Somethings are just better packed away, but we must always remember that "it's all for the Kingdom..."

I found a blog of one of my friends growing up. So I commented on a post and told her that she probably didn't remember me and even if she didn't, I'd be o.k.. I just wanted to let her know that it was good to see her and her little family. She commented back stating that she still did remember me and that I was particularly popular(trust me not something I'm proud about)due to the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, she said she told her young women in her ward that the family in the picture was in the stake that she grew up in and that the girl in the mustard shirt was one she grew up with. Below you'll see what she means...

Here we have my sister, Lupe, at the top. My dad,

my "brother"(nephew) Leki, my mom in the white shirt and me.

Go ahead and laugh. But be it as it may, I took this picture in Jr. High, and thought I was so cool in my mustard shirt, overalls and monsterous bow in my hair. I thought that it would only be printed in the Ensign Magazine. Oh was I wrong. Several years ago, my dad asked me to sign a paper for the Church, not knowing what it was for, I signed it and went my way. I later found out while walking through the Family History Center, that this picture was right on the wall. I was a bit embarrassed and thought that that was bad enough. But the story goes on, not too long after that, my dad came to me again and said that I needed to sign another paper for the Church. Of course to me the paper I was about to sign looked just like the other that I had signed before, so I asked my dad what the paper I was signing again was actually for. He then said something that goes like this, "oh ya, someone from the Church Office Building called and said that they were revising the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet and that they want to put the picture that we took for the Ensign, (so many moons ago) in the Family section of the pamphlet and we need to sign this paper to say it's o.k. with us." I was mortified, I then said to him, "but dad, they have other pictures of families that they've taken for the Ensign, New Era and Friend Magazines and other church material or they can take a new one of an "up to date family," why ours?" My mom was present, during that discussion and as soon as I asked "why ours?," she came right out and said, "cause Christie, the smile that you have on your face in that picture, makes it look like you are so proud of your family, that's why." O.k. I do laugh about it now, but I am just here to say, smile always, cause pictures can come back and haunt you, you'll always want to laugh about it later. I am and I just keep saying to myself it's all for the Kingdom!