I Am a Mormon Monday

My name is Madeline & I am married to my Canadian sweetheart Tyler! I started my blog, Mr. & Mrs. Vance, to document all of the exciting adventures with my husband during these first few beautiful years of marriage. (It’s not all rainbows and roses though) I didn't know if I would stick with it or not, but I have ended up just LOVING to blog! It’s my little outlet and I love the friends I have made. 

What is hope and what do you hope for?

I like to think that hope is similar to faith. Hope is a feeling of trust and the desire for a particular outcome. My hopes are simple: I hope to better myself in this crazy life, I hope to be a mom, I hope to spend my life serving, I hope for years ahead full of laughter, family trips as well as spending it by my husband’s side. I hope to have a life revolved around the gospel, my family, and love.

How do you live your faith?

I think the best way that anyone can live their faith is by example. Live your faith by the way you walk, talk and dress. Speak kindly of others, do good. Invite others to feel the same joy you do. These are all parts of living by faith. I work everyday on living by faith, and not by fear. Above all, I live my faith through love.

I also want to say thank you to the beautiful Kimberly for asking me to be featured on her lovely blog! What a great opportunity this was, thanks again!

XOXO,

Madeline

Let’s be friends!

Blog link: http://madelineandtyler.blogspot.com

Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/madelinevance

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madeline.ashcraft.7

Instagram: @mrsmadelinevance

.................................................................................................................................................................. If you are interested in being apart of I Am a Mormon Monday, please contact me! Email: bostonksox@gmail.com

I Am a Mormon Monday

About Me:

Hi there! My name is Harley and I blog over at Harley and Jane. My friend Jane and I started blogging about two years ago when we realized that we probably wouldn't live down the block from each other forever. The blog keeps us updated on each others lives and makes us talk more than we ever would other wise. Now that she lives in Logan, Utah and I live in Chicago, IL it is the glue that holds us together. We blog about journaling, fashion, cooking, our lives, pretty much whatever suits our fancy that day. We blog to capture those brief moments of loveliness and beauty that surround us.

What is hope and what do you hope for?

Hope to me is a brightness. I think this quote from The Great Gatsby sums it up perfectly "Reserving Judgement is a matter of infinite hope." How beautiful are those words? Hope is to give people the benefit of the doubt. To trust others. To let yourself be swept away by an idea.

How do you live your faith? 

I think that I live by faith everyday when I wake up in the morning. To be happy requires faith. To choose to look for the best in this world is to attribute both the good and bad in life to some divine plan. I work in advertising which is a extremely creative field. I feel that using creativity daily also allows me to live my faith because I think we have a Heavenly Father that wants us to create. I think the most fulfilling thing in this life is creating a family. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to be able to do that one day. I also live my faith by being kind. Often there just isn't enough of that in the world. 

Thank you so much for having me Kimberly! 

I Am a Mormon Monday: Meet Courtney

 Follow me on Instagram // Facebook // Pinterest // Bloglovin // Twitter

About Me:

My name is Courtney and I blog over at All Things Unpredictable & Chic! My blog focuses on affordable fashion and encourages women to express their own personal style. I also love sharing DIY projects, new recipes, modest fashion trends, and my newlywed adventures living and working in downtown Salt Lake City!

What is hope and what do you hope for?

Hope is what fills my life with happiness. Hope is often misunderstood and hints at uncertainty. I believe it is a gift of the Spirit allowing us to look forward to the things ahead. I hope for a happy life! One filled with happiness, laughter, and memories with the ones I love. I want to have a life I can look back at with no regrets and fill contentment with the things I have done here on Earth.

 

How I live my faith:

I live my faith through service. It is important to look for opportunities to serve others, to give the benefit of the doubt to someone in need, to look for ways to comfort others when they are in difficult times. When you love someone and prayerfully seek ways to help them, your service speaks more than your words.


Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be featured on your blog Kimberly!!
...............................................................................................................

