Hi lil' bro!
How are you? I've been thinking about you so much this week. I've been missing you like crazy. I hope we grow up and live next to each other so that you can stop in all the time and make me laugh and eat cookies with me and go skating and what squat not. I'm sure that everyone has mentioned Derek Walker. It has really strengthened my testimony as I have thought about the plan of salvation this last week. You remember Ashley Felton? Ryan's little sister that was my good friend. Well, she has been really sick for quite sometime now and the doctor told her this week that he thinks she has MS (thats the disease uncle Craig had). I also had another friend who's husband turned out to be a creeper and she is now getting a divorce. It made me realize how grateful I am for my life. I feel SO blessed. I feel unworthy of all of the things that Heavenly Father has bestowed upon me. It makes me want to be stronger and strengthen those around me who are going through serious difficulties. I remember at BYUI one time we had FHE with President Clark and somebody asked him, how do we strengthen our testimonies and stay close to God during times of our life that are easy/we are not going through a trial. He said, first of all serve others who are going through trials. Second of all, build your testimony because the calm times in our life don't last long. I have thought of that frequently since then. I really want to strengthen my faith and become so strong in my testimony that I will be prepared for whatever difficulties lie ahead. Life is meant to be difficult, I believe that is how we learn. I am grateful that Heavenly Father can see our eternal potential and knows what we need to experience in mortality in order to fullfill our eternal potential. Im so thankful for Christopher and Raleigh. They make my world go round. I can't even begin to tell you how hilarious little Rals is. He is still a chicken about walking he could TOTALLY walk but he refuses and crawls everywhere at lightening speed. He won't eat unless its sugar. And he climbs on EVERYTHING he is so dangerous! HE LOVES the slides at the park. He goes down huge slides all by himself. It is so funny. He loves to crawl up the stairs and go head first down whatever he can find. We spend a lot of time at the park, it is so fun. I love our new house and neighborhood. My next door neighbor is not a member of the church and she is about to have a baby so me and Raleigh brought her a gift and have been becoming good friends. She is a really nice neat woman and so is her husband. I'm excited to get to know them better. I read the book of James today. Wow, really good stuff. I highly recommend it. It has really had me thinking about what I need to do in my life to improve. Its crazy how little I know about the gospel and how much I need to improve. But, I am so thankful for the Savior and that he will be with me at the judgement day, pleading my case if I am worthy. It makes me realize how serious it is when we partake of the sacrament and take his name upon his. I always want to keep this covenant and respect his name by doing those things which he would have me do. I'm really looking forward to the Holidays. I'm excited to spend time with our family. They are the best. PLEASE be careful bud, I don't know what I would do if you didn't come home in two years. I'll be praying for you. Be smart and listen to the Holy Ghost in all that you do.
Love , Carlie
P.S. I am SOO proud of you. Mom was talking to me last week and she said, I hope Bryce is actually happy and he is not just saying that to make me feel better. I said, mom, Bryce is happy. He is doing what he is supposed to be doing, I"m sure its hard. But he has to feel good about the work he is doing and the progress he is making. he is an amazing boy and is doing an amazing thing. This will bring him joy. So, I'm sure you have discouraging and hard days where you are not happy. But joy is deep. Joy fills our hearts and our souls untill they feel like they may burst with gratitude. So when you have a bad day, where your bugged by your comp, or a dog bites you. FInd a minute to close your eyes, and search for the joy in your soul that you felt when your convert was baptized or when you have felt Gods love for you. Thats the fruit of the tree of life, thats true joy. Make time to remember that the fruit of the tree of life can be found in this life. We don't have to wait for heaven to partake of it. We can partake of it in this life and experience the true love of Christ, and be truly filled with joy. I love you!!!
