Super Sunday!

Dear Readers,

I know that I need to pay attention to the special broadcast that I am watching right now, but I want to make sure that I record these feelings right now. There is such a power, such a joy, such a supernal feeling in my heart right now. I was in the middle of feeling low about myself, my trials, and the little things that I allowed to cloud my vision--and all of a sudden I am in the realm of celestial joy!

My heart is in missionary work and I know that it will always roll forth. I know with all that I am--every single fiber of my heart, mind, soul, that this gospel is true. Jesus is the Christ. He truly Atoned for all of our sins, and I love him.

I know that my mission was amazing. My mission changed me in ways that I can never fully understand. I am so overwhelmed by gratitude, love for missionary work, and for pretty much everything!

God renewed, as always, my soul. The darkness that clouded me, even just that little bit, is completely gone.

What I want more than anything right now is to embrace the people that have made such a difference in my life. I want to share the love I have for them. I want them to know that they have changed my eternity. There are so many special people in my life. Every one of them does something that saves me. Each day. Every time I need someone--without fail.

Sincerely,
Doug Knuth

Faith Over Fear- A Superman Story

Dear Readers, 

There isn't much more I can say than I said in the title. I want to write a bit about it though. I was reading a talk yesterday and that thought came to me. It is so simple, really--and so very amazing! Can I even really understand what that means to me? Putting faith over fear really is the secret to living a happy life. 

I have a friend that's been going through a hard time and I did my best to give him some advice. He told me that I am one of the happiest people that he knows. You know what? I may be. 

Do you want to know how?

Do you want to know the secret? 

Do you want to know how to be happy? 

Well, you've already read the answer. 

Put faith over fear, and your life will change. It isn't easy to do. It takes hard work. It takes being more afraid than you can even imagine at times. It takes putting yourself out there and being vulnerable. You have to be vulnerable to God, to your friends and family, and to the world. You have to have the same faith that Superman had--faith that he could trust humanity with who he was. Your super power might not involve lifting buildings or laser-vision, but let me tell you that faith becomes a super power. 

Deciding that it is better to love or trust and be hurt than to never feel--that's how you find it. You take chances, make mistakes, and get messy. At times your heart will ache until you think that there is no more pain that you can handle. That's what makes it worth it though. 

There is no way to feel that joy and love that life has to offer if you spend your time worrying that you'll stop feeling that way. 

Superman had to know that his whole world was gone, and he almost lost everything that he cared about. He could have even lost his life. That's how we must live. Not crashing around the world or saving the whole thing at once, but taking that Hero's chance to do something that could make the difference. THAT is how you find happiness. 

That's how you find joy, and live your life. 

We are blessed with so much, SO VERY MUCH. Take a minute to count ten things that you have right now that have made your life better. 

We have no right to complain, no right to make the world darker. Darkness will always come from behind the light, and we will create more of what we focus on! 

My friends--go forth and be awesome. Do great things. The world will surprise you with how much good it has, if you only take the time to go and see it. 

I love you. 

Make today count.

You are infinite. 

You are great. 

You know what to do. 

There is much waiting on you. 

People need your BEST SELF. 

Don't save it for some day in the future, or it will never come! 

Sincerely, 

Doug Knuth

What do I stand for? Some Nights--no, today I know!

Today I feel so nostalgic. I feel a great desire to return to the MTC and I really know that my mission was a special part of my life. Right now I KNOW that if I could conjure a Patronus it would work, from the power of these feelings. I remember the excitement, the love, and the bright times that I experienced! I feel not quite, but a little close to the way Alma felt when he declared "Oh that I were an angel". Oh that I were a missionary again! Oh that I worked at the MTC! I still could! 

Today I want to challenge you to think of some time in your life when you had a powerful emotion that changed you for the better! Goodness--there isn't anything that I can't do! There is so much light!! There is so much to be done in the world!!! 

To quote HeMan- "I HAVE THE POWER!!!"

Or rather, WE HAVE THE POWER!!!

We have time! We have minds! We have resources! We have so much!

What is stopping me today from being so amazing that I change the world? 

What is stopping me from helping someone? 

What is stopping me from making something beautiful? 

What is stopping me from smiling? 

What stops me from doing more?

The answer to all these questions is exactly the same: Nothing. 

Nothing is stopping me from shining and soaring and making the world better than it is! How can I sit around and waste my time when I have so much to do?!?!?!

Let's go and just DO IT! Take chances! Make mistakes! Get messy! 

CHANGE THE WORLD!

You can do it! We can all do it! We are the future! Let us all go forth and be awesome!!!!

The hard things are only the hard things until they are easy, done, and we realize just how much more we can do than we think we can do! 

Don't you get it? 

God MADE YOU. 

He doesn't make failures. He makes successes. He makes geniuses. He makes the movers and shakers. He makes us all to succeed! 

Never, EVER give up. Don't you dare. Don't you even look back or be afraid. Don't you EVER listen to those voices in your head that lie to you.!!!!!

You are amazing!!!!!!!

You have infinite potential!!!!! 

Keep your head up!!!!!!!

Don't forget--God loves you! Christ loves you! I love you! 

You--yes, you. Go out and do it! 

Sincerely, 

Doug Knuth

June means?

Dear Readers, 

June means that we're half way through the year. 
June means that we're finishing up Spring, and that Summer is on its way. 
June means that we've had six months to work on our New Year's Resolutions. 
June means that we're looking forward. 
June means that I'm here. 

I have had a couple of down weeks. Why? I've been down in the dumps because I couldn't give up the one thing that I needed to to know my Savior better. I didn't want to give up my past. I didn't want to see the bright future that June holds for me. Do you know why, my dear Reader? I didn't want to because there is evil in the world that doesn't want me to be happy. 

You know what though? I say FIE! FIE ON YOU EVIL! I am going to laugh in evil's face! HAH! 

TAKE THAT! 

I will NOT settle for mediocrity in my life! I WILL NOT! I WILL NEVER! I WILL PERSEVERE! 
There is nothing for me to fear. I KNOW that my God will see me through. I know that I am more than enough to take care of business. 

I will not damn myself! I will be a river, and I will flow on! 

C.S. Lewis had the following to say. It brought me to tears yesterday and it's helped me to gain a little bit of perspective;

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

I will be that palace that God wants me to be! 

I will be amazing! 

I will be awesome! 

I will succeed! 

I will do it! 

I can do it! 

I know that God lives! 

I know that I am a Son of God! 

I know that I am good enough for the things that I want to do with my life! 

Now, my dear reader, apply these things to yourself. 

YOU ARE amazing! 

YOU ARE awesome! 

YOU WILL succeed! 

YOU WILL do it! 

YOU CAN do it! 

YOU KNOW that God lives! 

YOU KNOW that you are a Son/Daughter of God! 

I know that YOU ARE good enough for the things that you want to do with your life! 

Don't let the world get you down. It sucks. 

Remember that you are amazing. 

I will never give up. 

Nothing can stop me but my own weaknesses, and today, those won't get my down. That's a CHOICE I'm making. 

I CHOOSE JOY. 

I CHOOSE a brighter future. 

I CHOOSE June!

I love you all. 

Go forth and make impossible things happen. 

Love, 

Doug Knuth