas, nothing happened (yes, I was in drive, not neutral. :P ). I didn't have time to figure out what was wrong then, 'cause I'd be late for work. So I drove the van and my dad looked at it that day. Come to find out, my transmission started leaking fluid about 15 feet before I pulled up to my house and parked, and every drop had leaked out during the night. 


Blessing: A big chunk of ice ripped a hole in my transmission pan, but I got home safely, and didn't have any car problems. At least, not until after I was home. 


Sometimes things happen in life and we're not sure why. Sometimes we wonder why things don't go the way we want. But our Heavenly Father is there for us. He knows what's right for us, even if it doesn't seem right in the beginning. It may not even seem right in the end, but as long as we trust in His will, He will never lead us astray. There is a quote by President Ezra Taft Benson that says this:

"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace." 

I believe this with all of my heart. He is there for us. We just need to make sure that we are there for Him. 


This wasn't all that happened this weekend, but it was a big chunk of it. There have been many other blessings and miracles to add to this list, but for now...have a nice day. :) 


-Joseph Morris Cannon 

"O, be wise..."

I just wanted to get on here and say some grateful things while I have the chance. Well, at least, before I can't be grateful for them anymore. Not for a few days anyway... :-/

I'm grateful that I'm not in any pain.

I'm grateful that my face looks pretty normal. Well, normal, as in...how my face usually looks. If any of my sisters were here, they'd tell me that my face is anything but normal. ;) They're probably right...

I'm grateful for the fresh air. Especially when I'm cruising through it on a bike at 45 mph. 

I'm grateful for wisdom. Whenever I think about wisdom, I think about it compared to knowledge. I've always understood knowledge to be the facts. What's right/wrong, true/false, that kind of thing. But wisdom, on the other hand, is putting that knowledge into action. We're smart if we know how to tie our shoes, but unless we actually tie them, that piece of knowledge really isn't any good to us. "What is the number one problem in our community today? Untied shoe laces."

Um, so Flint Lockwood is a little more wise than all of us with his "Spray-on shoes!!!" But...whatever. He's a super genius, eh?

I remembered a quote earlier...oh yeah! I thought of it when I was theorizing about wisdom. Why was I doing that anyway...? Oh well. Here's the quote: "It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man."

I don't know why I thought of that, I just did.

Now I'm gonna go die.

Not really...but...close?

I'm really not very excited about today. Can you tell?

I can.

But...I am me...

Well, Jack Heaton always said, "What doesn't kill you only prolongs the inevitable."

Happy trails!

-Moscas

Life is fragile. Handle with prayer.

So...Saturday was an interesting day for me. Not good, not bad...just, thought provoking. Oh, and scary. That too. I know, I know. Me, scared? Absolutely. I think you would have been too. But that's beside the point. What is the point? Um, I'm alive. That's the point. And more than that, I am grateful to be alive. Very grateful. I think it's all too often that we take life for granted. Well, this experience helped me see how fragile life really is (see title). So, if you gain anything from reading this post, I hope you learn that life is a gift, given to us by a loving Heavenly Father. So be grateful, eh?


So, here's what happened. This will only be like, the 27th time I will have told this story in the past two days. Oh well. Word gets around fast. My cousin from Idaho Falls emailed me just yesterday wondering if I was okay. And...I guess he's a little closer to me on the grapevine than it would seem. Idaho Falls is pretty close when you've got family there. Same with Germany. Or California. 


Um, I'm rambling now. I'm just gonna tell you the story now. Ready? 


