Olivia is Getting Baptized!

Olivia turns 8 on January 26th, and as the date draws near, I still can't believe we have reached this milestone! Olivia is my little girl, but this little girl is growing WAY too fast!

Olivia Rose is my miracle baby. OK, that's dramatic, but my pregnancies were not easy.. like at all! So, when I got pregnant with Olivia I prayed that this baby would be healthy, but that this baby would also be a SHE because I didn't know if I could endure another pregnancy, and having had a boy already, I really wanted a girl. 

I remember knowing she was a girl the day I wanted to buy crib bedding and my ultrasound was not due for another week, so I remember just looking at the bedding that also happened to be on sale, and loving it, and decided I was going to buy it, because right then and there, I knew I was carrying a little girl.

A week later, the ultrasound confirmed 100% that I was indeed going to have a baby girl, and I was overjoyed! 

I knew her name was going to be Olivia. I knew this WAY before I got pregnant with her, because I remember dressing Matthew up as a girl when he was a baby (I'm a mean mom) and would call him "Olivia" I also loved the name, because Matthew & I would read Olivia the Pig books over, and over everyday for months! He loved those books, so the name stuck.

Olivia has a pure heart. She is honest, and sweet. She is also feisty and has some fight in her small little frame. This girl will move mountains one day.

Olivia is beautiful inside and out, and I still can't believe that we got entrusted with this perfect little spirit. She loves going to church, and trusts in the Lord.

While I wish she could stay little forever, I know that Heavenly Father sent her here for a special purpose, so glad that she has chosen to be baptized and follow in Christ's footsteps!

I hope she understands how much we love her, and even though that's a lot, it pales in comparison to the love Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ has for her.

I know she knows the importance of this step, and how this decision will shape her life. I'm proud to be her mama. 

Jazmin

Spiritual Journey: Dusting Off my Testimony

{Long Post Warning!} 

***This is a very personal, spiritual post. I will talk about my beliefs and bare testimony of Christ.  I want to share it, as I feel prompted to, and feel strongly about. This is not for everyone, and I get that. But if you feel moved by the Spirit you should follow it's instruction.*** 

Today has been a cool day. I did my visiting teaching in the morning, I worked out, I worked. I went to Target to get some stuff for the house, and decided that I was making pizza for dinner since Steve is going to be home late as he would be operating a ton. When I say, I'm making pizza, I actually just mean, 'popped' it in the oven ;)

Moving on.

I feel like my house needs A LOT of cleaning, but the kids wanted to chill. Matthew had the STARR Test today, and that has given him a lot of stress, and Olivia pretty much got her homework done early, so while looking for something to do, we went to Netflix to find a movie we would like to watch. I settled on 'The Prince of Egypt' Olivia had seen it before, but she was little, so she never finished it. Matthew was busy playing Roblox, so we went for it. 

First of all, this movie is AMAZING! The music is perfection. I had forgotten that Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey sing in the closing credits and it's beautiful. It made me think of Whitney Houston passing. I wonder if she ever repented? I wonder if she had a testimony? Those are weird thoughts after a spiritual movie and feeling. But I wondered. 

While the oven beeped, I kept thinking. What about MY testimony? What if I was a Hebrew in the times of Moses? Would I be angry at God? Would I believe? 

Then I stopped myself. 

What about the end of times?! WHAT ABOUT NOW?!

 Do I believe? and the reality is, that while we don't know the time or the day, all indications point that we are in the last of days. 

What about MY repentance? What about MY salvation? 

I have been working out to lose weight. A good thing, but not the most important. The question raised today is: How hard am I working towards my salvation?

How much service am I doing?

How many commandments have I broken?

How can I start now, to clean myself up?!

It is true that if you confess that Jesus is the Christ you will be saved. But God sent his only Begotten Son to show us the example of how we should live.I must be worthy of his presence. 

Jesus worked hard. 

He was humble. 

He did service. 

He studied the scriptures. 

He was a missionary. 

He prayed. 

HE DIED FOR ME. 

Is confessing and acknowledging that he is the Christ enough? No. God knew this, and Jesus paid MY debt. 

But, I still have my body. I have good hands, and  in the words of Lady Grantham: "I'm a woman with a brain and reasonable ability" so I should know what to do.

I should do more. 

I should pray more. 

I should testify of Christ.

 In these last days, we are all to be missionaries. We are to become 'fisherman of men' We must depend on Christ and our own abilities to bring people into the gospel. To teach them about Jesus. 

People are lost. I am lost. I have been found, and somehow manage to get lost again. 

I don't live the way I should. I'm a sinner. BUT I WILL TRY, and truly repent of my sins. 

I must walk away from the things that make me rationalize my wrong doings. 

I should walk away & not be ashamed to walk out on something that I know to be wrong. 

But I must have LOVE in my heart also. 

Jesus didn't hate. He didn't judge. 

I must pray for understanding in the things that I simply cannot understand. 

I believe in Christ. And he believes in me. 

I know I can be more like him. 

I know I can trust in him.

I want to share that with others. 

I truly know that my Redeemer lives. I feel it, and know it to be true. I know that he has re-established his church on earth. The church of Jesus Christ IS the literal church of Christ. 

I know that he speaks to his prophets like in the time of old. He has been the same then, now and will forever. 

I believe in Christ. 

Share the gospel. Testify of Jesus. Fill your home with his spirit.

The time is NOW. 

Jazmin