Interested in being featured on my blog for I Am a Mormon Monday?
Email: bostonksox@gmail.com 

I AM A MORMON MONDAY: MEET PAOLA

I am a wife to a very handsome man, a mom of an energetic little flirt, a dedicated, loving, committed friend and an individual that knows that faith can move mountains. I am a social butterfly, a great Colombian cook, I am an individual that feels honor to serve and love others. I am a fun kind-hearted gal, I am a MORMON! 

ABOUT ME

I could probably write a book about my unique life, but I'll do my best shot to make it short... Hey I can talk and talk and talk for hours. I was born and grew up in Bogotá, Colombia ( South America ), and yes,  I have an accent and a lot of people have compared me with Sophia Vergara's personality. A little sweet and corky! I was raised by an incredible loving mom and a very social and talented father who sacrificed the best they had to give me a good education and a comfortable life. 

I learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 2001 during an open house of the Temple in Bogotá. I remember entering and thinking that I was in the most beautiful and peaceful place in the world. I felt purity, love, a feeling I never felt before...my life was never the same after that day, I knew I wanted to learn more and I didn't want that wonderful feeling to go away.

 After getting baptized in 2002 my life took a 360. To make the story short and not get into too many details, my family's life was in danger and we had to leave everything behind to protect our lives from a terrorist group that decided to threaten our family. To avoid risks,my parents had to rush our way out of the country. I was in school in class and the next thing I was hiding in the back seat of a car on my way to the airport. No goodbyes, there was no time to take it all in, everything happened too fast.

 I said goodbye to my parents and didn't know if that was the last time I will see them again. I was only 15 years old!  All of my goals, my dreams, everything had vanished and we moved to the United States with nothing, as a refuge of the USA, and had to start all over again. I remember that feeling.. it was like leaving the perfect life, closing your eyes and waking up in a strange place. 

I knew I could never go back and didn't know what to expect and what was ahead.

Years passed, and we learned how to live and cope with this event. I was a Catholic before getting baptized, but regardless of my religious background my parents made sure that we knew and loved Christ, and taught us to have faith. I became inactive, in a different country, not speaking the language, without any friends and with a new identity, what do you expect? Even thought my life was a little  complicated at that time, I always loved the gospel and regardless I kept my baptism covenants and tried my best to live a righteous life. Believe it or not, I attended more than 12 different religious groups and meetings for 3 years, but I never felt like l was in the right place.  When I turned 21, I started feeling empty hearted, I knew that spiritually I was missing something and started searching and attending a non denominational christian church, I really enjoyed the meetings, but I still felt like my heart was not where it belonged.

My life took another 360 degree turn when I met a new family that consisted of two brothers and a sister ( Herman, Carlos and Carolina) who just moved from Colombia, best part is, they were LDS(Mormon). I started attending their ward and became active again. 

I felt extremely happy and complete when I walked in that church building for the first time. 

But regardless of all the obstacles in my life I never lost faith, never forgot who I was, an important daughter of Heavenly Father, and never doubted for a minute that there was always a TOMORROW, a tomorrow to be better, to improve and succeed. All that pain that I endured was the best blessing I could ever asked for, it made me who I am today. I am a strong kind hearted woman who loves others unconditionally and is always willing to listen and help. These events shaped my character and through them my testimony grew so strong and it continues to grow today.

Two months after returning to church my parents moved and we were all reunited. Big YAY!  The best part was that I met an incredible man, who didn't care or was scared about my past. A man who took my heart, melted it with love and took my hand in marriage. I have an amazing husband, and incredible in laws!  We celebrated our 6 year anniversary just this past May and now have a gorgeous, incredible fun 2 year old boy. 

I can tell you that life cannot be better! I have no regrets, no sorrow, no why's, all I can say is thank you Heavenly Father for every blessing that I have and for making me learn the hard way. I love myself and who I am and always look forward to defeating any challenges.

 IT'S NOT THE DESTINATION THAT YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS INTERESTED IN, IT'S HOW YOU MAKE THE JOURNEY! 

