Wednesday, March 4, 2015

My First Experience with Mighty Prayer

Hey guys, sorry for not blogging last week, time just went by ha.
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Hymns #140  Did You Think to Pray?

I'll get back to that hymn later on in this post :)

Alright, so I thought I would share about my first experience when I truly didn't felt invisible from my Heavenly Father, that he knew me, he knew this 16 year old young man, that he knew who I was, he knew my trials and that He really did cared for me. this is my experience of the very first time when I prayed and actually got a answer back. It was a very special moment, when His spirit was so strong, that I felt a overwhelming feeling of warmth. My second experience with prayer is the one I had on Trek, some of you may have  already read it, but if you haven't, here's the Link

I was going through a pretty rough time, it was about having Asperger's, and feeling totally alone, In my teen years of 14-16. I did had some people from my ward I would talk to, but it still felt like I never could actually connect with them, I didn't told anyone about having Asperger's until I was 17.
I would tell myself that I was some weird person or a freak, that was why no one would really talk to me that much, that was why no one really wanted to sit next to me in Sunday School, (Please note, that some people would sit by me in Sunday School) only 2-3 people out of a class of 10-12?.
I remember when Priest Quorum came along, me and my friend Spencer would always try to sit next to each other, and I really appreciate that (He was my first friend I told about having Asperger's)

I would hide my emotions, I would put a smile on my face like nothing was wrong, but deep down, I felt rejected at times, I felt like a nobody, a couple of times I didn't even want to go into my Sunday School class, I wanted to skip it all together. I remember when I was 14 or 15, one of those years, I had a teacher in Sunday School and one week she just said how "Every week, there's somebody that comes into class and always sits by himself" as she said that, she got pretty emotional about it. I felt all eyes on me, and for a couple of weeks, some people would sit next to me, but it didn't last that long.

Every year I would keep everything inside, got to the point when my bottle of emotions was about to burst open, in 2009 (I was 16) I was taking a home school class with another home school family (They were LDS too, I'm still friends with the family) from in town. one day when I was at class, I remember when my teacher asked me if everything was alright. I guess I was looking pretty down and even quieter then normal, as if I can get even more quieter?.  I just said that I  was good, but it was hard to say those words, without breaking down, but I managed it nonetheless.

Then this Sunday... this Sunday exploded that bottle, I was in Sunday School class. sitting by myself, a guy walked into the classroom, said "Where should I sit down?" asking the class as a whole where he should sit down, one of the girls said you could sit by Michael. this guy just said "Nah, I don't want to sit by Michael" now, this may seems harmless, you all may be thinking "So what?" but after years of keeping everything inside, hearing those words, I almost broke down in Sunday School, I wanted to get up, and leave the room. I just wanted out, but instead I just stayed seated, and stared down at the ground, I have thought of that moment a couple of times, more so now as I'm writing this blog post. I had the thought of getting up, leaving the room. also had the thought of getting up, punching the guy, and leaving the room, but I choose just to stay seated, which was probably the best opinion out of those three.


That evening, when I got home, or a couple days after that Sunday, I literally broke down, I remember the time, I do not remember what day it was, but the time was 12am, at midnight. I was out in the living room, I couldn't sleep, I just needed help, so I went out into the living room with my set of scriptures. You've probably heard of those stories, when somebody is going through a really tough time and they open up their scriptures and amazingly  enough find some verses that jumps out to them, during their trials. I thought that would happen with me. So there I was, closing my scriptures, opening them randomly, repeating that time after time, but that was not working. It started to get hard to see, just because of the tears, I then remembering something from church, this was actually pretty close to a General Conference (I'm pretty sure it was the April session coming up) but a teacher shared a story of somebody he knew, that said a prayer before a General Conference, the person did not get the answer to their prayer from a talk, but rather from a song.. so I remember that, so when I went out into the living room, I actually had a copy of the hymn book. after opening my scriptures for a couple of minutes, trying to find some help. I then said a prayer.

