I am so grateful for all of those who have served, are serving, or will serve for our beautiful country. Their sacrifices are undeniable and amazing. I hope you all will take the time today and everyday to express your gratitude for them in any way that you can.
I know that these brave men and women along with our loving Heavenly Father have made the freedoms we enjoy today possible and real. I love this country so much and I am definitely "proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free!" :)
May God bless you and protect you today wherever you may be. Whether you live in the USA or not, I know you can express your gratitude for the many blessings you have been given.
This post is based off of an entry in my scripture journal. I really love this scripture and thought I would share some thoughts I have on it with you.
In Alma 27:18, we read,
"Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness"
So in order to have exceeding joy, the scripture says we must:
1) Be truly penitent : Penitence as defined in the dictionary is "Feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentance" One step in being truly happy, then, is to repent. In a 2006 general conference address, Marcus B Nash said, "Each of us needs to repent to some degree or another. To repent means to
make the real changes in your life the Savior desires you to make for
your happiness. Repentance is the great enabling principle of the
gospel: when your faith in the Lord causes personal change, such action
on your part, as Helaman states, “bringeth [you] unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of [your] souls” (Helaman 5:11)."
2) Be humble : We can't search for happiness out of pride or selfishness. We have to be humble and always grateful unto the Lord. In the Doctrine and Covenants 1:28 we read, "And inasmuch as they were humble, they might be made strong."
3) Seek to find it : In Matthew 7:7-8,Christ says, "Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." True happiness won't just come to us. We have to strive to find it in it's fullness and it will be granted unto us.
So now that we know what it takes, what is this true happiness really like?
In Alma 27: 17, he writes, "Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth."
We may not all fall to the earth, but I know that it is possible to be swallowed up in joy. I have found that when I do those things that I need to I have so much happiness in my life! The Lord really can bless you with more joy than I can even imagine. Isn't that such a great blessing? :)
Today is mother's day and I want to briefly share my appreciation for my mom and all of you mother's out there.
First I have to say:
I don't say it enough, but I love my mom soooo much. She means everything to me and I am so grateful for everything that she has done for me. My mom will always hold a special place in my heart, even and especially when I move on to be a mother myself.
There is a quote from the First Presidency of the Church that says, "Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels."
In today's world, some people believe that our status should be dictated by our wealth or other worldly accomplishments. However, I know that being a mother is the highest position we can ever hold as daughters of God. I love this story that was shared in an LDS Ensign magazine a few years ago:
"Kristen was
finishing a graduate degree and had recently given birth to her second
child. She felt the other graduates had accomplished so much more and
was reluctant to attend the graduation dinner. Her fears were confirmed
when, at the dinner, the students were asked to list their professional
accomplishments. Kristen recalled: “I suddenly felt embarrassed and
ashamed. I had nothing to call myself, no lofty position, no impressive
job title.” To make matters worse, the professor read the lists as he
presented a diploma to each student. The woman ahead of Kristen had many
accomplishments: she already had a PhD, was receiving a second master’s
degree, and she’d even been a mayor! The woman received grand applause.
Then it was
Kristen’s turn. She handed the professor her blank sheet, trying to hold
back the tears. The professor had been one of her teachers and had
praised her performance. He looked at her blank paper. Without missing a
beat he announced, “Kristen holds the most critical role in all of
society.” He was quiet for a few seconds, then declared in a powerful
voice, “She is the mother of her children.” Instead of a few courteous
claps, people rose to their feet. There was just one standing ovation
that night; it was for the mother in the room."
I feel that mothers really are our angels to watch over us on earth, and I look up to them and am ever amazed of the loving sacrifices they make. I love my mom so very much and I am also grateful for all the mothers that have inspired, taught, and encouraged me.
And to those future mothers, don't let the world tell you how to be successful. Elder Russell M. Nelson said, "Prepare yourselves to ennoble, to enrich, and even to become the heart and soul of the home. You may bless others either as mothers or as legislators; as leaders in the schoolroom or in the laboratory of truth; at the hearth or at the crib side."
