General Conference

As I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I attend the meetings that are called "General conference" twice in a year.
It's the BEST meetings i attend Everytime!!!
The conference Always Helps me to Remember my Savior, Jesus Christ and also Who I am! More Deeply :) It is such a Blessing to have the knowledge in mylife!!!
The knowledge also helps me to understand "what's the purpose to live?" "what i will do after this life?" "How i can keep a good relationship with my family?" and "Whom i need to follow, and want to be?"
"Is yourLife too Easy for you?"
i Love the scriptures that i can gain LOTS of Great WISDOM :)
one of my Favorites is 3 Nephie 24:3. it says "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness".
Life is Awesome, but not too easy at all! Otherwise we don't GROW... therefore, life is truly JOY :)
In this conference, the church general authorities talked about temples - the blessings, ordinances and doctrines in the temples! i leave the website "why church members build temples on earth"

here's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x_-TQivCx8

How WonderFUL it is that the gospel and church of Jesus Christ have been Restored on Earth! God Truly LOVES each ONE of us SoO MUCH that we are His children :) and we DO have Our Savior, Jesus Christ who has shown us the BEST example, LOVE, the way to Live and the Truth from the Heavenly Father! We have the Way how we Can communicate to our Heavenly Father by Prayers, and He hears and answers our Prayers Even Today! :)I know that there is the Holy Ghost who leads and teaches us to know the truth and what is right. Through the Holy Ghost, I Know that Jesus is the Christ. He is the Savior of the world. He made the greatest sacrifice for all of us. The scriptures (We have the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, and other scriptures) are Truly words of God and the words are real and living. God has provided many ways to show us to find His plan and also to have JOY with life :D One of the Blessings is we have a Living Prophet on earth! Thomas S. Monson is the prophet of God today. He and other church leaders lead us to come unto Christ and help us to learn and understand the teachings of Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ Lives! I Really Do LOVE the Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Gospel with All my heart and I'm so Grateful for this wonderful opportunity to Share about my testimony with you all who come into my blog! :)

Side note: General Conference is held in the conference center in Salt Lake City, UT during the first weekend, Saturday and Sunday two sessions each day. since i'm in Japan this time... i was able to watch the conference in Japanese by satellite next week from the broadcast.

Sakura

i've been Having Hay Fever lately here in Kumamoto, Japan... it's not FUN(lol) for me to Go OUTside very often or for a LONG time, otherwise i can't keep opening my eyes or any parts where i can get any air? or pollen stuff :(
but, the BEST Time is Coming NOW!!!
Yes, i'm Really Excited to see Sakura(a.k.a Cherry blossom) So soon ;)
There Is Such a Lovely tredition with Sakura in Japan!!!
Usually family, friends or co-workers make Plans to get Together, and, and... and to Eat YUMMY meals under the Trees!!!!!!!!
"YAY, it's Super AWESOME"
AnyTime is FINE!!! Especially between Lunch and late Dinner :)
During Lunch time... the people enjoy having the picnic or even the potluck luncheon with beautiful sunny weather. In the evening time... the people enjoy the potluck dinner with the Moon and lanterns.
Very Fantastic and Romantic moments, i think. ;)
Sakura usually blossoms for a few days, and early Springtime...
"We Gotta Enjoy the BeautiFUL moments here, Really!!!!!"
:D


side note: if you'd like to see "Sakura"... go to "google" and search "cherry blossom" then click "images"... you will see lots of the photos! :) i'm not sure that i could add some of them on here... so i didn't.

Music

i got "playlist" on my blog, finally!!! but, even though i did set automatical-play... it doesn't work so far:( haha.. Poor Naoko! If you feel like you need the music, feel free to listen to some of my favorite songs ;)

Some Quotes, I Really Like :)

I LOVE Quotes So Much!
The quotes help me to be More Grateful for this Loving Life!!!
"Live Well,Laugh a Lot,and Love Much"
Life is truly Beautiful :)
I'm gonna share about some my Favotires today!


No one can make you feel inferior
without your consent.
- Eleanor Roosevelt



~Rules for a happy day~
L A U G H

L eave yesterday’s worries behind.
A sk for help when you need it
U se your time wisely
G o out of your way to help someone
H ave a good attitude no matter what happens
- Unknown



Life is either a great adventure or nothing
- Andre Gide



"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It all works out in the end. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers."

"Be grateful. Be smart. Be clean. Be true. Be humble. Be prayerful."

"You don't have to be a genius. You don't have to be a straight-A student. You just have to do your very best with all the capability you have. You have to do your very best. And somehow, if you do that, God will open the way before you and the sun will shine, and your lives will be fruitful and you will accomplish great good in the world in which you take a part."
- President Gordon B. Hinckley



"Be not discouraged, neither allow the spirit of doubt or gloom or despondency to come into they life, for these are tricks of the evil one to destroy thy faith and thy usefulness. But look upon the bright side of life, to be cheerful, humble, prayerful, and pure in thy devotion, and in thy habits, and the Lord will remember thee in mercy. His power and blessings will be upon thee. Therefore, look unto the Lord in humility, and thou shalt be comforted in the answers to thy prayers and be guided in the path of thy duty, day and night."
- Hyrum Smith



"Come What May, and Love It"
-Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin



How to be HaPpy all through the year!

