Hello all.
As many of you know, I am preparing to serve a mission sometime this January, 2011. As a good friend put it, "HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!" Indeed. Where am I going? When am I going? Why am I going? I'm afraid I don't know the answers to one and two (yet--a problem soon to be remedied), and I only know the answer to three on a good day. The one thing I do know is this: I am going, and I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Check it out, came across the title for this in my scripture study for the night: http://scriptures.lds.org/rom/1/16#16
Anyways. I decided to start this blog for several reasons. It's not going to be exclusively about my mission, but that will be the main focus. I'm really shy, and I'm going to need extra practice sharing my religious beliefs to the world (possibly in a foreign country and language--like Texas, for example). Why not try to ease myself outside my closed borders by sharing everything with my closest of friends and those curious enough to spend the time reading my rantings? Whatever reason you clicked on the link and made it this far down the second paragraph, I thank you for your support. Some days are going to be tough. I'm not going to want to do what I feel is right. But with my accountability to you in addition to the Lord, I'm feeling more committed than ever. Don't let me give up, ok? I'll give everything I can, so kick me in the butt when it's not enough. Deal?
Besides my mission to the Lord, I am also serving a mission to myself. I know, I know. That sounds like the most self-centered thing in the world. Let me explain. Recently, I found out that I'm going to need to make some serious lifestyle changes in order to prevent a rather drastic decline in my health (did you like the alliteration in that sentence? I wish I could say it was all intentional, not unintentionally horrid writing). It sounds pretty dramatic, but as far as the immediate present is concerned, you'd be hard-pressed to find something alarming in my health records. It is not, though sometimes I act like it is, a big deal at all. What is a big deal is losing thirty pounds by December. That's about two pounds a week every week until we hit Christmas. I know some of you are thinking two pounds a week isn't that much of a challenge, and you have my whole-hearted respect/envy, but I'll confess to you now that this will be one of the most singularly difficult things I have ever attempted. I'm going to do it. I'm also going to want to kill myself some days. If you're here for disgusting tales of the girl who could eat three batches of chocolate chip cookies in three minutes, you'll find it here. If you're here for the girl who woke up at six everyday to run five miles, you'll have to wait a couple months. But she'll blog here one day. I promise you.
Now on to the spiritual stuff.
"Some days, I'm absolutely positive I'm going on a mission. Other days, my confidence takes a significantly lesser hold. I'm not sure why; sometimes I get distracted by all the outside influences; sometimes I think it's nit right; sometimes Satan influences my doubt. Whatever it is, I'm going to prepare (at the very least), no matter what besets me. Got it? This is a contract.
At any rate, my scripture study tonight comes from the missionary preparation student manual. I'm reading Mark 16:15 http://scriptures.lds.org/mark/16/15#15. Elder Graf, a friend of mine who doesn't know it yet (ha ha...?), said it exactly, "Imagine being Godly-obligated to every person." I can't. But I do have faith that one day I will be capable. I'm excited for this huge opportunity to serve the Lord, but believe me, I'm also scared as heck. It's good that God is all powerful, because I'm pretty sure that what it's going to take to get me out there.
I'm ready for this mantle, Lord, but please send me some extra strength first! Thanks, Kristin."
I'll keep you updated. Love!
