March Trip - Palo Alto and San Francisco

I'm loving my goal of a trip a month!  It's so nice to have something to look forward to and to take some time to explore and learn.  I haven't been to northern California for almost 7 years, so when an opportunity to visit came up this weekend I was excited to take it - it was the perfect weekend!  :)

I spent Friday afternoon exploring Stanford University - BEAUTIFUL!  It was a PERFECT spring day (especially after leaving some snow in Utah) and there was so much to see.  This is a really neat campus and I loved having a few hours to leisurely explore.

Friday evening I attended a mid-singles fireside that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke at.  It was nice.  Some of the other speakers talked about exuding light, being an enthusiastic example, following the Spirit and being an instrument in God's hands.  Elder Holland talked about how to face hard times - a theme of his recent book For Times of Trouble that I've been reading lately.  In his talk Friday he gave three pieces of advice:

1.  Accept mortality.  Remember that God loves broken things (especially a broken heart and contrite spirit).  Hang on.  Don't flee.  Trust.  Have faith.  Be a disciple.

2.  When you're in the middle of sorrow, be strong and endure.  Don't resist a chance to gain Christlike virtues.  

3.  The sun comes up for everyone.  Remember that God loves us - He does nothing but work day and night for the happiness and safety of His children.  All of His promises will be fulfilled.  Peace, be still.

It was a nice evening and fun to run into and catch up with a few friends from around the country.

Saturday I had the best San Francisco tour guide you could ask for!  Connie and I had a wonderful day exploring the farmer's market at the San Francisco Ferry Building, walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, relaxing and seeing the view from China Beach and the Land's End area, watching the view and the photographers and musicians at the Legion of Honor, watching the sun nearly set at the Sutro Baths (and the Great Highway), having great Korean food at Toyose and then dessert from Bob's Donuts at the top of Twin Peaks.  Pretty great day!  So much fun!

Then Sunday was another beautiful spring day of sunshine and birds chirping and a great church meeting.  There were some wonderful speakers as a final part of the mid-singles conference.  Five different speakers talked about a similar topic from different points of view.  The theme of the conference was "Building Lives to the Lord" and that seemed to be the focus of every talk, in a different way, which I found very helpful!  Don't focus on things that don't matter.  Don't get distracted.  Focus on your goals and the bigger picture.  The gospel is most important.  Submit to God and know your true purpose.  Allow the Lord to shape you.  The Holy Ghost guides us in our mind and our hearts.  Let Him be in charge.  Know who you are.  Have integrity in purpose.  Don't let temporal measures of success let you compromise your true identity.  Trust in the Lord and lean not unto your own understanding.  Seek Him early in decisions.  Don't mix up your priorities and keep the kingdom of God first.

It was a great weekend!  I'm grateful for good friends and the time and opportunity to enjoy such a wonderful place and experiences!