Paddle to make a difference (Laura )

Today my sister, Aimee Maughan and I got our kids on the bus and headed out paddle boarding. Lisa and I had gone a few weeks prior and couldn't have asked for better conditions. It was so calm, relaxing and amazing. I jumped on the kids yellow paddle board and we headed out. It was a bit choppy heading out but we loved it. We went to a certain point and turned around. As we headed back the winds had picked up and we were paddling against the wind and into some pretty hard waved. There were points that we felt we were going backwards more than we were even moving forward. Seemed like we were just staying in one spot and basically going now were at all. At some points I couldn't even look around and enjoy the beauty due to my fear of falling into the freezing cold water.
It finally hit me that I needed to paddle to make a difference. I couldn't be idle or take a paddle and than stand still. I need to keep moving as well as work hard to make a difference with me and the water. It made me think of life and of our challenges of kinds not listening, feeling defeated, huge trials etc...We often feel like this, like we are exerting a lot of effort and getting no where. As we got close to the edges of Willard our journey seemed to go a lot better and smoother. I did feel fatigue and tiredness as we do in our life today and realized we just need to always keep paddling in like to make a difference!

New Year Goals- Laura

Like I have mentioned before each year for New Years I like to pick words to live by for the year. The words I picked for 2014 are DEDICATION, PERSERVERANCE & SELF DISCIPLINE.
Richard Maynes- October 2013 conference talked about how he had to get in physical shape for college basketball. It took him dedication, perseverance, and self discipline get where he wanted to be.  We don't just need this physically. We have to have these three characteristics spiritually as well. We must have spiritual strength and stamina, strength to endure. Let us run with strength the endurance race placed before us with dedication, perseverance and self discipline.