Unfortunately, in the world we live in now, it is so hard to find things that fit this criteria! I have always loved to read, but as I have grown older it has become progressively harder to find books that are clean and good reads! Thankfully, one author in particular has come to the rescue.
If any of you aren't familiar with Jenni James, I encourage you to read her books. They are great for teens and adults: my mom and I both love them. She has started a series (The Jane Austen Diaries), which are great modern romance books based on the storyline of Jane Austen books. Whether you are Jane Austen fan or not, you will love them! They are all definitely virtuous, praiseworthy, and of good report. And, may I add, that some of the male roles are quite lovely <3.
I have to say that the book Persuaded in the series is my favorite, but they are all so good!
She also has a Faerie Tale Collection that is in the process. I haven't had the chance to read any of these yet, but I know they are clean and have heard they are amazing!
It is always a relief any time I can find books, movies, or TV shows that are uplifting. Thank you Jenni!
Here is a link to her website and Facebook page. You should really check her out!
Missionaries change lives. We usually think of them changing lives of those who are not members of the Church, but they also have changed mine. I never wanted to go on a mission. Age 21 always seemed to me like a really awkward time to go, and had it set in mind that I would just go with my husband when we were older. Then, we had some sister missionaries come to our ward ( we hadn't had any for a while), and that all changed. As I watched them, talked to them, and heard their testimonies there was a feeling in my heart that I could not get out of my mind. I needed to go on a mission.
Over the next few months, it got more and more prevalent and it was almost set in stone. I really, really, really wanted to go on a mission. There was still one problem: I did not want to go at 21. It was right at this time that I was starting to doubt if I should go ( I knew I still had years ahead of me to decide), when President Monson made the historic announcement that Sisters could now go on missions at 19. I'm not kidding. I was thinking about it the entire way home from a camping trip that morning. Crazy, huh? I have to say that was one of the best moments of my life. I knew at that point that I was not going to let anything get in the way of me going on a mission. I wanted (and still want) to go and serve the Lord with all my heart.
Since then, there have been so many more Sisters sent out into the world than ever before. In fact, this week, for the first time in history, there are more sister missionaries in the Provo MTC than Elders! Along with that, we are getting a ton of sister missionaries in our area. Right now we have three sets! They continue to be an amazing example to me and I get more excited to go every time I talk to them.
I absolutely cannot wait to go on my mission. I want to share the glorious truths I know with anyone and everyone I can. The gospel of Jesus Christ is everything to me, and I want others to be able to have that sure foundation to build their lives on.
Just like Elder Russell M. Nelson said in General Conference, "Ask the Missionaries. They can help you!"
They aren't scary and I promise they won't try to force feed anything down your throat. They are young men and women with a desire to serve God, and they would love to serve you. I cannot put into words how much I love the missionaries.
Yesterday was my sister's 12 birthday. In our church, that means that she gets to move on from Primary to the Young Women Program. I have always loved being in Young Women, and there are so many amazing blessings I have because it. So, dedicated to my sister, here is a list of the top 7 reasons why I love the LDS Young Women Program.
(In no particular order, just so ya know)
1. Personal Progress - Oh, how can I even put this into words. Personal Progress has taught me so much and has been so much fun over the last few years. This blog itself is my Integrity Value Project. I'll have to post a list of ideas on another post. Personal Progress is an amazing way to prepare to be married in the temple for time and all eternity.
2. Really Pretty Songs - Nothing against good ol' primary songs, but the youth songs we sing in YW are so beautiful and the lyrics are perfect! One of my favorites is "Keepers of His Light", by Jenny Phillips.
3. Earning a Super Cool YW Medallion - I don't have mine yet, but I am so close and I encourage everyone to try and earn this. It is such a cool thing to be able to achieve and the necklace ain't that ugly either. ;)
4. Always Having Awesome General YW Presidencies - I absolutely LOVE Sister Dalton, but I know Sister Oscarson is going to be amazing, too! If you haven't followed her on Pinterest, here is the link to her page:
