A Blissful Anniversary!

Today is a very special day. It is the one year anniversary of my first blog post. As I looked over my 47 posts from this past year, some were short, some were long, some were very long, and some were even longer than that. 

Some tell many personal stories from my life. Some contain my fervent testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some are funny, some are serious, but all have me in them. 

Not every post had a lot of readers, but all of them came from my heart, and all are special to me. 

I had liked the idea of starting a blog for a long time, but never had the real gumption to take that step. Then there was one day when I had all these ideas and messages flow into me that I knew I had to share. They were about the trials of parenthood, but how they really made you a better person. 

I knew that I needed to start my blog then. I thought for a long time about a name. I prayed for guidance. The words to the LDS hymn "Love at Home" came to my mind. One phrase in the song is "making life a bliss complete when there's love at home."

That was it. That was my title, and that was my purpose. To describe my blog, I chose this phrase: My heartfelt thoughts and feelings about home, family, love, faith, and personal growth.

I have remained true to this description.

I realize that because my purpose is to help myself and others see that God is there, He loves us, and that He has given us this wonderful life on earth to learn, grow and become more like Him, I may not get the most readers. Though I know that we all can benefit from knowing that life really can be a bliss complete when we are kind, compassionate, forgiving and humble, not everyone wants to read about that. 

I won't lie to you, it hurts when I put my heart and soul into a post, and I get maybe a handful of likes, one share, and a couple comments. I want to uplift and help people, and hearing from my readers helps me know I am accomplishing that goal.

When my readers share my posts, I can reach more people. This may sound prideful, and maybe it is if I focus on what people think of me, or how I compare to others. However, I truly feel from the bottom of my heart that Heavenly Father wants me to be His witness and a witness of His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, through my writings. The Holy Ghost has put words into my mind and through my fingertips so many times.

I believe I was given my writing talent to share the gospel of Christ, to help others learn from my mistakes, and even to help preserve my family history. 

No matter how discouraged I may get about not having much feedback on my posts, I have never felt that I should stop writing. I will write as long as I feel called to do so. Thank you to those of you who do express your appreciation for my words. It means the world to me. There is nothing kinder you could do for me than that. 

In honor of my first year of blogging, I have come up with some superlatives. I hope you enjoy them, and take some time to read some of these posts if you haven't already. 

The Inspiration to Begin

Parenthood: Change for the harder but truly for the better

This posts contains the messages that inspired me to begin my blog. It was my second blog post because it took me so long to write and perfect. 

The First 

Sabbath Day Light: Forgiveness

There was a message at church that Sunday that helped me lift a heavy burden from my life. That was when I decided to start my Sunday series: Sabbath Day Light. These posts meant so much to me spiritually, but as a new blogger, I decided to stop doing them because of the lack of interest. My testimony remains, however, that attending church truly does nourish your soul and enlighten your mind.

The Most Popular

The Monster and the Miracle

This post has had the highest number of reads, and probably the most comments. I agonized over the title, and based on the number of reads, I think it was a winner. If you haven't read it, this is a story about my husband and a parasite that had grown for 10 years in his body, threatening his life and claiming the vast majority of his liver. 

The Least Popular

Sabbath Day Light: A Promise to Receive Answers

Why would I add this one, you ask? Well, because I still think it was a very uplifting post, and is very relevant to the first weekend in April, just a little over a week away. Check it out!

The Longest

To Cleave or Not to Cleave? There is No Question!

I have many long posts, but there are only a few in the very long category. This one is my longest, with 15 pages, 4575 words, 19,854 characters without spaces, and 24, 312 characters with spaces.

That post took me countless afternoons to write. I am really proud of it, though, and I really think that couples who study and contemplate these gospel-centered suggestions on how to cleave to each other, will find a benefit to their marriages. I know that because as I researched and wrote it, I found ways to strengthen my marriage. 

The Most Researched

You Aren’t Weird but Your Beliefs Are Part 2: Why Are There So Many Churches?

I spent so many hours researching the beliefs, practices and doctrines of the different Christian churches. It was really interesting, and helped me illustrate why I believe there must be absolute Truth.

The Cutest

Meet Charlotte

There are a lot of pictures of a puppy with cute kids...need I say more?

The Most Fun

Sabbath Day Light: A Perfectly Imperfect Father’s Day

I had a lot of fun writing this one. Last Father's Day was so different than what we are normally used to, but we made it special and fun anyway. We will never forget it. 

