My "in a body" adventure...

I have recently been thinking about How we are all spiritual Sons and Daughters of our Heavenly Father. I don't know why, but the thought has come to me that we are spirits, actual spirits. Now you may think I have gone nuts and fallen out of the loony bin, but let me explain some more. We are spirits inside bodies, not bodies with spirits inside.

We existed as spirits before our bodies were created and given to us. Our spirits were divinely appointed to the bodies in which they reside now.

We often feel "the spirit" or the Holy Ghost and sometimes this is a hard feeling to explain to others.
It has been described as...
a burning in the bosom,
a quite peaceful feeling,
something bigger then the individual.

It is so hard for us to actually describe this feeling because it is a spiritual feeling. It's not a physical feeling, but rather The Spirit communicating with our spirit one on one.

We may not remember what actually happened in the pre-mortal existence  but I'm learning that this life is not the beginning but rather a continuation of what has already happened. I was given a body at this time, in this world for a reason. This is my "in a body" experience. (It's kind of like an out of body experience but the opposite!)

I get to learn many things, experience many things, and I get to grow. Everyday I can find one thing to be thankful for, my body. Remember that not everyone was given the blessing of having one, and we need to treat ours the way Heavenly Father would want us to. Consider it a loaner, Heavenly Father has given it to you for this amount of time. If you prove you are worthy of it he will give it to you forever, and not only that but he will give you an upgrade!

I know this post may seem different and random, but hey so is life!

I hope your "in a body" adventure is just absolutely wonderful!

Love,
Afton Michelle

Teaching People, Not Lessons

So I went to institute tonight and we had a really great lesson. It was on teaching people, not lessons.

The teachers told us we would be teaching each other about repentance, showed us who we would be teaching, and gave us 5 minutes to think of what we wanted to teach them.

It was the first time that I had ever taught anyone! And to my surprise it actually went pretty well!

After we taught the teachers asked us what was wrong about we had just done?

IDK!!! I can't read your mind, so please, enlighten me!

Well apparently they didn't give us a scenario of who we were teaching. They asked us why this was wrong....

Well they had me stumped there too...

Luckily some other guy knew that it was because we are supposed to teach people, not lessons. Our teacher said that he wish he had a giant gold star three times the size of the guy so he could wrap it around him like a blanket and send him home. Ha ha I literally laughed out loud at the mental image that gave me.

So there it was, the real lesson. We need to teach people, not lessons. Why you may be asking yourself...

Well this is what came to my mind:
The gospel is a very personal thing. Yes we do have guidelines that can help us to be better, but many things up for our own interpretation. If you teach a cookie cutter lesson then the investigator may not feel like they fit the cookie cutter, or like they don't fit in. If they feel like they don't fit in then it will be hard for them to feel the spirit. If you teach to the person then you can create the lesson to mold around them, and of course they will feel like they fit in, BECAUSE THEY DO! Then, and there the spirit can and will testify that what we are teaching as missionaries is true!

Hope this helps!
Love,
Afton Michelle

Sis Miss Music!

It's always good to have a soundtrack that matches what you are currently doing in your life, so here it is!

Check out my Sis Miss playlist on spotify!

Dressing for my Adventure!

If you are going to be a Sis Miss (sister missionary) like me then you probably have done a lot of looking online at clothes and spent a few hours day dreaming of your soon shopping adventures.

You also may feel overwhelmed that you some how have to create and affordable wardrobe that you can wear for the next year and a half, in the new climate you will be living in. I just finished this seemingly impossible task and thought that I had a few tips and tricks that you may find helpful as well!

1. BREATHE, it will all work out. Take the process one step at a time, you don't have to have one giant shopping trip in which you find your perfect and wonderful wardrobe.

2. Do NOT go shopping before you get your call!!!
I seriously can not emphasize this enough! I thought there was one thing I knew for sure about where I was going, I thought that it would be cold. Boy was I wrong! I'm going to Florida, HOT, HUMID, FLORIDA! Good thing I waited to go shopping because I would have bought warm fabrics, then had to return everything. I know its tempting to shop, but take this as an opportunity to learn patients! Also you may even want to wait until you have gone through the temple, clothes seem to be a different experience after that!

3. Know the guidelines!
It would be so so sad to get to the MTC and find that one of your cutest skirts is too short so they have to add some ugly material to the bottom just to make it appropriate!
Visit  https://missionary.lds.org/dress-grooming/sister/ for the guidelines and some cute examples.

