Wednesday, December 30, 2015

A New Year means a new Me.

Hi! I had a busy day today. I was watching my friend's little boy (he's SO adorable! ❤️) for several hours. He's sooo cute and I just LOVE watching him play and have fun!! :) [Side note that I could probably leave out and is on my "Mattie Don't Do That" list but I'm Me so I won't leave it out and I will do it: If I could somehow split myself into multiple Mattie's, thus enabling me to watch him whenever she needs (as well as allowing me do what I need to do) I totally would]
I can't wait till the day when I get to watch my own little babies play and have fun, but for now, I will have to live with watching other people's–which is fine by me. More exposure to lots of kids who are just so cute! :)

It's almost a new year! New year, new me, new experiences, and new goals. It's all so exciting!! Buuuuuuut also terrifying. I'm not going to lie–I'm kind of terrified. I have a different work schedule this upcoming semester–the lunch shift Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. SO my afternoons/evenings are cleared up because my last classes on Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays end at 3! So I'm super grateful for that. But this job pays less than my custodial job that I had the first half of the semester. And I have slightly fewer hours, as well. So it's a giant cut in my pay and I'm a little worried about that. Also, I'm not sure if I'll be doing spring semester or not–I still have to talk to my parents about that.

ANYWAY, this new year brings on New Year's Resolutions! The fun to-do/work on list that practically everyone quits following after a month or two. ;) I'm going to try really, really, really hard this year, though. My New Year's Resolutions are as follows:
  1. To have consistent and meaningful scripture study and prayer. I am really bad at this–I will either get one or the other. This year I want to try and get both. It will be easier this year, I think, for this semester I am not working early in the morning or till 10 at night. But we will see. 
  2. To be patient–with myself and others. I usually am more patient with others than I am with myself, but sometimes I get a little frustrated with others (though I try not to let it show because it's not their fault, and they're not doing anything wrong, it's just me being me). So I'm going to try and be better about that this year. Especially with myself, too. I am still, uh, healing, I guess, from something that impacted me greatly a couple of years ago and I just need to be patient with myself and work on it one day at a time.
  3. To have kind words, thoughts, and actions. This one has become a bigger part of my life in more recent years as I've grown up. I am trying so hard to be a good person but it's getting a little bit harder as I am becoming more exposed to the world. 
  4. To keep up/be ahead with my homework. This will be a little difficult, but hopefully less difficult, since my work schedule is on my days off, and my evenings are going to be cleared up. 
  5. To manage my time well. I am bad at this. I either guess how much time something will take me to do wrong, or I put it off more than I should have, or both, or something else equally as bad. Anyway, I am going to try to be better about this.
  6. To not be afraid to do something fun and/or spontaneous. This one I have trouble with sometimes. I worry about how much time it will take, or if I should have done that (that being any number of things from "Should I have sent that text?" to "Oh my gosh, I should not have waited so long to do this *fun thing* or *this thing I have to do sometime*"). Anyway, I worry about the time, or if I should have done that, or whatever, when I should just relish and bask in the fun-ness and the spontaneity of whatever I am/will be doing. 
  7. To be more friendly. Sometimes I'm super friendly, but sometimes I get really shy or intimidated because that's just who I am. I have been getting a lot better (especially since I started college) but I have also been thinking and worrying a lot more (also especially since I started college) which needs to stop! So, cue number 8.
  8. To not think or worry so much. This one is going to be the most difficult, I think, because it is just in my nature. I can't help it. I overthink everything and I stress about a lot of things that I don't/can't always control. Sometimes it's good, but a lot of the time it just makes me more stressed and worried. So I am going to try to keep it down. I'm never going to stop thinking or worrying, but I can definitely try to do it less often/intensely.
  9. To a) be more Christlike; and b) turn to my Savior more often. As in daily. I need to remember that He is there for me whenever I need Him and that He will help me through anything and everything that I need to do. He will always be there for me, and I do not have to do anything alone.
As you can see, I have quite a list, which is a little intimidating, but also exciting! Usually I only have one or two things. This year, I have NINE! (Ten if you count 9 as two things, but eh) That's a little scary but I know that I can do it! As I focus on turning to my Savior, and being more like Him, I know that everything else will fall into place. I'm super excited for this new year–it's going to be way different, but also kind of the same. Here's to a new year, new goals, new experiences, new classes, new friends, new relationships, and a new me. :)