It wasn't a casual prayer I usually did, but rather a prayer of pleading for help, so far in my life, the most spiritual experiences with prayer is when I have no where else to turn, and I literally plead to my Heavenly Father, I beg him to help me.... and He has answered.
 I pleaded with my Heavenly Father, I needed help, that I felt alone, tears were streaming down my face.

Enos 1:4 comes to mind "And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens."

I cried unto my  Heavenly Father, in mighty prayer.. tears running down my face as I was saying this prayer, begging, pleading for help, it was at this moment, when I felt a overwhelming feeling of warmth. I felt as like I was embraced into a hug, I heard a voice in my head "140" I open up my scriptures, searched for anything involving the number 140, I went to the page numbers of "140" nothing really stood out at all, with my eyes still fresh from a rain storm, I looked at the hymn book.. I picked it up, turned to "140" the hymn was "Did You Think to Pray?" I looked at it, and I literally laughed to myself, I was like "Yeah, that's what I'm doing now, I did prayed"  but then I looked at the lyrics.

(Chorus)
Oh, how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day.
So, when life gets dark and dreary,
Don't forget to pray.

3. When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was full of sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow
At the gates of day?
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The feeling I got after reading the Chorus and 3rd verse, that I knew He answers prayers, that He knew who I was, what I was going through,  I felt loved, I felt His hug. It was such a powerful experience. I haven't been in that state for awhile now, when I was so broken down like that. My Senior year during Sunday School was a lot better, but I'll share that for a different post, on another day.

A friend of mine, named Paul, I met him in the summer of 2008, I was 15 at the time. at the time he was 24 or 25, around there.. He went to a overnight camp out with my friend Spencer and Spencer's brothers, he was subbing as one of our leaders I think. but anyways, we talked late into the night, the group of us, we were just laying down on a tarp talking and staring up at the night sky.
That was the same overnight camp out where I went to a store and bought doughnuts and candy so I could feel like I was "part" of the group, that'd people would like to talk to me. which now thinking of it, is kind of silly of me, because Spencer was a friend of mine, and his brothers, but I still felt disconnected to people. Skip over to a couple weeks later, I was talking to Paul on gchat and previously he said that "I was great" I asked him, if Spencer had told him about me, because why else would he said I was great?. This is what he had to say to that.

 Michael, nearly everything I know about you I learned in person.

When I first met you, I got the impression that you have been labeled and judged, and that part of you struggled to feel accepted.

I also was able to discern great things about you; your sincerity, your integrity, how valiant you are, and how strong you are.

I would say that there are many, many things which I can see in you which you cannot see in yourself.

I saw those things the day that I met you.

You might think that this is some kind of trick or something, but Michael, think about it.

No one assigned me to be nice to you.

Being a friend to you doesn't make me money, help my grades, get me a girlfriend, or make me more popular.

But it makes me happy.

Because I know something of who you are.
That is why I am a friend to you.

Michael, this is no trick. This is reality. There is no hidden agenda here.
The whole world may have told you that you aren't good enough, but if they have, the whole world was wrong.

You were always good enough.

It is too bad that people do and say the things that they do.

They just don't know what they are doing.

The day will come when they know who you are, then they will wish that things had been different.

Of course, then again, the day will come when you know who you are, and then you will finally realize why the Steeles befriended you, why I befriended you.

I don't believe that you really believe in who you are yet.

But you are on the right path.

Just don't doubt yourself so much.

Your doubt only slows you down.

You have been placed in some of the best circumstances that have ever existed for a son of God since this earth was created.

He put you here to make a difference.

You need to believe in yourself in order to make that difference.
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In closing, prayer is real, mighty prayer is real. God knows who you are, what you're going through. He loves you. I'm so thankful for every friend I have today, it means a lot to me.

Endure to the end, stay strong in the Gospel and you won't regret it









Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Active in church AND the gospel.

