Fearlessly

I recently got released from my calling as the Young Women Secretary in my ward.  They changed the whole program so now there are all new people.  In being released, I have the opportunity to attend Relief Society now. I felt a little strange today, cause I feel like I have always been in Young Women's, but all is well. We talked today about having courage today to live the gospel and to stand up for what you believe. And then to teach our children and create an environment in our home to help them find the courage to make tough choices. Phew.  People shared some experiences they had in standing up for what they believe in and having the courage to "stand tall" in our beliefs.  We also talked about how in doing so we find joy and hopefully help be a light in helping others find that same joy we have as we live the gospel and receive promised blessings from doing so from the Lord.
I had an interesting experience once when I was a teen.  I was on a plane flying home from a family trip. It was probably a 3 or 4 hour flight. My sister and I were sitting on a separate row away from the rest of our family.  A man sat down next to us on our row.  Not long after the plane took off we started making conversation with this man.  Come to find out he was a psychologist.  He was traveling home from a meeting he had with other psychologists. Why I bring this up? I will tell you.  He was telling us how most of his clients are teens just like my sister and I. (same age, etc..) Somehow the topic came up that our parents were divorced.  Naturally, he seemed intrigued.  We shared some hard times that have come because of our parents' choices.  Seeing we were flying to Utah, he asked if this was where we lived. (He had a layover in Utah) We told him yes, and the first thing that comes out of this mouth after that is are you one of those "Mormon" people?! Yep, yes we are! Shocked that we didn't have horns he told a story of how once his son ran into a Mormon.  That story is not important, so we will continue with mine. Things got kind of quiet for a bit.  And then as we were landing he spoke up again.  He said you guys seem very happy. Especially for having gone through what you have with your parents getting divorced.  He said that most of the his clients who deal with trials such as ours are usually sad, into drugs, drinking, or finding other ways to try and dull the pain of hardships. He asked why we seemed so happy. Not much time to talk left, we basically told him it was because of our faith.
I believe and have faith that although hard times come, we are never alone. The Lord will always be there with us, and can provide peace and comfort for us even in our darkest moments.  That my friends is why I remained happy through the struggles of my childhood, and didn't turn to other things that would lead down to a path of unhappiness and despair.
We got off the plane and he said maybe he would have to look into our church to see if he could find out how to help his clients find that happiness.
To this day I wish I would have handed him a card to help him find the missionaries, but I was too nervous. Too scared.  He was a really nice man, and yet I was still too terrified. I learned that day that it is important and vital to the Lord to "stand tall" now and help ALL of His children come to Him.  He needs us.  Every so often I pray that this man can find the church again and open his heart to it.  Hopefully our testimony of finding joy in hard times through the gospel will have planted a seed in him. Now is the time to stand.

Lesson Learned:
"Who's on the Lord's side? Who? Now is the time to show.We ask it fearlessly. Who's on the Lord's side who?..." (Hymn 260 "Who's on the Lords side?)
To read and hear the whole hymn click here.

Arise

Lesson Learned:
"By the way you live the gospel, you reflect [the Savior's] light. Your example will have a powerful effect for good on the earth. 'Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations' (D&C 115:5) is a call to each of you. It is a call to move to higher ground. It is a call to leadership—to lead out in decency, purity, modesty, and holiness. It is a call to share this light with others. It is time to 'arise and shine forth.' "
-Elaine S. Dalton

Faithful Obedience

Lesson Learned:
"At time we may rationalize that the Lord will understand our disobedience because our special circumstances make adherence to His laws difficult, embarrassing, or even painful.  However, faithful obedience, regardless of the apparent size of the task, will bring the Lord's guidance, assistance, and peace."
-Bruce A. Carlson

I have experienced this in my own life.  Times when I chose to rationalize my choices and times when I chose to be obedient to the Lord's will.  I remember clearly an experience that caused much embarrassment and was most certainly difficult to keep to my standards the Lord has provided for us. I was a teenager and it was a typical Friday night hanging out with friends.  We chose a certain movie to watch.  I had wanted to see this movie for a while and was very excited.  Just as the movie was starting I remembered that my mom had said this movie was inappropriate and I probably shouldn't watch it, but being a teenager I didn't believe her.  Not even ten minutes into the movie it had become so inappropriate I found myself very uncomfortable and my heart was pounding.  I was so embarrassed, I really wanted to see this movie, and everyone else seemed to be enthralled in it.  I felt I was the only one feeling uncomfortable.  It took everything I had to stand up and "go to the bathroom".  I knew I didn't want to go back in that room til the movie was over or turned off but I had no where else to go because I didn't know this friend's house very well and I was all alone.