P.S. This is entirely irrelevant but I still haven't been on a(n official) date yet since I started college, and you know what? I've decided that I am completely okay with that and I'm not going to worry about it. It'll happen when it'll happen. And besides, I'm still trying to figure out exactly who I am–which is kind of being troublesome. Throw dating into that mix and I will be a completely chaotic and insanely mad mess. ;) 

Sunday, December 27, 2015

We just need to follow Him.

Well, Christmas was two days ago! I had a wonderful day with my family. I hope you did, too. :)

Today in sacrament meeting, the topic was the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is a companion to us–a gift from our Heavenly Father. He is there to comfort us, and to guide and direct us. He helps us know what is the right decision to do. He prompts us to say or do things that will bless others, or bless us, and that will answer people's prayers, even if we don't know that. 

In Gospel Doctrine, we talked about Revelation 6:6-11.
We talked about how the world is falling away from the Lord's laws. The world's definition of right and wrong is different from the Lord's–practically opposite: the Lord's right is the world's wrong and the Lord's wrong is the world's right. We talked about how Satan's plan–his plan in heaven–was to make everyone do the right thing. We would have no agency. Brother Shearer brought up the fact that the world is trying to make everything vanilla–take away all labels, and make everything and everyone the same. Satan is still trying to put his plan into action–except for now he's trying to make everyone do the wrong thing and go against God. He knows he cannot win, but he is going to try and take down as many people as he can.

We talked about how the opposite of faith is fear, and fear is not of God. Fear is from Satan. One of the ladies said that comparison is the thief of joy. When we compare ourselves to others, we usually compare our weaknesses to their strengths, which makes it so we never win. However, this is not a fair comparison! Weakness to strength is not a good comparison. And besides, you shouldn't compare yourself to others anyway, because we all go through different experiences. This is the reason why we have strengths and weaknesses: our experiences are all different, and they give us different results. 

We have to stand up for what is right. Someone (I think it was Brother Shearer again) said that people are becoming more afraid of offending others. Take this holiday season, for example. There is Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, etc. And people have taken to say "Happy Holidays" for fear of offending people. I'll tell you what: If someone says "Happy Hanukah" or Kwanza or whatever they celebrate to me, I will not be offended! I'll say "Thank you! You too" or "Thank you! Merry Christmas". The fact that they cared enough to wish me a happy (fill in the blank holiday) means a lot to me. I don't care what you celebrate. 

Someone else said that good will prevail. Good will prevail! God is going to win this war. You have to stand up for what is right. "Do what is right; let the consequence follow. Battle for freedom in spirit and might; and with stout hearts look ye forth till tomorrow. God will protect you; then do what is right!" (Do What Is Right, Hymn #237). God will bless you and protect you as you follow Him and listen to and follow His prophets and the Spirit. 

In Relief Society we talked about Christlike attributes, and how we need to think and be like Christ. My first thought was, "Perfect! This goes perfectly with the theme of my blog, Keeping Christ In Your Heart". 

We made a list of the attributes of Christ after watching a video that listed them. Christ is humble, obedient, courageous, kind, selfless, a teacher, submissive, full of love, a healer, a servant, and forgiving. Sister Nelson said that divine nature (like in the Young Women's theme) is the process of developing Christlike attributes. I loved that. We then read in 2 Peter 1:5-7, which added to our list of Christlike attributes:
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." 
When we develop these Christlike attributes, we become more Christlike (I hope that was obvious) and we are closer to being able to live with God again. Christlike attributes help us become a better person. I'm not perfect, and there are some attributes that I need to work on more than others, but trying to be Christlike makes me a better person. These attributes make me more aware of other's needs, though I still need to work on some of them. For example, I need to work on being more patient. That's something that I struggle with, but I'm trying.

