Let it be known to all....

that I am a Mormon.  Yes, I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I write this post separate from my initial introduction because this deserves its own space. This blog does not officially represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The purpose of this blog is not to discuss Mormonism.  If you have questions, I am happy to answer your questions individually.  I will most likely invite you to visit www.mormon.org or www.lds.org.

Not everything on Practice Thriving will represent official teachings or practices of the church but it is my hope and prayer that everything on this blog will be in harmony with the Gospel because my faith is at the very core and center of my being.  This blog reflects me, Marvia, and who I am on a whole.   With every piece of me that you will learn about, there will always be a portion of my faith shining through.  I don't know how to separate it out in my mind and I don't want to.  I love it, I'm not ashamed of it and I like who I am. 

The is me with my Mission President and his wife (my "Mission Mom")

Love them!

 

Story time: As a child I prayed that the Lord would never want me to go on a mission for our church.  The thought of it terrified me and I thought missions were for 'old ladies' that gave up on life.  When I turned 17 and had some neat experiences sharing my beliefs with friends and working with the missionaries, I had a strong desire to serve. For the following 4 years I prayed my guts out to know if a mission was what the Lord wanted for me.  As much as I wanted to go, I wasn't going to go unless I knew in my heart that He wanted me to serve.  My answer finally came after those long years of spending hours on my knees pleading to know His will (which I believe was a critical time for me to be tutored in listening to the Holy Spirit).  So I went and absolutely LOVED it!  One of the reasons why I loved it is because I truly thrived as a missionary.  I had a purpose, I was committed, my life was in order and I didn't waste time.  I knew what I was going to do every day.  And I loved most of what I was doing.  There are lessons from my mission that I need to implement more fully in my life now.