My Father

I want to say Happy Father Day to my Dad. When I lost my dad at the age 16 1/2 yrs old. My mom was diagnosed with cancer. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know how I could move on with my life and I was at a steady position. I just wanted to give up on life. But what has helped me to keep going? Its when I automatically started remembering the good times I had with him. The road trips we took in his 1972 Ford Pickup Truck from Utah to Montrose, Colorado we had a good time because my dad and I we talked about anything and I knew I could tell him how I feel about life and he helped me how to figure out how I can adapt to life and whatever challenges that come in my way. I sometimes go fishing with my othere brother who is also disabled a little. My dad was a great example and I want to try to be like him in some things. My dad was always friendly to everyone and he tried to spend time with his children and othere of our family members. Even though I dont have a dad here physically who I can spend time with or be around. I know that the good times we had I can always have them in my mind. I love him alot and I miss him but I know that I can see him after this life because we are sealed as a family through the Temple. I am greatful to have a dad and I hope I can be a good example for my future kids and family when I get married after my two year Mission. I want to follow his footsteps.

Moments That Matter Most

Do we take time to think of the good times we have? Do we take time to enjoy those moments that come into our life? Like do we look around us and see how the Earth is amazing, how the ground take shaped or the rivers. President Gordon B. Hinckley said “It is not so much major events but as the small day to day decisions that map the course of our living” What does that mean? It means whatever choices we make reflects us in how handle situation whatever it is good times or bad. I also know that when we take time to be with our family members and remember the good times we had, we can always cherish it in our memories and reflect what joy and experiences you had. Always try to stay contact with your family because its truly important.

Here is a pic of me and some of my family members

Thankful

What are we Thankful for?  How can we be Thankful? Everyday throughout are life we go through so many events, we go through trials, disappointments, discouragements, and many otheres. It may feel like wat we go through is tremendously overwhelming and that it may sometimes feel its so easy to just give up on life or just quit trying to keep going. But unstead of saying those things or having negative feeling look and find the oppisite meanning and be Thankful for the trials and challenges that come into to oure life because when trials an dchallenges get in our way we can figure it out how to overcome trials and by overcoming them we will be a whole lot stronger.

Learn to see hardship as a chance to develop character. Imagine yourself looking back ten years from now and recounting your difficult circumstances and being proud of how you handled it and worked through it youll be amazed of how you were able to overcome your difficult times. Recognize what you do have-wether you like it or not, it’s yours to keep or to change. Accepting life is not about to unhappiness. It is not about wasting time in wishing you had something that you don't have. Consider the thought that many less fortunate people will want some of the basic things that you have. By being thankful for what you have is important and to remember them not bragging but willing to share others how it has helped you. Remember to always say to Heavenly Father (God) that you are thankful for the belessings he has pourn down upon you and you can always turn to him in prayer when things get difficult.

Patience

Patience what does it mean to have patience? Patience is very important to have to this day. It is hard to have patience in our every day of our lives cause maybe we want to buy a new, car, TV, house, iPods, etc but we just can’t right away it requires of us to have patience and take care of ourselves first by paying the needs we need instead buying what we want . By taking care of our needs first then we can set aside a little cash and save up a little at a time then when we have enough then we can spend what we want. Some of us might already have plenty of patience and it’s no big deal or some of us don’t have any patience at all and it’s difficult to wait for something. But if we are patience and just be respectful and help each other’s by act of kindness we will feel like we did our best to be friendly to others. I know it is probably hard to have patience cause were not use to it or have learned about it. Patience is a big part of our day to day lives and by applying it to our lives we have more self control and can wait for the items we want, and fun activities that seem far away. When I was a young boy I really needed to apply patience in my life cause of the many surgeries I had because it requires to get better and when I finally chose to let patience be part of my life I took the time to spend time with my family and my pets. Every time I had surgeries I just needed to have patience because I know that the healing process takes time and after I was healed from surgeries then I could enjoy playing soccer or basketball or other fun activities. But if I didn’t apply patience in my time of surgeries I wouldn’t heal faster and the healing process would take a lot longer. If we apply patience in our lives we will be able to do things we love to do and we should always be positive when we need to use patience.

Overcome trials and Challenges

Do we know what’s in the feature for all of us? I know I don't know what the future is for me. When I was the age between 7-14 years of age I had a lot of things happened. I was born without a fibula bone in my left leg. I had clubbed feet. I was also born without any hands so I had to figure out how to adapt to life. It was not easy to know what to do or figure things out. I had a lot of surgeries (from Shriner’s Hospital) throughout my childhood and I am so grateful for the time that hospital took their time to help me to figure out how to use prosthetics and feeding myself and cook meals with my mechanical arms. I had parents who took time to help me grow and teach me how to take care of myself ad taught me how I can get through things without giving up and it was not easy but without learning these basics principles I don’t know where I would be right now. My father died of a heart attack when I was 15 years old about 5 years ago my family and I had a hard time to lose somebody that was very important in my life who I was able to talked to about my life and learn from him in how to build machinery equipments and how to not give up on life. My dad was a great example to me, my family, and everybody around home he respected everyone and was a great dad I always looked up too. I miss him a lot and being on a two year Mission from “The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints” It sometimes difficult to not have a dad around and to talk to him physically. But I know that the choices that I have made or still making and I’m striving to be like what my dad did and be patience and to never give up I will be able to keep fighting in what’s going to happen in the future.

                                                   My Dad (Darin Dean Pratt)
                                                    I was 14 years old

I encourage all those that are thinking about quitting in life and to not move on to NOT think that because I know in fact that God does love you and he truly cares about you and he knows everything your feeling and wants to help you if we just ask him in prayer and I guarantee you he will answer your prayer one way or the other. Here is an example when I prayed to my Heavenly Father (God) the day that my dad died “why did my dad leave us behind? we need him” that prayer I said the answer didn’t come right away and about 3 years later the answered came in another way and I realized that answers don’t always come by prayer but in what we do in our daily life and how we over come trials and difficulties. So for those that think they should give up on life. I urge you to not give up and to “Stand back up and press forward” and letting God be in our day to day life and to figure out ways to overcome challenges. Because if you do so you will feel a great peace in your life and things will get better I know they will always have a good attitude.

Honesty

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Being Honest is a big a big deal and we all have agency to choose if we want to be Honest in our every right choice we make. By having Honesty people will start to trust you but breaking that trust can drag you down so much its unbelievable. When I was about 14 years old I made a choice that was opposite in what my parents expected of me and I remember the words when both my parents told me, (we trusted you and you were always Honest with us, but now with the choice you made you broke our trust). That really devastated me to hear that and I promised my parents that I will strive to do better and never break my honesty and trust. Some years later I did my best to let my parents trust me again. It was not an easy task. But I did learn allot from the mistakes I made and I now know trust is something that is very important and that we should cherish it. Trust wontr be given to you automatically, its something you earn.