Sabbath Delights: "That I Might Draw All Men unto Me"

I truly love the gift from God that is the Sabbath day. President Nelson once said, "A Sabbath well spent brings a week of content." I can testify of the truth in that statement from repeated observation. Sunday's are a refresher of testimony, commitment, and most importantly for me, hope. At the close of the day, if I have done my part, I always feel optimistic and reassured of my testimony and comforted in my journey to the Savior. Hope is the main ingredient in making my Sabbath a delight. I have decided to begin recording my strongest impression of the day each evening. It is my hope that this will provide me an opportunity to explore the truth more deeply and remember it for longer.

Today, I began my morning by studying Elder Renlund's talk "That I Might Draw All Men unto Me" from conference. Wow. I feel so grateful to have Elder Renlund's guidance during these crucial years in my life. I feel like we get to 'grow up' together, him in his apostleship and me in my adulthood. The entire talk is phenomenal, but the last half is what especially stood out to me today. Elder Renlund says,

"To draw closer to the Savior, we must increase our faith in Him, make and keep covenants, and have the Holy Ghost with us. We must also act in faith, responding to the spiritual direction we receive. All of these elements come together in the sacrament. Indeed the best way I know of to draw closer to God is to prepare conscientiously and partake worthily of the sacrament each week."

How powerful is that? We all speak of ways we can draw closer to the Savior, and here we have one of His chosen apostles telling us the best way he knows how is to prepare for and partake worthily of the sacrament each week. That should teach us something about the importance of the ordinance. Elder Renlund then goes on to relate the account in Luke 24:30-35 of the disciples traveling to the village Emmaus. While familiar with this story, I had never given it much serious thought. Now I understand, however, the vital doctrine related in this experience. I'll quote Elder Renlund to explain the story:
"On the day of the Savior's Resurrection, two disciples traveled to a village called Emmaus. Unrecognized, the risen Lord joined them on the journey. As they traveled, He taught the from the scriptures. When they reached their destination, they invited Him to dine with them.
     'And it came to pass as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, an blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven [Apostles] gathered together.' And then they testified to the Apostles that the Lord is risen indeed."

Two things amaze me about this experience: 1. The apostles did not recognize the Lord until they had partaken of the sacrament. We need the ordinances to understand the Savior. This is where the flaw in the philosophy of 'I'm a good person, I don't need organized religion' is manifest. In order to become the best, most loving mothers, fathers, daughters and sons we need the Savior and the ordinances that bring us to recognition of him. Our greatest and most vital opportunity for growth is provided through the Savior's restored church.
Numba two: The apostles demonstrate a perfect exercise of faith. As soon as they attribute the 'burning of heart' they felt they rise up the same hour and testify that the Savior has risen. They know the source of their faith and are not afraid to take action. We too should not hesitate to share our burning of heart experiences.

I'll end with Elder Renlund's final testimony, "As we draw closer to God, the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ will come into our lives. And as with the disciples on the way to Emmaus, we will find that the Savior has been nearby all along. I so witness and testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Highway Watching

Journal Entry

March 3, 2016

Morning.

Hot.

Tired.

Beautiful.

I sit by the window and watch for a while.The cars speed by and the people walk.

And I watch.

I long sometimes to be in those cars. Either direction is fine. Just to be going somewhere.

But today, I watch.

This place it never sleeps along it tracks they ever plow.

Will it one day come to rest? No one moving, everyone were they want or are meant to be.

Maybe.

I will watch and see.

Today my doings are normal. Go to class, do homework, socialize, eat.

But these days nothing feels normal. I know not who I am anymore, I don't think I ever did

But I will watch.

Maybe I will see her; in a conversation, a book, the sky, my room, maybe I will see her.

Just a glimpse of the peace she carried or the idea of who she will be.

Because for now I have neither.

But I will watch.

She cannot lie dormant for much longer. Decisions must be made, people must be pleased and she must be the one to do it.

The days are shortly gone of pushing worries on tomorrow.

Her day is nearly here, but still she pushes thoughts muddled and unclear

Back where you can only sense them. 

