Songs and service.

So, today was the day I performed in sacrament meeting! Unfortunately I have not been feeling well the past few days/weeks, and I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a stuffy nose. I was terrified!! I needed to be able to sing today before everyone goes away for the summer! So I drank a LOT of water, took some medicine, took a little nap, and prayed that I would be able to sing well–even if I got worse afterwards. And it went better than I thought it would! So grateful!! Of course, after that I did spiral downwards in health. I am now super tired and extremely sick. It's fine. I will live. I'm just going to go to bed super early tonight.

So, as I was sitting in sacrament meeting, thinking about the Savior, and my upcoming solo, and being nervous (the STAKE PRESIDENT was at sacrament meeting today), my roommate–sensing my nervousness–leaned over, patted my arm, and said, "You're gonna do great." A few moments later, one of my friends in the ward texted me and said the same thing. TENDER MERCIES!! So grateful for their words and love.

Also grateful for the messages in sacrament meeting:
-If you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, you'll be blessed.
-We need to look for and be those positive examples of obedience.

In gospel doctrine, we talked about spiritual gifts, and there were some wonderful things that were said about them, and about how we can gain them, and I wanted to share some:
-We should be acting in accordance with how God sees us, and how we wish to be.
-God doesn't want us to be down on ourselves.
-You have to put in the effort for the spiritual gifts, to be better and them and to better yourself.
-God needs us to bless other people.

In Relief Society we talked about Elder Bednar's talk from the October 2016 conference entitled "If Ye Had Known Me", and we talked about four things he said can help us come to know Christ.
1) Exercising Faith in Him
Nicole shared a scripture that I loved and wanted to share. It's 2 Chron. 14:11, and my favorite line was "It is nothing with Thee to help". I loved that. Whatever we're going through, as long as we have faith, and as long as we have God to help, it is nothing.
2) Following Him
We need to do the work, put in effort. We need to do our part. We can't just leave it all up to Him.
Sometimes we have to put aside our will to follow Him.
Heavenly Father keeps us where we are because He loves us and knows what is best for us, and what we need.
3) Serving Him
Okay, I learned something new today, and this was way cool. So, Elder Bednar said in his talk, "We grow to love those whom we serve." Mosiah 2:17 tells us that when we are in the service of others, we are in the service of God. Ergo, as we come to love those whom we serve, we come to love God. Well, serving others is my favorite way to serve God and love others, so I'm on the right track! :)
4) Believing Him
Believing Him invites perspective and peace into our lives.
This gospel is an eternal gospel. It will last through the eternities.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will always respect the agency of others.
He knows you. He knows your strengths, weaknesses, desires, hopes, dreams, wishes. He knows what you need to feel loved.  He knows that when you're SUPER sick, you're basically a useless worm.
HE KNOWS. He knows it all. And He still loves you.

I am so grateful for my Savior, who stands by me. I am so grateful for my Father in Heaven, who sends me messages of love and comfort through friends. I'm so grateful for the Holy Ghost, who comforts and calms me when I'm nervous or scared. I'm grateful for the love of my Heavenly Parents, my Savior, and the Comforter. I am grateful for their hands in my life. I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to sing in church today. It was so great to share the message of the song "Beautiful Savior" with my ward and my friends (Fun fact: that song is President Acerson's favorite song). I'm grateful for my family, friends, and roommates. It's been a crazy year, of which I will share a little bit next week, so stay tuned. ;)

I love you all! I wish you a blessed Sunday and a happy week!

Xoxo
Mattie

He will.

I came home this weekend because Friday was my Spring Day (I go to BYU and we don't normally have a Spring Break but this year they gave us one day...I'll take it!) and I had some things I wanted to do at home. In addition to that, this weekend was SO needed!! ❤

A week or so ago I was reading about the hymn "I Stand All Amazed" and I remembered that, at the time the hymn was written, 'confused' meant 'in awe', or something like that. I can't find what I read, but I know that I read it! Anyway, as we were singing that hymn before the sacrament, I thought that its line "Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me" holds well with either definition. Or both together. I am indeed awed and confused at the grace that He offers. Awed that He loves me enough, even when I've sinned, and made mistakes, to offer it; and confused as to why He offers it again and again. Some days I think that I'm nothing special–that I'm not worth it. But "I tremble to know that for me he was crucified, That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died." For me. He was crucified for ME. He suffered for ME. I'm worth it. At least, to Him. I've made plenty of mistakes. I've sinned. But still, I am worth it to Him. He hasn't given up on me. So I shouldn't either. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).