Guess what? You can always ask Him for help. :) We don't have to do anything on our own, because we're not alone. We can do it with His help. You can ask Him to help you not feel bad after you've repented. You can ask Him to help you think good thoughts about someone that you don't always get along with. Whatever you need, you can ask Him. Because when we are partners with Him, we can never fail. He is always there looking out for us, even when we stray. He wants us to be like Him, and He wants us to be able to return to Him. He's given us all that we need, and we just need to follow Him. :)

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Because He was born.

So grateful that I was able to have two Christmas-oriented sacrament meetings! My YSA ward last week, and my home ward this week. Both were absolutely beautiful meetings. So grateful for the power of music, and for the testimonies that were shared through the messages of the words sung today, as well as the Spirit that was felt throughout the whole meeting.

I would like to talk about Christ today, since this Friday is Christmas!! I can't believe it! It feels like I just started college, even though I literally just finished it on Friday. It's been a busy semester, and this month has been especially busy as I tried to balance school, work, and thinking about Christ and the true meaning of Christmas.

Jesus Christ was born in the humblest of places: He was born in a stable in Bethlehem. His first bed was a manger filled with hay/straw. His birth is the reason that we celebrate Christmas but Christmas is a time to remember the birth and life of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Last year, I found this quote that I love by Elder Holland:
“You can’t separate Bethlehem from Gethsemane or the hasty flight into Egypt from the slow journey to the summit of Calvary. It’s of one piece. It is a single plan. It considers ‘the fall and rising again of many in Israel’ [Luke 2:34], but always in that order. Christmas is joyful not because it is a season or decade or lifetime without pain and privation, but precisely because life does hold those moments for us." ~Jeffrey R. Holland ("Shepherds, Why this Jubilee?" 2000)
I love this quote. His birth and His Atonement are intertwined. They're part of the same plan. Because He was born, He was able to live a perfect life and be the perfect example to us. Because He was born, He was able to save us. Because He was born, He was able to die for us. Because He was born, He was able to be resurrected after His death. Because He was born, we can live again.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Have courage and be kind.

Well today was a great day! I performed "Oh Holy Night" in sacrament meeting and I was infinitely less nervous to perform today (that may be partly because I wasn't the only one performing today, but it may also be partly because it is a Christmas song and I love Christmas music. Who knows, though) and it was so good! I did so well, and I didn't mess up on some parts that I had trouble with when I was practicing. So that was great! Hats off to my accompanist because she's awesome. :) Sacrament meeting was just so good today. We had seven people/groups perform Christmas numbers, and it was so beautiful and spiritually uplifting. So grateful for my ward and all of the beautifully talented people in it. :)


In Gospel Doctrine, we talked about how God shows His love for us, and how we can show our love for Him. 

God shows His love for us in many ways, but one of the most important ways is that He sent His Son to save us. He loved (and loves us) so much that He sent His Son to die for us so that we could return to Him again. 
We show our love for God by keeping His commandments, and by being His hands and loving and serving those around us. 

In Relief Society, we talked about feeding Jesus' sheep. We talked about loving the people, and serving them. We talked about (for non/less active members) not pushing the gospel onto them. Just be there for them–be their friend, love them, serve them. Show them that you genuinely care, and that you see them. Show them that they mean something to you, and that they're not just a number. Just let them know that someone cares for them, and someone wants the best for them. I love my relief society. The girls in my hall are the BEST!!!! I love them all so much and they have all made me a better person, and they've helped strengthen my testimony and I'm so grateful for them!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

People are imperfect. People make mistakes. But that doesn't mean that God doesn't love them any less. That also doesn't mean that they are worth less. We are all precious in His sight. He wants us all to feel (and be) loved and safe. And since He Himself cannot be here to do so, He sends people to us. He sends us to others. We can be the answer to someone's prayers or needs. "Have courage and be kind." I literally just decided that that is going to be my quote this week: Have courage and be kind. But that quote is also kind of my life motto. I don't care who you are, or what you've done (yes, I accidentally quoted the Backstreet Boys, but I don't care. And it was an accident, I promise) but I will be kind to you. Even if you are not kind to me. I will always be kind to you. Because that is what Jesus would do, and I am trying to be like Jesus. I'm not perfect–far from it–but with and through Christ, I can become perfected. Life can be tough, but I love to make other people happy and I've found that making other people happy makes me happy. And by making other people happy, I make God happy. So it comes full circle because knowing God makes me happy. :)

Sunday, December 6, 2015

The Priesthood, motherhood, marriage, and family.

