Home (Part 2)

my fave human is home everybody. he is back

This is me being apologetic for taking x amount of days too long to post the majority of these pictures but what did you expect, SPENCER IS HOME. His plane arrived fifteen minutes early (woohoo) last wednesday and we were all more than 'excited' to see his face.

DANG TWO YEARS IS A LONG TIME

But its been worth it to see him come home with tons of growth, experience, mission stories, advanced ukelele skills, dunk shots (even though i beat him in speed ;) and possibly even an inch of height.

Its just been really, really happy to have my best friend back.

Heres a vid link below:

https://vimeo.com/136181104

(warner valley stars not pictured sorry)

(din w/ grandpa adams he aint pictured either sorry)

(skimming at virgin river)

(friends from my mission)

(still in IN time, still cute tho)

(taylors homecoming day, tay not pictured. hahaha)

(post mission hangouts, highschool buddies)

(being an elder fro two years probs)

(convertible probs)

& a quick teaser for those of you that ever so diligently read this blog:

This week we got complimentary chocolates from McArthur Jewlers

*wink wink*

But imma bounce now cause, work.

Stay tuned,

Madi

Seven Hundred & Thirty

literally, slowest week ever.

Well frankly most of it was spent looking into the depth of three LCD screens so that probably had the majority to do with it. But none the less im incredibly greatful and indebted to my wonderful Fort Belvoir buddies that came from VA and made some quite lovely memories with me this week.

see video link below

https://vimeo.com/135942003

HIGHLIGHT: Kailee Gooch finally got home from serving a mission in Korea! It took a lot of effort not to have instant water works, i love having my friends highschool friends beginning to come home! Its so strange (in the best way) to see how different everyone is, yet how the same they are too. I love that even after two years we can laugh and enjoy old memories and good times. 

Dang.

Life right now.

But really the best news of the day, week, month, year is that tomorrow

Elder Rhoton is flying home.

729 days ago i remember eating pasta with spencer.

Yeah, pasta.

& then laughing and then crying and then laughing and then crying

& then sitting on my driveway trying not to cry again

& then mom walks outside to say goodbye and starts crying

& then ty walks up to say goodbye and feels awkward b/c tears

& then after several hours of trying to make the best of the last day you'll see eachother for two years it was just like

'goodluck'

'i'll see you in.... two years...'

& then you just kind of watch as he gets in the car and drives away

& you just sit there thinking two years

730 days

'thats a long time'

& then painfully slow but also incrediby quick at the same time

which seems contradicting....

Two years flies right by and now its here.

I cant believe it.

I mean 1,460 days ago we were probably little sophomores at a Highschool football game

& now im home from spending eighteen months in virgina

SERVING A MISSION

& im almost twenty one

& spencer is coming home

& how is it even august 2015?

So pray i can actually sleep tonight.

Because i've never waited 730 days for anything in my life

& 730 days is finally up

& he is coming home.

More than Conquerors

When I was a kid, my life consisted of me and three younger brothers torturing each other around the clock. Thats just what kids do. We would drive each other up the wall some days. Sometimes it was rather funny, other times i wanted nothing to do with it. When i would go complain to my mom about the things my brothers were doing that i didn't agree with she would literally say

"If you don't want to be apart of it, then go away from them and ignore it."

And frankly it worked like a charm every time. Now, love my brothers, but when they were doing things that irked me, i would simply walk away and do my own thing and they would do theirs and we would live in peace.

Throughout my teenage years i felt like i had to repeat this piece of divine motherhood wisdom when it came to the people i would associate myself with. Whether it was my group of friends, drama, people making decisions i disagreed with around me at school, getting into trouble, dating, whatever. That same phrase rang true in my mind.

"If you don't want to be apart of it, then go away from them and ignore it."

And AGAIN it worked like a charm. I never really had any big throwdowns throughout middle school and highschool with other people. Because i would simply respect them as a person but avoid getting caught up in their life decisions that i didn't think were appropriate or cool. I would just stay away. And i would do my thing, and they would do theirs.

I bring this up (and maybe this is an analytical longshot as far as relevance goes but who cares) because over the past eighteen months while serving my mission in Washington DC as well as upon returning home i feel like i've had SO MUCH gossip, hatred, disagreeance of opinions, false accusation, and anti information about the church in which i attend which is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, thrown at me. 

