What do a monkey, a fly, and a panic-stricken elder have in common?

Take a moment and see if you can figure out what a monkey, a fly, and a panic-stricken elder have in common by looking at these pictures.

In a meeting we had recently, a fellow missionary was leading a discussion about the desires of our hearts and how they drive us.  He mentioned our families and the desire to share the things that have blessed our lives.  I reflected on what drove me to come on a mission and the things that matter most to me.  And then the missionary said something that really stood out to me.  He said...

Distractions

Destroy

Desires

He then went on to explain that we have to continually be focused on what we want.  If we allow ourselves to be pulled this way and that, we will come to the end and realize we missed out on the joy and peace that could have been ours.

There are so many things that are clamoring for our attention.  School, career, family, friends, religion, hobbies, and events of life each call for a bit of us.  This life for each of us should be to focus on what truly matters, for we cannot call back the sands of time once they have passed on.  If we give into the numerous distractions that are all along our way, we will fall short of what has been promised us and what we truly desire. Thus, we become the monkey stuck in the trap due to food, the fly tricked by the sweet scents,or the accident caused by losing calm.  On the other hand, if we stay true to the course, we will be welcomed into the heavens with the knowledge that we have obtained our up-most desires.

My plan is to take some time and focus on what I really want and desire, to see what distractions there are that will keep me from those goals, and then do everything I can to overcome those distractions.  I want to say at the end, that I lived my life with no regrets.

Images taken from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/, youthinmind.sg, and the office of Elder Ives (no I was not the one driving the car)

The School Bus Episode

The other day as Elder Ika and I drove to the mission home, we saw all the kids heading to school.  A lot were on their bikes, some were walking, and some had gotten rides from their parents.  However, the most recognizable mode of transport was that of the big yellow school buses.  As I watched them drop off students, my thoughts took me back to an incident in my life that happened about fifteen years ago... 

My family and I were living in Colorado at the time.  I was either in kindergarten or first grade and decided that I wanted to ride the bus to and from school.  My mom walked me down to the corner which served as the bus stop, gave me a hug, and told me that she would be waiting for me after school at the corner.  It was a lot of fun riding the bus with my friends and school was of course all that little kids want.

On the way home while on the bus, I tried to pay special attention to where we stopped because I wanted to make sure I got off at the right stop.  Well, there was a stop on the corner with a hill leading up just like the road that I lived on.  So of course I got off.  Then it hit me...I was not at the right corner.  Terror and fear filled my little six-year old body and I did what any kid would do.  I burst into tears.  Luckily the bus driver had waited to make sure we all went on our way, noticed my anguish, and told me to get on.  The next stop we went to guess who was at the corner.  It was none other but my mom.  I had forgotten that she had promised that she would be there.  What relief and joy filled me at that moment.

This morning as I reflected on this experience my mind was taken to a scripture found in the Book of Mormon.  It is 2nd Nephi chapter 31 verse 20, which states "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ...wherefore, if ye shall press forward and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father...ye shall have eternal life."  Endure to the end, it is definitely one of those phrases that is easier said than done.  Endure to the end means to keep going and stay true to what we know and the commitments we have made to our Heavenly Father.  Endure to the end means that each day we need to do a little more and be a little better.

Christ's Embrace

I learned the lesson of enduring to the end on the school bus, I just did not realize it.  Had I trusted in my mom's promise and looked for her at the corner, I could have avoided the fear that came with getting off the path early.  We never know when our "end" is; however, as we work each day and trust in the Lord's promises, He will be there to comfort us and give us strength.

Tribute to my mom

At six months old

Since tomorrow is Mother's Day, I felt it appropriate to write a post about my mom who has given me so much.

Ann Evadna Dickamore was born on July 8th, 1966, to Henry and Janet Dickamore.  She is the oldest of seven children, six girls and one boy.  As such, she spent a lot of time baby-sitting her siblings, a duty that came with many stories to pass on.  She attended Clinton, Sunset, and South Weber elementary, North Davis junior high, and Clearfield high, graduating in 1984.  After graduating she went on to Ricks college in Rexburg, Idaho, and Stephens Henegers.

All seven kids

On June 21st, 1988, Ann married Richard Dean Wixom.  In 1990, their first born (and coolest I might add) son was born, followed by two more sons and two daughters in the up-coming years.

My mom has taught me so much in the years, even though most of the time it did not seem like I was paying attention.  She taught me first of all the importance of family.  I will always remember one dinner conversation in my teen years in which she rebuked my brothers and I for fighting.  She made it personal and taught us from the scriptures using Alma and his sons.

Ann and Rick

Another lesson I learned from my mom was to encourage others to develop their talents.  In seventh grade when I started to learn to play the trumpet, I know I drove her crazy with the noise; however, she just put me in the corner and told me to keep practicing.  She supported me in everything I wanted to do in life and told me to go for it.

Mom, Dad, and 18-month Hunter

The last lesson I want to mention that my mom taught me is that no matter how much taller or faster or "stronger" than your mom you are, she will always win.  There was one incident when I was younger and in my infinite knowledge of youth challenged her lack of knowledge.  Well, she picked me up, I tried to run up the wall, we almost both fell over, she dropped me and then grounded me for a week.  You would have thought I would have learned, but of course not; that lesson was bound to repeat itself in the years to come.

 I know I would not be who I am today if it were not for my mom.  I am grateful for her help in my life.  Sure do love you mom.  Have a Happy Mother's Day!