Keep your heart free from hate,
Your mind free from worry,
Live simply, Expect little
Give much, Sing often, Pray always,
Fill your life with Love, Scatter sunshine,
Forget yourself, Think of others, Do as you would be done by.
There are the tried links in contentment’s
GOLDEN CHAIN.
- Unknown



A little reminder of what life is all about:
Do It Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you have anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.”
- Unknown


Well, I sure have some more... but, let me finish it at this moment!

Picture time

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Tomorrow - 10 Years

Tomorrow, August 29th will be 10 years since I've jointed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints :) I'd Love to Share Why I jointed.
PS. Two missionaries helped me to share about my conversion story in English before I was baptized 10 years ago!

I am grateful for the opportunity I have today to share with you my feelings about this church. My first contact with the church was an English conversation class activity. I attended one Saturday afternoon. It was there that I was invited to attend the monthly fast and testimony meeting to be held the next day. I still vividly remember that experience - the moment I felt as if I had been wrapped up by something large and overwhelming. "Something" for which I lack adequate words to describe; as if love and happiness were tangible and had clasped me up into their arms! It almost brought me to tears. Shortly thereafter I began, with the help of the missionaries, to hear the discussions. It was during those discussions that I received, on two occasions, invitations to be baptized. I was unable to, as will be proved hereafter, receive baptism on either of the occasions provided me. When the first opportunity presented itself, I was met by strong parental opposition; which opposition was on account of their firmly held Buddhist beliefs. Taking into consideration my family's feelings in regard to my being baptized, I made the decision not to receive baptism. When the second opportunity was offered before me, I rejected it by my lack of faith and the cloudiness of my mind. Which cloudiness came because of the difficulty I encountered in keeping the word of wisdom. That and my relative frailty in the face of other diverse temptations caused me to withdraw myself from the church. I loved the discussions and the precious truths contained in them, but I couldn't force my physical weaknesses into compliance with my heart and soul. It seemed impossible for me to commit myself to it. However, through the grace of God, and by the help of the missionaries and members, and on account of the countless prayers in my behalf, I was once again able to begin to associate myself with the church. Unfortunately I still considered my faith to be weak, which in turn led me to compare myself to others and to ponder deeply my own inadequacies. It was a very difficult time, but one necessary to my proper spiritual growth.I exercised and showed forth what little faith I thought I possessed in my strong desire to learn more of Him and His ways, and He showered forth blessings! I was blessed with increased help from church members and from missionaries. With this new-found hope and support I suddenly came to an abrupt realization that there is a God! And that He always watches over us! And that His hand is over all of His children, whom He loves, no matter what land they are in!This experience instilled within my heart a burning desire to do those things that would please Him. I loved and craved "café au lait," but my new-found faith and desire to please God helped me to live without it. Now I'm scarcely even tempted by its savory aroma. Such is the power that faith can bring into your life. As for alcohol and tea, two other substances that would stand to defy the word of wisdom, I was able to discard from my life without looking back. Now I will say something regarding those "hidden treasures of knowledge" promised to those who faithfully observe the word of wisdom. I received some very special blessings by obeying the Lord's counsel on health. They were: One, I was able to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost more often and more poignantly. That blessing in turn led me to discover a "hidden treasure" that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. Jesus Christ is my Redeemer, my Savior, as He is to the rest of human kind. As I shared this realization with the sister missionaries I remember feeling a deep love for them, which was reciprocated back to me. I also felt the warm burning of truth envelope my heart, once again bearing solemn record to me of the truthfulness of the gospel.I am very blundering and weak, especially when searching for the words which will be able to express my feelings. I often experience extreme difficulty expressing my true feelings and thoughts in a clear and intelligent manner. How can the beautiful and profound language of the heart be translated into spoken wounds? It is during these difficult times that all of the help and encouragement I receive from my family and friends, are what really keep me going. I'm so grateful for each and every one of them. I'm not joining the church because of somebody else or their testimony. I am joining because I was able to show faith and feel the spirit confirm to me that joining was what I needed to do. Accordingly, I want to be baptized on August 29th. I am truly looking forward to that day.

There are still many things I wish I could say, but let me close with letting you know that I love these fast and testimony meetings! Maybe someday somebody will be touched by my testimony the way I was touched that first fast and testimony meeting I attended. I love being able to share our testimonies with one another.

Smile

What is Your Favorite Smile?
Your own smile? A smile from your family and friends? Smiles from little children? smiley stickers? or any other Special smiles?
Since I've started working at the Missionary Training Center Dining, I like to make a Smiley Face using the Salad :)

Ingredients:
2 sliced piece of hard boiled eggs
2 black olieves
turkey (diced)
tomatoes (diced)
lettuce
ham
cheese (diced?)

Use some lettuce to make a base like a Face
Use some diced ham to make the Cheeks
Use 2 sliced pieces of egg to make the outline of the Eyes
Use 2 black olives to make the Eyes
Use some diced turkey to make a Nose
Use some diced tomatoes to make a Big Smiling Mouth
Use some cheese to make the Hair

When one of my co-workers and I make some smiley faces using the Salad, and we put up the plates with other plates naturally. But, I Keep WATCHING till SOME missionaries Find it OUT :) They also Smile and they Take it because they can Feel something SPECIAL from the Smiley Face :)
A Smile doesn't cost, is a Good way to bring DELIGHT to Others and Their lives.
A Smile will make others Happier! People can Feel Kindness, Peace, Happiness, Warmth, Joy and Friendship through Smiling!!!
It is a Very Simple way to Share those things with Others:)
I Love Smiling and being Smiled at by My Family, Friends and others... or even by something made out of stuff.