After the Leap

The confirmation comes after the leap

This week marks my two year anniversary of concluding my service as a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I have been thinking about what the mission taught me about leaps--the BIG ones and the little ones--in life.

The mission was a BIG leap for me.  It was never something that I planned or wanted to do.  I decided to be a missionary because I felt the Spirit prompting me to do it.  Describing a prompting of the Spirit is kind of like describing how love feels.  It's hard to describe with anything tangible.  It's simply a feeling inside.

In all honesty, it was scary to pause my life in the U.S. for 18 months based on a feeling.  That's part of the reason why the mission was a big leap. 

I had a sweet experience six months after starting my mission that taught me that the confirmation comes after the leap.  I'll explain what I mean by confirmation, but let me share about the experience first.  My brother wrote me and explained that he had sat next to a man on a public transit bus who happened to work for the missionary department of the LDS church. My brother mentioned that I was on a mission in Peru, as well as our parents.  To my brother's surprise, the man responded that he remember the day when I was assigned my mission call.  He recounted that it had been discussed that my parents already had a call to serve in Peru.  The church leaders who were discussing my call also knew that I already had a visa to come to Peru with my parents.

One of my unspoken concerns that I carried during those first six months of my mission was that I was asked to serve in Peru simply because that was the easiest option with regards to a visa.  What my brother's bus friend explained resolved those concerns.  He shared, "Even though your sister's parents were already going to Peru and she had a visa, that wasn't the reason she wasn't asked to serve in Peru.  The men who assigned her call felt inspired that Heavenly Father wanted her to go to Cuzco, Peru."  

This was a confirmation or an assurance to me that I was in the right place in terms of my physical location.  It was also a confirmation that I was doing the right thing with my life because Heavenly Father had been instrumental in the process of helping me get there. 

So when did this confirmation come?  It came after the leap.  That's how it usually is in life.  Sometimes we take BIG leaps or small ones and the confirmation doesn't come until some time later.  It might even be years later.  That can be frustrating, but it is blessing for us because it gives us the opportunity to show Heavenly Father our faith.

God's Signatures

Yesterday, I went to a meeting at church and I was struck by an idea that one of the speakers shared.  She talked about God leaving His signature.

When an artist finishes one of his works, what does he do?  He signs it.  He leaves his mark to show that it's his creation and it's his work.

I started thinking...Does God leave His signature on all His works?  If we could put on special goggles that helped us see the signatures, would we discover God's signature everywhere?  I think the answer is yes!  We would be amazed!

Just think of a tucan with its colorful beak, a snow-covered mountain contrasted against a blue sky, or a new baby.  That new baby developed from two microscopic cells into a living being with a unique fingerprint, diverse interests, and a one-of-a-kind personality.  I imagine God smiling at those beautiful creations and signing His name.

God's creations are not the only place to look for God's signature.  What about life events?  Couldn't His hand be involved in those situations?  For example, my parents saw each other for the first time when they were 14 years old.  After 4 summers, they were still too shy to talk to each other.  In fact, the reason they finally said "hi" was because they were set-up on a blind date after high school graduation.  I envision God smiling down after my parent's first date and signing His name, knowing how important of an event that was.

God's signature is also part of life's seemingly insignificant events.  This last week I bumped into a friend who is taking the same technology class as me be but at a different time.  I had been struggling with a software problem and had not thought to ask my friend for help.  When I ran into her, it clicked that I should ask her for help and she had all the answers that I needed.  God knew that I needed some extra help and that's just what He gave me, as He signed His name on that event.

I invite you to put on your "goggles" this week to see God's signature.  Where do you see it?  When do you see it?

Hope you have a great week!

Foot-Pops and Fairy Tales

Some time earlier this year, I cried to my mom that I felt like my bubble had been "popped."  I explained that I felt like my naive view of life as a fairy tale had been crushed. 

I was like Mia from Princess Diaries (one of only two movies that I can quote entirely) when she cries to her mom after her first kiss fiasco, "My foot didn't even pop!" (Remember that Mia's fairy tale dream was a "foot-pop and kiss.")  I'd heard it before but my mom's response really struck home at that moment: "You have to make your fairy tale."

How can fairy tales be made?  I don't know all the answers.  I'd love to hear what you have to share.