Last Saturday I went to work. Just like any other Saturday, it was pretty slow. I had been there for about an hour, give or take. Ryan was taking the trash out, and I was hungry, so I went to make myself a sandwich. I had just started when a man in a hoodie with a bandana over his mouth and nose came in and walked straight behind the counter toward me. He was holding a knife, and told me to give him all of our money. I instantly went to the register to open it, and I forgot to put in my number before I typed in my password, so it didn't work. He raised the knife, and said "open it!" I told him I was opening it, and I typed in my number and my password. It opened, and he began to take the money. Ryan came in right then from taking out the garbage, and the man told us to get in the back and lay down. We did so, and Ryan was confused as to what was going on. I told him "We're being robbed." He suggested that one of us sneak out the back and call 911 or our manager. That's when the door dinged letting us know the guy had left. We called 911 right then, and the nice lady asked me a bunch of questions. How tall was he? (about 5' 10") How long was the knife? (3-4 inches) What race was he? (white) What was he wearing? (a grey hoodie and a bandana over his mouth and nose. He might have been wearing jeans, and I don't know what kind of shoes he was wearing) Was there anyone with him? (no, he was alone) Which direction did he go when he left? (I don't know, I was laying down in the back)
 When she ran out of questions, she told me that she wanted to keep me on the phone until a police officer got there. That's when a manager from another subway called asking if we were having any trouble. I told him yes, and he said he'd call my manager for me, and come down to our store. I told him thanks. That's when the police got there, and the nice lady let me go.
 The police asked me all of the same questions and more. Each probably about 4 or 5 times. Then they had us write all of our personal information down on a police report with details about our experience and sign it. Our manager got there, and showed them the tapes, then our manager's manager's manager got there, and burned a disc of the tapes. They couldn't get any finger prints, because I guess he was wearing gloves. And come to find out, it was a blue hoodie, not a grey one. Uber manager told us we could make ourselves a free sandwich, and go home for the night (I get held up with a knife, and I get a free sandwich. Yay). Thankfully, someone from a Provo Subway came in to take over. I don't think I would have been able to close that night after what had happened. I was so shaken up. 
 On my way home, after dropping Ryan off at his apartment, I said a prayer of gratitude. For the fact that I was alive, that I hadn't been hurt, and that everything went so smoothly. I mean, we got robbed, so that's lamesauce, but as far as having a knife pulled on me, I came out fairly unscathed. I am grateful today to be alive. The title of this post was a quote that I saw at Wilson's house Friday night. This experience was a testament to its truthfulness. Life is fragile. Handle with prayer.


So, there's the story. I'm alive. Traumatized for life, maybe, but alive. 


I'm actually doing quite well. And honestly...I kind of want to just forget the whole thing. I had trouble getting to sleep Saturday night, because I would keep thinking about what happened, and then my heart would be going a million miles an hour again...which just isn't very helpful when you're trying to sleep. 


Anyway, I found a scripture that night that gave me comfort. It's D&C 122:9. It says, 

"Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."

So there you go. I guess I must have more things I need to do in this life, eh? 


Life is fragile. Handle with prayer.


Have a nice day! (hope it was better than mine...:p )


-Moscas

Plan of Happiness. :D

So, today is Sunday, and I'm not usually on the computer on Sunday, but it was a special day, so I thought that I would post. Also, I'm going to be gone on trek until Thursday, so I wanted to get it up here before I forgot it.


Today is Fast Sunday. Not because it goes faster, because...it usually doesn't. Fast Sunday is a happy day. It's a day that we can use to strengthen our testimony in so many different ways. You can bear your testimony in sacrament meeting, you can fast and strengthen it that way, and you can give fast offerings and see the blessings that come from doing so. Fast and testimony meeting in my singles ward goes a little bit like this: Bishopric member: "We'll go until about 5 after the hour" (sits down, and 10 people go up to bear their testimonies). So...pretty much you have to get up there fast, and then we never stop at 5 after the hour. :p I think we ended at 15 after the hour once. Today it was about 20 after. Anyway, long story short, I didn't take the opportunity to bear my testimony in fast and testimony meeting. 


Afterward was Mission Prep. Well, it just so happened that we were talking about testimonies in Mission Prep, so I stood and bore my testimony there. Brother Vanchierrie (our teacher...probably misspelled...you say it Van-cherry.) Anyway, he came up and thanked me for my testimony, and told me that he knew, somehow, that I would get up and bear my testimony. Maybe he can read minds. Or maybe I was just sad that I didn't bear it in sacrament meeting, so I really wanted to when we started talking about the blessings that come from bearing testimony? I don't know. Maybe (most likely :D) he had the spirit, and just could feel that I needed/wanted to. :) I was glad for the second chance I had. Blessings really do come from bearing your testimony. Namely, a stronger testimony. In the Preach My Gospel manual, pg. 198 there is a quote by President Monson that says this: "Regarding one's testimony, remember, that which one willingly shares he keeps, while that which he selfishly keeps he loses..." So, there you go. I would encourage you to bear your testimony as often as you can. It really does help to strengthen your testimony, as well as helping others strengthen theirs.