I've been thinking a lot today about what I want to post today. 

And I got my idea today during sacrament meeting. 

I was watching the young men in my ward pass the sacrament to the congregation, and I was thinking about how grateful I am that the young men in my ward are worthy priesthood holders, and how reverently they pass the sacrament each week. They have the power of God, and they use it reverently and respectfully.  I'm grateful that I have worthy priesthood holders in my life that I can turn to for blessings, and for help.


During this time, I was also thinking about the ordain women movement, and how I don't understand why those women want the priesthood because women have an important power from God, too: the power to create and bear life. The power of creation is a God-like power, and that sacred power was given to women–women are able to bear bodies for the spirit children of God. And then I was thinking of this scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 4:5-6: "And faith, hope, charity, and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence." And as I remembered this scripture, I was thinking of all of the wonderful mothers in my life that I look up to and love, and who display these attributes: my mom, my aunts, my grandmother, and several of my friends (like all of my past Young Women leaders, a few of the girls that I looked up to when I was a new Beehive, and others that I could name specifically but I won't because I don't want to be weird. Plus it would take too much time. Let's just say I have a lot of friends that are moms and I love them to death). Motherhood is a sacred calling and these women fulfill it in their own ways but they each do it beautifully. I'm grateful for their examples of charity, love, and how to be a good mother. 


Men and women both have different roles in Heavenly Father's plan, but that doesn't mean that they are not equal. Their roles are different, yes, but that does not mean that one is more or less important than the other. Men and women have to work togetherIn The Family: A Proclamation to the World, it says, "By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners." Men and women both have different roles to fulfill, but they work together, and are equals in marriage.

I am so grateful for the wonderful examples in my life that show me what a marriage should be like, and I'm so grateful for the temple, in which families can be sealed together forever. I'm grateful that my parents were sealed together and that I get to be with my family forever, and I'm looking forward to the day when I can be sealed to my future husband and we can start our own family together.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Blessings on crazy days.

I feel like I need to say something today. Today was crazy!! I had an a cappella performance tonight so I couldn't work. So a couple of weeks ago I asked if someone could cover for me, and someone said he could. I was like, "Sweet!" So I tried to contact him the other day and make sure that he was still okay with covering for me. Nothing. I was like, "Okay, I'll try again tomorrow." Tomorrow as in yesterday. Nothing. I tried again this morning. NOTHING. By now, I'm freaking out and worried—worried that he wouldn't ever respond; worried that he'd be like, "Actually, I forgot, and now I can't"; worried what I would do. I didn't take my work clothes because I was counting on him to cover for me, but I was worried I'd have to go to work, so I'd have to run from my last class home to change for work—it would be a messI'd be a mess. Anyway, my first class was at noon so I just went to class. Finally, sometime between 1 and 3, I decided to comment on the post on the employee Facebook group that I had posted a couple weeks (make sense? I posted to the group a couple weeks ago and decided to comment again). HE RESPONDED! I was like, "Halle-freakin-lujah! Thank you!" And he was still able to cover for me. So grateful for that tender mercy from my Heavenly Father. He really does care for us and know how to soothe our souls. I love Him and am grateful for Him and His Son—my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am blessed beyond measure to be able to turn to and count on Him for anything and everything. Especially since I am a stresser and a worrier. I'm glad that I can turn to Him—though, I'll be honest, sometimes I get so wrapped up in my worries and stresses that I forget to turn to Him. But when I do remember to turn to Him, He's there, waiting. And He's there, keeping me up, and loving me, no matter what.