My Life is a Gift

All I can say is that The Lord has a plan for each and every one of us, and as we do is His will He will guide us through our lives. As many know I have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I rarely don't talk about my religion on my blog and today is no exception to that. I absolutely love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teachings it has bestowed upon me throughout my life. There is a primary song that I am reminded of and it goes like this:
"I Will Follow God's Plan for Me"
My life is a gift; my life has a plan.
My life has a purpose in heaven it began.
My choice was to come to this lovely home on earth
And seek for God's light to direct me from birth.
I will follow God's plan for me,
Holding fast to His word and His love.
I will work and I will pray; and I will always walk in His way.
Then I will be happy on earth
And in my home above.

A year ago I made the decision to go back to the singles ward from going to the family ward for the entire year before that... One of my callings in the family ward was Primary chorister and I think that calling strengthened my faith in Jesus Christ loads. I have always known the power that music can have for each of us, but I never fully understood. I have been doing musical things almost my entire life... I started singing in an apprentice choir when I was 6 years old, and always sang in nursery or primary before that. I started playing trumpet in the 6th grade and still play that today. Music is an important part of my life. So, being able to be with kids that I had taught in school and now teaching them in a gospel setting was humbling... as I left to return to the singles ward cause I knew it was time I knew how much I would miss singing these amazing primary hymns daily... however, because I think musically I have never truly stopped singing them. Another song comes to my mind that I love:
"I Often Go Walking"
I often go walking in meadows of clover,
And I gather armfuls of blossoms of blue.
I gather the blossoms the whole meadow over;
Dear mother all flowers remind me of you.  (you could change the mother to be father too)

I only put the first verse to that song... Anyway, in talking with a good friend tonight I realized why I love the gospel of Jesus Christ so much, and it has to do with the fact that He has truly made everything for us... He built the earth for us under the direction of our Father and then He sacrificed Himself by first taking upon each of our sins and then He hung on the cross to die as a significance to each of us that even as we all must die we may be resurrected and we can indeed live again! The Lord is truly magnificent in my eyes and I love Him with every fiber of my being! I shall leave you with two more songs:
"For the Beauty of the Earth"
For the Beauty of the Earth,
For the Beauty of the Skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of All to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light
Lord of All to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise

For the joy of human love,
Brother, Sister, Parent, Child
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild
Lord of All to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise

"I Feel My Savior's Love"
I feel my Savior's love
In all the world around me.
His spirit warms my soul
Through Everything I see
He knows I will follow Him
Give all my life to Him
I feel my Savior's love
The Love He freely gives me

I feel my Savior's love;
Its gentleness enfolds me,
And when I kneel to pray,
My heart is filled with peace.
He knows I will follow Him
Give all my life to Him
I feel my Savior's love
The love He freely gives me

I feel my Savior's love
And know that he will bless me
I offer him my heart
My shepherd He will be
He knows I will follow Him
Give all my life to Him
I feel my Savior's love
The Love He freely gives me.

I'll share my Savior's love
By serving others freely
In serving I am blessed
In giving I receive
He knows I will follow Him
Give all my life to Him
I feel my Savior's love
The Love He freely gives me.

I hope by reading this you have felt our Savior's love and that you may embrace your God and tell Him that you know HE is there for you and He does answer prayers!

Messages from on High!

  Twice a year I get the amazing privilege of being able to listen to servants of My Heavenly Father give us the most amazing counsel and guidance! This year has truly been a remarkable experience for me! So, here's a look into how conference was for me this most amazing first weekend in October! :-D

