He brings peace.

First, I would just like to say that I made it through my first week of the new semester!! Friday and Saturday were just a tad busy (okay, a lot busy) but everything went smoothly, which is so great! I wasn't really that worried about it, but when it came time for those days, all of a sudden my brain went into "Oh my gosh, I'm going to be so busy today!" mode and then I was kind of worried, but everything went fine, and then as the day went by, I became a lot calmer. I know that that was because of Christ, which leads into what we talked about in Relief Society today.

Today in Relief Society we talked about the peace that comes from Christ. It was a lesson that I really needed, and so I'm grateful to Sheridan and Lexi for their time in preparing the lesson, and I'm grateful for all of the girls that commented today–I really needed to hear what a lot of them said. Sheridan said something at the beginning of the lesson that I loved: "The only way we can have peace is through God." I loved that. We read several scriptures about peace that I absolutely love and I thought I would just share them all! :)

John 14:27–"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
John 16:33–"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
John 14:6–"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me."

That last one isn't directly about peace, but it gives me peace, knowing that I can come to [know] my Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ.

One of the questions that Sheridan and Lexi asked was this: "How can we receive the peace Christ offers?" I loved what some of the girls answered. Someone said that you have to be open to receive it. The way to do that is to study your scriptures. Another girl said that you can ask Him for peace. It might not come right away, but it will come. :)

Another thing we talked about was that loving others brings you peace. This is my favorite because it's so true. Loving and serving others does bring me peace. It takes me away from my troubles, even if for a brief moment, and, in that moment, not only do I get to share God's love with others, I get to feel His love for me from their gratitude, and from the peace and love that the Spirit gives to me, whispering to me, "You did right."

We also talked about how the Savior can help us find peace regardless of the turmoil around us. This is when I shared my story about this weekend that you already read up at the top but if you don't remember I will share it again (in slightly different words but not but yes): Friday and Saturday were really busy days for me. I wasn't really that worried about it when I thought about it Wednesday or Thursday evening, but when it came time for Friday and then Saturday, all of a sudden my brain went into "Oh my gosh, I'm going to be so busy today!" mode and then I was a bit worried, but everything went fine, and then as the day went by, I became a lot calmer. I know that that was because of Christ. I also know that even though I don't turn to Him as often as I should (I'm trying to be better about that), He will still be there, and He will still help me. I said something during this relaying of events that went like this: Even if we're traveling through a hurricane of turmoil and events, I know that if we stand, even just for a brief moment or two, we can feel the peace of Christ, and that moment of peace can carry us till the storm ends.

The last thing we talked about was that by fixing our eyes on Jesus, we can triumph over elements that would destroy peace. This is so true. By focusing on Jesus (which, coincidentally, is one of my New Year's Resolutions), everything else will fall into place, and He will bring peace to your heart and soul. In conjunction with this, Sheridan relayed the time when Jesus walked on water in the midst of a terrible storm, and after he realized it was Jesus, Peter jumped out of the boat to walk with Him, but as soon as his eyes fell upon the water, he started to sink, and said, "Lord, save me", and Jesus lifted His hand to Peter and said, "O thou of little faith, [why] didst thou doubt?" Your lifeguard walks on water. He will NEVER let you drown.

I know that He brings peace. I know that He is the Son of God. I know that He helps me carry my burdens when I'm overwhelmed, stressed, or frustrated. I know that when I can't continue on carrying it, that He will lift and carry most of it for me. I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father, and I am so grateful for their love, and their faith in me, and their patience, and their help. I'm so grateful for the Atonement, and for the peace that it gives me. Life is sometimes really hard, but I know that I am not alone, and that brings me peace.