Hey look, a second post in 2015, I beat 2014's record by one post. I would like to thank everyone for checking out the blog and leaving comments, they mean a lot, thanks!, I'll like to remind everyone that you can follow this blog by typing in your email, you can also click on "Join this site" that will add your name at the "Members" section.
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I'm going to be talking about the talk, given by  Elder Donald L. Hallstorm. which is titled "Converted to His Gospel through His Church"

The first words to his talk reads
"I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sometimes we use the term gospel and Church interchangeably, but they are not the same. They are, however, exquisitely interconnected, and we need both."

I would recommend you to go read or watch his talk.

Later in his talk he says "Some have come to think of activity in the Church as the ultimate goal. Therein lies a danger. It is possible to be active in the Church and less active in the gospel. Let me stress: activity in the Church is a highly desirable goal; however, it is insufficient. Activity in the Church is an outward indication of our spiritual desire. If we attend our meetings, hold and fulfill Church responsibilities, and serve others, it is publicly observed.

By contrast, the things of the gospel are usually less visible and more difficult to measure, but they are of greater eternal importance. For example, how much faith do we really have? How repentant are we? How meaningful are the ordinances in our lives? How focused are we on our covenants?

I repeat: we need the gospel and the Church. In fact, the purpose of the Church is to help us live the gospel. We often wonder: How can someone be fully active in the Church as a youth and then not be when they are older? How can an adult who has regularly attended and served stop coming? How can a person who was disappointed by a leader or another member allow that to end their Church participation? Perhaps the reason is they were not sufficiently converted to the gospel—the things of eternity.

That is so true, because.. for awhile now, I was active in the church, but not the Gospel. It has been a long time since I prayed, or read my scriptures. I was going to church every week, going to FHE (Family Home Evening) going to YSA activities. I was basically going through the motions. in 2014 I would say I only prayed a handful of times, if not less. read about the same amount of times as well.

Even though, I wasn't  reading or praying regularly  I still  had a testimony of the Book of Mormon, because I've read it all the way through for the first time. This was back in 2011, you can read that blog post right here
I also have a testimony in prayer, which also took place in 2011, for two experiences I had in my life.  You can read about one of my experiences of prayer here, I haven't shared the second one yet.

 After gaining those testimonies the first time in my life, I couldn't later on, ignore them, even when I stopped praying and reading, my testimonies were low, but I could not forget those memories, the feelings, my faith was still there, but I was not exercising it, I was not doing the things that I should of been doing. after not praying and reading on a regular basis. you just forget about reading, praying, got to the point when I didn't even want to pray, because of the mistakes I have made, in the talk from Dieter F. Uchtdorf which is titled "You Matter To Him" he states

"Another way Satan deceives is through discouragement. He attempts to focus our sight on our own insignificance until we begin to doubt that we have much worth. He tells us that we are too small for anyone to take notice, that we are forgotten—especially by God."

My relationship with my Heavenly Father was like this. You're at some sort of activity, you meet someone, talk to the person, add the person on Facebook and after awhile, you just stop talking. You still remember the person, because you see their posts on Facebook, but the communicate is gone. You might go to church, get home and see you have a message from the person, you look at it, but don't reply back, in other words, you might go to church, feel the spirit during a talk or a lesson, it could be about prayer, and how we need to pray daily. But you don't act on it, you don't reply back. Sometimes you wish you could just send the person a message, but you don't know what to say, don't want to tell the person your mistakes. Then one day, you want to change, you start reading again, before even praying... the next day, still read... by the third or fourth day, you finally type out a message and hit enter.. in other words. You pray.

Alma 32 talks about planting a seed  and that you need to nourish it, pray, read scriptures, exercising your faith.

Alma 32:38 and 39.

" 38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.

 39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof."


I've been praying and reading for a couple of weeks, I'm in 2nd Nephi right now. it's never to late to pluck the old seed, and plant a new seed. Heavenly Father is always here for us, His arms are open wide, He love us, even when we feel that we've made to many mistakes.





This is a poem, which I wrote sometime ago.. it's about the Atonement.  it's a reverse poem, so you read it normal, then re-read it from the bottom back to the top.