October 6, 2012 

 It all started when I decided to wake up early, but my alarm didn't go off thus my mom had to wake me up... it was at that second I knew the events of the day were meant to happen. My ward had been asked to sing on the sidewalk prior to conference for the Saturday Morning Session. We had to meet at the north visitor's center by 7:30 am which means we had to meet at our ward building by about 6:50 am! Talk about tired and cold! However, as we were briefed on everything we would enjoy and have to endure throughout the period of time we would be singing joy began to fill my heart! I was standing just outside the north gates as you walk toward the conference center... when we started there were protesters on the opposite corner yelling at members, and we decided quickly to start by singing Praise To The Man. It was interesting to listen to the protester trying to sing along with us. As gained order and each went around picking songs I noticed the voices of the protesters were no longer able to be heard and I looked over and they were still yelling... it was in that very moment I realized that Angels were singing with us and God was extremely proud of each of us there. Tears began to fill my eyes as I realized the power behind the gospel of Jesus Christ especially through His music! We sang until 9:50 am and we were immediately escorted into the conference center ( I have never gone so fast while singing in my entire life... I LOVED IT!) As I sat there and listened to the opening hymn and prayer I couldn't help but think that this conference would be one to go down in history for an extremely long time! President Monson was the first to speak and I knew there would probably be a temple or two to be announced which there was, but then he announced about full time missionaries and telling us that young men can now serve at 18 & young women at 19! How amazing for all the young people! If I were young I would totally go!!!!! I remember when I was 19 and all of my friends were leaving on missions and I wanted to know if I'd be able to serve and that was my first conformation that my mission would be to help others prepare for their missions. The talks and sessions just got better after that... with the entire theme being happiness, service, and missionary work there is NO DOUBT in my mind that I Belong to My Heavenly Father's true gospel of Jesus Christ! 

October 7,2012 did not disappoint either and there were even a few talks that made me tear up! You should all go and listen even if you aren't members of my faith... www.lds.org

I AM A MORMON! I KNOW IT! I LIVE IT! I LOVE IT! :-D

The MAN in my life! MY DADDY!

The following is my status on facebook:
‎"62 years ago a star was born that star everyone knows from a comic that enters the papers every day. He isn't the best at most things, but most people know about him... That star is Charlie Brown. However, I know of another star that was born that day that many don't know, but I know him and my family knows him. I'm sure my siblings would agree without this shining star in our lives there would be much in life that would be different to each of us. This star is my Dad and he is the most amazing man I have ever had the chance to meet. He will do anything for his wife and children. And today we honor him! The day I met this man I can't remember, but I know he can never forget it and for that I love him even more! I LOVE MY DADDY! and in my opinion HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST DADDY I COULD EVER ASK FOR! :)"

Now to expand... 
First about Charlie Brown:
He is a fictional character made by Charles Schultz. Charlie Brown is the complete opposite of Schultz. It seems as though his friends never understand him, but always love him. This comic strip was debuted on October 2, 1950. If you would like to know more about him go here: http://www.peanuts.com/characters/charlie-brown/








My Dad:

Rick A Baron
 Born October 2, 1950 to Ethel Effie Ames Baron & Cecil John Baron.
In 1975 he met the woman that would later become his wife... On June 23, 1978 he married Leannah Frances Mayhoffer Baron. On August 27, 1979 he called his mother to wish her a happy birthday and tell her that she was now a grandmother... My oldest sister blessed them all with her presence... Kathleen Marie Baron Norris. On June 15, 1981 they had a little boy and named him John Edmund Baron. Then on March 16, 1983 they had another little girl and named her Jeane Elizabeth Baron. Next they would be blessed with a little boy on July 29, 1985 David Ames Baron. Finally their last child and a little girl would come on Mother's Day (May 10, 1987) this is Frances Mae Baron (Me.) They raised these five children together the best they knew how. However, what they probably don't realize is what I am about to write...
Because of their influence on us we have grown into the men and women we are today. They now have 4 grandchildren and will throughout the next few years will gain even more... By the end of the year our family will have grown even more... see, almost 13 years ago Kathleen got married. This past May David got married, and finally this December John will be married. Jeane and Frances (Myself) have not married yet, but I know our turn will come soon enough... (I'm not ready yet).

I have tons of respect for this man because he put his family first his entire life! He has honored and cherished us every day. I have seen him do anything and everything for us so much that when he lost his job he worked at Wendy's to provide for our family. He isn't just an ordinary man to me... he is my Father. He has shown me what my Heavenly Father is like and that excites me. My dad is everything I adore about a man and so much more... There is a song that reminds my dad of all of his children... A separate one for each of us, and for me it is "I Saw Her First". Why? Because he did. I was born at home on Mother's Day, and there was no one there but my dad to catch me. I respect my dad for all that he has done for me throughout my life! I love him for everything he is. I know this post will make him cry because it is currently making me cry, but in my opinion today is HIS day and I want to give him all the love and respect in the world... so to MY DAD I SAY....

DADDY, I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU KNOW! :) YOU ARE MY SHINING  STAR!!!!
LOVE,
YOUR BABY GIRL!

Letters From a Missionary! :)

Jessica Hannon Colorado Springs, Colorado Mission

A week ago yesterday I drove one of my extremely good friends from the SLC airport to the MTC in Provo, Utah. I decided I would give her a letter as a send off, and she gave me a card with some money (which she didn't have to do). Today I received my very first letter from her. She is a such an example to me and has an amazing spirit that I can't even try to describe. She told me of how she came to the decision of why she should go on a mission, and when she told me I nearly became teary eyed. She will grow so much from this experience and I can see that she will help me grow too. Just from her letter today I could tell that. She told me last week that I am a big reason of why she decided to go on a mission. That makes me feel extremely good and that The Lord trusts me tons more than I often trust myself. It amazes me how much the Lord blesses each of us if we just listen and follow His example. People have asked me why I am so happy lately even though the world is crashing around me, and the true answer to that is because I can see my divine purpose. The Lord continues to bless me in ways I can even begin to comprehend and I just absolutely love it! Thanks to all the people in my life... especially my newest friend on a mission.

A day of gratefulness!

I have grown to absolutely love Sundays! Especially Fast Sundays... granted I used to dread them because I'd hear people get up and just tell long stories instead of actually bearing their testimonies... for those of you reading this and not in my religion the first of every month (unless we have General or Stake Conference) all around the world as Latter-Day Saints gather to worship we get up to bear what we call a testimony. We speak of those things in which we are grateful for or things we know to be true. Several times on here I have typed out my testimony, and I don't always get up on Fast Sunday to bear it. A friend of mine often does and I remember having a conversation with him about it a few weeks back, and I thought to myself I should get up next Fast & Testimony meeting and bear mine. Today I did just that! I got up and said that I felt like if I didn't get up I would be very ungrateful; which I believe to be extremely true. This past month has been one of the best thus far this year. I have learned so many grand and wonderful things! I have learned that I am in control of my own life and that the Lord is there with me every step of the way to guide me. A friend said to me during August that as long as we are doing what the Lord wants He is both pleased with us and He blesses us. I have found this to be extremely true. It is in those moments when we forget about Him that we become sad and desolate. He has already suffered this and all we have to do is turn to Him and He will help to comfort and guide us. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and the peace it brings to me. The lessons I learn each and every day in The Book of Mormon. I know how true that book is and all the accounts in it were written down for a purpose! I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for all the different people He has placed into my life. My friends and family are so wonderful! Especially those friends I have met within the past month. They have been a shining example to me. I have always been told that I should seek out the righteous and I am most grateful that I have... sometimes the righteous can be found in the most unexpected people. It isn't always the ones that you might think of... sometimes it comes from those that you least expect it to. For example, I know several people that have been through so much heart ache in their lives and have been beaten down more than you could possibly imagine and yet now they are some of the strongest people I could ever know. Those moments when I feel absolutely fantastic and when I know that my Father in Heaven is always there for me are the best moments in the world! I can't imagine being any happier in life or it being any better than it is, but I know that as I stay righteous and as I work extremely hard to be faithful I will continue to be blessed beyond measure! :) Everyone should smile more because when you smile it brings even more happiness to you! :D