:: Living the Gospel Joyfully ::

"It is good to remember that you are always a child of God. This knowledge will carry you through the most difficult times in your life and will inspire you to accomplish remarkable things. However, it is also important to remember that being a daughter of eternal parents is not a distinction you earned or you will ever lose. You will always and forever remain a daughter of God. Your Heavenly Father has high aspirations for you, but your divine origin alone does not guarantee you a divine inheritance. God sent you here to prepare for a future greater than anything you can imagine."

While you are here in earth do ALL you can to make Heavenly Father proud and to be in his presence again. Yes, we all make mistakes. We are all human. That is why our Heavenly Father brought his only begotten son down to earth and he performed something so GREAT that no one will EVER endure what he did. Use the Atonement not just when you make a mistake but every day of your life. It's there for us.

"And yet for some of us, obedience to God’s commandments doesn’t always feel very joyful. Let’s face it: there may be some that seem harder or less appealing—commandments that we approach with the enthusiasm of a child sitting before a plate of healthy but hated vegetables. We grit our teeth and force ourselves to comply so that we can move on to more desirable activities.

Perhaps during times such as these, we might find ourselves asking, “Do we really need to obey all of God’s commandments?”

My response to this question is simple:

I think God knows something we don’t—things that are beyond our capacity to comprehend! Our Father in Heaven is an eternal being whose experience, wisdom, and intelligence are infinitely greater than ours.⁴ Not only that, but He is also eternally loving, compassionate, and focused on one blessed goal: to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life.

In other words, He not only knows what is best for you; He also anxiously wants you to choose what is best for you."

 

Some people here on earth struggle with obeying certain commandments. I will be honest and say that is me as well. This one commandment I have struggled with for a long time. But as long as you try as hard as you can and take upon yourself the Atonement, Heavenly Father will help you from being weak to being strong. Heavenly Father has blessed us with a Prophet, apostles, parents, leaders, The book of Mormon, missionaries and much, much more! Sometimes I wish I could see beyond the Vail to know what is waiting for me so that I can be more motivated in this life. But because I can't see beyond the Vail I need to have faith, and trust in the Lord he will guide me. He knows you better than you know yourself, just trust Him. (easier said than done right?)

 

"So we have a choice. On the one hand, there is the opinion of the world with its ever-changing theories and questionable motives. On the other hand, there is God’s word to His children—His eternal wisdom, His certain promises, and His loving instructions for returning to His presence in glory, love, and majesty.

The choice is yours!

The Creator of the seas, sands, and endless stars is reaching out to you this very day! He is offering the grand recipe for happiness, peace, and eternal life!"

 

My opinion of the world is it's the most horrible, horrifying, sad, careless, dead place. I think we have ever lived.  This world is so confusing and influences the worst of us. But we have so many helpers that we cannot see. Angels. Long ago I believe when we were in Heaven we helped those who came before us, now they are helping us. I know this to be true. Be who you were destined to be. It is so  hard! Sometimes we fall. But you can get back up with His out stretched hand. When you follow Him you will have happiness and peace. TRUE HAPPINESS. The happiness you can see through someone's eyes.

 

"To qualify for these glorious blessings, you must humble yourself, exercise faith, take upon you the name of Christ, seek Him in word and deed, and resolutely “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places."

 

Since letting go of the old and bad in my life and letting in the new it truly humbles you. When I left the person I truly loved, I had to exercise faith knowing everything would be okay. Satan wanted to tell me I made the wrong choice and that a temple marriage isn't what I need and isn't what heavenly father would want me to do. But that amazing gift we have of the Holy Ghost taught me more than I will ever learn somewhere else other than the House of the Lord. Stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places. (also easier said then done) But doing so Heavenly Father will bless you SO much!!

 

This next quote please read carefully. I hope it will bring peace to you!

 

"My dear sisters in the gospel, whether you are 8 or 108, there is one thing that I hope you truly understand and know:

You are loved.

You are dear to your heavenly parents.

The infinite and eternal Creator of light and life knows you! He is mindful of you.

Yes, God loves you this very day and always.

He is not waiting to love you until you have overcome your weaknesses and bad habits. He loves you today with a full understanding of your struggles. He is aware that you reach up to Him in heartfelt and hopeful prayer. He knows of the times you have held onto the fading light and believed—even in the midst of growing darkness. He knows of your sufferings. He knows of your remorse for the times you have fallen short or failed. And still He loves you.

And God knows of your successes; though they may seem small to you, He acknowledges and cherishes each one of them. He loves you for extending yourself to others. He loves you for reaching out and helping others bear their heavy burdens—even when you are struggling with your own.

He knows everything about you. He sees you clearly—He knows you as you really are. And He loves you—today and always!

Do you suppose it matters to our Heavenly Father whether your makeup, clothes, hair, and nails are perfect? Do you think your value to Him changes based on how many followers you have on Instagram or Pinterest? Do you think He wants you to worry or get depressed if some un-friend or un-follow you on Facebook or Twitter? Do you think outward attractiveness, your dress size, or popularity make the slightest difference in your worth to the One who created the universe?

He loves you not only for who you are this very day but also for the person of glory and light you have the potential and the desire to become.

More than you could ever imagine, He wants you to achieve your destiny—to return to your heavenly home in honor.

I testify that the way to accomplish this is to place selfish desires and unworthy ambitions on the altar of sacrifice and service. Sisters, trust in the saving power of Jesus Christ; keep His laws and commandments. In other words—live the gospel joyful.

It is my prayer that you will experience a renewed and an expanded measure of the beautiful love of God in your lives; that you will find the faith, determination, and commitment to learn God’s commandments, treasure them in your hearts, and live the gospel joyful.

I promise that as you do so, you will discover your best self—your real self. You will discover what it truly means to be a daughter of the everlasting God, the Lord of all righteousness. Of this I testify and leave you my blessing as an Apostle of the Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

 

"Seeking Peace That Only God Can Bring"

As some of you know I am taking the institute class "Preparing for Eternal Marriage, Dating & Courtship" I have learned so much already with 2 class periods. My teacher brought up the manual for the class and I decided to download it onto my computer. I am so thankful that I did! So much to read & so much to learn! I wanna share with you something that really jumped out at me and was exactly how I have been feeling lately. Elder Holland you did it again. ALWAYS saying what I need to hear most. So here is my spiritual thought for the week. 
"The search for peace is one of the ultimate quests 
of the human soul. We all have highs and lows, 
but such times come and they usually always go.
Kind neighbors assist. Beautiful sunshine brings
encouragement. A good night’s sleep usually works
wonders. But there are times in all of our lives when
deep sorrow or suffering or fear or loneliness makes
us cry out for the peace which only God Himself can
bring. These are times of piercing spiritual hunger
when even the dearest friends cannot fully come 
to our aid.
Perhaps you know people in the broad congregation
of this conference, or in your local ward or stake, 
or in your own home—courageous people who are
carrying heavy burdens and feeling private pain, who
are walking through the dark valleys of this world’s
tribulation. Some may be desperately worried about
a husband or a wife or a child, worried about their
health or their happiness or their faithfulness in
keeping the commandments. Some are living with
physical pain, or emotional pain, or disabilities that
come with age. Some are troubled as to how to make
ends meet financially, and some ache with the private
loneliness of an empty house or an empty room or
simply empty arms.
These beloved people seek the Lord and His word
with particular urgency, often revealing their true
emotions only when the scriptures are opened or
when the hymns are sung or when the prayers are
offered. Sometimes only then do the rest of us realize
they feel near the end of their strength—they are
tired in brain and body and heart, they wonder if
they can get through another week or another day
or sometimes just another hour. They are desperate
for the Lord’s help, and they know that in such
times of extremity nothing else will do."
So with that in mind, Please reach out to those who think their alone and in spiritual pain. We know were never alone but some of us like me have to be told by a friend or a neighbor or simply from my Savior Jesus Christ. I didn't realize how much the Atonement meant to me till I was a senior in High School. Now no matter what mistake I make or how alone I feel, It doesn't matter what my family thinks, friends think, or my neighbors. I should only be trying to impress my Heavenly Father. Yes life is hard but through Jesus Christ I am capable of doing anything. I am never alone & neither are you.

Don't give up.

Don't let your character change color with your environment. Find out who you are and let it stay its true color.

Ever feel like you don't know who you are yet?

Ever feel like you can't be your true self?

Ever taken life for granted and wish you never did?

How did you change it?

Who are you?

What has made you who you truly are?

