Packets of Light

I gave my bedroom a little twist so I could have my antique desk right by the window. I love it. It feels so great to study and ponder by a window during the day. Very inspiring. Also, during the night I can see the moon and the stars. 

"Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high." - Richard G. Scott

I Love the Temple

The more I understand the temple, the better the experience I have. I can really say I love the temple.

I don't understand all the things but I believe everything. As I keep searching for the answers to my questions, I will receive them little by little.

The temple truly is the house of the Lord. I have felt a stronger connection with God inside the temple. That's why temples have been so important ever since the ancient times.

5 Important Things I Could Learn From Serving a Mission

As the pages of the calendar keep turning away... I cannot stop treasuring the things I could learn from serving a mission. I am so glad I decided to go. Some people may not need to go on a mission to learn what I learned but a mission truly teaches/reminds you great things.

1. I learned to love God. I didn't know before how to show Heavenly Father my love besides keeping the commandments. I learned to love God by forgetting myself.
2. I learned to love those who hurt me. It's easy to love people who do good to you but it requires a lot of humility to love those who hurt you.
3. My commitment is with the Lord, not with world.
4. I must trust Him and I should not doubt.
5. I learned to be more like Christ. I wanna love, serve and care like he did. When I acted like Him, I felt so close to Him. I felt that I got to know Him better.

What Does It Feel Like to Die?

"Do you fear death?," asked Davy Jones.

Well... Dying can be easy and hard. I had mixed feelings but mostly I just couldn't believe it was over. Don't get scared, I'm not writing from the dust. I just died as a missionary. Or better said, I died as a "full-time missionary."

I'm amazed... I'm amazed of how fast time went by. I can't believe my days as a missionary are over. I feel like it was just like one of those dreams you have at night. You wake up and... Everything was just a dream. I miss the mission so much. I miss talking with new people. I miss sharing the love and showing some love. When you die you miss everything, specially the things you used to do with your companions.

Also, when you die you feel you know what to do after but you don't really know anything. Well, at least that's how it was for me. I thought I had everything figured out but real life has other things for you too. Things I had not seriously considered before. At my released, my stake president told me that I should let the Lord govern my life over my plans. He knows better.

The mission was something really hard for me. Although I had been away from home and had an independent life before, it still was hard but so full of joy and happiness. I don't know how that works for every missionary but it really is a joyful/hard experience. When you die you feel that you want to learn more from the mish but it's over. I wanted to learn more because I came to know better how to apply it. However, right when I felt that I knew how to fulfill my purpose as a missionary... I started to run out of time. The wife of my first mission president wrote me the following: "Isn't it always true that just when we figure something out we have to move on to a new challenge? I certainly felt that way as we finished our mission."

It's right. After you die, you are ready for a new challenge. I feel ready to have a better life. I feel ready to move on. I feel ready to serve my fellowman with more devotion. I feel ready to believe more in Christ. I feel ready to be more like Christ and love like He did. I feel ready to doubt my doubts before doubting my faith. I feel ready to invite everyone to come unto Christ. I feel ready to honor what I was as a missionary.

Dead was not the end.

I´m Going on a Mission

Hey! I am going on a service mission today for the LDS Church, I am very happy and excited. I can´t believe it! I am very happy to go and preach the gospel of JesusChrist with everyone in Guatemala, I know with all my heart that the gospel is true. I´ll see you in 18 months!

You can write me to claudia.recinos@myldsmail.net :) or visit my blog in Spanish http://ojalayquemealcancelavida.blogspot.com/

Working at Google

Working at Google was an incredibly amazing experience! I loved Google, so many awesome policies... Everyone is very chill and hard working. I learned the IT risk side of Google's products like Google Analytics and Google Clicks. Everyone there is sooo smart, I'm amazed of the intelligence everyone holds there.

I enjoyed free meals, drinks and desserts, Japanese toilets... It was awesome to go to the break room and see all that food and drinks for the employees to snack, that's so cool!

Crazy night!