Hidden behind assignments, and movies and friends and every other meaningless busy.

It is so easy not to think and that is what she prefers to do.

But still I watch.

She must burst forth soon with confidence and faith, and beauty that I now surely lack.

Everything I wish I had to carry me on the way she is holding and hiding but soon. 

But soon.

She must let it go. Soon.

I will not miss it when she does.

For I will watch.

Please, don't let me miss it.

Laced with the Light

Journal Entry
April 14, 2016

This morning I was in a foul temperament from the moment I woke up. Everything and everyone was bothering me to the point of explosion and I didn't really even know the reason why. I got nothing done in the morning and snapped at Leeann. Then my stomach was hurting and I felt nauseous during all of my classes. It was slushy and wet outside and my boots are useless. There were squishy noises coming from my socks with each step. I got home and watched Fixer-Upper and took a quick nap. It wasn't until I had cleaned the apartment and eaten some good food that my mind and outlook began to pick up. During all that time darkness won over every though in my head. Every aspect of a mission seemed impossible. My roommate relationships were frustrating and far below what I hoped they would be. I didn't feel like going to the temple, praying or anything else.

But that passed.

I perked back up and the sun came out (literally)! Before heading back to the library I knelt and prayed for forgiveness of my short comings that morning. I asked for God's help in making the rest of the day worth it, because I really wanted it to! I felt His love swell inside me--God wants to help us as we help ourselves. Each thought was now laced with the light of God's love. He wants us to be happy, that is why He gave us the gift of repentance. The gift of helping us to change. Hope is so important, it is a commandment! We will never try to change if there is no hope within us to start and then keep that train moving.

Surviving a Singles Ward 101

Before leaving for school, I received a lot of advice on how to handle things. Parents, extended family, friends, religious leaders; each wanted to pipe in one last helpful tidbit. To be frank, most that advice went in one ear and out the other. But one admonition, however, must have gotten caught on its way through, because it really shaped my first experience in a young single adult ward. Here's how it started: On one of the last Sundays of the summer, the Stake Presidency held a fireside with just the graduating laurels. It was a comfortable question and answer session with the Stake President and his two counselors. I can remember a warm, spirit-filled evening with lots of laughs and a giant stack of chocolate cupcakes. Flanked on either side by my childhood best friends, I soaked up the loving words of encouragement and caution offered by these inspired leaders. While I am sure I didn't grasp the full importance of the statement at time, a comment made by one of the counselors lodged in my mind. He said something like, "Everyone in your new ward is going to feel awkward, nervous and awkward. But you just jump right in and get involved."  

And that is what I tried to do! My first few Sunday's I think I smiled and introduced myself to just about everyone in the ward. I made an effort to talk to new people at every weekday activity we had. But very quickly my enthusiasm for socializing began to wane. It just didn't feel like anybody cared that I remembered their name or said 'hi' at church.I joked with my mom that I needed to carry around a 'Friends Wanted' sign in hopes of attracting someone who actually wanted a new friend. Eventually I began to dread FHE and the range of insecurities that seem to surface under the pressure of talking to (aka impressing) my peers. I felt it would be much easier to just quietly hibernate in my dorm room and snarl at any attempt to get me out. But a verse from the Book of Mormon that had pricked my heart at some time in the past always over won the temptation to skip a meeting:

Jacob 2: 17 tells us, "Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you." (emphasis added)

Let me try to explain why this scripture is so important to me. First we must reveal my love of looking up word definitions. Yes I just said that. But really, try it! Look up simple words you think you know the meaning of and I promise it will change your scripture study. Just as proof I actually do this, here are a few words whose true definitions have greatly enriched my learning on more than one occasion: astonished, crown, persuade, effectual, nothingness, firm, sober, penitent, utterly, spurn, search. Okay I'll stop. But please start googling word definitions; your phone is never far away anyway ;)

Back to why those experiencing a singles ward need to understand Jacob 2:17. The key here is in the definition of the word familiar. Now, I'm not talking about when you are at a family reunion and you promise your grandma that every old person there looks at least 'familiar'. No, I mean the dictionary definition of the word as I believe the prophet Jacob meant it. 

