Once upon a time...

"His love for you is so great that He has granted you this earthly life as a precious gift "once upon a time" complete with your own true story of adventure, trial, and opportunities for greatness, nobilty, courage, and love. And, most glorious of all, He offers you a gift beyond price and comprehension. Heavenly Father offers to you the greatest figt of all --eternal life---and the opportunity and infinite blessing of your own "happily ever after." - Pres. Uchtdorf

Once upon a time.... happily ever after, seem only to happen in fairy tales. But who says you can't have your own fairy tales?  You shouldn't just focus on the beginning and the end though, there's much more important things in between that get you from beginning to end.

I've often heard, "It's not the destination. It's the journey." It's completely true in my eyes, from our most desperate lows to our most highest happiness comes between the "Once upon a time" and "Happily Ever After." It's important to know where you are starting at and strive to be where you are destined to be; but don't forget the journey that will mold you to who are you are supposed to be.

Many people view challenges as horrible, wrotten things that we must go through to reach our potential and reach happiness, but challenges are much more than that. They refine us. Ever thought why missionaries come back from their missions with a different out-look and relationship with our Father and Savior? It's because of challenges. Challenges are a part of this life so that we can become closer to God who will help us refine into who we are going to be. Challenges help us learn, and we need to learn to get from "Once upon a time" to "Happily ever after."

"Once upon a time" is square one. "Happily ever after." is eternal life square. What happens between those two squares refines us to the gods and goddess we were destined to be.