Till We Meet Again

So, today is my last day in California as an average Jane. Tonight, I am going to be set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This means that I will be given the power and authority to act as a representative of Jesus Christ and His Church. I will spend the next 18 months serving full-time in the Montana Billings mission preaching the gospel to my fellow-men. If I spend that entire time laboring and only improve the life of one person, it will have been time well spent. (I do, however, hope to have a little more success than that.)

I won't be writing on my blog while I am gone for the next year and a half, so I would like to bid you all farewell and leave a parting message of love. You are all amazing. We all have times where we feel inadequate and unworthy, but I hope that each of you can feel the truth in my words when I say, "You are always loved!" You are never alone or deserted. You matter to Him. 

My mission in life, not just these next few months, is to bless the lives of others and to help them find truth and happiness. That is why I have this blog. That is why I write to you. I care about each and every one of you, even if I am unaware of your particular situation. I pray for the guidance to write what you need to hear, that I may be a tool in the Lord's hands helping him to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

You need not be blown about as "chaff in the wind." Your Father is there to guide you through the storms of life. There is help when you are struggling; just ask. 

If there are any of you who wish to receive my weekly emails while I am away in Montana and have not given me your email yet, send me a message or leave your email as a comment below.

God be with you till we meet again.

Dancing Violins

Ok, so I was in a class today and we watched a video on Lindsey Stirling. I had no idea how popular she was! Turns out, a friend of mine had shown me her Lord of the Rings medley last year.

After rediscovering her amazingness, I decided to write a blog post dedicated to her and her music.

Why I love Lord of the Rings:
It just somehow gives me such peace of mind. Everything can be going wrong and I turn on The Fellowship of the Ring and I am laughing through the tears.

I love the Celtic feel in this one.

"We Found Love"

Another awesome thing: she combines two of my favorite things into one: music and dance.

Plus, I just learned that she graduated from my same school with a degree in recreation therapy, the same thing that I am studying. Maybe there is more I could do with dance. It's people like Lindsey that make me wonder if I am living below my potential and inspire me to keep dreaming.

March of Dimes

The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

I am gaining an increasing understanding of just how many parents 

have to deal with the grief of a lost child.

My mother worked with premature babies. 

I remember her telling us about babies that fit in the palm of her hand.

I have also met many wonderful people who were born with defects 

and it is only due to the wonders of modern medicine 

that I was able to meet them in the first place.

This year, my sister is walking for the cause.

She has dedicated her walk to her best friend's son who was born 8 weeks premature.

If you want to donate to help her reach her goal, you can view her page here:

http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?pp=2410898&ct=4&w=6111911&u=KimmieF&bt=24

A Time For Questions

I have to say, questions are fantastic.

They can lead to wonderful answers,

even when they aren't fun in the moment.

As I have been challenged in my schooling, 

I have learned if I'm not forming questions, I'm not thinking.

Asking questions, and then putting forth the effort 

to really search out and ponder the answer,

can lead to amazing growth and knowledge.

Sincere questions have been a source of inspiration,

leading me to discover hidden treasures.

So, do you have questions?

What Do I Know of Holy?

Lately, I haven't felt as spiritual as I like. I feel like I have just been drifting along like a leaf battered by the wind.

I like to think I am knowledgeable about God and life, but really... "what do I know of holy?"

It amazes me how short my spiritual memory is sometimes. Constantly, I must re-dedicate myself to the things that I know are right. So, here I go again. Remind myself who I am, why I am here, and where I am going. 

After making a covenant to go where the Lord would have me go, to care for the sick and afflicted, and to mourn with those that mourn, how can I be comfortable being passive in life? 

I simply can't.

That's what faith can do.

Welcome!!!!

So, if you have read the column titled "About Me" then you know a bit about why I created this blog and where the name came from. For those of you who haven't read it and don't feel like looking across the screen, I will reiterate and expound.

The Wind is Blowing

The name is derived from a quote by a man I very much admired growing up, Gordon B. Hinkley. Among the plethora of wonderful sayings he left behind is one stating this: 

"I am the last leaf on the tree and the wind is blowing." 

I don't know about all of you, but there are definitely times where I feel just like that. As if I am using all my might to just barely keep holding on, as everything else is changing and crumbling around me. Some weeks I can find myself sitting in my room staring at the wall. I find myself stressed and in tears even though nothing horrible has happened. I know that I'm not the only one with hardships. I think it's safe to say that we have all felt the wind blowing at some point.

However, the wind cannot blow indefinitely. No matter how long and hard the storm rages, it will cease. It doesn't always cease when we want, but all who stay strong are promised a time where "they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow."

Mission Statement

My mission statement for this blog is as follows:

Through providing uplifting personal stories, quotes, expositions, and original poetry, "The Wind Is Blowing" will attempt to facilitate the spiritual, emotional and compassionate growth of others so they might have hope and strength, even when "the wind is blowing" and then in turn become a strength to others.

 I had the idea for this blog months upon months ago, and I have finally gotten it up and running. (Well, kinda.) I hope that this can be a place where you can find strength in times of weakness, light in times of darkness, and hope in time of confusion.