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. :)

Mattie's guide to being happy, kind, and Christlike.

Always be optimistic.

Just smile. 

Thank everyone. 

Don't forget to be kind. 

Never make someone feel bad for doing something nice when the time isn't ideal for them (or you). 

Xylophones are fun to mess around on. If you get a chance, do it! 

Hey, wait! Don't forget to be patient! That's important. 

Respect others, even if you disagree with what they are doing/believe in. It's their decision/belief. Not yours. 

Be available. If someone needs to talk, and they turn to you, listen. They came to you because they trust you. 

Love everyone. Someone may not have someone to love them, and someone may feel unloved. Don't let them feel like they don't have someone who loves them, and don't let them feel unloved. 

To sum up: Be optimistic, be happy, be grateful, be kind, be compassionate, be fun, be patient, be respectful, be available, and be loving. :)

This world is going to get a whole lot worse before it ever gets better—though I'm not sure that it is going to get better—so it's important to remember that we are all people. We all have problems and we all make mistakes. If everyone was just kind to everyone, and wasn't mean to each other, all of our problems would be over. So be kind. Even if no one else is. Be respectful. Even if they're not. Smile. You could make someone's day. Just be as Christlike and compassionate as you possibly can. You'll be blessed. :)

Happiness.

Happy. Love. Service. Attitude. Optimism. These are all words that can be used to describe how one feels or how one's personality usually is. Someone can just always have a positive attitude or outlook to life. Someone can do everything they do with love. Someone can do all things service. Someone can do all things with a bit of attitude. And finally someone can always be optimistic in everything. Now, I'm sure you've noticed that they all have something in common except one. If you guessed "attitude", then you were correct. If not, well...better luck next time. Most of these four nouns and one adjective are all happy, bright words use to describe things in positive and uplifting ways. The best way to become like Christ is to act like Him. And the way He acts is some of the words I said: service, love, happy, optimism. Christ never did anything in any selfish attitude, nor for any glory. The glory is His Father's, and He knows that. I think that's how we can live. Live and act knowing that the glory is all God's, and live with a purpose; of happiness, service, or love. But where there's one of these, there is usually the other. You can't serve someone without loving them. You can't serve without being happy. Just remember that's it's all in the attitude. Your attitude depends upon all of these things. As does your happiness. So, try to be the best you can be, and pray for your friends and family. And, don't worry; be happy. :)