The Most Tear-Inducing

Reminiscing about a Miracle

I actually wrote the birth story of my beloved Kamren before I started blogging, so on his first birthday, I posted that story on my blog. The story surrounding my youngest son's birth is truly a miracle, and may make you cry - in a good way.

The Most Influential

Are Mormons Christians: A Question that can only be answered by a Mormon

I put this one as the most influential because I originally published this on a fellow neighbor's blog. It sparked many questions about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I was able to answer. I have also found many opportunities to share this blog post with others of and not of my faith, and have received feedback that it helped their perspectives, or that they would like to share it with more people who they think could learn from it. 

The Most Eye-Opening

Let’s do what we can

Doing a little service for the less fortunate opened my eyes to how fortunate I really am, and I need to stop complaining.

The Most Picturesque

My Favorite Love Story

This post, that I recently wrote to honor my husband's and my 5th wedding anniversary, has a whopping 64 pictures. They are some good ones, too! 

The Most Helpful for Kids

What I told my son when he asked me about bullying

This post was inspired from a conversation I had with my son about bullying. I know that the Spirit guided me to say what I said to him, and I wanted to share it so other parents could help their children too. 

The Most Uncomfortably Personal

Don’t try to be hot. Try to be you.

I put a lot of personal things in this quote about modesty (in dress, speech and behavior), that apparently made at least one friend of mine and my husband uncomfortable. I put those things in to help other women see that they, and I, are better than I used to portray myself.

The Most Scriptural

100 Things the Book of Mormon Has Taught Me

I really did post 100 things I have learned from this wonderful book, which is another testament of Jesus Christ. Looking at the 100 messages, it is clear that it is a work of God, and a complement to the Bible. 

The Most Political

Hate Won’t Make us Great

I wrote this post right after election day last year, when I saw an alarming lack of civility. I tried to bring the point home that our country needs more love, tolerance, and support for its leaders and its citizens.

The Most Crucial

Pornography: I say it. I talk about it. You should too.

There is a very sad story in this blog post, one that illustrates the poison that pornography is to individuals, spouses, and families. But there is hope, should one take hold of it!

The One That Means the Most to Me

You Aren’t Weird but Your Beliefs Are Part 3: How I Know Joseph Smith Was a Prophet

It is hard to pick a favorite out of 47 posts, but I knew without looking it would be one of my four posts from this series. The series in total I felt very strongly I needed to write. This one means the most to me because my most heartfelt testimony flows through it. The Spirit touched my heart so much as I wrote, that tears streamed down my face. There is nothing more valuable to me than my testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel. 

The Last

Lose. Seek. Find.

I knew I wanted to write one more post before my 1-year anniversary of this blog. I had started one, knowing it had great stuff in it, but my fingers couldn't bring it together like I wanted. I prayed for guidance for what to write, and this new post flowed through me without any hesitation. It hasn't had many reads, but please read it. I know it is supposed to help someone. 

There are so many more posts that I love because they are about my family or spiritual lessons I have learned in my life. 

I am grateful for my Heavenly Father for giving me a gift with writing. I hope I can always be worthy of that gift. 

Faith is the key

As someone who has many friends and family members who have questioned their faith, whether it be in their specific religion, or God Himself, this subject of losing faith has been consistently in my mind. 

I am someone who loves to help. Anyone who knows me knows that I constantly am looking for ways to serve. I feel one of the most important ways to serve is by helping others in spiritual matters.

If you are one who has lost his/her faith, let me try to help you.

Let's start with a simple physical analogy. When you lose a key, or your phone, or your kid's favorite teddy bear, what do you do? 

1. You realize you have lost it and slightly panic.
2. You look around the immediate area.
3. If you don't see it there, you retrace your steps.
4. If you still can't find it, you ask other people who may have seen it to help you find it.
5. You look for as long as it takes because that item is essential to you. 
6. If you don't find it after all that, you may feel defeated and sad. Then, and only then, do you even consider replacing what it was you lost. 

Guess what? These same steps can be used for when you lose your testimony of one or all aspects of your faith. 

First, you will realize that something is missing. You don't feel that fire like you used to. You find you have doubts, a lot of them. You wonder if you ever really knew God was real, or that Jesus is your Savior, or if certain books of scripture are true. 



There are many options you can choose as you realize you have lost your faith, but the best option, the only option that will lead you to your end goal of finding your faith, is to reflect on your life. Reflect on the blessings you have, on the goodness you see because of the faith you have lived by. 