Something that I believe can help tremendously is laughing.  Sister Hinckley, wife of the 15th president of the LDS church, puts it best.  "The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through.  You either have to laugh or cry.  I prefer to laugh.  Crying gives me a headache."  (I know, it's ironic to discuss laughing after writing about a teary moment.  I don't profess perfection.)

Whenever I need a laugh (and sometimes my roommates catch me laughing to myself which is funny itself), I think of a goofy saying on a cartoon drawing of an old lady that my friend's mom always had hanging in the window of their family's blue astro van:  "When life hands you lemons, stuff them in your bra."  It's funny to me because it's so random, and my friend's mom is a woman with a unique sense of humor.  Maybe you don't think it's funny at all, but what saying or picture makes you laugh?  Can you picture it?

I'll share one more saying that makes my mom and I laugh (instead of cry), especially in the face of intimidating or challenging situations.  Our saying is "It's time for me to put on my big-girl panties!"  I have no idea how we came up with that saying, but it always makes us smile.

Tribute to My Mom

Today is my beautiful mother's birthday.  She is the perfect mom for me.  Oh how I love her!  Every time I reflect, I think of a new list of values and lessons that she has taught me.  Today I want to highlight three lessons that I have been thinking about recently.  My mom has taught me...

To Beautify  
"Your work is to beautify the face of the earth until it shall become as the Garden of Eden (Brigham Young). 

This is one of her favorite quotes, and she lives her life by it.  If her car is in the garage but she's not in the house, it's a given--she's outside gardening.  My mom is not afraid to get her hands dirty and work up a sweat in order to beautify the land around us.  I'm grateful for the love my mother has instilled in me for this earth and its potential to bring forth flowers and fruits.

She's not only taught me to beautify the land.  Something that she's often repeated to me is "It's important to take care of yourself, even after you get married."  That doesn't mean there's no room for unhealthy foods (we love our oatmeal chocolate chip cookies) or that the Blunck women get their make-up on every day.  The point is to accentuate the beauty that God has given His children.

I love coming home because I always know there will be changes to discover.  My mom is always working to beautify our home.  I'm a "home body," and much of it has to do with the feeling that my mom has fostered in our home by decorating it and making it inviting.



To Listen
My dad jokes with my sister and I about our ability to call while my parents were on their mission within 2 or 3 minutes of when they walked through the door after a trip to visit their missionaries.  My response is "well, the odds are pretty good if you call 13 times within an hour."  My sister and I always knew the day and roughly the time when they would be returning, and we couldn't wait to tell Mom everything.  We knew (and we still know) that she cared about all that we had to share.  That assurance came from 20+ years of experience talking to her and recognizing that she'd heard it all.

My mom and I have a little story (that involves a swear word and an apostle's book) behind one of our favorite phrases: "I'm having a human moment."  It's a phrase that I usually say when I'm feeling teary.  What it means is something like I know everything is going to work out.  I know I need to trust God. I'm grateful to know that you'll listen and won't try to give me a list of answers.  I'm grateful that you don't think less of me because I'm having a hard time and I struggle.  Listening opens doors for people to share their human side, their true feelings, and to find strength.  My mom has helped me understand that.



To Grow
Having grown up during the 1970s when women's careers were really starting to be pushed, being a stay-at-home mom was hard for my mom to embrace.  She talks about how challenging it was for her to find fulfillment in that role.  What I take away and value is that she grew.  She didn't reject the idea because it was hard for her.  She worked to love her children and as she did that, she slowly began to recognize that her greatest work was within our family. 

I loved getting my mom's letters while she was on her mission (and I was on my mission) because I could see her growing.  (It's interesting to realize as a child that your parents are still growing :D)  Leaving her home and family for 3 years to go to a third world country where everyone spoke a different language was hard, but she didn't quit.  She worked to learn Spanish, she embraced the Peruvian people, she loved her missionaries, and she studied the scriptures in order to learn more about Christ.  She had "human moments" and sometimes yearned to return home.  What matters is that the attitude that won-out was her willingnes to embrace growth.  One of our family mottos is "We can do hard things."  That motto was coined during my parent's mission and it has everything to do with growth.      




Oh how I love my mother.  May we all look to our mothers and see what lessons they have taught us.  None of them will be perfect women, but there is much good to see in them.