A couple of things that were said throughout sacrament meeting and Sunday School today stood out to me, so I just wanted to shared them:
Learning doesn't help until we gain some experience(s).
Our life here on earth is like an apprenticeship.
We don't know the good we do when we share the gospel.

Relief Society was PERFECT! The lesson was one my singles ward did a couple weeks ago, but I really needed it this week. It's the one called, "Daughters of God" and I needed it. Here are some of the things that we talked about/were mentioned:

• Heavenly Father knows you and hears you.
• One woman said that she's always had a hard time with the phrase/word 'meek and submissive' in the scriptures, but that she had recently learned of the meaning of 'meek' in Greek. I'm going to share what I got from what she said and then from what I got doing a simple Google search. She said meekness is a war horse before battle–ready, determined, strong, powerful. In the Google search, I found this, which is essentially the same thing but better: "In the Greek New Testament, 'meek' is from the Greek term praus. It does not suggest weakness; rather, it denotes strength brought under control. The ancient Greeks employed the term to describe a wild horse tamed to the bridle. In the biblical sense, therefore, being meek describes one who has channeled his strengths into the service of God."

I LOVED that! I had never thought before that being meek could have negative connotations, but I am grateful for the sister who brought this new definition of meekness to me.

Another thing we talked about was tender mercies, and how grateful we are for women who listen to the Spirit's promptings and are answers to our prayers. I had such an experience only yesterday. My friend called me out the blue and I was so happy and grateful! It was good to talk to her, seeing as how I don't get to see or talk with her all that often anymore, and I miss her. It was good to know that she was thinking of me. I've been struggling a little lately and the phone call from her was exactly what I needed. ❤

God knows us. He hears us. He knows what we need and who we need it from. He knows your struggles, and your insecurities, and your doubts, and your wants, wishes, needs. He knows it all. He knows YOU and He loves you so, so much. And He will help you become better. He will give you the strength and determination to do what you want/need to. He will give you peace. He will give you the time that you need. He will make it all work out. He will. 

Xoxo

Mattie

Trusting in God can be hard.

I thought last week was going to be crazy. And it was crazy, yeah, but I swear this weekend has been more crazy than every day last week combined. Not only did I work Friday afternoon like normal, and Saturday night like normal, I had to work today, too. We were done by 7:30, which was great. This morning I was SO EXHAUSTED. I don't know why. I went to bed at a relatively decent hour after I got home from work and did some more homework. Still so tired. I took a nap before work today. Still so tired. Plus a pulsing headache (probably from stress+tired Mattie). And even though I did a ton of my homework Saturday I still have a ton to do tonight. I just wanted to get my blogpost out of the way so I don't have to worry about it. :)

Church was great, apart from me being tired.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about who I am as a person, and where I'm going–now, and in the future. While I have hopes and dreams of where I want to be, I know that my plan is just that–a plan. And plans, when made by men, fail. God's plan does not, and I am so thankful God has a plan for me! I'm not entirely sure what it is yet, but I have hopes that the plan I have is at least similar to God's plan for me. Everything has been falling into place for this major. Even if I don't get in this fall, I have a plan to get my grades up and try to apply again next year for fall 2018. I have felt really, really good about this major/plan, which is more than I've felt about anything, including my major plans for last year. Last year, I had no clue on what I wanted to do, and no plans. This year, I still have no clue, but I do have a plan. Trusting in God can be SO hard at times, but He knows what I need, and He knows what I can handle. ❤️

I've come to several conclusions this weekend about parts of myself that I've been working on, and I'm proud of myself because they've been really hard things for me to work on and I'm making a lot of progress, thanks to my Savior. I haven't always been able to work on these things super well, but because I've been thinking more about my Savior, and trusting Him, it's been easier.

One of the last things that was said in Relief Society today was something that I really needed to hear. It was, "He [Heavenly Father] loves you and is proud of you for what you've accomplished." I am so thankful for the ladies (and guys, but this was Relief Society) in my ward who are in touch with the Spirit and who are able to relate to me what my Heavenly Father knows that I need to hear. ❤️

Heavenly Father knows you, loves you, hears you, and answers you. He will always be there to support you. 

Hope everyone has a great upcoming week. I love you all! 

Xoxo
Mattie

Do everything in your power to do your part.

Today was our Stake Conference, which was great. I heard many things I needed/wanted to hear.