The title of this post is Plan of Happiness. It's not really an outline or a description of that plan in any way, it's just a manifestation that the name holds true. The Plan of Happiness brings happiness. I am happy today because of that plan. That's why it's the title. I'm happy. :)


I wrote a poem the other day, and I'm going to post it now. It applies, I'm pretty sure. This isn't completely an ADD tangent... :p Okay, here it is:




Home

Familiar, smiling faces
fill the space around me.
Giving peace and comfort
in a world of chaos.

          Holiness to the Lord

Redeeming the dead,
a third of our goal.
Dressed in spotless white,
Baptizing by water and fire.
hands laid on my head,
words spoken, lives changed.

A place of happiness.
A plan of happiness,
In this life and the next.
Standing back and
looking through heaven's eyes.
Seeing the world
the way my Father sees.
A beautiful view 
from the Mountain top.

To stand in holy places
Is to stay close
to the truth. To my family.
To Heavenly Father
and His Son.
To be safe
from the influences
of worldly snares.
Safe
In the arms of His love.

          The House of the Lord

Home.




So, there you go. Hope you liked it. If you didn't, just know that this is a plan of happiness, and that this poem was an attempt to illustrate the happiness, kind of like this post was supposed to do. Did it work? I hope so.


I love the Provo Temple. This last week was the first time in a long time that I had been to that temple. They were doing renovations or some such thing, so it was closed. Every time I go there, it just feels like I'm coming home. I guess that's what inspired my poem. I love the Provo Temple. <3 Like that, see?


This was a happy week.

Today was a happy day.


I hope that y'alls lives are happy, and that maybe I helped to make them more so. I love you all. I am so grateful to have such amazing friends and family. You have all helped me so much in my spiritual progression. This gospel is true. I felt its truthfulness today, as I have many times in the past. The power of the priesthood is real. I had the wonderful opportunity to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood today, and I'm so excited to start using that priesthood to serve and bless those around me. I know that my Savior lives. I am so grateful for his willingness to sacrifice his life for me, and I know that as we strive to keep his commandments and endure to the end, he will have a place for us when we pass from this life to the next. I love the Lord, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.


I love you all. Thank you for all you do. :)


-Joseph Morris Cannon

Hugs...

Have you ever been having a really, really cruddy day, and then someone just randomly gave you a hug, and suddenly everything was okay?

That was me about 30 seconds ago. But...I was kind of on the other end. It's not like there's a bad end of a hug, but I wasn't really the one who needed it. You know?

Two of my sisters got braces today. Poor girls... I did the whole braces thing when I was 12-ish. I had them for 16 months, and the first 3 days I had them on, I wished I was dead. Okay...not really, but I was in more pain than I ever had been before. It was like having some incredibly large parasite sucking on my face all the time! And I couldn't get it off. I just had to live with this...thing in my mouth for 16 months. Painful, humiliating, ugly...these are some of the words I would use to describe my experience with braces.

Anyway, now that I'm done with that tangent, I'll get back on track...

Just a few minutes ago, my sister (one of the two that just got braces) came up and randomly gave me a hug. In my opinion, those are the best kind of hugs. :) It was nice. I think it helped her feel better, and I know it helped me feel better, even though I'm sure I'm not in nearly as much pain as she is... Anyway, I was thinking, (it was just this once...don't worry) and I decided that I don't hug my sisters as much as I should.

Sisters, if you read this come give me a hug, eh?

If you don't read this, I'll just come give you one.

I love you! :)

-Bro.

Grateful...

Do you ever get to that point where you're complaining so much that you start to annoy yourself?

