Dont Give Up!

This is a awesome story I have always liked. I first heard it my sophomore year in high school. We were on our way to our final 4 game, for state playoffs in Basketball. My coach told everyone to sit down on the bus and to lesson to this. It was from a former coach for the NBA. He was a motivation speaker also. He compared this story to our life in sports and how we shouldn't get down on our self's when we mess up. How we need to let that play go and go get the next one. It really hit me and its all ways stuck with me. Not only for sports but also for my life.

Here's the story......

 One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. they all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then,to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

   Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

The Lord Loves us and wants us to be happy. We are here to learn and grow. Sometimes that can be hard. So hard that we fall, and need help up. That is why Christ loves us so much, he gave his life for us. He gave us his example as well. Christ was tempted just like we are. but he never gave in. He knows how to over come it all. That is why he's able to help us so much. He knows just what were going through.

I know I have had things in my life, when I stop and think, why is this so hard, why is this happening to me. But there is always light at the end of the hole. We just cant let those bad things happening to us, get to us. Or even at times the people around us. Just take everything with a smile and a open heart, and shake it off.

The Father in my Life

Fathers Day is a fun day. You get to tell your dad how much you love him and try to make some brownie points up with him. But really how wonderful are fathers are. How wonderful our parents are. But my story is of my Father. He is a big part of my life. I wouldn't be where and who i am today with out him. My dad Gary Mortenson grew up in Elfrida. In fact on the same road and the same ranch I grew up on. He had 4 older brothers. He was the young's, his older brother then him being 7 years older. So when they all left home and got on with there life's, he was still in Grade school. My grandpa had a heart attack when my dad graduated from High school. So he went to college close to home, and was there to help his mom around the place, because his dad wasn't able to work anymore. His dad past away when he was in his early 20's. His Mom a few years later died from a car wreck. So he was left to keep things going. He worked for a couple of different places. One being a big farm and ranch where he got to do what he loved, drive tractors and work with cows. He then decide to go on his own and ranch. So that what he was doing when he meet my mom and got married at the age of 32. My dad loved roping but he gave it up to have a family. He knew it was to much money to go play and have fun. So he just work and made sure we were take care of. My mom had to daughters when they got married and he adopted them, and loved them as if they were his. I was born in 1989 then my little sister was born in 1991.

  Life was going good. We were ranching and making things work. But then when the cattle market started to go bad in the early 90's my mom took on a job working at a post office. So over the years we starterd to fall away from going to church. My mom had to work alot of Sundays, so we just stoped going over time. Things got really tough. I started to see my family fall apart. My older sister left home when she was 16 to go live with her real dad, then my oldest sister graduted that year. My mom had alot of stress on her and then, asked my dad for a devorce.

  That when things really change. A awesome family that we once was. We did everything together. then with a little time, and falling away from the church. the very thing we need to hold us together, was taken out of our life's. It was just my dad, sister and me. I was in the 6th grade and my sister was in the 4th grade. We didnt really know what to do. It all just happened so fast. I still love my mom, and she has changed alot since then and we have a close relationship again, from over the years. But at that time in my life, my dad step up to the plate, and was bating 400. He did everything for us. He became Dad and Mom. We all had to pitch in and do our parts. Helping around the house and still trying to run a ranch. But that is when I became so close to my dad. We were always close growing up. Me being the only boy of 4 kids. We did everything together. Then after that it became even more so. When I would be having bad day he would come over and put his arm around me and ask me if everything is OK. He was always supportive of me in my choses I had to make going through school. Always being there to give me a little advice along the way. He was always at my games watching me and cheering me on. He got us back into the church, even though it was a tough, hard first step for him. But the thing I loved most about him, is he taought me how to work. I loved working with my dad. It was always the two of us. We were a team. We would go move 100 head of cows by ourselfs, or have to go out a short some apart to ship. We could do it. We just knew what had to be done, and how we needed to do it. My dad has awesome horse menship skills and taught me alot. We did everything on horse back. That was the only way we worked. with the both of us on horses, we didnt need other peoples help. I love those long saturdays, that seemed so long and hot. Sometimes having a game the day before and not getting back home until 2 in the morning, so Im was tired and didnt want to be there. But now I look back and I loved it. Just being with my dad, and work side by side.