One thing that was so funny was one of the speakers (one of the Stake Presidency I believe, but I could be wrong) was talking about how he wanted to get a smokin' body and he said he told that to his wife who said, "Sweetheart, the only way you'll get a smokin' body is if you're cremated" and the whole congregation laughed and went "Ohh" as in "Ohh, burn." It was so funny!

Anyway.

Many awesome things were said today that I LOVED!
So, this talk was about marriage:
-Stop trying to find perfection.
-Do everything in your power to do your part.
-We cannot sit in our apartments or wherever and expect the Lord to bring them to us.
-Heavenly Father knows you and loves you. If you do your part He will direct you.

This talk was about building your foundation and faith in Christ:
-Build your foundation upon Christ.
-Go to Heavenly Father with a teachable heart (specifically when you go to Him with questions but also just always).
-Learn of the Savior–through study and prayer.
-You are engraven upon His palms. <3

-You are loved by Heavenly Father and are precious to Him.
-A testimony is not found over a pulpit, it is shared over a pulpit. It should be found in our own sacred places and in our own lives.
-Christ is the answer.
-Trust in the promise of the Lord.
-God is there. He will never leave you alone.

This talk was about finding Christ through gospel service:
-Matthew 16:24-25. Feed His sheep.
-Peace comes when we take up our cross and serve those around us, as He did.
This I thought was interesting: Anxiety is not an attribute of Christ. With anxiety, we are focused on ourself. Focus on those around you. With that, I know that it is hard. But I also know that when I focus on others, and serve and love them, I really do lose myself and I am not so anxious. I also know that with school, it's so hard to not be anxious about homework assignments and things, BUT some things you just have to let go and go about one day at a time. I know it's hard, but with your Savior, you can do it. :)

This talk was about conversion:
-There is joy when you stop doing what you want to do and start doing what Christ wants you to do.
-Turn and align yourself with God.

-2 Nephi 26:22
-We think we know best and we are not willing to follow the counsel of the Lord.
-Beware of pride.
-We need to be watchful in our lives. Don't let flaxen threads become flaxen cords.

-You are not here by chance. There is a reason you are here. 
-You are prepared to be here. You are among noble and great ones.
-The Lord loves you and is aware of you. Study your patriarchal blessing.

THIS TALK WAS SO CUTE, IT WAS MY FAVORITE!! It was Brother and Sister Childs, who are an older couple who were SO CUTE!!! It was adorable, and my friends and I were all like, "Relationship goals":
-Don't criticize your husband.
-Always keep God in your life.
I loved this: There's somebody out there for you. This is something that I always am thinking about; is there someone out there for me? And hearing it from Sister Childs was a blessing. She's such a sweet lady; I hope to be able to meet her someday. 

President Acerson said that "your value to Him does not change" and I loved that! It's a nice reminder that He will love you always.

Today was a great day full of inspiring messages. I'm blessed to be in such a great stake and ward. So excited to grow as a person this year!

I know that God loves you. He wants to help you return to Him. He sends you who you need when you need them. And He knows you SO WELL, I promise. He knows you. He knows exactly what you need. He loves you and wants to help you grow. So study your scriptures. Say your prayers. Turn to Him always. He is there, and He will help you. I know that you are never alone, and I know that you can always turn to your Heavenly Father and to your Savior. I am so grateful for them. This has been a crazy semester so far and it's only going to get worse but I have been able to keep up with all my projects and homework, for the most part. So blessed to have such a great apartment and friend group. I'm so thankful for my Savior and for His hand in my life. Here's to a great week for everyone!

Xoxo
Mattie

Things are going to get better.

This weekend was General Conference weekend!!!!

So happy to have been able to watch conference this weekend with my friends and roommates! It was a great weekend full of great messages! I am so grateful for our prophet, President Monson, and for his counselors, and for the quorum of the twelve apostles. I heard a lot of things this weekend that I needed to hear. There were a lot of repeats of "God loves you" and "He knows you" and I feel like those were specifically directed to me because I've been struggling a little bit with a couple of things and I just needed that reminder that He knows me and loves me and that I am not forgotten by Him. Other reminders that I needed were ones of "have faith" and remember to study and pray. I'm working on that one. :)

Also. Totally random. Just saw this on Facebook (and I shared it but I feel like this should be seen every week at least) and wanted to share. Sometimes we have rough times. Sometimes things don't go how we planned. Sometimes we think we want one thing and we end up wanting something else. Sometimes we feel alone and lost. But it's okay. We all feel like this sometimes. And guess what? That's okay. You're normal, and you're not alone. You're a wonderful person who is smart, strong, confident, loved, wanted, needed, and has so much going for them. Remember that things are going to get better, and that you can do it. You've gotten through all your hard days before. This one is no different. <3

God didn't bring you this far to abandon you.

It's been a good day! :)

Many great messages were shared today. :)

I had some thoughts during the sacrament meeting that I've never exactly thought about before but I'd like to share them:

We have very few, if more than one, sacrament hymns from the point of view of the Savior, but "Reverently and Meekly Now" is one of my favorite sacrament hymns in general. For some reason, it just makes it [the Atonement] more real to me. Jesus Christ is asking us to think of Him, and of His sacrifice for us. He asks us (well, implores us) to be obedient, prayerful, watchful evermore, and be constant unto Him so that He can be our Savior. He can't be our Savior unless we accept His sacrifice and try to be better. We can't be perfect here on earth, but we can try to become more perfect with His help.

Today was Fast Sunday (because next week is General Conference and the week after is our Stake Conference) and several things were said in people's testimonies that I needed today.
-He loves you. He will never abandon you; only you can abandon Him.
-He knows what we need–in everything.
-He asks us to sacrifice a broken heart and a contrite spirit. He sacrificed everything for us. We can trust Him.
-He is there. You can always rely on Him.
-Our trials don't have to be secret. We have people around us to help us. Through the Savior, we can be made strong (I'm here to help you! I've gone through some crazy things in my life and I will listen and love and not judge, I promise <3).
-Regardless of struggles we face, our Savior is there for us. As we strive to do the little things, they add up and we can receive the light we need/want.
-He feels as we do. He will never, ever leave us.
-He knows us, and He knows what we need.
-He can push the darkness away.
-"Pride is not the solution to shame but the source." Humility is the solution; we need to humble ourselves before Christ.

Went to Gospel Principles today, instead of Gospel Doctrine. It was perfect! We talked about faith. How you don't always know what's going to happen in your life but faith in God can and will help you come to know His plan for you. If we exercise faith, He will manifest Himself to us. Trust in Him and in His power. God has a plan for you. Have faith. Remember the little things.

In Relief Society we talked about Elder Gerrit W. Wong's talk in the April 2016 conference, "Always Remember Him". He has six things we can do to always remember Him:
1. By having confidence in His covenants, promises, and assurances.
–> We can do so much if only we trust in Him.
2. By gratefully acknowledging His hand throughout our lives.
–> There are many miracles in our lives everyday. We just have to look for them.
3. By trusting when the Lord assures us (D&C 58:42; Repentance)
–> There isn't a point of no return. We can be healed and fixed.
4. Remember that: He always welcomes us home.
5. Remember Him on the Sabbath. Especially with the Sacrament.
6. Remember Him as He remembers us.
–> He loves us and is aware of us and is always thinking of us.
-If we ever feel like we can't feel God's love for us, we can just ask Him.
-Isaiah 40:28-31 He will make up the difference.
-As we choose to remember Him, He will bless us.

I was also blessed to be able to watch the General Women's Session of Conference last night. So many great messages that I was so grateful for! Many were ones that I needed. Some of my favorite insights were:
-God is real. He knows you. He loves you. He will not forsake you.
-Faith comes to the humble, the diligent, the enduring.
-There are more ways to see than with our eyes.
-Our faith in Jesus Christ enables us to meet any challenge.
-Hope and healing are not found in the dark abyss of secrecy but in the light and love of our Savior Jesus Christ.

It's been a fantastic weekend full of things that I needed: people I wanted/needed to hear from, things I needed to hear, things I needed to say, things I needed to feel. I'm so blessed! This past week was kind of difficult because as the week progressed on, I felt worse (#beingsick #IFinallyGotIt) but after Friday during the day, it was good. I was able to get a lot of naps this week and so that was definitely a huge factor in my feeling better and of course, being spiritually uplifted this weekend was great. Can't wait for General Conference next weekend!

I'm so thankful for my Heavenly Father, who knows what I need, when I need to hear it, and who I need to hear it from. I found this picture of something that was said today and I loved it and thought that it was almost a perfect summary of the messages this weekend:

He didn't bring you this far to abandon you. He is right beside you, and He will help you. I'm so thankful for the messages that I received this weekend. I am going to do my best to listen and apply. I'm so thankful for my Heavenly Father and for my Savior. I know that I wouldn't be where I am today without Them. I know that They love you and will help you with whatever you need help with, from quitting a bad habit to starting a new good one, and anything else in between. They love you and I know that you can rely on Them to be there for you. <3

Xoxo
Mattie

Make it a lifestyle, not a checklist.