It's Time

After having my mission letters posted on this blog, I decided after my mission not to post anything more.  I didn't want to start blogging but then not be consistent.  I've revisited that decision several times because I love to write and reflect.  My journals are full, and I've written plenty of letters to my future spouse.  For some reason I feel it's time now to start posting a few thoughts.  


I've always been endeared to the people who are "open books."  It's probably because being that way is not one of my strengths.  There are a lot of things that I feel and think about which are still too tender and fresh to write about publicly.  I can't make any promises that I'll always be consistent or I'll always have something amazing to share, but I hope you will enjoy reading my posts from time to time.

Dear Family and Friends,

I recently gave my homecoming talk at church.  I will include it here so you can read it if you desire.

Lynette's Sacrament Meeting Homecoming Talk

May 27, 2012

The Atonement is a principle of power.  It encompasses the power to relieve us from sin and the power "to make good men better" (President David O. McKay Conference Report, Apr. 1954, 26).  In other words, as Elder Bednar explains in the April Ensign ("In the Strength of the Lord" BYU Discourse, Oct. 2001), "The Atonement includes redeeming and enabling powers" (italics added).

Feeling the enabling power of the Atonement was very special to me during my mission.  I testify that I frequently felt a fortifying power.  The interesting thing is that I did not recognize that this power came from the Atonement.  About a month after finishing my mission, I wrote in my journal, "Many times I've felt like my testimony of the Atonement didn't grow as much as I'd hoped it would during the mission.  Tonight I've been reading a talk that Elder Bednar gave at BYU in 2001.  He says, 'I wonder if we mistakenly believe that we must make the journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves through grit, willpower, and discipline, and with our obviously limited capacities...The enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do good and serve beyond our own natural desires and natural capacity.'  I believe that I served beyond my own natural capacity and desire during my mission.  That means that I was experiencing the Atonement in my life.  I just didn't recognize it."

In life we have a journey with two phases.  The first phase is overcoming sin.  We commonly recognize the Atonement's application to this phase.  The second phase in life's journey is to "go from...good to better."  Before and during my mission, I never realized how the Atonement applies to the second phase of life.  I am coming to understand now how the Atonement can empower me to become more than I could ever be by relying solely on myself.

I cannot do it by myself

At my year mark in the mission, I was in a fun area called Puerto Maldonado.  Puerto Maldonado is located in the jungle, and it is very hot there.  Without meaning to, I attempted for a few months to be a shining missionary through sheer grit, discipline, and sweat.  At that time I was the senior companion and my companion and I would work until 9:30pm almost every night.  Sometimes we would walk ourselves to death in the sun and we would skip dinner.  Quite honestly, I would even feel frustrated at times because I thought my companion was not walking fast enough.  In my mind I thought, I can become a better missionary if I just work hard.  I know that I can do that, I can work.  

The question is if my companion and I had a lot of success during that marathon time.  The simple answer is no.  We finished our time together having helped fewer people than we'd hoped and we were exhausted both physically and emotionally.

My experience with my subsequent companion was quite different.  She was outspoken and refused to go along with some of my intense plans.  After stressing about all the work I thought we should do as part of becoming better missionaries, she would simply respond, "Trust God."  My companion repeated this to me over and over again.  I finally realized after some time that I was trying to "make the journey from good to better...through sheer...willpower...and with [my] obviously limited capacities."

With the encouragement of my companion, I began changing my perspective.  I focused on sharing my goals with the Lord.  I began to offer humble prayers with recognition that I needed to Atonement to become the missionary I dreamed of being.

The main message from this experience is simple.  We need to recognize that changing our human nature requires the Atonement.  We cannot do it all by ourselves.  God only expects us to seek perfection through the enabling power of the Atonement.

Applying the Atonement

Once we understand that changing our nature depends on the Atonement, we need to find our way of bringing that enabling power into our lives.

The first step to do that is increasing our faith in Christ.  What kind of faith do I refer to?  Let me share an example from my life to illustrate this point.  One of my lifelong weaknesses is having quality scripture study.  It is a weakness that tries to trip me even after my mission. The faith that I refer to is the faith that believes Christ really cares about this weakness of mine.  He is interested in my progress.  He and my Heavenly Father believe in me that one day this weakness can become one of my biggest strengths. 

After we work to trust that our Savior wants to help us in our righteous desires, we can begin to call the Atonement into our lives daily.  We can do that through better scripture study, prayer, temple attendance, fasting, and other activities.

