Because of Him, There Is No End.

I know that guilt becomes peace. I know that despair becomes hope. Life continues after death, we can live in peace eternally if we seek to follow Him. Because of Him

Life is Sacred.

Les Miserables is playing on the projector, thrown against the far wall. It's Utah dry heat in my Wymount apartment, but the tower fan is faithfully whirring. I'm sitting on a heather gray couch and I'm thinking about how sacred our lives are.

Currently phoneless, My Facebook home feed just informed me that the beautiful and strong Sarah Chytraus passed away. Some time between last night and today. She experienced a brain aneurysm. I looked it up, brain aneurysms don't have symptoms. It's when blood passes through a bulging, weak artery.

Life is about making memories and doing things that outlast rust, dust, wear, and tear.

Sarah is a beautiful soul. She struggled, as we all struggle from time to time. We were missionaries together in Tahiti for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one morning we decided to run but she's tiny and perfect and I suggested we stay close to the house. Just in case. We ran up and down the street that was maybe 50 feet long. She kept running and running, I was struggling so I switched over to ab workouts. Another experience: we sat in the car and talked for a while after a missionary lesson. She and I discussed a few things that were very important to her. She was open and honest and to be honest, I was overwhelmed with her willingness to share it with me even though we were not exceptionally close. That's what I knew of Sarah: beauty, deep emotions, strong work ethic, candid, and sensitive.

Sometimes lives are lost without any public recognition. People I do not know have died. During my lifetime. Millions and billions of people. I believe that God is our Heavenly Father who loves and watches over every. single. child.

What is a life? A time to enjoy the good things that God has given us, which we can access if we put in the necessary time and effort. There once was a man who wanted to travel the world so he bought a cruise boat ticket. The boat sailed around the world and he saw glimpses of it through the tiny peephole in his cabin. Greece, Spain, Sweden. He ate canned beans in his cabin and washed his clothes in the tiny sink. Morocco, South Africa, India. He heard dancing on the main deck above him, and he wished to join but he was trying to be frugal and did not want to spend money and effort to participate. Japan, Korea, Tahiti. At the end of the trip, he checked out of his cabin when he noticed that his ticket had included everything on board.

Do not live minimally. Sarah Chytraus lived a beautiful life. She cares deeply about her family and friends. Her mortal life has come to a close and she is continuing to share and strengthen her testimony on the other side of the veil.

Your Potential, Your Privileges
Live an abundant life. We love you Sarah.

So much love,
Courtney

Boyd K. Packer's Legacy in My Life.

I'm a proud member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe that regardless of what the imperfect people around me in church do, we're all trying to become better. The leaders of our church are humble servants of Jesus Christ and they seek to inspire us to live better lives that are more in harmony with His teachings. 

Recently, a dearly-loved leader, Boyd K. Packer, passed away. His words encouraged me to be more committed to my religious beliefs. I've always been touched by rhyming poetry. There are so many words to use, it's impressive when people effectively express themselves according to the rules of rhyme. Here's what he said regarding his old age and his religious convictions. 

"And now you see I’m 88.

The years have flown so fast.

I walked, I limped, I held a cane,

And now I ride at last.

I take a nap now and again,

But priesthood power remains.

For all the physical things I lack

There are great spiritual gains.

I have traveled the world a million miles

And another million too.

And with the help of satellites,

My journeys are not through.

I now can say with all certainty

That I know and love the Lord.

I can testify with them of old

As I preach His holy word.

I know what He felt in Gethsemane

Is too much to comprehend.

I know He did it all for us;

We have no greater Friend.

I know that He will come anew

With power and in glory.

I know I will see Him once again

At the end of my life’s story.

I’ll kneel before His wounded feet;

I’ll feel His Spirit glow.

My whispering, quivering voice will say,

“My Lord, my God, I know.”¹

Marriage is Between a Man and a Woman.

Welp, 7 months is a relatively short amount of time. Not long after my previous post, Regan proposed to me and we have now been married for 2 months! Marriage is intense. Also intensely good.

I have strong religious beliefs that affect every facet and detail of my life. I have thrived and lived an abundant life by respecting the principles of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This church is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, as the son of God.

Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is legal in all 50 states. I've known that this would eventually happen because our country has been chomping at the bit to liberalize as much as possible. I believe that everyone has the ability to choose, however it does not mean that all choices are right choices. There are natural laws that cannot be minimized or ignored. If there is a "no swimming" sign on a beach with a shark problem, you have some choices. That means that one of those choices could cause serious pain or death.

Marriage between a man and a woman is a divinely-designed institution. Our culture is obsessed with sex. The basic principle is that sex is good. We just need to be protective of it to enjoy it fully, without reserve or suspicion of abandonment. Sex unifies people physically, but it's emotional and mental as well. It's another form of communication, a way to experience joy together. I'm not just in favor of people being "happy", I'm in favor of them being happiest.

Marriage is also not supposed to be only a legalized best friendship. It's bigger than that. You can deeply love someone, I have many friends like that. It doesn't mean I want to marry them. The point of marriage is to raise children in an environment that allows children to learn and grow. Men and women are intentionally made to be different and have different roles. If both parents worked all the time, children would not get their much-needed interaction. If neither parents worked, children would not learn the value of hard work, a skill needed to gain an education and be independent.

Marriage is about a partnership based on love and an understanding that we're not just here to do what we want to do. We're here to have responsibilities that force us to push ourselves past the point of personal desire. I have never been so happy in my entire life as when I'm working hard at school and at my job and come home and do things to make Regan happy. He does the same thing.

A grandpa and his grandson were flying a kite. The wind was strong and the kite flew higher and higher until it came to the end of the spool of string. The kite pulled and tugged, back and forth in the sky, but was restricted from going higher up. "Can I cut the string so it can keep going higher?" "Try it." The boy cut the string. The kite hovered in place for a few seconds and then fell back to the ground. The string provided the necessary air resistance to keep the kite at its highest point.

xoxo, Courtney