So I feel like you don't know me that well yet, yikes, this defeats the whole purpose!!! I love dancing. I'm known for shaking my hips like there is no tomorrow. My favorite workout is Zumba, I love fashion ( just started a new blog (Fit Fun & Faithful), I love cooking and inviting friends over (I like decorating the table and plates, my friends get a 5 star treatment when I have them over for dinner) 

I love camping, shopping, traveling, making jewelry, socializing, movies and new adventures. I'm a very easy going person that is always in the mood to laugh and have a good time. But what I love the most is spending time with my family and creating beautiful memories. 

WHAT IS HOPE AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR?

I am in between the walls right now, I think because of all the life events I had to endure my definition of hope is very different and unique. Hope for me is knowing that there is always a tomorrow, knowing that here are better things to come and never giving up and dream big. Hope is knowing that there is a Father in heaven that wants the best for us. A Father that loves us unconditionally and that He has not placed us on this earth to fail.. in the contrary, to succeed and be the best we can be!  I like to be sarcastic and say with a little of tuff love! He knows us better than we know ourselves and that is the reason why we need to put all of our trust in him regardless of the situation.

I don't know what to hope for. Uh thats a bad thing to say, nutty me! I live day by day counting my blessings and trying to be the best person that I can be.  Oh... and needless to say, I hope to always be kind hearted and the best example for my children to follow.  Wow that's a big expectation!!! 

HOW I LIVE MY FAITH

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, very hard question! I know I am not perfect in anyway, but I'm conscious that I can live my faith by example.  I live my faith by serving and having compassion for others needs and  feelings and trying my best, with realistic expectations, to help them in any way I possibly can. I live my faith by trying to have a Christlike attitude.

Thank you my gorgeous friend for allowing me to share my story with everyone. 

I really enjoyed sharing my testimony! 

Want to participate in I Am a Mormon Monday?

Email me: bostonksox@gmail.com

I Am A Mormon Monday: Meet Sarah

 

About Me

Hey readers!! I am a blogger over at mrsdrapersstories.blogspot.ca.  I have been blogging for almost two years now and I love it! I just blog about whatever I feel like. Whether thats about my day, my opinion on something, or just blog some cool pictures. Blogs shouldn't have rules! Blogs are meant to be a reflection of you! And I am random!

What Is Hope and What Do I Hope For?

I feel that hope ties with faith quite well. I know I hope for things all the time. I hope to be better tomorrow, I hope one day that I will be a mother, I hope that I am a good wife, I hope for exaltation. I guess you could compare hope to wishing, but I feel like hope is more realistic, when wishes sometimes aren't as serious. If that makes sense! This is a hard question! Hope is the feeling of something better to come.

How Do I Live My Faith?

I am no perfect Mormon by any means, but I try really hard to be good. I think the most important thing you can do to live your faith is to just be a good example to those around you. When you are a good person, and have the spirit of Christ with you always people will notice the difference in you, and they will want to know what makes you special. I try and do that. I try and be compassionate, and a good friend to those around me. I also live my faith by fulfilling my callings. Right now my husband and  I are primary teachers, and my faith gets stronger when I teach these children of God the gospel. Also most importantly I try and pray to Heavenly Father often, and thank him always for the life I have been given.

I have a strong  testimony of this gospel. I believe it 120%. It is the most real, true thing in this world. I know God lives, and loves me, I know we have a prophet on the earth today. I believe the Bible to be the word of God. I also believe the Book of Mormon to be a true book. I am grateful I have the gospel in my life, for without it, I would not be as happy, as I am today.

 Thank you so much for having me Kimberly! It was so much fun! ...............................................................................................................
If you are interested in being featured on Diary of a Brown Eyed Girl for I Am a Mormon Monday, please contact me and I will send you all the details.  Email: bostonksox@gmail.com    

I Am a Mormon Monday: Meet Kaycee

A little about me! I live in Scottsdale, AZ for half of the year, and Oakland, CA the other half. My husband plays baseball for the Oakland Athletics, and we are a busy, traveling baseball family. Our life is pretty crazy [understatement], but we have been immensely blessed [also an understatement]. 

I was raised Mormon, but spent the majority of my young adult life away from the church. After getting married, my husband and I decided to start going to church. We weren’t like many of the stories you hear, where things were going terribly wrong, we had hit rock bottom and we needed to find something more. In fact, it was pretty much the complete opposite. Our life together was amazing, we had all we needed, and were very blessed and happy. Needless to say, we began going to church anyways and found exactly what we didn’t know we were looking for.

