Whatever He promises to you will happen in time.

You only get one life. You only get once chance to live. Are you going to waste it waiting for opportunities? Or are you going to make your own opportunities? Are you going to take chances, make mistakes, get messy? Are you going to try out for the job or audition for the part? Or are you going to wait for them to come to you? Are you going to take charge of your own life? Or are you going to let your life take charge of you?

I've been thinking a lot this week about the future. Mainly because I have no idea what I want to do with the rest of my life. But also because the whole idea of the future is odd, because it's equal parts intriguing and terrifying. It's intriguing because there are so many possibilities. It's terrifying because there are so many possibilities and I don't know which ones are going to happen, or when. However, as I was reading in 1 Nephi 3 this week, verses 7 and 16 stood out to me. 

Verse 7 is the one in which Nephi states that he knows "the Lord giveth no commandment unto to the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." I love this scripture because it's a reminder to me that whatever God has commanded me to do, He will prepare the way. And whatever He has promised me...will come in time. 

Verse 16 says, "let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord". As we keep His commandments, He will bless us. And previously kept commandments make way for other commandments to be kept, and for other blessings to be given to us. 

Heavenly Father knows us. He really does. He loves us so much. He knows what we want. He knows what hurts us. He knows what makes us happy. He knows what helps us through our difficult times. He knows the best things for us. He wants what is best for us, but He also knows and realizes that we have our agency. So He doesn't make us do anything we don't want to do—He won't make us do anything we don't want to do. 

God blesses us and works in mysterious ways. It's hard not to jump ahead in the story sometimes, but we have to let it play out. Because sometimes it's not meant to go the way we want it to go. Sometimes it's meant to go in a different direction to help us get to the right storyline, the right path, and heading in the right direction. There's a lot that we don't know, and there's a lot that we can't control. So we just have to accept that. It's hard sometimes, but once you come to that understanding, and you are ready to move forward in your life with faith...then everything just starts to make sense, and fall into place. And sometimes you'll get a roller coaster of "Yes, this makes sense", "Um, what just happened?" "Oh, I see now", etc. And that's okay. Life isn't easy. It's not all puppies and rainbows. Sometimes there are thorns. 

One thing that I want is I want God to let me know that He understands me–that He knows what I'm going through, and He knows how I feel. I know that He does, but sometimes I just don't feel it. And I have been hoping and praying this week to feel it. And there were a couple instances, looking back, that I know He answered my prayer. I hope that I can see more answers in the upcoming weeks. 

I love my Heavenly Father so much. I am so thankful for all that He does for me. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to work at Bear Lake this summer. I know that there are things here I have to learn, or experience, and I know that I am going to grow this summer. I know that all of my coworkers are meant to be in my life right now. I'm so glad to call them my friends and I hope that we will have many more amazing adventures this summer. 

God loves you very much, and He is watching out for you every day. He knows what you are going through and He will help you through it if you ask Him.

I found this quote: "The struggle you're in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow."  I really liked that. Everything we go through is helping prepare us for tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Let it boost you up, and strengthen you. You'll be able to do many amazing things. I promise. 

I hope you have a great week!! I'm so excited! This next weekend I get to go home for the Fourth of July!! I'm so excited!! It'll be nice to be home for a couple of days! 

Xoxo

Mattie

Daily scripture study changes lives.

Man, what a week!! We had our first group of scouts, and it was crazy! But we did it!! We had a lot of challenges, as is expected with teen boys, but we learned and grew as a staff. Next week will bring more challenges and lessons but it will be worth it!

I have really been blessed this week as I've studied my scriptures each night. I'm able to get more out of my experiences here at camp, and I am able to be more in tune with the Spirit, as well as be more determined and capable of working hard. This week I've been reading in First Nephi Chapters 1 and 2. There are a couple of things that stood out to me that I thought were profound and wanted to share. 

One thing I noticed was that in chapter one, Nephi makes a statement that he is first going to be making an abridgement of his father's record, and then he will make his record. How awesome is that? Nephi was doing family history before it was cool. I recently finished a book series by Richard Paul Evans, entitled The Walk. And there is a part in one of the books where the main character's father writes the history of his family at least three generations back. And I just thought, "how cool is that?" Family history is becoming a worldwide thing. And Nephi did it before it was cool. 