If you can't see that because you have been slowly detaching for a long time, you should retrace your steps, meaning look back upon your past. Think of special times that you exhibited faith, made a commitment to God, felt the Holy Spirit, felt a prayer answered. Perhaps you will want to write those things down.

I have spoken to people who question if those special spiritual experiences of the past were a hoax. It saddens me to hear that. I think that we each have a conscience, we each have an inherent goodness, and we each have the light of Christ within us. If we felt peace and joy in those moments, it wasn't a lie.




Perhaps, though, you really struggle believing that what you once felt was really right. That is when you can talk to others. You can talk to friends and family who do have their faith, and who can testify to you. Most importantly, you can and should commune with your Heavenly Father. Pour out your heart to Him earnestly, sincerely, and humbly. Ask for His guidance, for His love, for His spirit to rest upon you and envelop you. Ask Him to help you remember, and to confirm to you the truth you once knew.



You may lose heart if you try these things and nothing helps you find your faith. Be patient. Keep searching. Read your scriptures, continue to pray, fast, talk to those who help lead you back to your faith rather than push you away from it, for running away from what you lost will not help you find it. In fact, it most certainly guarantees you never will.

I have had enough experience in my life with prayer, scripture study, and soul-searching to testify to you that this method will work if you are willing to hear God's answer. If you already have your mind made up, you will never be able to hear His voice.



I believe that in most cases, number 6, replacing your lost faith with something else, will not be a necessity as long as steps 1-5 are taken very seriously and sacredly. However, if you have done all of the other steps with full purpose of heart, and you still don't find your faith, perhaps God is telling you there is more out there for you. Just remember that it is in God you must trust if you wish to find and nourish your faith once more.



I am there for anyone who ever wishes to have conversations with me about faith. I want to help, and by so doing, I know my faith will also grow. 

Much love to all of you who are confused and unable to find your way. There is hope, and you can get the answers you seek. 

My Favorite Love Story

Today is Jad's and my fifth wedding anniversary. I am so grateful to call him mine. When we were newlyweds, I wrote about our courtship. I think our story is grand. Here it is:

Jad and Mandy met at a YSA dance in Apex, NC on April 3, 2009. Mandy had a boyfriend at the time, but liked to go to the dances to have fun with friends and well, dance.  Jad didn’t really like going to dances, but his friends had gotten him to go a couple times before. He saw Mandy and was amazed at how beautiful she was. Her dancing also caught his attention and he knew he wanted to ask her to dance. They danced once that night. It was hard for Mandy to understand all that he said because it was loud and because he had a strong accent, but she did think he was cute and sweet. Jad asked Mandy for her phone number that night, but she said she couldn’t give it. They ended the night saying that they would hopefully see each other at the next dance.

A picture of Casey and me around the time Jad and I met.

May 1 was the next dance. Mandy had broken up with her boyfriend soon after the previous dance. She saw Jad as she was dancing that night, but he didn’t approach her for quite a while. He was pleasantly surprised when she remembered his name. This time Mandy paid more attention to Jad, noticing how good he smelled and how good-looking he was. They danced a lot that night; Jad asked her to dance as often as he could. He also pulled her out in the hallway to talk to her in the quiet and learn more about her. Mandy noticed that he liked to stare at her. They had a wonderful time together that night, and the night ended with them exchanging phone numbers.

A few short days later, Jad and Mandy talked on the phone for the first time. He surprised her when he opened up quickly and told her he was divorced. She had been afraid to tell him about her divorce and child, but it was so easy to tell him. He didn’t judge her at all but told her that she was a wonderful person and shouldn’t be judged on her past. It was a good conversation. Mandy and Jad were eager to go out on their first date.

Mandy took off work May 26 to meet Jad in Raleigh. It was a very exciting and fun day. They went to the Science Museum in Raleigh to see the Chocolate Exhibition. It was invigorating learning all about the history of chocolate, and the items in the gift shop were exciting and unique. Mandy got chocolate bubble bath and Jad got chocolate soap. They ate Chargrill for lunch and then went to the rose garden behind Raleigh Little Theater. 

Jad took lots of pictures of Mandy with the flowers.

                   

He thought she was beautiful.

  Mandy was flattered but embarrassed.

She took a picture of him to make it even.

The garden was fragrant and lovely, and helped both of them see how they liked each other.

Then they went to the movies to see Star Trek. The mall was next. They looked at everything from furniture to legos. Then they ate at the Cheesecake Factory. Jad got Mandy to eat some of his dinner. This was the first time they shared a fork. Jad asked Mandy to hold his hand that night, and she did even though she wasn’t ready. The whole day was wonderful and both knew that the other was great. The night ended with a hug and a smile.