Now this is probably to be expected while going around talking to everybody as a missionary for the church, but it is a bit unsettling how much i still see and hear the open discussion of dissatisfaction and negativity towards the church still floating around in my life. Whether it be a personal confrontation or the media, it strikes me as oppositional with the teachings of Christ to throwdown or mock or even spread false accusations and information about a christian organization that is simply trying to do good. 

And furthermore, to accuse a group of people as a whole when in fact, i am a firm believer you cant take an organization of millions of different people from a wide variety and walk of life, and stereotype them into one category of being ______________ (insert your opinion in the blank).

Before leaving for eighteen months to serve a full time mission for the 'LDS' church, i felt like i had a good idea of what i believed and what this church taught, or was about. During these eighteen months i learned more than i ever would have in a lifetime. I built a foundation of the doctrines and beliefs that i hold true. I spent eighteen months teaching people about the basic and simple doctrines of the church which is the teachings of our savior Jesus Christ. The whole goal we have in this life is to literally 

follow our savior
and become like our savior

the one perfect being to ever walk this earth.

I don't understand why this gets so political over the media, or among different sects or denominations of Christianity, or religion, or theology. I don't understand why people get so caught up in the little things, that aren't even doctrine or of any relative importance. If the goal of the church or the goal of each individual person is to strive to follow their savior, why must there be any intrusion of society in mocking or puting down faith and beliefs?

To each his own, however. Each individual person is different and follows their beliefs differently and you may or may not find hypothetical reasons to condemn another for not accurately following the teachings of Christ as you believe them, or maybe even as they profess to believe them. but then again didnt Christ himself ask us to love, to forgive, to come together as one in 'the stature of the fulness of Christ?' (eph 4:13)

I think my ultimate opinion derived from this chain of thinking is i know im a very imperfect being, but im earnestly striving to do good and to follow my savior and be a more Christlike person, and i do this by following my religion and my faith. And its sad to me that the one thing in my life that i feel is good, pure and respectable, is trashed my so many people. 

More than any time in my life, over the past two years people have degraded, torn apart and mocked me for something that is VERY important to me, and close to my heart. Over the past two years ive felt a little bit more as Peter probably felt when he said in the New Testement,

 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

1 Peter 3:13-17King James Version (KJV)

It makes me wonder why there is so much hate, judgement, false accusation or anti material via the media or in the general public, when humanity could spend their time on such a better cause, like unifying our christian faiths in which we have in common. Or even in following my wise mothers significant council of 


"If you dont want to be apart of it, then go away from them and ignore it."


you do your thing
they do theirs


After living in one of the most diverse cities in the world, i've learned to love and become fond of many different cultures and religious practices. I have many many friends of other faiths and traditions who i love dearly and i've experienced first hand how coming together and unifying our faiths, even when we dont live the exact same lifestyle or follow the exact same doctrine, but when we come together in the faith of god and of Jesus Christ, can united us in peace, love, lasting friendship and harmony.

when we learn to speak words of kindness empathy and love of all who surround us even those who don't have our same opinions or belief, we come together in the faith. In romans 3 it talks about how 'Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips.' Or in other words our speech reveals who we are inside. What you say, what you spread, what you give off, is who you are becoming.



I'm continually striving to love.
to love those who are similar to me
to love those who are different than me

Because in the end isnt that what Christ would do?
frankly i dont expect respect from the entire world about what i believe
or how i live my life
and im not asking for that to change
or expecting that to change

Why would it? How could it?
Didnt Christ suffer similar experiences his entire life through?
Of course there will always be opposition.

But i do want humanity to know where i stand as a follower and advocate of my savior Jesus Christ. I do want those that i love to know i believe. I want those that i taught and befriended in Virginia to know i always will believe, and always will stand true to what i know. even though im not perfect and never will be.I will always stand as an advocate of my savior. I will never be able to deny the blessings and miracles i've witnessed in my life that were only made possible by a loving god, and his son.

I am a firm believer of this:


 whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. phillipians 4:8



I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ has brought me the most happiness peace and satisfaction that i could ever gain in this life. i know that even when people disagree with my beliefs, i can still love them and love god. i dont have to turn my back on anyone. them, my faith. i can continue on in life with a heart of forgiveness and love towards all man, and that's possible because of Christ, our savior.