My dad always knew what was best even when I thought he didn't know what the heck he was talking about. He loved me and he showed me through his words and actions. He never went a day when I left the house with out saying, hope you have a good day, I Love you. That was always so cool. But he always told me when I was going to a game or going anywhere I would be gone for awhile, was "Always Remember Who You Are." That as always stuck with me. I am so grateful for my dad. He lived the gospel and had a testimony of it. He started my testimony, and now I know that this is the only true church on earth. With out it, we can not be happy.  We need it in our life's and in our families life's. I know now that I will always try to be who my dad was to me, a Hero. I want to live the gospel and show my love to my family like him. Thanks dad.

Our Life and Talents

 We all have special gifts, talents, and abilities given to us by our Heavenly Father. When we were born, we brought these gifts, talents, and abilities with us.We have a responsibility to develop the talents we have been given. Sometimes we think we do not have many talents or that other people have been blessed with more abilities than we possess. Sometimes we do not use our talents because we are afraid that we might fail or be criticized by others. We should not hide our talents. We should use them. Then others can see our good works and glorify our Heavenly Father (see Matthew 5:16).
 We all have a purpose here in life. Some people are still wondering what were here for, but I know that there is a God and he loves us and he wants us to be happy. He has given us each our on talents in life. Everyone is different so our talents are different. I love music, but I cant care a note to save my life. So I guess I'll just keep on listening to it. But some people can sign beautifully, others can pick up any sport they want and make it look like they have been playing it from the day they were born. I love sports myself, I love competition, and to try new things. That part of our talents, is we have to find what it is sometimes. If we don't try new things how do we know what we are good at and what were not good at. When we do find something we love doing or that were good at, we have to keep working on it so we can become better.
  One of my greats loves is for animals. There are people who can make a Dog fly if they wanted to. I cant and I'm not the best at training animals, but I love doing it. To take a 2 year old colt, and over time be able to do anything on him that you ask of him. Is the coolest feeling ever. It like seeing kids grow and learning new things. You see how happy they are. Your proud of them for what they just accomplished. Well its the same for all of us. WE all have to learn in Life. One of the reason were here is to learn.

   God gives us talents to help us become better. We have something we can then try to succeed at. But with our talents we can bless the life's of others we come in contact with.The Lord is pleased when we use our talents wisely. He will bless us if we use our talents to benefit other people and to build up His kingdom here on earth. Some of the blessings we gain are joy and love from serving our brothers and sisters here on earth. We also learn self-control. All these things are necessary if we are going to be worthy to live with our Heavenly Father again.
  I love this video of Stacy Westfall. This video has been one of my favorites from the day I saw it. But look at what a wonderful talent she has. Not very many people can do that. But look at what a amazing dad she had. To teach her what she know. It really hits me at the beginning when she dedicates it to her father. Look at how many people she has inspired by what she does. It makes me feel like I can work hard like she has and make my talents become better, and use them to help other. I'm grateful to know these things, and I hope these can help you  like it does me.
Elder Owen Mortenson

What the Lord has given us!

In Mosiah 2:20-24, it tells us that God has created us and has granted us the life and time to live here. I Love how it tells us that he has lend us the breath, that we may live and move according to our own will. I Love the thought that God know us all and he wants us to be happy. He has given us this time on earth to learn and grow. Then in verse 22 it tells us what he wants us to do. He says all he requires of us is to keep his commandments. How hard is that. He even promises us that we will prosper in the land. In our everyday doings. This is a great passage in The Book of Mormon. I would highly recamend going and reading this and see what it means to you. For me I know if I always remember the lord and turn to him for the help that I need in my everyday doing, then he will proved away.