Feelings of gratitude and desire to come unto Christ

I was walking to the coaching office for a meeting because Kiera had the car. It had been raining all day but only sprinkled on me. The coaching office is up the Provo River about a quarter of a mile. It was sprinkling and cool about 40 degrees. It was a beautiful day. The river is always beautiful and I enjoy walking along it. Today I walked with a smile that could not be erased. I was filled with gratitude to my Father in Heaven for everything He has given me. I have the best family ever and a great job that I am really loving. I am member of Christ's church here on earth. At that moment I felt to conquer all my weaknesses and to become who the Lord wants me to be. I was even thankful for my weaknesses and the chance while in this probationary period to change and become who the Lord wants me to become. As I walked I felt impressed to turn and capture the moment to remember for all time. So I turned and took a picture with my camera phone. I did not have any way of transferring the picture so I took a picture of my phone with our digital camera we just bought the day after Thanksgiving.

Every time I look at this picture I will remember the feelings that I had then and recommit to my Savior to become more and to be thankful for all He has given me.

My Ashlyn Standing

Ashlyn has been standing for about a week and a half, here is a short video of her standing over Thanksgiving.

Day after Thanksgiving or Black Friday?

We got to bed around midnight and our sleep was interupted by Lacie
throwing up. So after several purposed ideas we decided to have Tina
(who likes to be called Chris) Come and sleep in our room and we would
take Lacie and Ashlyn. It was an interesting day.

We left my mom's house where we are staying in the apartment at about 2:30 am.

--
Craig Conover
cconover2@gmail.com

Alexa was recognized by her picture in the Ensign

Alexa's nursery teachers were very surprised to pick up the Ensign today and see Alexa's picture in it. Also after church there was this girl in the ward that we ran into delivering visiting teaching assignments that said that she saw her picture and then saw Alexa at church and recognized her. That was neat, it is like she is a celebrity.

Alexa finally loves nursery.

We have had such a hard time getting Alexa to go to nursery. I have spend the last few months going to most of nursery and being able to sneak out sometime in the middle. We have done lots of traveling to Arizona and Idaho and that could of been a problem to have to adjust to several different wards. But this last time that we went to Arizona she was like a new girl. She would kiss me good-bye and that was it... she was off. Today the exact same thing happened, it was great.

Breakthrough in undestanding thoughts

Last night I had a breakthrough in understanding thoughts and how they work. I am writing a talk that I am hoping will be a start in writing a book about how faith is linked to our thoughts. So stay tuned for that this month.

Increasing Our Faith

Understanding Faith
Change YOUR Thoughts... Increase YOUR Faith

Why is faith so hard to describe or explain?
How do we increase our faith?
How can I use that faith as a source of power to pull down the powers of heaven in my life?


These three questions will be my focus to explain to you as has been given and shown to me.

Why is faith so hard to describe or explain? Let me ask you if you knew what $6,456,467.87 meant to lets say Company A? All the study about this amount of money will not bring meaning to the company all by itself. Now if I told you that this figure was the total revenue for the company last year, meaning will form. Faith is very similar, all by itself it is a mystery. Now, if I told you that it was the total results of your thoughts, it now has greater meaning. Faith is not just thoughts, just like a dollar bill does not make up $6,456,467.87, but millions of dollars will amount to $6,456,467.87. Our thought shape our faith. Is it really that simple? The answer is yes, but the trick in not in the understanding what faith is but in the increasing of faith. Just like for Company A, knowing what the total revenue for the year, is not as important as understanding how to increase that total revenue, year in and year out.

Now that we know that Faith is really the total results of our thoughts we can begin to transion into learning how to increase our faith. There are realling three important components to increasing our faith and they are graditude, feelings, and visualization.

graditude-always remember Him, and sincere and other prayer (pray contiually scripture and over all things, flocks, etc..

positive self talk, writing goals in the present Ex. I understand Isaiah.

visualize- decribed in the scriptures over and over and the word is remember (most used word in bofm ?)

We are told to ponder the scriptures, this is a form of visualization or should I say that visualization is a powerful way to ponder. Many if not most revelations were given to the prophets as the pondered. We are literally opening the windows of heaven as we ponder and visualize.

Alexa made the Nov 2006 Ensign pg 112

Alexa's picture appeared in Kathleen H. Hughes talk titled "Remembering the Lord’s Love."