In chapter two, Nephi says that the Lord "did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father". Which means that Nephi, at one point, did not fully believe. However, unlike Laman and Lemuel, he did not harden his heart, so he was able to be converted, and believe his father's words.

I know that daily scripture study changes lives. I've seen the impact that it has on not only my life, but my friends' lives. I've seen the wonderful changes in them that it has had. I'm grateful to have so many wonderful examples of how important daily scripture study is. And I'm grateful to be blessed with so many amazing people to love and look up to. I know they love me, too, even when we're miles and miles apart.

I'm really grateful for the scriptures. I'm grateful for Joseph Smith's sacrifices to translate the Book of Mormon. I'm grateful for Mormon, and his dedication to abridging the book and making sure everything we would need is in there. I'm grateful for the pieces of truth that they hold, and for the ones that I've learned this week as I've studied them. I'm grateful for the light that they bring to my life. I'm grateful for the beauty of Bear Lake, and for my wonderful co-workers. I'm blessed each and every day by their examples, humor, service, and love. It's been a hard week but we've gotten through it together, and we all build each other up as often as we can. It's been an amazing experience and I can't believe we're going to be on week three this week!!

I'm grateful for my Father in Heaven, and for the love that He shows me each and every day. I'm grateful for the beauty of the world around me, and for the chance I have this summer to be surrounded. I'm grateful for my Savior, and for His sacrifice and love. Since it's Father's Day, I can't forget my own dad. I love him so much! I'm grateful for all that he does for me. I'm grateful for all the father figures in my life—my uncles, grandpas, and the other men in my life that I look up to. You are all wonderful examples of what real men are supposed to be like. Thank you for showing me how a man is supposed to treat the women in his life. Thank you for being willing to serve. And thank you for being willing to be soft and emotional, even when the world tells you you need to be tough and stoic.

I hope everyone is having a great summer!! Don't forget to wear sunscreen and drink water!! And remember who you are, and whose you are. God loves you very much and has many blessings in store for you. Be patient and remember that everything will work out in the end. Love you!! 💜

Xoxo
Mattie

That's all we can do.

Well my first week at camp is over!!! Man has it been a CRAZY week!! There's been a lot of things happening, but it's been really fun overall! I'm so tired and sore but I'm sure that it will get better in the upcoming week(s) as I get used to all the physical activity that my body is going through. 

There are a lot of things that I learned this week already! Here's a few of them:

1) It's difficult to cook for a ton of teenage boys!! They really like to eat!

2) All boys have the same sense of humor. They think they're so funny but after the first few times, my response is just a groan of annoyance. 

3) Every little thing will be all right. Somehow you'll make it through the day. 

4) Sometimes you have to take a day because you're not feeling well, and that's okay. It's better to rest and build up your strength than to run yourself weary. 

I decided to start reading the Book of Mormon from the very top this week. And I wanted to include the introduction, the testimonies, and the brief explanation of the Book of Mormon. And I discovered something I'd never noticed before. In the brief introduction, it states that, "The original title page, immediately preceding the contents pages, is taken from the plates and is part of the sacred text. Introductions in a non-italic typeface, such as in 1 Nephi...are also part of the sacred text." I had always known that the chapter headings were an addition to the book to let the reader know what's going on. I had little to no idea (AKA either absolutely no idea, or I hadn't consciously made the connection) that the title page and non-italic headings were actually part of the gold plates. I think that's so cool.

I was reading in Joseph Smith's testimony the other day and one thing that I noticed that I have never noticed before was the fact that Joseph actually saw Moroni go up into heaven! I think that that's so amazing! One thing that I really admire about Joseph is just how much he tried to obey God, and how hard he tried to learn from his mistakes. He wasn't perfect, but he really tried to do his best. And that's all that we can do. 