I often ask myself these questions all the time and some of them I still have no idea... I don't think I have really figured out who I am yet... all I know is that I am a daughter of God!
People often ask me for advice and help with trials they are going through and I give them advice but I wonder why I can't give the same advice to myself. I'm always look up to someone to give me the things I need to hear. After Sunday school today I really thought of why I am here and why I need to keep living righteously.
To finish my course I MUST: Trust god with & through everything, language, keep eyes heavenward, focus on my Savior, live the words of the prophets. 

 

I can't wait to keep living life to the fullest and to keep finding new things to improve and work on. I love my Savior with all my heart! 

I can't wait to keep discovering new friendships and talents. I hope we all can not be scared to share our talents. Reach out to those who need help discovering theirs and learn from it.  

I have a friend who is helping me through so many things in life right now where I have days where I just can't keep doing it. I cant keep trying hard all day everyday but he always says don't give up! so every day that I am feeling the courage to give up and I know that I don't want to keep pushing myself his word keep coming into my mind, "Don't give up!". If you are doing something that you don't think you can achieve of be then I challenge you to tell yourself don't give up!! I think about the future of if I did give up and I think about where I would be if I had given up... I wouldn't be where I am today.  

Be a friend to everyone. No matter if they are different then you, less athletic then you, skinnier or heavier than you, different skin color, different family situations or whatever it may be that makes you different don't be scared to be different! Different is amazing! It's good to be different. Being different means you don't blend in with the crowd you know that your special in some way. Keep trying to make new friends. When ever I hear at school how one girl can't be friends with another girl is because she's not rich like her, she doesnt have a boy friend, she doesnt have the same clothes, she doesnt have sex, she doesn't smoke. Well this goes out to every girl who gets hurt because their not one of those. Im very proud of you if you don't have sex and smoke!! that just means your not throwing your life away for something less. If you don't have the right kind of clothes that doesnt matter. Just keep smiling and have courage to be yourself and different. If your not rich like the other girl who cares. Money doesn't buy happiness. What buys happiness is being happy for what you have and not being selfish. These are the types of girs who I look up to very much. Those who can stick up for their standards even if they are being judges and accused. Keep staying strong. Keep having faith. Keep your eyes heavenword and think of in the end it will all be worth it. Find friend who will support you and stick up for what you believe. If you have fiends that judge you because your not like them then obviousy their not right for you. 

I know a lot of people who are judged because they don't have sex, they don't do drugs. But to all of those of you who judge someone because they don't do that, maybe you should be looking at yourself and thinking if what your doing is right. Those who have courage to stick up for themselves they know where that will take them and they say no even though they are persecuted and hated. I'm sorry if this all sounds rude and stuff but I see this way to much with some of my friends and it hurts more than anything to see someone get persecuted because they stood up for their standards. It takes me back to when Joseph Smith was wanting to find the right church and when he did he got so much crap and to think of people still doing it I can't help but feel pain for those who are hated for their belief.

I live, I love, I laugh, I cry. Im not perfect. No one is, not you or I.

This week I have learned a lot. I learned why most girls can't let go of a guy in their life... Partly because they were there for them through the hardest times and they can't let go of that and move on. I learned that about myself. Yes it is hard to move on but I have also learned that high school isn't for being stuck with one person. Most likely that guy won't be the one you marry.. I have also learned a great deal about the atonement in my life. Being forgiven isn't always easy but if you just do the hard steps first everything after that is easy. I am so grateful for my savior Jesus Christ and for all that he did for me!! Next is I am thankful to know that families are forever. When my grandma passed away a few weeks ago I had a hard time with it and as soon as I thought families are forever as long as everyone does their part and tries to be better. I'm glad I can be with my family forever and I know I was put in this family for a reason. If I didn't have them my life would be soooo boring!!!! (: This year has been one of the best and hardest years of my life so far! A lot of things have changed me for the best! I have made SO many new friends that are amazing and influence me to do the best. I have a lot of hard classes this year to prepare me for MATC and internships for next year. Thinking and re searching about colleges and scholarships. I've had to learn to forget about some people and move on with my life.It's funny how a lot of people just walk in your life when they want and just leave when they feel like it."Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game" this quote has stuck with me ever since I was little when I watched A Cinderella Story. No matter what is hard in life whether it be crappy friends who don't treat you right, or a guy who disrespects you or a friend holding a grudge. Move on if they don't treat you right then they shouldn't be in your life. I'm so grateful for my sisters & sister in law because they just tell me what I need to hear flat out. They tell me straight up if I need to let go of a friend or a guy. I love all those who don't beat around the bush about advice. I wish I could be like a lot of amazing girls in this world. Keep smiling no matter who or what is holding you back from love or dreams. Follow your heart. Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart. Once I followed my heart and it literally CRUSHED me. But.... then I realized I was following my head. Really listen to your heart. Don't be afraid of what your heart is telling you. If you love someone and your heart tells  you it is right then GO FOR IT. Don't listen to anyone who tells you that they aren't right for you. Don't listen to those who tell you, you have no idea what your doing. Trust me I regret that a lot!!  There is one more thing that I can't stress enough. Girls... please just be yourself. If a guy can't take you for who you are as a daughter of God and someone who believes in standards and keeping them high then don't take that guy. Give him up. Be yourself. Don't lower your standards for someone who doesn't care enough to help you raise them! I did that and let me tell you it was hard but I did it and after I knew in my heart that what I did was right. Please don't believe someone if they tell you that what you did was wrong. 