We had so much fun going to General Conference. Kiera and I alternated going in because children under 8 years can't go in. We also stood in the stand-by line every time and got in every time but one. We attended all sessions down there but Sunday morning. We are going to make it a tradition to go down to the Conference Center to attend Conference.

http://lds.org/churchmagazines/ENSN_2006_1100_Nov_Complete_26911_eng.pdf

Personal Alter to offer up prays unto God

I went and knelt down in the living room to gain knowledge from Heavenly Father how I could help Kiera more. She has been having a hard time living in Utah in such a small apartment. I have not helped much because I have such a hard time getting my homework done that it stresses her out even more. Any way it was so powerful, I knelt down and put my arms on our night stand. As I knelt I felt the spirit of God rest upon me and as I held this night stand I could almost see in my minds-eye an alter of old times. I felt the importance of communication with God and his son Jesus Christ and our need for His guidance in our lives. It was such a peaceful feeling and felt as if my prayer was true communion with my Father in Heaven. I did not get any specific answers for my particular concern but was blessed with such feelings, knowledge, and love of this great experience. I felt to continue to pray when Lacie woke up and started to cry. We must always stay tuned into the Spirit and to the Eternal Perspective so that we can be instruments in His hands and for him to communicate such love that I felt at this time.

I am the new Training Coordinator for Prosper

It is very exciting, I went in and talked to Jeff to let him know that I was back from Arizona and he told me that he still needed to get one more clearance from Aaron Peterson, the owner over sales, to extend the offer to me. He Said that I had the job but the final offer had to wait for clearance. He apologized for the great delay on the process. He had to go through so many different approvals that it just took so long. He said to look for him today so he could extend the offer.

I called Kiera and she screamed, because she was so excited. Based on the history of the process I do not figure that I will get the offer today but we will see.

I was laughing with Danion, a guy on my team that I told this story, and later with Kiera about the first time I went in to Jeff's office, HR manager, to inquire about the position. He told me, "That this was a BIG POSITION." It was funny because when I finally turned in my resume I knew that he was in for a rude awakening. Sure enough during the first interview he was so ecstatic it was comical. Now that I got the position I just laugh because it is a "BIG POSITION".

Hinckley is now the olders prophet

Here is an aticle put out by the Deseret Morning News:

Thursday, November 2, 2006
LDS leader ties record for longevity

By Lynn Arave
Deseret Morning News
President Gordon B. Hinckley of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints marks a major milestone today. He has now equaled President David O. McKay in age.

Deseret Morning News graphic President McKay and President Hinckley are now tied as the oldest prophets in the history of the church.

As of today, Nov. 2, 2006, President Hinckley is 96 years old, plus 132 days — the same age that President McKay was when he died on Jan. 18, 1970. President Hinckley is thus poised to become the oldest-ever church president Friday.

Born in Salt Lake City on June 23, 1910, he has served as the 15th president of the church since March 12, 1995, and has been a general authority for more than 48 years.

President Joseph Fielding Smith lived to be 95 and 8 months old, the third-oldest church president. President Ezra Taft Benson was fourth at age 94 and President Wilford Woodruff fifth at age 91.

While President Hinckley is approaching age 97, no other church president has displayed as much vigor and energy as he has.

"I think it is significant for any church to have an extended administration that is not chopped up," said Jan Shipps, professor emeritus of history and religious studies at Indiana University-Purdue University.

She is considered among the foremost non-LDS scholars of LDS history and said she has not only been impressed with President Hinckley's vigor and vitality — despite his advancing age — but also with his openness among church members.

"President Hinckley has been strong and consistent," she said.

President Hinckley's first major health issue in his life came on Jan. 24, 2006, when he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous portion of his intestine.

President Hinckley briefly addressed his longevity in the general conference last month.

"Now, as all of you know, I am somewhat old in years," he said in the Sunday morning session. "I had my 96th birthday last June. I have learned from many sources that there is considerable speculation concerning my health. I wish to put the record straight. If I last a few months longer, I will have served to an older age than any previous president. I do not say this to be boastful but rather grateful."

He also said, "The Lord has permitted me to live; I do not know for how long. But whatever the time, I shall continue to give my best to the task at hand."

President Hinckley's father, Bryant S. Hinckley, lived to age 93 and almost 11 months. He died on June 5, 1961. President Hinckley's mother, Ada Bitner Hinckley, died at age 50 on Nov. 9, 1930.

The average longevity for all 15 LDS Church presidents is 83.4 years. Not counting Joseph Smith, who was martyred at age 38, the remaining 14 presidents have had an average life span of 86.6 years.

President Hinckley currently ranks sixth in his length of tenure as church president, with 11 years and almost eight months of service. Fifth place is held by President Spencer W. Kimball, who was prophet for 11 years and 10 months.

Brigham Young had the longest tenure as church president, with 29 years, followed by President Heber J. Grant with 27 years. President McKay was prophet for 19 years and President Joseph F. Smith for 17 years.

The oldest-ever LDS general authority was Elder Joseph Anderson of the Quorums of the Seventy. He served as a general authority for more than eight years and had an additional 13 years of emeritus status. He died on March 13, 1992, at age 102.