Being Mormon has brought nothing but happiness to my life. Following the teachings of Jesus Christ fills my life with joy, and helps me to have a long-term outlook on the day-to-day aspects of my life. I have never been happier than when I am living my life in a Christ-like way, and am so grateful for this church and it’s teachings in my life.

What is hope and what do you hope for?

For me, hope is the desire for something to happen. What do I hope for? Oh goodness. I might need the next 2,375 blog posts to answer that question! I think what I hope for most is complete happiness in my life. For a happy marriage, happy children, and to bring happiness to everyone that crosses my path. 

How do you live your faith?

I am not the type of person to hand a Book of Mormon out, or talk a lot specifically about my faith (unless of course someone asks!). I would like to think that I live my faith my living a good, Christ-like life and by being an example to those around me. Whether it’s helping someone in need, or simply being a good friend. I have been SO blessed by this church and am so grateful for it in my life.

Twitter: @kayceesogard

Instagram: Kayceesogard

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you would like to participate in I Am a Mormon Monday, please contact me!
bostonksox@gmail.com

I AM A MORMON MONDAY: MEET VALERIE

About me:

My name is Valerie and I blog at A Little Life Journal 

http://valeriebt.blogspot.co.uk/

My blog is really just a family blog although it has taken some unexpected twists and turns since it began. We live in a small cottage by the sea on the East Coast of Scotland, and despite the weather, we love it here.

What is hope and what do you hope for?

Hope is the surety that everything is working out exactly the way it is meant to. Feeling hopeless is feeling cast adrift with no course and no purpose. I hope for peace and happiness, which sounds like a cliche, but in the end its what my heart desires for myself and for everyone I care about.

How I live my faith:

I live my faith with love. Loving everyone does not come naturally to me (most of us?),  but its how our Savior lived His life and He is my Teacher. Love can be divided endlessly, love can build bridges, and move mountains and change lives forever. I try to live my life full of love. “Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.” 

Thank You for including me in Mormon Monday Kimberly!

...................................................................................................................................................................

If you would like to be apart of I Am a Mormon Monday, 

please contact me and I will add you to the list! 

Email: bostonksox@gmail.com 

I Am a Mormon Monday: Meet Alexa

I'm Alexa from Written in The Midst! I’m a 20 year old life wanderer who loves to write about my random occurrences of life and little happenings. I'm a still trying to find my place in this big ‘ole world, but I love the adventure of it! I love all things random and crazy. I’m a lover of pictures and letters, capturing the best moments of my life. I love to write, and my blog is my go-to place for that. I love life, and I love to share mine with people! So, let’s be friends, because I would love that too!

What is hope, and what do you hope for?

To me, hope is an incandescent feeling of the soul. A feeling of trust, courage, desire, and a longing for everlasting happiness; anticipating for good through faith. I love the way Elder Steven E. Snow describes it as "an emotion which brings richness to our everyday lives." Our hearts are always full of hope, and I think that's a beautiful thing. When we hope, we begin a journey into a lifetime of good works. I hope for success, adventure, and meaning; for a future filled with love, opportunities to serve and to learn, and for others to experience the greatest happiness. Along with all the silly things like hoping to one day travel the world and ride in a hot air balloon ;)

How do I live my faith?

I live my faith through love. I consider my huge heart a gift, and I strive to use it in any possible way I can. I believe that love can change the world, and I like to think that I'm helping the world through open arms. I want people around me to feel the love that our sweet Savior has for them, and we can help them feel that by loving. I try to set an example in the way I talk, dress, and act, and hope that it affects somebody in some way. I'm not afraid to stand up for my beliefs and to share them with others. I look for the positive in all things, because I know that trials are blessings, and I strive to help people see that. I am extremely grateful for this church and have the deepest love for the gospel and my sweet Savior! I can’t even begin to imagine my life without it.

Thank you so much for having me Kimberly!