Familiar: "Well known from close association with."

Did you catch that? We need to know our brethren from close association with them! Not just passing their face in the hallway and thinking they look familiar. It is only through this pattern will we be able to best serve our friends that they may become 'rich like unto you.' A testimony from a trusted friend holds much greater significance than that of an acquaintance. An aching heart needs hands who know what balm will soothe it. No one will cry on the shoulder of a stranger.  In short, to love our neighbor we must know our neighbor. 

May I take this one step further and apply it to the baptismal covenant?  In Mosiah 18:9 we learn that we must be 'willing to mourn with those that mourn' and 'comfort those that stand in need of comfort'. How can we attempt to offer comfort to a heart we have not known? In order to truly mourn with someone I feel we must do all we can to understand their pain and then we can help to bear it. A doctor does not prescribe treatment until after he has examined the patient and identifies the problem.  If we wait until the exact moment of disaster or falter of faith to extend a hand we may be too late.  

So go to FHE, and church, and the evening devotional, and the Relief Society activity, and the cleaning assignment, and the dance and the linger longer (gasp for breath here), because really this isn't about you. Now its true, this did result in some unsought for dates (the line between being friendly and being flirty is dangerously vague people), and not everyone wanted to be my friend, but was that really worth the risk of missing that someone who needed help? I didn't think so :)

My Roman Holiday

It was a typical Sunday afternoon. I was relaxing at home with my family, enjoying that gentle spirit that follows a beautiful church meeting. Later in the evening, mom and I planned to attend the missionary report by a son of an old friend of hers. Prior to our leaving, I received a text from Golda that blew a giant bubble of glowing excitement in my chest; but my practicality smashed it back down in an instant. The message said something like: 'Come to Italy with us. We found cheap plane tickets. Please?' It really was laughably simple--only Golda would make a cross Atlantic flight proposal through a text. As much as longed to live my way through an European adventure in person, not just through Golda's Instagram, I didn't allow myself to get excited. This sort of thing doesn't happen to me! My family stays home and enjoys a nice documentary on bee-keeping in the Alps, we don't actually fly there! Plus, on all fronts this was not ideal timing. This trip would mean missing three days of school only two weeks before final exams. Nothing in that sentence resembles responsibility. Spontaneous, adventurous and dreamy are all there, but not responsibility. Not to mention the fact that flying to Italy is not exactly in a college freshman's budget plan. (Or it wouldn't have been if I was responsible enough to actually make one;)) All that should explain my initial resistance and incredulousness to Golda's offer.

To make a long story short, I had one day to make the decision before plane ticket price would jump up. On the drive to the missionary report, mom and I analyzed this opportunity up down and inside out. One moment had me short of breath with the thought this could actually happen, but the next

I was folding my arms firmly stating I couldn't possibly. In the end, it actually my mom's insistence that pushed me to buy the ticket. She just looked at me and said, "You need to do this." And I knew she was right. So there in the car I threw responsibility out the window and laughed as it flew away-- I was going to Europe!

I spent the majority of the ten hour flight home writing detailed accounts of each day of the trip. Except for a little bit I wrote in the Las Vegas airport before we left. This was something I meant to do each night, but exhaustion won over and we all feel asleep quickly. The rest of this post will take a story book format, yeah! All the coming words come verbatim from my travel diary. All the emotions as I remembered them on that plane ride home.

DAY ONE

We are in the airport waiting for a flight :) I have now been through airport security and my passport worked! We are sprawled out on the carpet from our drive. EVERYTHING IS SO FUN

When we landed in Sweden we bought bus tickets to take us into the city. Our hotel, however was conveniently located in the airport. The bus ride into Stockholm was fun. We passed an old airplane that had been turned into a hotel. It gets dark really early in Sweden so we hurried through the city to get to the Christmas market before dark.

We did stop at a little corner restaurant on our way and I ate a gryo it was REALLY tasty. To greet each other in Stockholm everyone says 'hey-hey' its pretty funny.