 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, 

shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39King James Version (KJV)

1 Month Nostalgia

Its (almost) Monday again!

Mondays were special because PDAY. And today is special because its been exactly 1 month since i've been home from the Washington DC South mission. Every Monday i feel a little nostalgic. I still love Mondays because I get to hear from some of my favorite people, including old companions and of course Elder Rhoton.

This photo was taken in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Two more weeks and this guy is HOME. I can't even believe two years has already flown by. Actually, i can. BABE COME HOME. I'm stoked outta my mind. Don't have other words to say, other then that. I'm grateful for his service in the Indianapolis, Indiana mission. So many people have expressed how amazing of a missionary, person and friend this guy is.

And i agree.

I'm so grateful for him, and im so grateful in two weeks we get to have him back here at home.

GO SPENCE.

This photo was taken in Enterprise, Utah.

I had to take a quick trip to enterprise, for this new epiphany i've had.

Throughout my mission I gained a love for family history. So i came up with this idea to film my closest living anscestors and their stories, for some memorabilia. My dads dad was my first victim and i thought he nailed it. For those of you who don't know 'grandpa stucki' this vidclip captures his silly personality perfectly, its worth a million bucks to us stuckis and im excited to continue getting involved and getting creative with family history. (video link below)

 https://vimeo.com/133054500

This photo was taken in Salt Lake City, Utah

The end of the 'Spontaneous Wyoming Roadtrip' was at Pioneer Parks 'Death Cab for Cutie' concert with some of my favorite love bird(s). Thanks for the vicarious living you two.

This photo was taken in PG, Utah 

Post mission shopping trip, and visiting my favorite place of all time: THE PF. (pizza factory) There was nothing i craved more than breadtwists and cinnoman dip. After three years of waitressing it becomes a daily necessity. You go PF. You go handsome waiter i'll never see again.

This photo was taken in STG

The weekend i got home from my mission a kind soul offered me a job in his business office. BLESSINGS ON BLESSINGS. I dont know if he realized how in-dire-need i was/am of a job but this was a complete answer to my prayers, and this company has been nothing but great to me since i started! I spend most of my time doing computer/office work which is fine by me and a great opportunity to learn new skills to add to my resume. SO grateful.

God is good.

This picture was taken out in the boonies that i only have the coordinates to secured in my iPhone. Srry.

I've been planning something real great, but real secret. So i cant explain. Srry. Its beautiful tho. You dont see views like this in Virginia. I guess everywhere is its own kind of beautiful amiright?

I can however tell you about my awesome missionary moment of the week! I got my first Visiting Teaching assignment! Visiting teaching is something the women in the church do to make sure everyone is doing good and is taken care of. My VT companion is a new convert to the church. And boy was i blown away at her awesome testimony. We visit a lady who recently moved into our congregation, and we also visit a lady whose husband is in our congregation.

It was an awesome experience to get out there, knock on somebodys door and teach them a little bit about the gospel and ask for service oppurtunties again. It felt good. Even if i dont have a nametag on and even if i wasnt wearing a skirt.

Its a good feeling to just ya know

DO WHAT JESUS WOULD DO.

aka step outside of your box

and be awesome

This picture was taken in Washington, UT

There was a decent sized summer rainstorm here down in southern utah. It made me feel like i was in Virginia again. except without the trees. or six lane traffic. But thats a good feeling.

This photo was taken in Enterprise, UT

Its one of the rare gems where my brothers are holding still enough to get a still photo. I sure do enjoy seeing these guys again. They are a bit wild and sometimes aggravating but i wouldnt trade it for anything in the world, even a 19 year old woman companion that you are assigned to 24/7. Actually... ESPECIALLY for a 19 year old female companion you are assigned to 24/7. Its good to be back with the boys. i love it i love it i love it.

Sorry past comps. You just aint as cool.

oh yeah im allergic to animals so this is how my rodeo goes down.

And my favorite part of the week. Letters from Spence. Let me just reiterate my excitement to you all.

HE COMES HOME IN TWO WEEKS. 

(excuse the three, he sent this a week ago)

HE COMES HOME IN TWO STINKIN' WEEKS.

dang.

life is good.

thanks for reading up!

Madi