I had the opportunity to sit in church by myself this morning and I was thinking about this during the sacrament: This weekend I had the opportunity to spend time with my mom's side of the family at our family reunion. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that families can be together forever though the sealing power in the temple. I love my crazy, wonderful family and can't imagine life without them. I look forward to the day when I can be sealed to my future husband for time and all eternity. I am so thankful for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which makes correction, perfection, resurrection, and eternal families possible. <3

Here's some messages I heard throughout today (and some I came up with because of something I heard) that I loved and wanted to share:
-The Lord is there to save us when we walk towards Him. Even when we doubt, He still saves us. He will always save us.
-In striving to be better, we need to rise above challenges and trials. They are tailored uniquely to us. Even if someone has gone through something similar, they do not and cannot understand how you felt during that trial. Only Jesus Christ has, can, and does understand how you feel.
-Ask for opportunities to be better! God will hear you and help you grow.
-Mistaks are a part uv the jurney. ;)
-"We get credit for trying." (Elder Holland, "Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You"). Get back up and try again.
-One of the speakers shared some of the last words his father spoke, and one of the things he said that I loved was that, "Good things come to those who work hard for them."
-Alma 37:6. Take time for the small things that matter.
-Finding how the Lord communicates with you is so essential.
-An overall message of the Book of Mormon is to be spiritually born again and again and again (We are human, and the natural man is sometimes overpowering, and we have to strive to do right and be spiritually born again).
-Believing is so important. We need to have faith and believe.
-Just believing is okay. There is nothing wrong with believing and not having a knowledge of something.
-Strive to be worthy always so you may attend the temple.
-In following the commandments and trying to be worthy to attend the temple: Strive. Try. Make it a lifestyle, not a checklist. (I loved that last line. It applies to many aspects of the Gospel)
-The work we do in the temple is not just for us. It's for those who have gone before us.
-Don't take for granted the things you see every day.

In Relief Society, I shared a story of when I went to the temple this past year. One of my friends asked if I wanted to go with her and some others, and I said yes because I did. It was a great evening–I felt seen, loved, and wanted, and I received answers to my prayers. It was a very spiritual experience and I will never forget it. <3

I'm so thankful for inspired messages and comments. I heard many things today that I loved and that helped me in many ways. I'm so grateful for my Heavenly Father, who knows what I need to hear and how. I'm so thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for His atoning sacrifice, because without Him I would not be who I am today. He has helped me heal and grow in a way that I would not have been able to do by myself. I am still growing and healing, but I know that I can do it with the help of my Savior. <3 I know that you can do it, too. He is there for you through everything, and if you ever want to talk, I am willing to listen, and I want you to know that your Heavenly Father will always listen to you. He hears you–every word.

Xoxo
Mattie

One.

Today I was able to go to my friend's farewell talk, and I'm so excited for her–I know that she will do great things and I know that she is well-prepared–and I am grateful for her example, and I am so blessed to have gotten to know her. :)

Today was also my first Sunday back home, and it was great! A little hard, because I miss my friends, but also really great, because I was welcomed back with loving words and open arms. :)

There were a lot of great things that I learned today, but I want to focus on just one thing today: one. 

Now, that may seem confusing but bear with me. 

Everything is about the one–one soul. You. 

Heavenly Father loves you. Jesus Christ atoned specifically for you. Everything He does, He does for you. He wants you to return to live with Him. He wants you to become more like Him. He wants you to show others that He loves them, and wants them to return to Him. He wants you. If you had been the only person on earth, Jesus Christ still would have suffered the Atonement for you.

In Luke 15:4-7, it says, "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repententh, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."

In this parable, Jesus teaches to go after the one. Why? Because they're important. A lot of lives can be changed by one person. But, most importantly, that person's life can be changed if they're saved. 

You are important. You are loved. You are enough. God's love for you is infinitely more than anyone on earth's love for you (even though I love you a lot, God loves you waaaay more). He loves you as you. He loves your personality. He loves the way that you smile when you're happy. He loves the way that your eyes sparkle when you're sharing something that you love with a friend. He loves the way that you love. He loves the way that you know when you've done something wrong and you try to fix it. He loves everything about you, and He loves you perfectly. 