Difficult and Embarrassing.

Several times I thought to myself: Do I go back and just not pay attention? Do I play a game on my phone? Do I call my mom to go home (embarrassing as a 14 year old)? Do I sit here, awkwardly in this house til the movie is over?

Here's where the "Lord's guidance, assistance, and peace" come into play.  Once I had decided to not go back in the room, I found a nice back room where hopefully no one else in the house would cross paths with me and I sat there.  It seemed like eternity. (probably 5 minutes)  I heard footsteps and around the corner pops my friend.  She looks at me with this worried look on her face and asked what I was doing.  Ha. I'd been caught. I told her I didn't really appreciate the movie and no longer wanted to watch it.  She had this HUGE sigh of relief and said she felt the same way.  She saw me get up and noticed I didn't come back and wondered if I left for the same reasons she wanted to leave.  So we sat there and talked.  Assistance from the Lord? yes.  Peace? yes.  Guidance? yes. Because I left she had the courage to leave also and the Lord ensured that we were not alone in our valiant choice as embarrassing as it felt.  By the end of the movie two more of our friends staggered there way into the room I found and stated they wished they had left sooner.

Your typical primary "movie scenario"? Maybe. But looking back on that choice, I recognize the Lord's hand in my life at that time as He provided friends, peace, and means for me to make the right decision.  Yes the other friends wondered why we left and passed judgments, but I am grateful to know I made the right choice. And grateful the Lord helped ease the burden a bit.  I am grateful for the Lord and the help that He gives us.  The assurance that we are not alone, and when we are obedient to Him, He will guide and protect us.

I am His daughter

I recently heard this song on the radio and fell in love with it.  The words are so powerful and have truly helped me feel of more worth and recognize my divine potential as a daughter of God.

Lesson Learned:

Be sure to push pause on the music below to watch this video.

*I am His Daugther*

The photos in the magazines

Don't dictate who I'm supposed to be

The world can't recognize, all that I am inside

But I know in His eyes, I am a part of, the bigger picture.

{Chorus}

There's so much more to me 

He helps me see that I have so much to offer 

I am His daughter

He loves me the way I am,

He's my strength when I stand

He is my King, and my Father,

I am His daughter

The People on the TV screen, 

The leaders, rulers, and queens

I watch them shape the world,

And though I'm just a girl, I still know for sure, 

That I am a part of, the bigger picture

{Chorus}

And when I'm feeling small,

 And wondering if I'll ever, find courage to stand tall

Through His love I remember

{Chorus}

(by,  Nicole Sheahan)

Youth

"I want to say to...the vast majority of the youth of the Church... around the world how extraordinarily proud we are of you. Moral and physical danger exists almost everywhere around you and temptations of a dozen kinds present themselves daily, yet most of you strive to do what is right...I wish to raise my voice in praise of you, to express 

my love, my encouragement, and my admiration for you."

-Jeffrey R. Holland

Lessons Learned:
1.I have great youth in my ward! I am so grateful for their examples to me and strength they have to conquer each challenge that faces them.
2.If the Youth can conquer their challenges, I can conquer mine.

Kite Flying

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to the General Young Women Auxiliary Leadership Training Meeting. It was really uplifting. The last speaker talked about his mother and how she loved to fly kites with her father. One day she was flying a kite with her father when she was younger. She came up with the brilliant idea that if she let go of the kite it would fly even higher. Oh how she wanted to let this kite fly high into the sky. She even thought maybe I will break the world record of the highest a kite has flown. She asked her father if she could let go to let the kite fly higher. And her father replied with a simple no. She then asked again a few minutes later if she could let the kite go, wanting so badly to let it fly high. He again replied no that is not a good idea. She thought to herself I'm holding this kite down and if only I could let it go it could go even higher. So once more she asked her father if she could let the kite go to fly high in the sky. He replied no once more, and that it was not a good idea. But also told her it was her choice if she wanted to let go. So the little girl used her free agency and best judgement and let the kite go. Sadness came upon the little girl. For the kite did not fly high into the sky. The second she let go it flew sideways, then down down, and got tangled in the trees.
Lessons Learned:
"Sometimes the things that we think are holding us down are actually holding us up."
This is true in so many aspects. The one I would like to compare it to is the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the standards we are to live by. Following the commandments is not always easy. Following the Gospel is not always easy. Being the odd one out because of the standards you have is NOT always easy. Choosing to say no to that cute guys who asked you out on your first date because you are not 16 yet is not always easy. Putting on the modest dress even though it may not be as cute as everyone else's is not always easy. Saying NO to your friends, or simply stop being friends with them because the choices they are making aren't good choices is not always easy. Going through trials and tribulations in any part of life is not always easy. It is NOT always easy to be a member of the church. BUT it is worth it. Sometimes I think we tend to forget that when we are following these gospel principles and going through the hard times that it is for our good. If we do not remember that it is really those principles and Jesus Christ at the base holding us down we would not be flying at all. If we fail to recognize that the standards of the gospel are for our benefit and help us then we fail to fly. When we have Christ as our base, holding our string, that is when we are able to fly higher and higher. The more we put our trust in Him and follow His teachings, the stronger our string becomes which allows Christ to let us go higher. We can not go higher if we do not have the strength for it or we will break. We will lose our base. Trust in Him. Push through those hard times. Because if you do, when all is said and done your kite will be flying higher then you ever imagined. You will not be tangled in a tree. He is not holding us down. He is holding us up.

