My Savior

Tonight I am so overwhelmed by my Savior's love for me. If makes me so sad to be surrounded by people who don't even have a slight testimony of him. I am so grateful to have him as my rock. I would be nothing without him. He makes me want to be better. I know that he died for me and he saw my face as he suffered and died. I wish people could see that there's more to life, and I wish they'd see how happy the gospel makes me. I love my Savior! I love him so much that I want everyone to love him just as much, if not more, than I do! This week I have received so many blessings, everywhere from getting 2 jobs through the school to having a girl from school be baptized. I am amazed at how his hand is in every aspect of my life. I hope the video below gives you something to reflect on, I know it did me... I sobbed the whole time. Have a great week! I'll be praying for you:)

Jesus Christ - His Hands

The Importance of Relationships

On Friday afternoon one of my friends brothers took his own life. When I found out the next day, my heart completely sank. How could someone, who gave and loved so much, have this happen to them? I am so thankful that I have an eternal perspective and know to be true that families are forever and that we can all live again. I think it is important that we are kind to our families and all people we come in contact with. Life is too short for spending our time and energy on offensive things that people have said or done to us. I think we need to serve and be charitable to one another so we can have the peace of mind knowing that we did everything we could when we are held accountable for our lives. I wish I had been more charitable towards my siblings growing up and am relieved that it's not to late. The moral of this story: Love the one you're with!

Follower Participation Needed!

Yesterday I walked into my room and thought to myself, "this has got to be the most boring room I've ever seen!" I decided that I want to cover my walls with goals and quotes and pictures that make me want to be better. So, here's what I've come up with so far, but it needs a lot, and I mean A LOT more work! I was wondering if anyone had some really good quotes or pictures or anything that either they could email me or send in the mail to help add some flare to my room, so I don't feel like I'm locking myself into a white walled prison cell every night. Hopefully this isn't too much to ask. I pretty much will hang up anything. cards, church handouts, pictures of friends and family, ANYTHING! Let me know if you are willing and able:)

Have a Positive Attitude

We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude. 

Believe in Yourself

You can achieve what you believe you can. Trust and believe and have faith.

 Face Challenges w/Courage

Have the determination to make the effort, the single-mindedness to work toward a worthy goal, and the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitably come but also to make a second effort, should such be required. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, "I'll try again tomorrow."

Instantly

recognize Christ  

Read & Study Scriptures

Pray more sincerely

Some food for thought, with a challenge

The first night I got back to NY from Christmas break I was struggled. I was homesick and I hadn't even been gone for 48 hours. After receiving a blessing from a couple of guys in my ward, I decide the best thing to do was look for comfort the only way I knew how, through prayer and scripture study. Which then lead to some personal revelation of what one of my goals needs to be this year. First I looked up faith in the Bible Dictionary and here are some of the things that stood out to me:

• "To have faith is to have confidence in something or someone. The Lord has revealed himself and his perfect character, possessing in their fulness all the attributes of love, knowledge, justice, mercy, unchangeableness, power, and every other needful thing.  Faith comes by righteousness.
• Faith is a principle of action and of power, and by it one can influence any number of circumstances when occasion warrants (Jacob 4:4–7). 
• All true faith must be based upon correct knowledge or it cannot produce the desired results. Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel and is more than belief, since true faith always moves its possessor to some kind of physical and mental action; it carries an assurance of the fulfillment of the things hoped for.
• The effects of true faith in Jesus Christ include (1) an actual knowledge that the course of life one is pursuing is acceptable to the Lord (see Heb. 11:4); (2) a reception of the blessings of the Lord that are available to man in this life; and (3) an assurance of personal salvation in the world to come. These things involve individual and personal testimony, guidance, revelation, and spiritual knowledge. 

And then I had the thought to look up "follow," which lead me to "sheep." 

• Shepherds still, as of old, go before the sheep, and the sheep follow, being apparently more or less attached to their masters, whose voice they instantly recognize.

One of my goals this year is to become as a sheep. I consider myself to be very much a leader, and I'm not going to illuminate that trait from my personality, but when it comes to trusting in Lord I have to do better. Our lives so easily can become cluttered, stressful, and then before we know it we are lost sheep, unable to hear our shepherd calling . This year I want to be able to "instantly recognize" my Lord and Savior in all aspects of my life, and not just at church or when I'm trying to find the positive. In order to do this I'm going to more sincere personal prayers and read my scriptures every day. I started doing these two things Sunday night, and I'm already benefitting, and far less stressed than I was before break. If you're reading this, I challenge you to do the same and make this your spiritual goal to instantly recognize Christ in all aspects of your life, to read, and study your scriptures and more sincerely pray.