// Blog ( www.writteninthemidst.blogspot.com )

// Mormon.org   ( http://mormon.org/me/DYSN )

// Instagram   ( http://instagram.com/writteninthemidst )

// Twitter   ( https://twitter.com/Lexa_Holmes )

...................................................................................................................................................................
Interested in being apart of I Am a Mormon Monday?  Email me and I will fill you in on all the details! bostonksox@gmail.com

I Am a Mormon Moday: Meet Mindy

 Blog // Twitter // Instagram // Facebook // Pinterest // Bloglovin'

I blog over at Best.Day.Ever. It's a blog about the best days, the worst days and every day in between! I guess I am a "lifestyle" blogger. Read as NOT a DIY, mommy, food or fashion blogger. It's not that I don't like those things, I just don't do those things. Okay, that's a lie. I did post a stellar recipe once. And I did dabble into some fashion a few years back. ;) I guess my point is, I rarely take anything too seriously and just try to have a good time with blogging and I hope in the process you enjoy your visit!

What is hope and what do you hope for? 

" Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life" - Proverbs 13:12

To me, hope is the confident expectation that there are good things to come and joy in the journey, no matter how your days may seem. My hope lies in my Savior, Jesus Christ and that through Him I, and my loved ones, can have victory over the grave as well as victory over all things. 

- How do you live your faith?

I try to live my faith in all I do, but particularly in what I say and how I treat others. A Biblical scholar once brought to my attention that the New Testament is replete of examples of how the Savior of the World always ensured that "people were more important than stuff". I live my faith by trying to follow in His footsteps by trying to always put people first too.

Thank you so much for having me Kimberly! It was fun!

.........................................................................................................................................................

Interested in being apart of I Am a Mormon Monday? 

Email me and I will fill you in on all the details! bostonksox@gmail.com

Steps.

Be proud of the steps, no matter how small they seem to you, that you have  taken to become better. Be proud that you are trying even if you aren't there yet.  Be patient with yourself & most importantly be proud of yourself.
-Al Fox

High-Low Dress

Out of all the dresses and skirts in my closet, one style I have never owned until now is a high low dress.....that is until I saw this one at Nordstroms Rack and I had to have it. It's flowy, stretchy and so comfortable. It also doesn't wrinkle very much either. I can wash it, hang it to dry and don't even  need to run an iron over it. This is the perfect dress to throw on and go. You can either wear it casual with some flip flops or dress it up so it's very versatile. Thumbs up for the high-low dress!

Dress: Nordstrom's Rack // Cardigan: Thrifted // Necklace: Charming Charlie's //  Shoes : Jessica Simpson // Bracelet: Ettika // Watch: TJ Maxx

When Waiting on God Is Hard

Waiting. As I continue to get older and grow closer to God, I have realized that the fabric of life involves waiting, and sometimes lots of it. We wait for so many things. We wait for marriage. We wait for career moves. We wait for children. We wait for healing. We wait for answers to our prayers. We wait for change.
 We simply wait throughout different circumstances in our lives, and the longer we wait the more the wait itself can become a type of suffering that can weigh us down and slowly we can begin to doubt, become discouraged and lose our sanity without having the right perspective. Waiting on God can seem arbitrary and unnecessary at times, but an all-knowing all-loving God teaches His children that within our wait there is a purpose and an opportunity for our faith to grown in Him and in ways that we could have never imagined! God does have a purpose in our wait, but the question is will we make ourselves fall into misery and keep asking God "Why?" or will we step out in faith trusting in Him with a smile on our face knowing that He has a purpose and a plan for whatever we may be facing?
"Come and see what God has done: He is awesome in His deeds toward the children of men. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried..you laid a crushing burden on our backs..we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance." -Psalm 66
This scripture should strengthen our confidence both in His power and His goodness. God's good deeds towards His children do involve trials. Being tried as silver, having crushing burdens laid on our backs and going through fire. We grow. We are strengthened. We are being perfected. God not only brings His people to trials, but He brings them through them.

Passive or Expectant?