The city is pretty amazing. I love how the building are right up by the water since it is on the coast. All of the buildings are colorful and structurally unique.

The buildings surrounding the Christmas market square were particularly charming.

Periwinkle blue, crimson red and pale yellow framed our view. I loved the buildings so much I bought a miniature magnetic replica at one of the Christmas shops. Everything was homemade and darling in the market. Ornaments, little gnomes, roasted nuts, figurines, authentic food and so much more.

We also roamed the other streets connecting the market. Each one would be the perfect backdrop for a movie or postcard. In one of the shops I bought a canvas bag that says Stockholm with the city skyline for Amy. Money in Sweden is called Kroners :-. The system seems strange to me because my bus ticket cost 215,000 :- but that is only 25$. It made everything sound really expensive! We eventually (that is something I love about traveling with the Dopps: there isn't much of a schedule expect for meal times. We have to make sure we are hungry for every meal haha)

moved farther away from the market and ended up at a giant community ice rink. The skaters all brought there own skates and were really talented skaters! Beautiful chandelier Christmas lights hovered over the streets casting a holiday glow into everything.

DAY TWO

In the morning we got to go to an amazing breakfast put on by the hotel. The dining room and food was all so posh and elegant. You could even have a chef make you an omelet. Then we hurried and got ready and went to get on our flight. My first glimpse of Italy was green against the coastline. The divided plots perfectly aligned across the countryside was so picturesque it took my breath away. Each house and cottage was its own; you could almost feel the history and family ties each one must have held. From the plane we got on a very packed bus that took us to the actual airport. Marta, the owner of our Rome apartment has sent a driver with a sign that said 'Circe Dopp.'

The drive to the city revealed just how dirty and sad the outskirts are. Once we were inside the city wall through, my eyes couldn't take everything in fast enough. Never had I seen such diversity art and history on a city street. Each building must have had hundreds of stories, housed thousands of people and watched their street evolve through centuries. I found myself rather jealous of them.

We dropped off our bags and headed out. We walked up to the Borghese Gardens. Sculpture gardens, olive trees and fountains made for a breathtaking scene. Rain started drizzling. Roaming Rome in the Rain :)

Next up was the Trevi Fountain. Wow, it is huge! And to think it was built without modern technology heightens the grandeur. Me, Golda and Ash threw in a coin all at the same time.

Next up was the Pantheon! Ash and Golda were really excited. It was very impressive. It was dark by then so the building was all lit up giving it a commanding presence. Also, we went to about a billion cathedrals. Each was utterly magnificent. The Catholic church is commendable in their efforts to reach God. Seeing such beauty dedicated to God definitely inspired me to worship more fully and with my whole heart. My reverence for Christ and His Atonement on my behalf was enriched. It was a slap in the face to see how much more I ought to love and pray to Him. But on the other hand, this trip made me very grateful for my personal relationship with God and the fullness of the truth that I know.

DAY 3

 The morning light across Rome was deliciously divine. One of my favorite buildings was a giant white one we passed on our destination for the day. I loved it because it showed what Rome must have been like in its height, and even in today's world it is awe-inspiring. This was the best morning ever. We were all so excited and not tired yet.

Our day started out the freaking Collisuem! It is SO cool. Trying to imagine what it may have been like was both fun and frustrating. How these people accomplished what they did almost seems impossible, and that is what makes it the most intriguing. (The hug picture was complete spontaneity. I'm telling you, best morning ever!!)

Next we walked to the Roman Forum. We often talk about the end of the world, well the Forum IS the end of a world. Ruins whisper of its existence, but you can't quite hear what they say. Daydreams of princesses, togas and the bustling life the must have lived here are all you can think of as you wander through it all. You could stay there for days and still never soak it all up.

Next was lunch as Osteria Da Fortunata, the yummiest part of our trip. Marco was our waiter and I loved him. Most restaurants here have people our front trying to pull you in, but not here. An old woman sits and hand makes noodles by the window. I had pasta with red sauce. I had pushed my plate over to Golda to share when Marco came back to our table. He got all worried I didn't like the food and forcefully plopped it back in front of me, it was pretty funny. I was more careful from then on. My noodles were thick and chewy pieces of heaven. I will go back to Fortunata some day.