Don't worry on the past
Our lives are not unsurpassed

Become what you want to be
Don't focus on former times, start anew be free.

The grasps of Satan are tight
When you feel like giving up, he laughs in delight

Satan makes you feel abandoned, and that no one understands.
try searching for a helping hand..

Use Christ's Atonement; he died for you and me
You'll finally be free.

He knows the pains
He'll break the chains

Blood dripped from every pore
He loves us before and evermore.

He smiles when we use his Atonement
In this moment, use His Atonement.
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Endure to the end, stay strong in the Gospel and you won't regret it

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Welcome to my blog, first post 2015

I've been inactive with my blog for sometime, no one to blame but myself.
Why not take this as an opportunity to start writing again and actually telling people about my blog.
During the time with being away from my blog, things have been going alright. I am working at Craft Warehouse, I might of said that before or not.. but I been working there for over a year now (Time flies by ha)

I've been able to developed my relationships with my friends from the YSA Branch more. That in itself is something I'm thankful for. As some of you may or may not know, I have Asperger's Syndrome, AS  is high functioning autism. It can be quite difficult to be social, I don't understand body language, and facial expression a whole lot, but the two are  pretty much body language as a whole right?. either way I can tell the very obvious facial expression.. when someone is sad and stuff, but that's about it.

I remember at some over night scout camp I went on, when I was 12-14 years old, the guys were talking in a tent, conversation going, I had no idea what to say at all. like none.. nothing could form in my head. I remember at some point in the night, that I tried to join in the conversation and I said, I was really good with remembering to brush my teeth morning and night..
Yep... that had nothing to do with the conversation they were having, it was really random. I just wanted to hid in my sleeping bag and wish I wasn't even there.
Because of situations like above, I just became even more quite.

Along with not being able to understand body language, I can't maintain eye contact, I remember when I was a lot younger, when I would looked into a mirror, and see my eyes staring back at me, I would look away,  I felt really uncomfortable with looking at myself in the eyes. Now being older I can look myself in my own eyes, but looking people in the eyes during conversations?, I can for a short while.. and than  I start to look at the side of you, pass your head, or down at the ground. anywhere beside your eyes, I will try to look back at your face a couple of times during conversation, but each time it'd be the same and I'll look away, to best describe it, it's like staring into the sun, after awhile... you just got to look away :). I don't even keep eye contact while I'm talking to my mom, so yeah.. haha

Growing up in my ward, I had some people around my age I would talk to, but that didn't happen a lot,  I didn't got my first hug, from someone outside of my family and around my age until I was 14.
When I was  younger as well, my speech used to be so bad, I would stutter a lot, now it has improved a lot too, and I'm so thankful for that, it was so annoying to try to talk to people, and they didn't know what I said, so they just pretended to know what I have said, I don't blame them though, if people back in my old ward in Pasco, would hear me now, they might be surprised, there sometimes when I stutter, but it hardly happens.

I'm thankful that I developed the relationships, I would say their not all the way developed though, not a full 100%, I'm not sure if I'll ever get to that point though, just because of Asperger's, but I'm able to crack some jokes with some of my friends at the branch and just talk to them. Starting conversations can still be hard, I am not a group person, if a group of friends are talking, I will just listen.

I would say I have improved quite a lot from my home ward back in Pasco, to where I am now.
It didn't happened overnight, but I kept working at it, I had to be the person to talk first, and at times I still don't do that, but a friend of mine. Levi, he moved to Kennewick for a job internship in May  2014, I was at the  chapel door handing out the bulletin at church, I noticed that he was new, so I began talking to him, and now we're good friends and talk whenever we see each other.

Oh wow, that was a lengthy post, hope no one mind ha. Well in closing for this post, I'll share a poem that I wrote back in summer of 2013, Some of you maybe didn't know I like to write poetry, well... you do know now hah. the poem is titled  Disconnected.