4. Think Versatility!
Don't buy a shirt that only goes with one skirt, that really limits your options! Half of my skirts have patterns while the other half are solid colors, and this applies to my shirts as well. In my patterned skirts I try to find a color that is in more than one of my skirts and then get that color of a shirt so I can wear it with both skirts. Also in my patterned shirts I tried to make sure I could wear it with more then one skirt. This way you have many outfit options but can still be bright, colorful, and beautiful! Also I bought my skirts first because they seemed to be harder to find then shirts to go with them.

5. Don't get discouraged!
I'm a taller girl and thought that I would have the hardest time finding modest skirts, but with some patients and a few shopping trips I found everything that I needed! If you start to feel discouraged in a certain shop that is a sign that you need to get out of that store. I recommend going to dress barn. I had never been to dress barn before and found that most of my missionary clothes came from there. Now I know some sisters suggest going to thrift stores or the DI but here is my two sense on it. Yes you can find great things, BUT remember those clothes most likely have been worn before, they may not hold up as well or as long as new clothes.

6. Miscellaneous.
Maxi skirts, again refer to number 3... Dresses and skirts CANNOT go to the ground, so that cute maxi that you get will have to be cut and re hemmed! Also I have heard that maxis do not do well in heat and humidity.  A sister said it just trapped the heat in and made a sauna for her legs.
Shade shirts, these are great little beauties to go under your shirts, but again refer to number 3, they are too tight and revealing to wear on their own.
Don't fall victim to fads! Think classics while you are shopping so you won't feel out of style four months into your mission.

Good Luck shopping, and remember your dressing to be a representative of Jesus Christ!

Love,
Afton Michelle

The Call, in video!

Check out the video 

My Calling in Life!

How did I decide to serve a mission? Well let me tell ya!

It was March 19th 2013...

I had just traveled to Brussels with my college debate team, we competed in an International Forensics Association competition and I won 5 place in on of my events, which was STELLAR!

Anyway... I was sitting on an airplane, surrounded by strangers, miles above the Atlantic Ocean. Everything was going as expected but suddenly something changed. It was almost as if the plane had run into jell-o, spiritual jell-o.

I felt an over whelming feeling that when I got home I was supposed to meet with my bishop and begin my mission papers. I had never really thought of serving a mission before. If you asked me a year ago I would have given you an adamant NO. Then President Monson announced in October of 2012 that boys could go on missions at the age of 18 after completing High School, and that young women could go on missions at the age of 19. 

Many girls were so excited to serve missions and hopped onto the "I'm serving a mission" train. I didn't really want to be one of those people, but I prayed about it. I felt like it was not in my plan, or at least my right then plan.

Even if you asked me in February 2013 I would not have pictured myself serving a mission...

But there I was above the Atlantic Ocean and I felt impressed more then ever that there was someone who needed my help, and that I needed to do everything I could to help them.

The next Sunday I met with my Bishop and told him my feelings and he then had me schedule an appointment for the following week. The next week I went and we discussed the process of filling out my papers, then he recommended me and I could begin my papers!!

I was on my spring break and had gone down to St. George with a group of friends, but that did not hold me back. Within the week everything was filled out and I had appointments set up with my doctor and dentist. I couldn't believe what I was doing but it felt more right then anything had ever felt right before.

I wanted my decision to be a surprise to everybody so I kept it to myself and my Parents, there was no way that I could have filled out my paper work without them, not to mention the emotional support they were to me. 

Although my decision felt right it didn't come without trials! Boy was it tough! Within those first few weeks I had some difficulties with my Debate coach due to some misunderstandings, my car broke down about half an hour away from my apartment at college, and I occasionally felt like I was not prepared, or that I couldn't be a missionary. But I kept pushing forward with faith and knew that the Lord would bless me, and boy was I right!

I began to study the scriptures more, and with that my mind became more clear during my school studies. I was able to remember content from my classes more then I thought I ever could. I began to go to sleep at 10:30 and wake up at 6:30, I thought that I would be really tired from this but I have actually had more energy. Although there are stumbling blocks I have began to realize how I can use them as stepping stones, and I am gaining more of an appreciation for this gospel each and every day.

I have also had amazing and wonderful experiences. I had the opportunity to go to the temple and I learned more then I ever thought that I could, and the day after I had the chance to go to my best friends sealing. I don't think I have happy cried so much in my life time!

Then I was FINALLY able to open my call! I'm going to Florida Jacksonville and I leave on July 10th which is 9 almost 8 weeks away! I'm so excited and blessed!

This weeks lesson to be learned is let go and let God, everything is better his way any way!

Love,
Afton Michelle

The Next Adventure pt.2

Sick of the anti-climactic ending of my next adventure pt.1? Well you need to look no further for the ending! It's here! It's finally here and I can not be more excited to share the news with everyone!