Don't give up. Just because you've made a miatake—big or small—doesn't mean that it's the end of the world. It's just a stumbling block...a learning curve/experience that will help you become a better person. Pick yourself up—or ask for someone to help you up—and try again. Because that's all we can do. Try again. We're not perfect, and we're going to make mistakes. Sometimes we'll make the same mistakes over and over again. Just remember: You are loved. God wants you to prevail. He loves you and trusts you, and wants you to come home to Him. And He is going to do all He can to make sure that you can come home if you want to. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Summer is always a great opportunity to try something new and to have a lot of fun! I'm grateful for the experiences that I've already had this week and I'm looking forward to having many more this summer! I hope you guys do something fun this week!! :)

Xoxo

Mattie

He can't answer us if we don't listen.

So, for the rest of the summer, until I'm back home from Bear Lake, my blog schedule and posting will be slightly different. I don't have wifi at camp, but we go to Garden City on Sunday for sacrament meeting, where there is wifi. I'm going to work on my blog posts on Saturday now, and post them on Sunday right after church, instead of working on them Sunday afternoons. I will still try to incorporate things I've learned in previous Sunday lessons, but mainly it will probably be a lot of just personal thoughts that I've had during the week as I've studied my scriptures and hung out with the scouts and staff. I don't entirely know, though, so we'll see what happens. :)

This week was CRAZY!! Not only was I still packing to prep for camp (which I left for on Friday), but it was the last week of school for my siblings, I volunteered to help at my brothers' school for field day, and my brother graduated from high school!! It was a fun week though! Lots of family time. :)

Today, I want to talk about understanding and recognizing the Spirit. In my Book of Mormon, I have a little note that I wrote awhile back. It says, "Have faith and try again". When I wrote it, I think I intended for it to be about my goal to be reading the scriptures and praying daily. While I still will apply it to that, it can be applied to almost anything. Are you struggling to be kind to someone who is always mean to you? Have faith and try again. Are you struggling to understand how to be patient? Have faith and try again. Anything you are struggling with–have faith and try again. With God, you can do anything you put your mind to.

As I was studying my scriptures last night, I wrote a few notes and wanted to share a couple of them. 

I was reading in Moroni 10:32, which says, "Yea, come into Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." And I was thinking to myself, Heavenly Father wants me to succeed. He wants all of us to succeed. He has given us all specifically what we need to succeed. But we have to go to Him. We have to do our part. He can't help us if we don't listen. 

Again, Moroni 10, but verses 4-5, which says, "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." And I thought to myself, You need faith and an open mind to be able to hear the Spirit and receive revelation and answers.

He can't answer us if we don't listen. And He can't answer us if we don't have faith. Having faith requires letting go of what you want and believe, and trusting that Heavenly Father will give us an answer. Sometimes it won't be the answer we wanted, but it will be the answer we need to succeed. Because that's all He wants for us. He wants us to succeed, and return to live with Him again. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! It's June! And summertime! And time-for-adventure time! Remember to be safe, and wear sunscreen when you're going outside. And remember that God loves you, and that I love you. Life is better when you have friends that you love and live for. 💜

Xoxo

Mattie

It's up to us to turn towards Him.

I was reading in Alma earlier this week and had the thought that the Lamanites and Nephites had many cycles of righteousness and wickedness, and Heavenly Father gave them many second chances. I, too, have had many cycles of righteousness and 'wickedness', and Heavenly Father has given me so many second chances. I am so thankful for that! This week has been a difficult week in several ways but I've made it and am totally pleased with my choices. Hopefully this next week will be a lot easier. I've really been blessed these past couple weeks. I don't think we realize just how much a part of our lives our Savior and Heavenly Father are. I'm so thankful for their part in my life. I'm getting ready to go to Bear Lake this summer for work and I've been super stressed about it, but the last 24-ish hours I have been on top of the ball! I have to finish making my shopping list and then go shopping tomorrow, and then I have to finish packing. I'm excited for all the fun adventures that are going to happen this summer, but I'm nervous I'm going to forget something. But I'm trying to be positive, and in control of my anxiety and depression. Some days it's hard, and I feel lost, lonely, and unloved, but I know I'm not alone, I know I'm loved, and I know that my Savior is with me, so I know I'm really not lost. He knows where I am, and I just don't know where I am yet.