There's days when I feel disconnected.  
 I wish I could be normal 
Some days  I feel really rejected 
Why I'm I so abnormal?

Standing in a group, words do not flow
I listen, don't know what to say
It's hard to undergo
At times I feel like a cast away

Some days are better then others
Every once in awhile, I just break down
Missing the full connection with another.
When all I do is look around.

Some days I question 
Why am I like this?
I don't understand you're facial expressions
So many things that I miss

But they are so plain to you
I question my friendships, because at times I feel so disconnected 
If only you can see  from my point of view
I just want to be connected 
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Endure to the end, stay strong in the Gospel and you won't regret it






Thursday, April 10, 2014

Five Months of Silences.

Hey, if any of you still get an email for when I blog, I'm sorry I haven't post anything.... nothing at all for the last five months.

So let see.. some updates.

A good friend of mine I made from the branch, got married a couple months ago, I haven't seen him since then, until tonight.. It was awesome seeing him again along with his wife who went to the branch aswell and who I had gotten to know from the branch. they are amazing people and friends.


I'm still a branch missionary. I'm still going to the branch, I'm still in Kennewick. I'm turning 21 on May 31st.

During those five months of silences.. I have seen friends come home from they're missions.. and I haven't even left yet.
I have started working out yet again and all of that... it's  very hard to do it without getting discourage and one day everything just falls apart and you're back at square one.

But here I am again, it doesn't matter when I go on my mission... it matters that I  will go.
And I will go... me and my brother might be getting our calls at the same time if I keep at it, and why would I quit this time if me and my brother could get our calls the same day?, if we send in our papers on the same day.
I will have support from people from the branch. I just have to do my part, and the part is the hardest.

But I see myself, in the mission field... and I know I can go. so hopefully this is the time I actually go.

Endure to the end, stay strong in the Gospel and you won't regret it.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Well... it been awhile.

Been awhile since I last post.. and I had wanted to talk about General Conference because I was there in person for the first time

Before I get into that.. since I got back from Conference it has been on and off with working out, I got out of the habit. and getting back into it tomorrow.

Anyways.

I had an amazing time going to Conference, that weekend was awesome.. I went with two friends of mine from the YSA branch. Greg and Dan and then two other people came a day later. Dallin and Sterling they are brothers.

One thing I loved the most from the trip was actually being there in person for Conference, and when we all sang.. omgosh soooo many people singing you could feel the spirit so strongly.

We got there Friday and in the evening me and Greg we went to the Provo, Temple and were just walking around.. we were just talking about like God's timing.. and some about relationships and about finding the right girl and all that. I worry about it because I have Asperger's and having a relationship will be harder.. understanding the person and all that.. we talked about that.
It's hard to think there is actually a girl out there who is right for me.

I had the thought that even when I am done losing the weight.. that would give me some confidence but there is still Asperger's.  with relationships I see myself being a bad boyfriend.. just because it's hard to understand people, to interact more with them and if the person who I'm dating or whatever use body language to try to tell me something or anything like that and I don't understand it because of having AS that wouldn't be so good... o well this has became into a rant with having AS and relationship stuff ha..





Tuesday, September 17, 2013

I'm going to General Conference!

Well it's official I'm going to General Conference this October.. I'm so excited because it's my first time even going to Utah and I'm going with some friends of mine. I told them it's my first time going to Utah and they said we'll go to all the cool places, Temple Square etc. I'm sooo excited!

I am in the 280's which is good, once I get to the 260's I'll send in mission papers, hopefully it doesn't feel long, I don't think it will. I lost 14 pounds last month.
So yeah.. sorry for not posting for awhile.

But we'll be leaving on Thursday (or Friday) and coming home on Monday, I can't wait hah it's going to be so much fun.. road trip!

Other then that and Operation Slim I have been working at the movie theater (Carmike) and it's going good so far.. it's just job training now and hopefully once that is over they will actually hire me.. if so then that'd be so great!

Look forward to seeing pictures of me at temple square, Conference center, and just in Utah haha