 We walked down the Tiber River on our way to St. Peter's Basilica.

Ash's excitement was so tangible I almost tripped on it :) We didn't go inside until later. But instead slowly headed back to our apartment. 

The moon opposite the Basilica was stunning.

That night we girls went alone to the Trevi fountain. There we had more pizza and gelato. As we sat by the water, three Italian boys came up and started talking to us! One was cute but didn't speak any English. The other two weren't too cute but spoke a little more. They were very flirty and wanted our numbers. We were all just giddy afterward is was so exciting. We skipped back to the apartment elated with our adventure. I mean who doesn't want to flirt with Italian boys at the base of the Trevi Fountain!? Straight out of a movie :)

DAY 4

This morning we grabbed more chocolate crossiants and marched to St. Peter's Basilica (not pictured above), this time to go inside. We got there early enough to miss the longest lines.

I especially enjoyed seeing all the different styles of granite, I'm sure there were over a hundred different varieties. The realistic nature of the fabric on the all the statues (which were enormous) made it easy to forget they were made of marble. Ornate, intricate, lavish. splendor, masterful, pinnacle, grandeur, climax, art: throw the purest meanings of those words together, time it by 100 and you've almost reached the essence of the Basilica. Wowzers.

Next was the Vatican. Tickets were only 8 Euro for students, that's

cheaper than a movie ticket here! My favorite part was the finger's

of God and man almost touching on the ceiling. It was amazing to

see one of the most famous works of art with my own eyes. I am

still processing what wonders and the triumphs of humanity we

saw this week!

After leaving the chapel we walked through a seemingly endless hallway of art and relics. My feet were burning/cramping so badly at this point (32,000 steps a day is a lot) I literally shuffled the entire hallway haha :) When the hallwasy finally did end we entered a wing of the Vatican full, of course haha, with more pinatings.

All were phenomenal but by the end I was ready to move on to something else. I mostly hurried and sat down while everyone admired to give my feet a rest. Whatever I just caused to die in art lovers I'm sorry, but that's what happened haha ;)

Next was lunch at an adorable restaurant where we chose to eat outside on the street. This was one of the greatest times on the trip. Everyone was so comfortable and content. We all made fun of Golda and her 'bad decisions.' I ordered carbonara, Circe's favorite. I have never been so sad to see the bottom of a plate before.

Next was more gelato, wahoo! When in Rome right?? This time I had some sort of chocolate with whip cream on top. The whip cream was really tasty, not sweet, but it

felt like a cloud filling up your mouth. As were walking along slowly toward our apartment, it started raining. Or so we thought. The splattering noises ended up being hundreds of birds relieving themselves in the trees above us!! We all freaked out and ran screaming across the street at the first available moment. It was so hilarious!

Next we stumbled across one the most interesting things I've ever seen. Some new-age Catholics were holding a ceremony and we stopped to observe for a minute. Everyone there was very welcoming. A group of young adults began playing a really upbeat song and some people started clapping along. A procession then walked down the aisle, people holding big candles and a priest with a little golden swinging thing that puffed out smoke as he walked. It was a powerful smell. I enjoyed watching the audience worship and it was obvious this was a meaningful, important time for them.

 We left the church and went to see the Coliseum at night. We ended up getting a bit lost, but it turned out fine and we got to see the forum and the Coliseum from an angle most people don't. And of course, we ended the day with pizza and gelato at the Trevi Fountain. (The Coliseum is in the back of the top left picture!)

DAY 5

Today I went to the Pope's homeward, post Italian crossiant of course.

As we were leaving the church, Circe being the friendly person that she is

struck up a conversation with a black monk in blue robes! We also saw him

on the metro on our way there. The monk ended up being from Africa and he

gave everyone prayer cards. We then went on to see a whole bunch more

churches that were all crazy impressive. Rome is simply astonishing because

there are these magnificent history rich places on every single corner! Yet

people's lives there just carry on as usual. Ancient and modern life literally

crash into each other constantly. Cell phone ads are plastered against walls

who knows how old or significant.