       That was my thoughts for the past little while. kind of depressing but hey at least im writing on here (:

Tested to the limit.

We all are created by god, and we all matter to him. No one is a nobody. Satan try's to make us not feel important. We all are special and unique. We all have a unique purpose of why we are here. All of our trials are for a purpose, we all have different strengths and weaknesses that need to be tested. we are given trials to make us stronger they are not always easy but they are for our benefit. If we endure these trials we are promised we will be blessed and strengthened. -- my notes today in young womens.

I know lots of us lately has had our faith tested and our standards tested. I know that I have had my standards and faith tested. In the past month I have struggled a lot with what I know is right and what I know is wrong. People have tried to tare me down and lower my standards and at times I have just wanted to so they could leave me alone but my  heart was telling me what was right and I had to follow it and I did and now I feel like a nobody. I feel as if I should just do what the world is doing, but I can't. I could just never could. People tell me they are proud of me for doing what's right but why am I feeling so unhappy and not happy with the right choice I made. A LOT of people in this world don't care what they do but people are really always watching. I have seriously just been so down lately because I did what was right but yet I don't feel anything. I don't feel proud of myself like I should but today I learned I need to be courageous in every right choice I make.

Don't ever lower your standards for anyone. If that's what they want of you they are NOT worth it. A good person will help you raise your standards to help you become better and not worse. I know that I have these trials to help me be stronger and I know I am a unique individual. I have a purpose here on earth. Keep friends who really care about you and try to help you. Take the time to look around to see who is worth keeping around. I have done that lately and I know they are people who really care about my future and want to help me through almost everything. wow... there is so much on my mind that I don't think any of this makes sense but here are more thoughts. 

Have you ever just wanted to jump in a car and just leave and get out alone? haha I have wanted to do that all week!! just leave town and get out. Do what you want to do and go where you want to go with no one to tell you which way. I do have to thank a friend that I  have... He is always willing to help me and he is ALWAYS proud of the good choices I make in life. He's the one that I can talk to for 2  hours on the phone about anything. He's the one that is there when I cry he knows what I'm feeling. He's what you call a REAL best friend!! I know that he will definitely be in my future!  No matter what mistake I make he doesn't care. He looks at you the same and doesn't think of you any less. I have kinda been in denial of that lately because I really didn't think he cared about me but until that friend was gone for a while and I didn't have him to call when I wanted to give up on everything I knew what he would say if I called him. I  have such amazing people in my life. I have a hero. He is on his mission. That's my brother. He's been gone for 5 months and I have NO IDEA how I have made it his long with out his advice and support. He has just become district leader and no letter came this week. I have been kind of down and I have had no one to share my feelings with but I got down on my knees and just asked my heavenly father if I could just talk and just tell my father in heaven everything that has been going on. I truly felt he was listening. I knew he felt what I was going through. All my hopes, dreams, fears, frustrations. If you don't have anyone to talk to just get on your knees and talk to your heavenly father. He is your best friend. He does care. He loves you and will NEVER let you down!!

   Well that's my in site for like the past week. ENJOY!