He knows your struggles, and He knows your pain, and He knows how to help you through them. No one else knows exactly how you feel. But He does. And He wants to save you. You just have to let Him in. This is the 2014 Mutual theme, and I love it, and I had to share it because that line (you just have to let Him in) is sung in the song. And also, it's a good song. Let Him in–He's calling your name, and He is waiting for YOU! :)

It will all be okay.

Now, I know I already posted today, but that was about my birthday. :)

This weekend was stake conference, and there were many messages shared that I needed to hear, so I will just share some of my favorites.

-We are not converted to the church but to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
-The Plan of Happiness (or Salvation) was created for families.
-Conversion is a process.
-God gives us commandments because He loves us. He wants us to grow and become a better person.
-Be a Latter-day Saint.
-Sanctification is a process.
-Sanctification is yielding our hearts to God.
-Never give up on yourself.
-The body and spirit are the soul of man.
-We are dual beings. We have a physical body and a spiritual body.
-Heavenly Father speaks us through our spirits by way of the Holy Ghost. Only you can discern his voice for yourself.
-God loves us, speaks to us, guides us, and teaches us.
-He will guide you along your path.
-Stay in tune.
-Let the Holy Spirit be your guide.
-All good things in your life come from a loving Heavenly Father.
-He knows you better than you do.
-Be a little more. A little more Christlike, a little more patient, a little more loving, a little more kind, etc.
-When we open our hearts and souls to the Lord, He will change us.
-The Gospel changes everything. The Gospel is full of effort every day.
-We must return with honor, and we must bring someone with us.

Those were all great messages, but these ones are the ones that I really needed to hear:
-Heavenly Father loves you.
-He has given you the gift of the Holy Ghost.
-Pray to Him! He knows you and loves you.
-It will all be okay.

That last message–It will all be okay–is my favorite. I really needed that message, and I'm so grateful that Sister Carden shared it with us Saturday night. It's been an edifying and uplifting weekend and I am so grateful for the messages that our leaders shared with us. I am so grateful for my Savior, and for my Heavenly Father, and for Their hands in my life. I am glad that I can count on Them because They know what is best for me, and They know how to help me change and become the great person that They know I can be. I am not perfect, but I am trying to be the best that I can be. <3

He loves you so much.

Today was such a good meeting!! In testimony meeting, everyone kept talking about how Christ will always be there for you and He will always love you. Another repeated topic was that, "I use the Atonement every single day." One of my friends said in her testimony today, "If Christ is not the center of your life, what is?" That really struck me, and I feel like someone needs to hear it. Make the necessary adjustments so that He is the center of your life, and your life will realign itself and be easier to bear–it won't be easy, but it will be easier if He is the center of your life. <3

In Relief Society, we talked about the Sacrament, and how it is a gift from God, and a time to reflect on the past week, and think about what we can do in the upcoming week to be better. We also talked about how our thoughts, actions, and choices should emulate Christ. We talked about how the Atonement is there for us, even if we don't use it. He has already paid the price–He sacrificed His life so that you could return to live with our Heavenly Father–the least we can do is accept Him and not let His sacrifice be in vain. <3

I know that He lives. I know that He loves us, and I know that He is always there for you, and that He will always send you the things, people, and experiences you need (to grow stronger, and to comfort and love you) when you need them. I know this because I know that He knows me, and I know that He knows YOU. 

I am so grateful for Him, and for His sacrifice, and His love, and His blessings. I know that I will be blessed as I follow Him and try to become more like Him in every way. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

He always will.

I know I've posted a lot this week, but I still have to post something today. :) God knows you. He knows your thoughts, He knows your dreams, and He knows your deepest desires. And He loves you. Despite whatever you have done–despite all your sins, He still loves you, and He always will. <3

I feel my Saviour's love for me.

I feel my Saviour's love for me through other people, especially my mom and all the women in my life that I look up to. Through their examples, and the love that they have for me, I feel my Saviour's love. Just like the primary song, "I feel my Saviour's love In all the world around me His Spirit warms my soul Through everything I see He knows I will follow Him Give all my life to Him," I am able to feel His love for me as I walk through the world, and as I follow the example of the women that I look up to. I love that Heavenly Father knows exactly how to help me feel His love. 

Heavenly Father knows what you need.

I'm so glad that my Heavenly Father knows exactly what I need even when I don't! Tonight was the General Women's Meeting and it was absolutely fabulous! I'm so glad I got to watch. Sometimes you don't know you have a question until you hear the answer. I heard lots of things that I just needed to hear. So thankful my Heavenly Father knows me so well!! :)