Graditude to three pioneer boys

I just got done watching a movie part of the Church History DVD's about these three 18 year old boys and their courage that gained them eternal life, worlds without end. I sat here and cried because of their courage and thought to myself that I needed to rise to their level and live the Gospel with exactness. These three boys remind me of 2060 young stripling warriors that demonstrated like faith in their God.

Alma 53:20-21

20 And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for ^acourage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

21 Yea, they were men of truth and ^asoberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to ^bwalk uprightly before him.

Alma 56:44-48, 56
44 Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle?

45 And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen ^aso great ^bcourage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.

46 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will ^anot suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.

47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the ^aliberty of their ^bfathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their ^cmothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their ^amothers, saying: We ^bdo not doubt our mothers knew it.

56 But behold, to my great joy, there had ^anot one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the ^bstrength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength; and with such mighty power did they fall upon the Lamanites, that they did frighten them; and for this cause did the Lamanites deliver themselves up as prisoners of war.

I want to gain even a fraction of the faith of these young and valiant sons of heleman and the three pioneers. I will forever indebted to the Lord for preserving these great scriptures so that we can have their legacy and feel of their spirits.

Cindy comes home today

My wife and kids are at the airport waiting for Cindy to come home from her mission in Canada. Her plane is an hour late, so my family is just hanging out right now. We will wait for her to come in now (I am in Utah because I had to work.)...

Perfect knowlege of our wickedness

I opened the scriptures to read before bed and I felt to flip through and stopped at Alma 55. I stated reading from verse 1 and was very impressed.

1 Now it came to pass that when Moroni had received this epistle he was more angry, because he knew that Ammoron had a perfect knowledge of his ^afraud; yea, he knew that Ammoron knew that it was not a just cause that had caused him to wage a war against the people of Nephi.

Let me now reword it to apply it to us. (We are told to liken all scriptures unto us).

1 Now it came to pass that when the Lord was more angry, because He knew that we had a perfect knowledge of our wickedness; yea, He knew that we knew that it was not a just cause that had caused such wickedness to come among us and to be partakers thereof.

Many times we question why so many wars are in the scriptures and I believe that there are great lessons to be learned. I also know of the great spiritual wars that are to come. The Spirit rests upon me as I testify to you of the spiritual wars which are to come for I have seen in vision the darkness and the destruction that waits this world. The Lord opened my mind and filled my soul with understanding of the wars that we will soon be called to fight in. The destruction is more real than any other battle we have ever fought in and it will require all the Strong to come forth and lead the Saints to victory. I believe that we will need and use the scriptures of war much much more as time passes and as the battle begins to intensify. Let us all move forward and resist evil, for we know the wickedness within us and we must purge out the wickedness to make room for righteousness. I have more to work on than anyone else but I give my pledge here today in the presence of my God and your God to move forward and rise to be a leader in Zion to triumph over all enemies and to be caught up to meet our Lord and Savior even Jesus Christ in the clouds and embrace him with love overfilling. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Subtle testimony to my Spanish teacher (Isabella)

I had asked my teacher in email today if I could have an extension on my test due to day and she replied back with the following:

Hi Craig! I am sorry about the death in your family. My condolences to all. May his/her soul rest in peace. Of course, you get an extension for test lesson 10. Just let me know when you are ready. God Blees you and Protect you all, Dr. Pajewski

I then sent her this email:

Thank you very much. It was sad and yet there were miracles at the same time. Isabella was almost 3 years old and her friend (Jose, son of the nanny) who was her age also slipped through the back gate that was left open by one of the families workers. They found them a quarter mile down the canal. Jose was holding with one hand to this pole, there is no way he could of got hold of that pole on his own let alone be able to hold on with one hand in the strong current, someone had to have been there helping him. Then once they got him out he said that "I", that is what he called Isabella, was "in water asleep". How could he of known that she was asleep under the water? They found her at the bottom of the canal. She could not be revived and was rushed to a hospital but did not make it. The boy was rushed to the ICU and was not doing very good. He got pneumonia in his lungs and several other things as well. The Branch President (in the The Church of Latter-day Saints church he is like a pastor or a bishop) came and administered to him (gave him a blessing) and commanded him in the name Jesus Christ to be made whole. Once he finished the blessing Jose opened his eyes and the doctors could not find anything wrong with him at all. So there was tragedy and the work of the Lord mixed all together. We are just thankful for our religion that teaches us that life does not end with death and that through the power and mercy of God we will be able to be with our families after this life. i appreciate you for being understanding.

I wanted to bear my testimony about the Church but in a subtle way. I felt that this was nice and subtle but I tend to think that everything is subtle. Anyway she now knows a little bit of the Church.