Thank You, Yes YOU

Dear Readers,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone in my life. Things are crazy, things are nuts, and at times I am downright crazy. I have hard times, and you're always there for me. It seems that there is always someone that has been put in my life to be exactly who and what I need at the given time. God has it in for me you know--He has it in for me to succeed in my life, no matter how silly I am at times.

That's thanks to you. Thanks to the friends, the family members, the random strangers who smile, the brave, the listeners, the meek, the kind, the loving, the shoulder to cry on, the friend who's always there, the friend that randomly calls, the friend that trusts me enough to know that she can call anytime and just vent, the friends who love me with my past, and love me for my future.

You have made me who I am today.

I have learned how to be patient, kind, loving, honest, open, optimistic from you. You show me daily that there really are things worth fighting for in this turbulent world. You give me purpose. You lift me, and there is so much more. I just want to take a moment, as I said, to tell you that, from the bottom of my heart to the very top--that I love you. That I am grateful for you. That I want to always be there for you. I want you to know that you are amazing. You make my life better.

Thank you for being you,
-Doug Knuth

You are now Under Attack

Dear Readers,

It's July now. There are so many things that I want to write about. First of them is that I want to attack you. 

You're probably a little confused there--and that's okay, I'll explain. I want to attack your weaknesses. I want to attack your insecurities, your worries, your deepest fears--just for a minute. 

I'm officially attacking the following about YOU;

-The idea that you can't do something. 

-The lie that you aren't good enough. 

-The thought that there is something that is holding you back. 

-The very thought of entitlement. 

-The idea that you are a hypocrite. 

-The very wisp of a thought that you don't matter. 

I attack these things because they are lies. They aren't real. These things aren't true about you--and I know it's hard, but STOP BELIEVING THEM ALREADY. 

Our Good God in Heaven didn't create you so that you could doubt yourself. That's damnation. Don't build it! You were meant to be an amazing, coursing river that will bring life to all around it, and that will flow into the great ocean. You have no right to doubt yourself, when the two greatest beings in the universe don't do so. Above that, you have some sort of family that loves you. 

Don't settle. 

Here are some specifics for you. 

-The idea that you can't do something-

    Whoever tells you anything like this should not be listened to. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Humans have done everything from writing books that have endured for centuries to creating spaceships that have gone to the moon. Nothing made them any different than you or I. We are born with gifts, but there isn't anything that stops us from learning something that is hard. 

The solution? DO HARD THINGS. Don't give up. Don't settle for second best. Don't even think about it. Take a stand. Be GREAT. I am sick and tired of people that I love thinking that they can't do something because there isn't enough ______________ in their life. We live in a time of opportunity. We live in a time where we can do ANYTHING. Don't be scared of failure. 

-The lie that you aren't good enough. 

   You ARE. 

-The thought that there is something that is holding you back. 

   The only thing that can really ever hold you back is YOU. 

-The very thought of entitlement. 

   Sickens me. The world doesn't owe you anything. There are amazing people in it that will help you. There are so many opportunities out there, BUT it's your duty to work for them! Good grief, we have so much! 

-The idea that you are a hypocrite. 

   Oh please--stop this one now. YOU ARE NOT A HYPOCRITE. Hypocritical about a small detail of your life--maybe on a bad day. In general? NO. I REPEAT NO--AND FOR A THIRD TIME--YOU ARE NOT A HYPOCRITE. 

-The very wisp of a thought that you don't matter. 

   God created you and if that isn't enough for you to think that you matter then take a moment to think of all of the people out there that LOVE you. Don't take that one lightly. It's a big deal too. 

I want you to really think about this. Why? Because I really wrote this for myself originally. I write it again for you because I know how much better I feel when I attack myself in this sort of way. I will not accept the bad parts of myself as who I will always be. 

I know with a surety that I'm not perfect. Not being perfect is okay though. I deserve happiness in my life, and so do you. I live in the country of opportunity and there isn't anything I can't do. You do too. Wherever you are. 

I can't really put it into words, just how much I believe in you. I have put everything I have into making my life happy, worthwhile, and wholesome, and you know what? It still isn't perfect, but it's mine! I made my life! How amazing is that?!?!?! Can you even comprehend that??? YOU made your life. It is full of fun times, sad times, times where you succeeded and didn't succeed, and all of the other ones in the middle, and NO ONE can ever make that happen again! We have so much we can do! I can do anything I want to, I can learn and grow in the perfect way for myself! You can too, and I hope that you do. 

I love you!!!! 

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!

-Doug Knuth

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

Carry On!

Dear Readers, 

This week! I'm back in Rexburg after a long weekend, and I am ready for what I can do! I'm finding more strength to pass through hard things, and as I find it, I see that it comes from within. As I exercise faith in God and in the promises I have in my life, I find that they are always fulfilled. I can always find a way to make it through the hard times, and not by cheating the rules or doing anything less than I should. 

I find that I'm becoming who I want to be, one day at a time. I can't be perfect at everything all at once forever, but I can be better than I was yesterday. I can be more than I was a week ago, a month ago, a year ago. I can be the man I want to be, the father I hope to become, the husband I want for my wife, just by doing my very best--and nothing less! 

I will be that man! I can do it! I know that we can all be the person that we want to be by doing little things each day. In a talk I read this week, Richard G. Scott said, "...little things lead to big things..." I have a testimony of that in my life. Doing little things one day at a time is really how we make it in the end, and I am so very grateful for all of the blessings I have for what I do! Calling a friend I haven't talked to in a while, helping out somewhere, or in general just serving anyone I can brings me closer to the Savior! Doing my homework brings me closer to being the provider for my family. 

I am learning each day how to be less selfish. It isn't easy, and requires that I look frankly at who I am, what I am doing, and what I need to change, but I can see that it's working. I can see that, albeit I am flawed, my flaws can diminish a little bit as I work to be better! It's such a good feeling! 

We can all carry on. We can all find that part of ourselves to better. I know it, and I know it about you! You have a great work to do, wherever you are. You have people to save. You have a family to raise. You have friends that need you, and that you need! You can't give up on yourself if you really think about how important each of us is in the grand scheme of things. Sure one person could somehow not make a difference, but if more than one person thinks that way, we're done for! We have to be the strong link sometimes, and sometimes we hold on to the other ones. Never let go though! 

 

I know that you'll do great things, and I plan on being there with you to do them too! 

Happy May everyone! I hope that June brings forth as many blessings as blossoms for you! 

Sincerely, 

Doug Knuth