Alma 34:26 invites us, "But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness."  I have an especially strong testimony that honest prayer can invite the Atonement's enabling power into our lives.  Currently, my daily prayers often include pleading that the Atonement can help me resist the temptation to put off my scripture study.  It really helps.  On the days when I forget to plead for this blessing, I often do not meet my scripture study goals. 

One of my favorite mission experiences relating with prayer and the Atonement comes from my first day in the mission field.  The day I arrived in Cusco, we new missionaries were taken to our mission president's home and, later, to a mission transfer meeting to meet our companions.  Several things became quickly apparent to me during those activities.  First, I saw few North American sisters.  Second, the chapel was freezing, and, third, everyone was speaking Spanish.  During the transfer meeting, we new missionaries sat in the front and looked at the missionaries.  The biggest knot I've ever had formed in my stomach.  I became truly scared.  The only reason I did not cry was because I was in front of everyone.  At that moment, I began to pray.  I prayed that I would be able to feel my Heavenly Father holding my hand.  With great compassion, my Heavenly Father held my hand.  That is the reason why I am here today speaking.  I vividly remember walking off the stand to greet my companion with my mind concentrated on my hand.  My Father's hand was not there literally, but it was tangible enough for me.  Without that, I would not have been able to walk off of the stand.  That experience is evidence for me that the Atonement enables us to do things we cannot do alone.  The tool for me to call for it in that moment was sincere prayer.

Before I continue, I briefly want to recap how we can bring the Atonement's enabling power into our lives.  If we remember, the first step is developing faith in Jesus Christ.  The second step is improving our daily actions that show that we desire that power.

Another key element to receiving strength from the Atonement is exercising patience.  Mosiah chapter 24 contains an excellent example of the Atonement strengthening Alma and his brethren.  Their burdens from Amulon were made light.  Verses 15-16 stand out to me as they say, "Yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.  And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage" (italics added).  I believe that the Lord desires that we be patient while the enabling powers of the Atonement are working in our lives.  The Atonement and patience walk hand in hand.

Isaiah 55:8 can help us to keep our perspective if it feels difficult to be patient.  We learn, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neighter are your ways my ways, saith the Lord."

Blessings of the Atonement's enabling power

The scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, are filled with examples of the blessings people received through the enabling power of the Atonement.  These blessings are still available to us today.  Elder Bednar says that through faith in the atonement and the grace of the Lord, "individuals...receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means."  I testify that these words are true.

In an additional journal entry after my mission, I recorded, "I'm reflecting more and I truly believe that my mission experience was all about learning of the Atonement.  I didn't realize that I was learning about the Atonement because God was teaching me in personal ways.  I didn't learn from books, but I did learn from daily experience that the Atonement has enabling powers.  Only God and the powers of the Atonement could have given me the strength to go on each day when I felt tired.  The enabling power of the Atonement helped me to almost always have a smile on my face.  The enabling power of the Atonement helped me keep going when I got sick.  Those are example of how the Atonement applied in my life...I'm grateful that my lessons on the Atonement were personalized for me by God.  I'm grateful that I could learn about the Atonement through real experiences."

Brothers and sisters, I would like to share with you why I have talked about the Atonement today.  The first chapter of Preach My Gospel explains, "As your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase" (page 2).  If we truly understand the Atonement, we will want to share the gospel with others.  I pray that each of us might let our understanding and appreciation for the Atonement grow within us.  If we let this happen, a desire can form to share the gospel.  Sometimes this desire can be small, that's how it started for me, and I think that is okay.  Alma 32:27 invites us to let this desire work in us, and we are promised that the desire will grow.  We learn in the Doctrine and Covenants that the only requirement to serve God by saving souls is to have a desire to do it. 

I testify that feeling the Atonement in our lives is the key for sparking a desire in us to share the gospel.

Testimony...In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Dearest Family and Friends,

I've officially arrived home.  I am grateful to the Price family for giving me such a great homecoming.  During the weeks following my mission while I was with my parents, my mom and I had the opportunity to return to my mission.  We visited a few of my areas and visited many dear converts, members, and friends.  On my parent's blog, my mom has posted many pictures from the trip.  I invite you to view the pictures at    http://lpblunck.blogspot.com/