So my cousin wanted to get distracted at night and she asked me if we could spend the night together. I had my secret plan already set, I was gonna go see street races and cars with my friend haha... I felt that wouldn't be something she would like to do. I told her and she said, "you know what I don't care, I just want to get distracted, and if you like it I think it must be fun." Ok, it turned out that she liked it a lot haha! I took her with me to San Pablo, she was very excited! I introduce her to my friend and then we got in his car, he started drifting and racing in the freeway, he always scares the crap out of me haha. We were so hungry at the end that we had to eat McDonalds!!! Eeewwww!!! So tiring, but amazing.

My cousin Ana

My cousin is the sweetest, I have learned so much from her. I'm glad I got to spend this summer close to her. She has taught me to be as loyal as I can, she truly listens to me and gives me advice. I'm glad I finally came to stay for so much longer than ever before. I love California.

Not Anymore!

Though it was so dissapointing, I'm glad that the need of expressing what I felt is gone. I feel free and I don't care anymore. I know me and I'm glad the feelings of last month are gone.

Intern Life: I got to go to Facebook!

I got to go Facebook and support the audit team for a day! Facebook has an amazing campus, it looks like Universal Studios! I have learned here that getting the best opportunities to grow professionally are all about networking! 

Internship Experience

Sillicon Valley! The capital of technology. I got an internship last year with Ernst & Young in San Jose, California. I looked at the companies EY worked for and I knew that was the place to learn about technology. EY has the the majority of the 10 best companies in the world (Google, Apple, Facebook, etc.) This experience rocks! EY is one of the best companies to work for, I love the people and the flexibility that the firm gives to its employees. I'm learning many things to develop a better professional career and attitude. They sent me to training in LA, it was so great! I also got to meet with one of my cousins I hadn't seen in like 12 years! Life is good!

Mother Land

I wish time would stop going by fast!
Last week was very special, I did something that changed my heart in a way that I cannot explain here. I just hope I can keep up with it. I also went to a new forest close to my house and I was able to see the city from there. It was beautiful!

I'm grateful for my parents efforts, I feel happy they are still alive and that they can spoil me. They are the greatest representation of my Heavenly Father's love. I can now there is a God and that He is my lovely Father because of my parents.

Father, I Hear Thy Call

Father, I hear thy call, I turn my thoughts to thee, forsaking all;

Recalling promises we all must keep. I put my hand in thine and go to feed thy sheep.

Lead me to those who seek, and give me faith and strength to boldly speak.

In humble dignity I will proclaim, that men may come to know and love thy holy name.

If there be trials, Lord, to help me grow, if thou wilt guide me I will conquer, this I know!

I will go and do the things which the Lord commandeth, for I know that He giveth no commands to His children, except He prepare a way.

 

 

Let It Be

All I truly know is that I love my people, but I also love doing anything to make myself and others happy. I am willing to pay the price for it and I gotta accept the consequences.

I needed a way to fly a little higher, I went up to the clouds because the view was a little nicer.

I just let it be the way it is. Quick moments. Long lasting memories.

From My House Door to the Unknown

About to turn and walk away, without the need of getting over alarmed, I'll be coming back home anyway.

I wonder what is after the unknown, I'm excited to make many things happen, but before I want to make sure to let those know I love them, and that I care more than what is imaginable.

I want to do what I am supposed to do. Here I am, closer to my house door to depart towards the unknown. 

Every morning I try to wake up slow, I do a little bit of everything, I do what makes me happy in order to improve. All I truly have is a pocket full of dreams, I am from here, no need to go back to New York City to build up new dreams and feel inspired.

Last winter began roughly, one day I was sad and worried, the next day I was the happiest. I missed the smiles I longed to see, I missed the hugs I longed to receive. There are many memories here inside me from the last four years, sometimes these memories knock me down, sometimes I just put them away (just like the song says).

Most my friends tell me I am a very strong woman, and I guess I have proved that to myself. I always try hard to put sadness and frustration away; it has helped, but some things in life hit me hard. I usually do not mention what hurts me the most because it's out of my hands. The only thing that is on me is the attitude I take towards it.

“Life is either a great adventure or nothing.” - Helen Keller