Back to Fortunata for lunch. Little did I know that my life was about to

change. Who even imagined ravioli could be so monumental in a person's

life?! JK, but it was absolutetly magical. I had four raviolis that tasted of

lemon. Lemon! Golda had some that had sage and it was something from

above. We also had a dinner guest! Her name was Shannon from Canada

and she was delightful. She was out traveling alone and was charmingly

exuberant. We even followed each other on Instagram after dinner. I loved

connecting with people on this trip. The sights and the food are wonderful,

and exciting, but meeting the people, feeling emotions you never would

otherwise, sharing a meal and a smile; that is were the treasures of travel are

hidden. Feeling things, loving strangers that's what I really loved this week :)

Next we, big surprise, got more gelato. This shop was amazing! I took a punshot of all the flavors and it took me a full 40 seconds! I ended up buying two cups it was so addicting. First, really dark chocolate with fancy pistachio, and then raspberry with coconut chocolate and whip cream. Ahhhh... I will dream of that one!

Next we walked to dinner at the cutest, Christmas Spirit rich restaurant. Lights, red and green table clothes, and candle-lit lamps. I had some lemon pasta that was too fabulous, but everything paled in comparison to that ravioli. Guess was? Yep. More gelato. Honey sesame with more family pistachio and whip cream in a CONE. That night there was the whole fiasco of not meeting up with the Italian boys. We were supposed to meet them and we saw them at the fountain but didn't actually talk to them. Then we passed them again walking, so awkward! But it was fine, still an adventure :)

DAY 6

This morning light was also lovely. We didn't have much time, so we just walked up behind the Spanish Steps and gazed out over the city one more time. The air was cool, everything was relatively still. I think we all just tried to open up a little more and let Rome fill us up inside one last time. We then grabbed our bags, looked back more than once, and walked away from our magical little piece of Roma. I hope some of it lingers in me for a while. One more crossiant and we made our way to the bus station and then the airport. One last desperate ciao and we were gone.

I got a little sick to my stomach on the plane ride which was followed quickly by a bus ride. My stomach threatened to present itself on the bus floor, but thankfully we got off before the big debut. When we got off the bus, everyone was like 'wait,what?' It was dark, cold and not much was in sight. We laughed and start walking. Us girls lapsed into  British accents--it just seemed  appropriate haha :) As we walked we must have taken a wrong turn because we ended up in a snow globe.

Let the memories of caroling down the streets arm in arm with Golda and Ash stay as poignant as they are now. In those moments everything was perfect. Oh I almost forgot! For dinner we went to the most warm, welcoming yet posh restaurant in the world. We all ordered giant gourmet burgers with fries and the best fry sauce I've ever had. So much contentment at that table that evening. I can still see the exposed brick walls, the cute waiter, and the warm glow of it all. Hmmmm..

DAY 7

Calm morning. We got up slowly and went down to another amazing breakfast. I pretty much had one (or two) of everything. Gratefully we had time to wander the hotel for a while. Each room was as beautiful as the last. Fresh roses, ocean views out tiny windows, elaborate rugs and chair cushions, more free cookies and the courtyard were all highlights. Seriously an interior designer's dream. And probably everyone else's too.

Slowly we left and walked down to the waterfront. I LOVE watching water. Just imagining where its been in the world and what may happen in it someday is intriguing. The physical appearance is also mesmerizing. We had just enough time to explore a shop and buy some glittery post-cards before running to catch our bus to the airport.

The flight back was really nice. I watched the clouds out the window, listening to One Direction and just loving everything. Writing this journal did take up most of my time, but Golda and I did watch 500 Days of Summer. We are now descending. More and more of the window is filling up with clouds. There is so much I didn't mention in these pages. Funny stories, embarrassing moments, all the churches...but also more important things like loving and missing my family, good talks with Ash and Golda, and learning of kindness from the Dopps and their French friends. I didn't know how to write everything, but I really hope to remember what I need to.
Be Kind
Be Friendly
 Give Love
and plan your next trip :)
Love,
Emily Abel