Sisters

I love this story:

"I walked into the house, exhausted. It had been a long day, and I was starving. I sat at the table while my mom made dinner, telling her everything I had done that day. All of a sudden my little sister, Cherri, was at my side. She twisted her hands together nervously and didn’t quite look at me. “What happened?” I asked, not feeling very sympathetic. “You know your pearl necklace?” she replied in a small voice. “Well, I was playing with it, and it broke.” A million thoughts raced through my head. How many times had I told her not to play in my room or with my things? The necklace was hardly important, but that was beside the point. She had ignored my warnings one too many times. Somehow I managed to bite my tongue, and an exasperated sigh escaped my lips. “Come on, show me where it is,” I said. She took my hand and led me to my room. Pearls littered the floor, which wasn’t exactly clean to begin with. “What have I told you about playing in my room, Cherri?” “Not to,” she mumbled. “Okay, then, why did you?” I pressed. She just shrugged her little shoulders and looked at the floor. “I’m really sorry,” she said. “Help me clean them up, and don’t play in here again,” I said. She did so and left the room, and I put the incident behind me. The next day, I came home to an ecstatic Cherri. She grabbed my hand, jumping up and down. “I have something for you!” she said. “Sit here on the couch and I’ll be right back.” She raced downstairs and returned a few minutes later cradling something in her hands. “Here, I made it for you all by myself,” she said proudly. “Mom didn’t even help me at all!” She held out her little arms so I could see what she had made. Laying in her hands was a scrap of frayed black ribbon strung with meticulously arranged yellow and white plastic beads.“It’s a necklace!” she said, jumping up and down again. “I made it for you because I broke your other one. Do you like it?”I smiled. The necklace was a bit tacky, and yet it was beautiful. “Yes, Cherri, I love it.” I put it on and wore it the rest of the day to show my appreciation. I was so glad that I hadn’t yelled at my sister in anger and made her feel like I didn’t love her.I kept her little token of restitution in my drawer, a constant reminder that a pearl necklace could never be as special or beautiful as my frayed black ribbon with yellow and white plastic beads from a precious younger sister.”
(Liora Johns Phillips, “Pearls and Plastic Beads,” NewEra, Mar 2008, 22–23)

“So many of us make a great fuss of matters of small consequence. We are so easily offended. … I plead with you to control your tempers, to put a smile upon your faces, which will erase anger; speak out with words of love and peace, appreciation, and respect. If you will do this, your lives will be without regret. Your marriages and family relationships will be preserved. You will be much happier. You will do greater good. You will feel a sense of peace that will be wonderful.”

(President Gordon B. Hinckley, “Slow to Anger,” Ensign, Nov. 2007, 63–66.)

Being the younger sister is never easy growing up, but being the older sister might be a bit harder.  Oh the joys of sisterhood!  I love this story because it reminded me of me and my older sister.  And then it reminded me of me and my younger sisters.  Oh dear, I’ve been on both ends.  Unfortunately I don’t ever remember being that nice to my younger sisters though when they bothered me like that.  But I do remember looking up to my sister thinking she was the best person in the whole world, and if only I could be just like her, wear her clothes, have her friends, be her age, do what she does, say what she says, eat what she eats…etc…(You know what I’m talking about if you are a younger sister).  There is something special about the relationships that Heavenly Father lets us sisters have.  We truly are blessed.  So don’t take it for granted.  Lessons learned:

1.    It’s better to ask permission then forgiveness.

2. President Hinckley was a great man and had many wonderful things to say.

3.  Read the church magazines. They have great stories. 

4. Stop to think before you choose to get offended or angry.

5.  Love your sisters.  They can become some of your best friends.  True that.

6.  It’s ok to want to be like your older sister.

7. It’s ok for your younger sisters to want to be just like you and try to copy everything you do.

8. Bitterness only hurts you.