You only have 25 words.

Today has been a great day. The last week has been a great week. Why? No reason in particular. Just cause.

Thomas S. Monson, Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints gave a talk at our last General Conference entitled "Finding Joy in the Journey". For me, I was going through a rather frustrating time and needed this talk. I needed this encouragement. I needed this prophetic counsel.

He told the following story:

"In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, Church member Jay Hess, an airman, was shot down over North Vietnam. For two years his family had no idea whether he was dead or alive. His captors in Hanoi eventually allowed him to write home but limited his message to less than 25 words. What would you and I say to our families if we were in the same situation—not having seen them for over two years and not knowing if we would ever see them again? Wanting to provide something his family could recognize as having come from him and also wanting to give them valuable counsel, Brother Hess wrote—and I quote: “These things are important: temple marriage, mission, college. Press on, set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year.”'

In our Relief Society lesson today we were asked to do something similar. So I pose this question...I'm taking a slightly different spin on it.

If you were given 25 words to leave for all to see as to what's the most important advice you could give, what would it say?

I pondered this today during the Sacrament. For some reason, mine came very easily.

I'm normally a woman of many words -- but for today -- here is my twenty five.


If you don't get anything else out of anything I ever say...

Pray. Study scriptures. Follow Christ. Marry your best friend. Love. Journal. Breathe. Take pictures. Eat healthy. Be clean. Be Humble. Know that you are loved.

(I'm sure they might change as I grow older or wiser)

Ponder it out and write it down. :)

♥ MWAH ♥