Sunday School

 I love lessons that you walk out and you continue to think about how the teacher presented them. Sunday school was wonderful and the teacher, Bryce did an excellent job. On the board he had this list

Bishops 

Prophets

Book of Mormon

Bible 

Doctrine and Covenant

Sacrament meeting

Testimony

home teachers

home teaching

Then he went on to say today missiles hit the US and there is no United States but there is island we can go to but we can only take one thing what would it be. Then he ask for people to say the things they would get rid of.  So it came to these two things. People were hostel about crossing off the prophet. Then he brought up the point if you did not have your testimony would any of these things matter. So I posing the question would any of these matter if you did not have a testimony? 

Second question: What do you base your testimony on?
        He pointed out Christ should be the base of Christ.....
Third question: What do you know that you will always know?  People said they know that Christ is the savior. He said true, what happens if you are not standing on holy grounds.
What if you do ______________ that one time, like watching porn, like cussing, the one R rated movie, etc.
In my opinion that allows us to say its ok and allows the spirit to leave us for that one moment and Satan knows it.

Joyce

Here I am again!!

  I know when ever I need to check in I find attend a 12 step group and this is what happened this week. I decided to go the recovery group here in Lexington and I found the greatest spirit. It was Bro. Kelly and I at the meeting. I love the spirit that dwells in these meetings. Well amazing you will never believe what step we were on Step 10 which is part of the maintainance steps.

Step 10
Continue to take personal inventory and when you are wrong promptly admit it.

I love this step it so often reminds me that we each need to do this. In the manual it talks about ask yourself these questions
Are you doing too much or too little?
Are you taking care of your basic spiritual emotional and physical needs?
Do you serve others?

But the most important question in this step is ARE YOU TRUE?

 It also points out saying "I am wrong" is as important as I love you in any relationship.

Then coming home Kevin found a letter from Aaron and I had never read it or even ever saw it. It told me about Eric and how he would beat them. So Aaron being the person he is would take the beatings for the others. I had no idea and he then ask me did I care or was I too F******* high to notice. I cried......I had no idea. I am so grateful that i went to this meeting tonight and I sat down and wrote him a letter and told him how sorry I was and no I did not know that. and yes I was to high all the time. How much I love him and realize that he does not have to let me in his life. I love the boys so much and it is not like me. I was a horrible person back then. I am so sorry Aaron that I was not there to protect you and your brothers. I am sorry that I was not a mother. I am sorry that I was to high to know you were getting beat. I am sorry I did not notice your bruises. I am sorry. I love you!!
Mom

feelings

   I started class last night and it was this unbelievable fear when looking walking unto the campus of University of KY. I can not believe how nervous I have been this week. The fact that I know no one has been such a different thing for me. Usually anywhere I go I know someone because of being Scott and they know my parents or grandparents. I am excited to get to know different people. It amazing to me how supportive kevin has been. I love that man more and more each day. I can not believe he would give his whole life up to come be with me here. I am so happy that i have him with me, I am not as lonely and for sure not alone.

Love Joyce

Loneliness

   Isn't it funny how loneliness works. So often you can be in a room full of people and you soul fills lonely. Today my soul has felt loneliness. I often think there is two different types of loneliness: one of the spirit and one of the temporal. The temporal one is easier to fill. In my opinion, that second one is just getting up and going to do something. I would fill that loneliness by driving to visit with mom and dad. Or often just chit chatting on the phone with Rhonda or Ms. Shirley. How I miss those girls. Each one of them have added so much to my life. Shirley has taught me to enjoy the world and to think of things in a child like way. We are commanded to become child like. I love this about Shirley. Rhonda has taught me many things: patience and tolerance. I understand that she needs to be loved for just being her.
  The second loneliness is when your spirit needs full. That is mine today. I have this strong testimony about serving.  when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God,” (Mosiah 2:17)  I know my soul sings when I am serving. I don't care how it is that I serve. But I do know how much I miss it. I am so grateful for a Father that knows this about me. I am grateful for parents who taught me to serve by example and by word. Tomorrow my soul will be better. I do believe a temple trip might be exactly what I need.

Lexington

We moved to Lexington, KY. I am sitting here in my small apartment and wondering what the heck?
I know I have done the right thing I want this degree and its amazing how far I have come. I feel so blessed that I have this amazing husband that is willing to change his whole comfort space for me.
when we married he moved into the house I lived in and it always felt like it was my house never our house. Now our little apartment is so ours. We both have had to make decisions on where to put everything and what pictures to hang where. It feels like it is ours.
  I never knew how much I love being around my mom. I miss her. I really enjoy being around her and miss knowing that I can jump in my car and go visit. I really miss her.
  On Sunday, my new ward is wonderful. The RS president is Nancy Powell and she is wonderfully nice. She is just one of those people you want to get to know.