Mandy and Jad continued to talk on the phone periodically. Jad got busy during the summer working double shifts, so they did not see each other at all in the summer. During that time Mandy got back together with her previous boyfriend when he came home on leave. She felt really bad when Jad emailed her about seeing her at a dance, as if he wanted to pick up where they had left off. She knew she had lost out on a great opportunity when he responded to her explanation with grace and said how he would never regret knowing her or spending time with her.  Mandy’s relationship didn’t last. She ended up telling Jad and they wanted to see each other again.

September 5 was the next time they saw each other. That was the evening Jad met Casey. He was wonderful with Casey and Mandy loved the time they spent together. She learned a lot about his country’s food that day too. She kissed him on the cheek that night after feeling overwhelmed with how wonderful he was.

The courtship continued for five months. Mandy and Jad spent nearly every weekend together. They took turns traveling to either Kinston or Hillsborough.

Mandy knew she loved Jad October 23, the day they went to the state fair together.  That day she, Jad and Casey had such a fun time and felt like a family.  Mandy could see herself being with Jad always, but it took him a little longer to know.

Mandy and Jad got to know each other’s families and spent a lot of time eating and doing fun activities together like going to see Phantom,

visiting Battleship, NC and Wilmington,

celebrating Christmas together, 

I got custom wind chimes made for Jad. The bottom said Just like music, you soothe my soul. I love you, Jad.

Jad got Casey a soccer ball.

I giggled that he put From the Kitchen of Mandy and Jad. It must come true now!

Jad drew this picture for me.

I thought Jad's interaction with my Nana was so adorable. If she liked him, it was even more confirmation he was wonderful.

 going to a formal New Year’s dance,

 bowling,

 and ice skating. 

They had little rough patches along the way, but never doubted how much they cared about each other.

After New Year’s, Mandy and Jad knew they wanted to be married and talked about it often. He even indicated that he had looked at rings. Mandy hoped every weekend that he would ask her to marry him, but for weeks he didn’t. She got a little upset that he was taking so long since they knew they wanted to be together, but he always smiled his beautiful smile and told her to be patient.

February 6 was the day. It was freezing cold and snowing. Mandy had suggested going to Duke Gardens as they were planning what to do that day. They almost didn’t go because of the snow, but still went after a strong suggestion from Mandy’s mom. They both took their cameras in to take pictures of the scenery and each other.

 It was freezing, but kind of romantic. Mandy didn’t know this, but as they were walking, Jad was trying to find the perfect spot to propose. They had stood under a lovely gazebo earlier, and Jad led her back up there to take a different route later on. 

Outside of the gazebo was a quote from Francis Bacon: God almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.  After reading it, Jad pulled three red roses from his jacket. The roses, all varying in the amount of bloom, represented the past, present and future or their relationship. Jad said some poetic words about him and Mandy and how much he loved her. At that moment, a huge crowd of people walked by. It was very embarrassing, so Mandy and Jad walked into the gazebo as they were passing by. Then Jad continued. He talked about how their relationship started out in a garden and implied that they were going to take their next major steps in a garden as well. He said many beautiful things, but did not get to the point quickly. It embarrassed Mandy and she shyly nodded and smiled, adding little interjections. He did not get on his knee when he made it known that he wanted to marry Mandy, but she was very willing. Then, he said that he also had something for her in his pocket that he’d had for about a month now. Jad took it out of his pocket, and got down on his knee to present it to Mandy. She wanted to take the ring out, but he put it on her. It was beautiful and Mandy was overwhelmed with happiness. She started to tear up and realized the wait was worth it.

Our first picture together as an engaged couple.

Mandy and Jad started their married life together March 6, 2010 and were married by President Milton under the same gazebo where Jad had proposed exactly a month earlier.

Though getting married at that time and that place was unexpected, Mandy and Jad were still so happy to be married and start their lives together. 

            It was a perfect day to become the Al-Bjaly family.

                             

 

Our little Al-Bjaly family has grown by two in the last five years, with the births of Rigel and Kamren. We have also been sealed in the temple for all eternity, put Jad through life-threatening surgery, bought our first house, seen Jad become a citizen of our great nation, gotten a dog, started a blog, put Jad in school onto a new career path, and mourned the loss of family members, including his grandmother and my aunt. 

I am amazed that we have gone through so many trials, tests of faith, and triumphs. I love my husband and my family with all my heart, and look forward to the next five, and fifty years.