Normally, I don't really complain that much. Well...I like to think that I don't. But these past few days I feel like I've been complaining a lot. Like, there are times when I just want to tell myself to suck it up and stop being such a pansy...

Anyway, whenever I start to feel like this, I find that the best thing to do is to be grateful. For what, you ask? Everything. :)

I am grateful for the wonderful weather we had today. It was a lot warmer than I thought it was going to be. That made Utah Lake much more enjoyable.

I am grateful for my friends. Friends that plan awesome boating activities. Friends that like to go on adventures. Friends that cheer me up when I'm not feeling so amazing. Friends that help me keep my standards. Friends that I look up to. Friends that I just plain love. Thank you, to all of my friends. You have helped me out in more ways than you know.

I am grateful for my family. I honestly don't know where I would be without them. I am grateful for my parents that raised me in a gospel-oriented home, and that have loved and cared for me my whole life. I am grateful for all of my siblings. I don't know what I would do without any one of them.

I am grateful for a car to drive. I am grateful that my parents allow me to drive the car that they bought and that they pay insurance for. I am grateful that it runs well day to day, and that it hasn't had any major problems.

I am grateful for the gospel. This one is big. Like, the biggest on the list. I am grateful that I have known since birth that Jesus Christ is my Savior, and that He atoned for my sins. I am grateful to have been able to grow up in this valley where I have never had to drive more than a few miles to get to church. I am grateful for all of my church leaders that have kept me on the straight and narrow. I am grateful for a living prophet that receives revelation for the church today, and that he leads and guides us where Heavenly Father wants us to go. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true. I am eternally grateful for that testimony.

More than anything in this world (or out of it), I am grateful for a Father in Heaven who loves me no matter how imperfect I am.

I am grateful.

-Joseph Morris Cannon

We're all in this together...

I know, I know, I already posted today. Get a life, go play outside, do something useful with your life for goodness sake!

I did. I went to the Temple and then to the post office to mail a letter. Well, a contract and a check for $100. That contract and check will hopefully mean that I have a place to stay this fall during school. But only because of an angel.

Well, not really and angel, but why not? I think she was an angel. So did the guy in the line in front of me.

I went to mail my contract overnight (aka. really fast) to reserve my spot for an apartment, and when I told the lady at the counter what I wanted, she put it in an envelope marked "Extremely Urgent" and printed out a stamp for it. The stamp said $18.50. I didn't have that much... My mom had given me a ten, thinking that it would be more than enough. But apparently it's more expensive to get to Rexburg than I thought. I handed her the ten and then looked in my wallet to see what other cash I had. $4... Not enough. "I don't have enough" I said...stating the obvious. She gave me that awkward look that people give when they don't know what to do...and that there's still a line behind me. "Do you want to ship it..." She started to suggest some other way to send it that wouldn't be as fast, and the lady behind me in line said "Oh, help the poor boy out." She came forward, asking how much. "$18. And I have $14..." She pulled out a five and payed the rest of my stamp, saying something about hurrying up and that she had a dying husband at home. The man being helped next to me looked over, and said "So you're one of those angels? I've always wanted to see one." "We're all in this together," she said. "I hope it's worth it."

Angels are here to watch out for us. Whether they're actually beings from another realm, or just someone on this earth who wants to help out, they're out there. I couldn't be more grateful. Getting an apartment for this fall was not life or death. It's important, yes, but there are other apartments, and I didn't even have to send it "extremely urgent"-ly. But what's done is done, and I am ever grateful. Thank you angel, whoever you are. I hope that all goes well with your husband and with all your endeavors. God bless you.

We are all in this together. We get so involved in "me" or "us" and we tend to forget about the other 6 billion people in this world. They're trying just as hard to feed a family, or care for a sick uncle. Shouldn't we care about them and their plight in life just as much as we care about ours?

So there's your challenge for the day. Find someone who could use some help. Be someone's angel. And as you start thinking about how you can help others, you'll forget about yourself, and really come to see how "we're all in this together."

Have a nice day!

(By making someone else's day)

:)

-Joey