Hard is good.

I think I'm just going to stop saying, "It's been a crazy week" and let you guys assume it's been a crazy week. 🤣 Despite the craziness of the last couple weeks, however, I am feeling really blessed this weekend. This week, I've been able to be comforted and feel peace. Currently I have really mainly stressed about life after graduation, but I've realized I don't have to be. I've learned that sometimes I overthink things and I just need to make a decision. God wants me to do what I want to do. I've been asking Him for guidance, and I've been so focused on what He wants me to do, but I think that He wants me to know that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter whether I stay in Provo or Lehi, or even if I leave Utah. As long as I follow my heart.

In the April 2017 General Conference, Sister Linda K. Burton gave a talk entitled, "Certain Women" that I really loved. Certain, in this case, means, "positive", "convinced", "definite", "firm", and "dependable". She said that "certain women are disciples centered in the Savior Jesus Christ and have hope through the promise of His atoning sacrifice." I loved that! Certain women have so much faith in our Savior and sacrifice so much to serve and bless the lives of those around them. I love this talk so much because it shows so many examples of righteous women who never gave up on their Savior. And I'd love to be just like them someday. I am trying every day to center my life on Christ and have faith and hope in His atoning sacrifice.

Sometimes my life doesn't always go the way that I want it to. But every week I try again. Every day, actually. And I am not always perfect at it. But I am trying. And that's all that God asks. He asks that I do my best. And some days...some days my best is not as much as it was the day before...but it is still my best. And that is all that matters.

Sometimes it's hard to understand why things happen the way that they do, and why we all have different personal struggles. But it's important to remember that not only do we all learn in different ways, but hard is good. We learn more when we are being challenged, and all of the trials and struggles in our life lead us to improvement. You can't know happiness if you don't know sorrow. You can't know love if you don't know hate. You can't know peace if you don't know turmoil. 

Elder Stanley G. Ellis said, "In the world of nature, hard is part of the circle of life. It is hard for a baby chick to hatch out of that tough eggshell. But when someone tries to make it easier, the chick does not develop the strength necessary to live. In a similar way, the struggle of a butterfly to escape the cocoon strengthens it for the life it will live." 

Why should we be any different? We all have challenges. The only difference is how we react to those challenges. If we embrace the challenges, and use them to better ourselves, we can grow, and become stronger, and then the Lord will be able to use us to help others around us. 

I find that in the midst of my challenges and trials, when I take the time to visit the temple, read my scriptures, ponder, and pray, life makes a lot more sense. I am able to see beyond the trials and trust in my Father in Heaven. Sometimes it doesn't always work, I won't lie to you. There are some things that I can't see beyond–and trusting that Heavenly Father knows what is best for me in that moment is slightly difficult–but because things have worked out in the past and I have been able to see connections and find answers, I am able to just hope and have faith. I hope that things will work out and I have faith that Heavenly Father knows what is best for me, and that I am on the right path. 

I know that Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us, and I know that He only wants what is best for us. He wants us to be the best that we can be, and He wants us to turn to Him for help and guidance on our journey back to Him. 

Xoxo

Mattie

General Conference brings answers, blessings, and peace.

What a weekend it's been!! It was General Conference weekend!!! And there were a lot of messages shared that I definitely needed. 💜 And there were some changes to the Sunday meetings schedule that are going to have a wonderful impact on our church, I just know it.

I am so thankful for the love that our Heavenly Father has for us!! I am so grateful for the love that I have felt from Him this weekend!! I had many answers to prayers and questions that I've had, and I am just so overwhelmed with all of the love and knowledge that I've felt and heard. I'm grateful for my Father in Heaven and for all of the messages that I knew were just for me! The most amazing thing about conference is that everyone can find and hear messages just for them! The messages that we all hear are the same, but somehow we all get different things out of them. I love that about our church!

