Returned With Honor :-)

An overwhelming feeling of excitement had me going all of yesterday as we prepared to meet with Elder Tamanalevu as he was returning from the BestTwo years of His Life in the Texas Houston Mission. I reflected ALOT on my own mission and the MANY Blessings that is mine because of it, most especially for the Testimony that I have of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I also was happy for the Tamanalevu Family as they witnessed History in the making for their first Missionary returning Home with Honor. It was a Wonderful Day all in all with the Feast at home after with Loved Ones striving for a common End in mind~

O Happy Day! O Happy Day!

The question of the Day is "Will I want to be the person I've Become when all is Said and Done?" This morning I've been thinking about the words of a song written by Katherine Nelson titled "When all is said and done", When all is said and done, as the season slips away, when I've taken steps beyond my sight, will I find my strength in greater light, will my courage grow with every passing day and will my faith be constant as the setting sun, when all is said and done? Sometimes in life it seems like its never going to be enough, we always want one more thing to bring us that happiness or satisfaction and we tire our minds, day and night, on how we will attain it. I guess its quite human and normal to be feeling this way as that is a sign of growth and determination to strive for the better but the difference lies in how we prioritize our time and efforts and what we deem most important in our lives as Individuals and as a Family....I know this is pretty deep stuff :-)) Just something to think about I guess~:>

As for our Current Events, we are now in our Very Own Home, have been for the the past 3 weeks. We closed and received our keys on Thursday, August 11th and had everything moved in, including ourselves on Saturday the 13th. We could not have done it without the help of mortal angels such as Bishop Wickhm, April Nitsos and their respective families, Cottage Park Ward family, Matakibau Family, Tavai Family, Our Uncle Bill and Jasmine, our Pu Titi, Aunty Diana and Foki and all our Family and Loved ones who connected with us through their Love & Prayers...Its still like a dream to us as we look back how far we've come starting off in our West La Loma Apartment, then to our Duplex on Sweet Way ad now to our Home on 9210 Sungold Way... What can we say other than 'THANK YOU DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER'. So very grateful to my dearest Mother and Father for all that they have done and continue to do for us in helping us reach the goals we set as a family. Grateful for a Wonderful, Supportive and very Patient Husband for all his hardwork and Love for me and our Children. And I thank my Father in Heaven for my Most precious Blessings, my children, for the Joy and Totality they bring to me and to our Family. My only Hope is that we will use all we have been Blessed with, including our Beautiful New Home to raise up our Children in the Ways of the Lord and Prepare them to face the world and make choices that will bring them Joy in this Life and in the Life to come.

And now back to the deep thoughts, It is ok to be striving for the better, but like Jacob counselled the Nephites, "But before ye seek for riches, seek ye first the Kingdom of God". This formula has worked from the beginning of days and will work for ever and ever. When followed, there is an outpouring of Peace, Love & Harmony in the Home and all that the Lord sees fit, according to our Faith and the Righteous Desires of our Hearts. OK I think Im done preaching, now I need to go and Do! Did I tell you how grateful I am to be a Member of the Kingdom of God here on earth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It has taught me and continues to teach me and call me to repentance too often, on how to Live a Good Life, preparatory to returning to my Heavenly Home!! Oh Happy Day :-)

Its ALL about HOPE

July has been a month of anticipation for our family, like waiting for rain after months of Summer Heat. Little did I know that it was grounds for a teaching moment for me, lessons that could not be learnt in any other way, only in the Higher Ways of a Loving Father in Heaven. Yesterday as I listened to Mormon Messages while working, the familiar voice of Elder Utchdorf seemed louder than the rest...and I felt the Spirit urging me to listen closer and take note of my 'Lesson of the Day'. As it was only a short clip, I looked for the copy of the entire talk on the LDS website and feasted on the words of this Faithful Servant of the Lord. Said he, "Hope has the power to fillour Lives with Happiness. It absence-when the desires of our heart is delayed-can make "the heart sick". This is so true. Where will we be without Hope, and especially Hope through our Savior Jesus Christ. Another paragraph that stood out to me was, "The things we hope for are often future events. if only we could look beyond the horizon of mortality into what awaits us beyond this life. is it possible to imagine a more glorious future than the one prepared for us by our Heavenly Father? Because of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ we need not fear..." What a sense of relief and peace overcame me as I renewed my Hope and Faith in my Savior that all things will happen according to the Great Plan of my Heavenly Father and in His own perfect time. All I needed to do was focus on fulfilling the different Roles and Callings I have been Blest with. So this is my message for this Beautiful month of July, 2011, Have Hope in and through my Savior Jesus Christ and Faith that everything will work out for my own Good~:)

APRIL 2011 GENERAL CONFERENCE

General Conference was just so very AWESOME! I loved all the talks and the messages were so much for me, but the SPIRIT was just so Beautiful! It carried the messages to the hearts of men, at least to mine and moved me to GET UP and DO something about it! One of my favorites was on Sunday Afternoon by Elder Lynn G Robbins of the Seventy who spoke on the importance of 'Becoming' and not just 'Doing'...especially as we rear and nurture our little ones. He said often we ask our children, 'What do you want to Be when you grow up, as if our Professions make us who we are, nor our Professions nor our Pocessions make us who we are'. Loved the talk by Elder Oaks on the importance of having Righteous Desires and Desiring Spiritual more than Temporal. From this conference, I am motivated to offer the Lord the firstlings of my earnings FIRST, attend the Temple at least once a week, DESIRE to Draw Nearer to the Lord in Word and especially in DEED, Look for opportunities to SERVE the poor and the needy and most of all to become the Mother I can be to my children. I really do hope and pray that I will live up to these goals that I have set for myself and that come next General Conference in October, I will be counting my many blessings and ready for whatever the Lord sees that I need to work on.

As my children are still very young to sit and listen, we tried to teach them the Name of the Prophet and even draw a picture of him as he spoke. Lauryn drew a picture of President Thomas S Monson and Ateca memorized his name...even up till last nite, she was still able to tell her Aunty Omi the name of our Living Prophet. I am excited for the opportunity these kids will have to grow up in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have their own Testimonies strengthened as they Learn and Grow at Home, at Church and in their everyday life experiences.

I am excited tonight is our Cottage Park Ward Relief Society Temple Night. I feel like a daughter that has been travelling the world and returning to Visit her Father and I know He will Welcome me with Open Arms and Give me Answers to my prayers~

Language of Gratitude

Life has a way of bringing the worst and the best out of a person, but it takes a lot of courage to CHOOSE which path one takes. I truly believe that with a Grateful heart, that choice is made so much easier and the outcome will be so much better. As I contemplate on how far I have come in these past thirty some years, all I feel is GRATITUDE, first and foremost to a Loving Heavenly Father and a wondrous plan that was laid out especially for me bringing me to where I am at today. To my Savior and for His Atonement that allows me to live, forgive and Be Forgiven, most of all taste the bittersweet moments that make my life what it is. For loving parents and caring siblings who I know Love me unconditionally. For friends, teachers, students, companions, ward members, acquaintances, work colleagues I have interacted, taught, learnt, rejoiced, cried and Helped me in my journey of following my Blueprint in Life. Most of all for my very own FOREVER FAMILY consisting of my Husband, Best Friend and utmost Love of my Life, Vodo Tamanalevu, and Angels, Lauryn Seini, Ateca Caginiwasa and Ilai Bruce Fuata. Who would have known that someone like me would be worthy to be given a Faithful husband and Adoring Children to care for, learn from and ACCOMPANY me in this mortal journey? I don't feel so deserving of all these blessings, but they are MINE and I TRULY am GRATREFUL!!