Random Subject & The Pursuit of Happiness

Random Subject  January 22nd, 2018

GOOD MORNING!!!!!!!
LOL thought I would start this just like my vlogs with a lil bit of Xanderness!

Anyways how is everyone doing? I first want to say how much I love and miss you all how much you all mean to me and also how much I look forward to receiving something from you all each week. This week has not been extremely eventful  but going through our week we pranked the sisters car on Monday night with Kyle and 2250 ft of plastic wrap we wrapped their car all over.  Tuesday was an interesting day the sisters were getting transferred and we watched the broadcast from our new President of the church and then had lunch with the Jacksons. On Wednesday we went bowling with the Spencers our investigators and the Taylors the family that is super fun that helps us prank the sisters, and Elder Blatter hurt his finger bowling lol. On Saturday we had sushi which i love with the Taylors, and yesterday we went and visited a member in the nursing home. This old lady in a wheel chair came up to one of the Sisters, Sister Ashcraft and asked how she was feeling and then she said hows your husband feeling? lol  So I guess Sister Ashcraft is married.  Anyway that was my week.

I don't have much of a spiritual lesson this week but i really love this video:   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUhgBU3coPY and I shared it a few times this week and its so comforting to know we have a loving Heavenly Father with flesh and bone who perfectly understands us and loves us and sent his son for us. I know it can be hard at times to put trust in something or someone that is not physically in front of you but Jesus Christ is a real person who loves us and knows everything we are going through and as we diligently seek him we can find that peace, comfort, and happiness.

I'm so thankful for this opportunity to serve the lord I'm also thankful for my wonderful family and friends and for the chance I've had to have this gospel in my life. "I know that my redeemer lives" and loves each and everyone of us and wishes to reach out to us we just have to let him into our lives. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week, and May God be with you till we meet again!

love,  your favorite goofball Elder Xander Bowles 

The Pursuit of Happiness January 29th, 2018

Good morning! even though its not morning!

This week has been a pretty good week we now have 3 sisters in the district again the new one is Sister Sutherland we had a pretty slow week this week with the work.  Thursday we were doing weekly planning and realized we didn't have much to plan for so we decided to get out and head to work, and from Thursday to Sunday we got 4 new investigators and one came to church! So that was super cool. But other than all that just another day in paradise. So I've been listening to lots of talks and this week I'd like to talk about happiness and how to find it or at least what I've learned and experienced. So this week we actually got a chance to teach a group of 20-30  college students at a thing called world view and we got to teach the restoration and answer questions it was super cool, but they were very focused on salvation and our relationship with God. Every answer to the Questions they had came back to keep the commandments. One person thought the easiest way in life might be going his whole life in sin and not knowing much about God would be easier. But I told him as we follow the commandments in this life and grow our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that it wouldn't only bring much happiness and blessings in this life but in eternity also. There is happiness and joy which can be eternal vs we have pleasure very short term and comes from Satan. Another thing I've learned is that happiness is right where you are in your current state it goes back to attitude if we are always looking for happiness else where, weather it be in the past in the future with somethings or someone else you are not going to find it.  It's all about how you choose to live today happiness is truly a choice. I also learned that 2 things bring unhappiness one is transgression the other is adversity and we over come these through Jesus Christ with faith and repentance.   When we sin we can repent and when we face adversity we can choose our response.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1986/04/happiness?lang=eng this is one of the talks. We are made to have happiness 2 nephi 2:24-25. also I've come to learn there is no greater joy than the joy that comes from being in the service of others.  Another good talk is Finding  joy in the journey by president Monson.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/finding-joy-in-the-journey?lang=eng 

With that I wish you all a joy filled week! I love and miss you all may god be with you till we meet again. 

Love, Your favorite Elder Xander Bowles 

p.s. never forget to smile! :)