I am blessed to be able to to listen to and learn from our church leaders! General Conference is my favorite time of the year! God knows exactly what I need to hear long before I know that I'm going to need to hear it. Our leaders prepare for their talks long before conference. They prayerfully consider many topics, and they make sure that what they are going to be saying is pleasing to God. I am so blessed to have a loving Father in Heaven who cares so much about me!! He cares that I feel like I have no purpose, and so He inspires many of our leaders to help guide me, and answer my question: I do have a purpose! My purpose is to be God's disciple! My purpose is to help minister to my fellow brothers and sisters here on earth. I am here to share love.

Earlier this week I had an experience and wanted to share, so here's what I wrote:

Sometimes blessings come in disguise. You might be looking for a specific answer from God, but what you get instead is a prompting that–once you’ve followed it–results in the reassurance that you are doing His work. And you have a purpose. I’ve had a pretty interesting week, but I decided that I wanted to share messages with a few of my friends this week via text. I looked and looked through conference talks and the scriptures that I thought each person would need, and when I found one that resonated with me, I sent it to them, with a few comments of my own. And what happened surprised me, though in retrospect it shouldn’t have. Each friend responded with something like, “That was exactly what I needed, thank you”, and I can’t help but be grateful. I am grateful for my Father in Heaven, who showed me through a simple prompting just how much of an impact I make, and reminded me how I actually do have a purpose (I still don’t know how exactly to word said purpose 😂 but I do know that I have one). And I might not always see it, and I might not ever understand why I often feel like I don’t have a purpose or make an impact here on Earth, but I do know that if you ask Him to show you–if you ask Him for an answer, and for help–He will answer you. At the time that you need it the most, He will answer you. 💜💜💜💜

I know how to word my purpose now. My purpose is to be His disciple. My purpose is to share love. I am grateful for the prompting that I got this week to share some messages with my friends, and I am grateful for the blessing of receiving an answer to my purpose in life.

I am grateful for all of the messages and ideas that I have received this weekend through our prophets and leaders. There couldn't have been a better weekend to follow a rough week. I am feeling loved, blessed, wanted, needed, and full of purpose. I still have many answers that I need, but that's okay. I have what I need to get started, and I think that once I get started, more answers will come.

God is so wonderful. He blesses me, loves me, and reminds me that I do have a purpose, and that I am here for a reason. My life is unique–my story has never been told before–and He wants me to experience many things so that I can share my story with others, and so that I can empathize with others. He wants and needs me to be a blessing to others. I hope and pray that I have been a blessing to others in the past, and I hope that I can continue to be a blessing to others in the future.

God loves ALL His children!! I know He does!! He has a bigger plan for us than we can even see, I know it! We don't know everything about this world, about God's plan for us, or even about our purpose in life, but I do know one thing: We know enough. We do. I promise. I know that God is our Father, that He loves us (all of us–no matter what!), and that He wants what is best for us. Our idea of what is best for us is different than His idea, but He will bless us and help guide us to who He needs us to be.

I know that there are a lot of things wrong with the world, but I also know that there are a lot of good things right with the world. God has blessed us with the ability to choose for ourselves right from wrong. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes, but we can learn from our mistakes and start over.

God is great. I know He loves us, and I know that we are all His daughters and sons.

I'm grateful for the experiences I've had this weekend, and for the time I've spent with friends. I'm blessed to be surrounded by wonderful and loving friends, and that they are always there for me and are great examples to me.

Xoxo
Mattie

Being a disciple of Christ.

Being a disciple of Christ means that I am always trying to be like Him, no matter what. I am a representative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and that means that people look to me when they want to know what we stand for. I know that sometimes there are some members of the church who have some split standards or something, and people think that that's how all members act, but it's not. I am very firm in my beliefs and standards and I am quite happy with the way that I live. I do not swear, I dress modestly, I am kind to others, I believe in others, I give others the opportunity to live as they will, even if I don't always approve. Also, I am happy to answer any questions that anyone may have to the best of my abilities. If I can't, I can direct you to places/people who can. :)