Hope & Faith

...

Do you have it?

Does your light shine so all can see?

How can we avoid feeling discouraged and maintain optimism?

I'd be lying if I told you these last three-four months have been easy, in fact there have been days where I've hit rock bottom and I have cried harder then I thought possible.

I've felt alone and sad, I've had more heartache then I thought I'd have, I've let little things that normally don't affect me, turn my whole day upside down and I've had FEAR of being the worst girlfriend and everything ending in failure.

Being a "Military Girlfriend" or wife, it's not an easy gig.

As "they" say...

It's not a job for sissies!!

As of today I have exactly 10 days until I leave for the BIG KUN to visit the Pilot!

I couldn't be happier. Seriously, I have never missed someone so much.

And although it's been tough...I am so proud of myself and US!

I know it will only strengthen our relationship in the end.

I have to keep reminding myself that he will only be in Korea for a year

but what I also have to remember is that this is not JUST A YEAR

...

It's a life style

&

he won't always be around every minuite of every day, but we will always have each other in our hearts regardless of the miles. We will always support each other in whatever it is we desire to do (within reason ;))

We will always love each other.

PERIOD.

You may ask how I know this

I can tell you I know because I have FAITH and I have HOPE !!

We reach toward the unknown, but faith lights the way. If we will cultivate that faith, we shall never walk in darkness.

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

---

For the days that are just not "good" days...I will let my faith light the way and I will shine and light the way for anyone that maybe having a dark day.

In a talk given by Gordon B. Hinckley himself he said,

"And so it is with matters of the spirit and soul. As each man or woman walks the way of life there come dark seasons of doubt, of discouragement, of disillusionment. In such circumstances, a few see ahead by the light of faith, but many stumble along in the darkness and even become lost."

My call to you this morning is a call to faith, that faith which is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1)

This morning I received a text message from a good friend whose boyfriend is currently stationed in Korea as well and in that message it read

"My eyes are puffy and swollen."

Of course the first thing I thought to myself was oh no she has the viral infection like my roommate.

But as we continued with our conversation, she said,

"I'm stressed and burnt out...I felt super emotional yesterday and had to hold back tears all day at work."

As I did my best to give her a few encourgaing words I told her,

"We are a team, when you are down, I build you up...When I'm down, you build me up"

As I reminded her to breath and that it will all work out,

It hit me that I'm not alone, that everyone gets sad and lets little things bother them at times, people have heartache and  fear, yeah it happens to everyone.

As the conversation came to an end, she said,

"Thank you...I'm glad I have you and thanks for your positivity."

Sometimes all we need is just a line or two of HOPE and positivity to see through to the end so we can press on with our days.

Because without Hope and Faith

there would be no

LOVE!

And that is the ultimate destination, right?

Faith + Hope = Love and Happiness

XOXO

Tara Ashley