Keep doing good things, even if life is hard sometimes:)

I love the Mormon Message that shows the mom with a million things on her checklist, and she hardly gets any of them done because she keeps messing up or doing things for other people. (https://youtu.be/3n-DOKBffuU).  I feel like I often feel as distressed an frustrated at things as she is.  I think, "maybe I should take more time for myself and start saying no to things."  But, I can't. Yes, checklists and things to get done are more important.... but maybe other people are most important.  Another video that shows this is about a man who devotes his life to others and other people think that he can't make a difference; at least until he does make a difference.  https://youtu.be/Tjnq5StX68g.

Matt 5:16: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Even in your (and my) own times of trial, it is important to not forget to serve others.  Helping people along the way is the most glorious and satisfying thing that you can do.  When you take that time in someone else's life there is a wonderful bloom that comes into your own life that is beautiful.  I am so grateful for the people who have served me, and the opportunity I've been given to serve others.  It truly lifts me out of my dark places.

Importance of Easter

Many times, we focus a lot on Christ's actions through Gethsemane and the Crucifixion.  It becomes the source of our lessons, and the quotes on our walls.  These things are so extremely important, but sometimes we forget that the Resurrection is also just as important.  In fact, without the resurrection, those other things would have been for naught.     Moroni 7:37-38 says,"And again my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope.  How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?  And what is it that ye shall hope for?  Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise."   Spring brings not just the brightness of new life in the trees and in cute baby animals, but it also brings the brightness of new hope.  But, how can we remember this big act all year long?  Just as there is symbolism to represent Christ's other actions, we can remember the Resurrection because the Sabbath Day is held on Sunday.  Earl C. Tingey emphasized this point as he said, "Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognize Sunday as the Sabbath in commemoration of the fact that Christ came forth from the grave on Sunday, and the Apostles commenced meeting thereafter on the first day of the week."  I am so grateful that every Sunday I can remember not only that Christ suffered and died for me, he also chose to LIVE AGAIN.  
  #PrinceofPeace

https://youtu.be/Ly9xk59Qkfc

Conference :)

I loved President Uchtdorf's talk about how we can be motivated by love and not fear.  A lot of the time, I will get things done because of fear.  Fear that I won't get good grades, fear that someone will be offended, fear that I will let myself down.  But, that is not the Lord's way.  Uchtdorf said:

The more I come to know my Heavenly Father, the more I see how He inspires and leads His children. He is not angry, vengeful, or retaliatory. His very purpose—His work and His glory—is to mentor us, exalt us, and lead us to His fulness [see Moses 1:39; see also Ephesians 3:19]

It made me start to ponder how to be motivated in things like school and deadlines with love instead of fear. President Uchtdorf mentions trying to gain qualities like meekness and diligence.  Meekness is defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary as, "enduring injury with patience and without resentment".  Many times, even if I don't resent a class, I will bash on it with another student during a challenging assignment. I will complain and wish I didn't have to work.  I think that the act of doing this makes me want to not do the work.  I have also had times where I get together with a student and talk about how cool an assignment is and how we are so excited to learn from it.  When I do not talk resentment about a class, I do not resent a class.  I need to work harder on this aspect.  As for diligence, this can be the cure for procrastination.  A little bit of grit and determination can go a long way.  

So, just so  you know and just so I know, I can work harder to talk and think better about my classes.  When I do get that challenging assignment, I can diligently work to make it a great learning and growing experience.  What do you do to be motivated by love and not fear?

Become as little children

My husband and I were put into nursery where we spend two hours every Sunday with a plethora of extremely cute and energized kids.  As I reflect on my time there, I think of Matt. 18: 2 that says, "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."  What about these kids to we want to emulate?  I know the characteristics I want to emulate: taking naps, having snack time, and coloring pictures that go along with the lesson. But, what characteristics do we NEED to get into heaven?  I don't think (sadly) that it's having daily naps.  I think the biggest thing that I noticed is that they are teachable.  They are willing to look up to the authority (in their case it would be an adult, but for us it would be Heavenly Father).  Often before doing something new, or something they think is bad, they will look to an adult for assurance that it is something that is okay to do.  How often do we turn to our loving Heavenly Father to double check something is okay? What else do you guys think we can do to be like little children?

YOU ARE NOT INFERIOR

I started by looking up BYU devotionals from the past that I could listen to while I cleaned the house.  Ironically, the best one I found was one that is so old that it doesn't have an audio recording!  It's by Paul Dunn called "Feeling Inferior" (https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/paul-h-dunn_feeling-inferior/).  It truly is what I needed to hear.  Being brave and truly being ourselves is HARD and it takes a lot of help from mentors and our Heavenly Father.  I am so grateful to have recently strengthened my testimony in this, and to have spent some time pondering and hoping to gain more self-esteem based on the fact that I am a Child of God.  I know that we are all Children of God and that with prayer and specifically asking for strength in a certain area, we can become strong in our circumstances. 

Protection

I am reading in a book about the Logan temple, and I am amazed at how the Lord will protect his people and the things that are important to the work of the Church.  This is one of the stories that stood out to me: Polygamy had become illegal, but people in Logan were still practicing it under the Lord's direction.  Two deputy marshals showed up and demanded the records or to come into the temple so they could get the records themselves.  Naturally, the people said no and the deputies called in for backup.  The group of deputy marshals threatened that they would burn down the temple if they needed to get the records.  When one of the temple workers snuck into the temple to pray, he saw that the temple was being guarded by Nephite Warriors.  The warriors told him that he didn't need to worry, they would protect the temple and the records. No harm came to the temple.  (this is from the book "Logan Temple: the first 100 years" by Nolan P. Olsen.  Pgs 169-171).  

If the Lord will send down angels and warriors to protect his temple (which is considered his house), how much more will he do to protect one of his children (Us, you, me)?  Heavenly Father is looking out for us, and though we are mortal and will go through heartache and death, we are protected.  In my own life, I have been protected emotionally and spiritually when I was in high school.  There were circumstances that made my home life kind of crazy sometimes, and I would feel very alone and very unsure of what I could do to help the situation.  But then, I started going to the temple every week.  This changed my life.  I was able to focus and be more confident in myself.  I feel as if it was the Lord's way of protecting me, and I am so grateful for it :)

Logan Temple

Temples mean a lot to me.  They are a main figure of stability in my life.  When I was in high school, my brother took me every week until he left on his mission.  Then I was driving a group of other people.  I went every single week for three years.  It's how I would "stand in holy places" (D&C 45:32).  I could feel the influence it had in my life.  But now in college, it has been so hard.  I don't feel like I can wake up as early because I stay up late for classes and work.  So many other responsibilities and priorities.  I wanted to be a good student and a good.  It would come to a point where I would forget that my worth comes from being a Child of God, and just being a human being.  The information comes from It comes from this blog.  It can be accessed on LDS.org.