We either wait passively, or we wait expectantly. A passive person hopes something good will happen and is willing to sit around waiting to see if it does. After a short time, he gives up, saying, "That’s it! I'm done! I've waited and waited and nothing is happening."
The expectant person, on the other hand, is hopeful, believing the answer is just around the corner, due to arrive any minute. His belief is not a passive thing. His heart is full of hope, trust and  expecting his problem to be solved at any moment. He wakes up every morning expecting to find his answer. He may wait and wait, but suddenly what he’s been waiting for has happened and God comes through (as ALWAYS)


Expect It to Happen....Because It Will

It’s just like when a woman is pregnant; it's said that she is expecting a baby. She carries inside her the promise of a baby, and even though she can’t see it, she knows it's there. She can feel it. The moment she learns of her pregnancy, she begins to plan for her baby's arrival. She starts collecting items she will need and busily gets the nursery ready. She actively prepares for the arrival of the baby because she knows the promise will be fulfilled—it's just a matter of time. She is expectant and she'll wait as long as it takes.

Waiting means "to expect" or "to look for." But remember, it also means "to serve"
Our act of waiting isn’t supposed to be spent sitting around passively hoping that something will happen sometime soon. We must get up....get out...help others....and WAIT.
Waiting also gives us the opportunity to grow, learn and wait on God's perfect timing.

I have tried the waiting on God period both ways when I have been waiting for an answer from Him. At one time or another, I have sat back passively doing nothing just waiting, wondering why and when my answer will come. I can tell you that that is no way to wait on God. I have found that being active while waiting is by far the best solution. Lift others up, offer charity and service to those around you daily, meditate on His words and promises, pray, simply focus on someone else and their needs instead of just your own. 

 

FAITH

When we ask God to answer a question or solve a problem, we need to be eagerly awaiting His answer. We need to be serving actively, aggressively and expectantly. When our hearts are eager to hear from God, He loves to rush in suddenly with His solution. In many cases this waiting period actually serves as a time of preparation for the answer. If God answered right away, many of us would be ill-prepared to handle His solution. How great is our God that He is watching over us and preparing us for the perfect time! Sometimes...maybe a lot of times.... we will find ourselves in such horrible messes that it's hard to imagine waiting even one more second. But we need to keep waiting on God and trusting Him with a sweet and simple faith. When we wait patiently and expectantly on God in the midst of our horrible circumstances, suddenly God breaks through and all of the weight is lifted off of our shoulders! So don't you ever give up! Don’t you ever stop believing and trusting! Stay full of hope, trust and expectation. God's power is limitless, and He'll break through for YOU. ALWAYS. Our wait is sometimes painful, but it will be pale in

 comparison to the glory we will one day see in eternity.

Happy Friday! Hope you have a great day!!

I Am a Mormon Monday: Meet Aubrey from Dreaming About Someday

blog // bloglovin // twitter // instagram // pinterest 

I am a single working girl dreaming of someday being a stay at home something. I am a lifestyle blogger obsessed with diet coke, cardigans, sparkle, and painted nails. I am a Mormon!

My name is Aubrey, and I blog over at Dreaming About Someday. I blog about a little of this and a little of that. I blog about everything from crafts to fashion to running to products and everything in between. Besides documenting and sharing my life, my favorite thing about blogging is connecting with others. Come on over and say hi. I love meeting new friends.

What is Hope and what do you hope for?

Hope is the idea that in the end everything will work out. No matter what bad things happen in life...death, accidents, failed marriages, job loss, premature babies, unmet expectations, disappointments, sadness, etc. there is always hope. Hope is so connected with faith. The only way for me to really get through the tough times (whatever they may be) is to have that faith and hope that Heavenly Father is watching over me. 

How do you live your faith?

Living my faith is something I learned from a young age. I have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints my whole life, but there came a point where I had to decide for myself to live the things I was always taught. Living my faith means doing what is right not because someone is telling me to but because I want to. It means loving and serving others. It means standing up for what is right. It means trying my best to be like my Savior Jesus Christ.

Thanks so much for having me Kimberly!

.............................................................................................................................................................. Are you interested in being apart of I Am a Mormon Monday?  If so, please email me and I will fill you in on all the details! Email: bostonksox@gmail.com