There's a song by Hilary Weeks that I love. It's called "Where I Am" and it's talking about how when Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are with us, we know where we are. I'm not always sure of where I am...lately I've been feeling really lost...but I know that as long as I am trying to do the right things, and as long as I am trying to be closer to my Savior...I don't need to worry. Because if I am not going in the right direction, He'll let me know. I can count on Him to guide me in the right direction.

One of the speakers in sacrament meeting said that, "Charity is something you acquire, and make a part of you... True charity is love in action. You are the gift. Fill the hunger for human connection... More isn't always better. Sometimes it's just more." I really loved this! Charity is a way for us to connect with other people! Deep down, everyone craves connection. Charity is a way for us to help create this connection between those who need and want it...and those who can show them love. The last thing that she said was that more isn't always better. I loved that. Sometimes, we go out of our way and over the top to show someone we love them, or to help someone in need...but sometimes all they need is someone to listen. Sometimes all they need is someone to watch their kids. Sometimes all they need is someone to tell them they are loved. Something simple, sweet, short.

I loved what the other speaker in sacrament meeting talked about. He talked about how Jesus grew. He brought up this scripture, Luke 2:52, which reads: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." One thing that I noticed while he was talking about this scripture was really interesting:

• Wisdom = Mentally
• Stature = Physically
• Favour with God = Spiritually
• Favour with man = Socially

It states specifically in the scriptures that Jesus grew and increased in all of the areas that we all struggle with! At one time or another, we have all struggled (or will struggle with) at least one of these, if not all of them. And Jesus knows how we feel!! Not just because He felt our personal struggles when He atoned for us, but because He, too, experienced it for Himself! That is so amazing!! 

He also brought up the talk by Elder Massimo De Feo of the Seventy entitled "Pure Love: The True Sign of Every True Disciple of Jesus Christ", from the last General Conference. He talked about how Elder De Feo's mother was not a member of the church, and she was sick, and asked her son to teach her how to pray. Elder De Feo goes on to say, "How can someone who is in such great pain pray for someone else. She is the one in need." The answer? Pure love. His mother loved him so much that she forgot about herself. In her most critical hour, she loved him more than she loved herself. If this sounds familiar, you're correct. Someone else we know and love prayed for others while He was in great pain. Our Savior. He loved us so much that He was willing to go to great lengths to make sure that we could return to our Heavenly Father if we wanted to. Despite His pain and second thoughts, He went through it: He drank the bitter cup for us, and He died for us. All because He loved us.

Something some said today really stood out to me. He said, "Even great faith has a shelf life." I loved that. We have to make a daily effort to grow and maintain our faith. We are saplings in the gospel. We have to tend to our testimonies, our faith, our charity, our patience...all the attributes of Christ that we are trying to emulate and gain, we need to continuously tend to them. They will die if we don't nourish them.

Heavenly Father trusts us to do and be more. He really does. He's given us the tools and knowledge that we need to grow. He'll sometimes give us nudges...but ultimately, it's up to us. We have to be the ones to make the move. He will not force us to do anything we don't want to, but His arms are open, and He's knocking at our door. We just have to run to Him and let Him in.

I am so thankful for a Heavenly Father who gives me so many second chances. I am so thankful for a Savior who is always with me. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have to start over again. I don't think I deserve them, but I am grateful for them. I am so grateful that my Savior loves me and thinks that I am worth saving and redeeming. I am so thankful for supportive and loving friends and family. I don't think I could do this without them.

I am blessed to have such a loving and supportive Father in Heaven, and His Son, my Savior and Redeemer.

Well, this week is my last week at home! I'm heading up to Bear Lake on Friday for my job at a scouting camp! I'm excited! I can't wait! I'm hoping to still keep posting on my blog every week this summer, but they either will not be super long, or I will miss a couple of weeks. I hope not, but just in case, this is me letting you know.

I hope everyone has a great last week before summer officially starts! I hope everyone has a sweet Memorial Day. I'm so thankful for all those who have died while serving our country. I am grateful for their service, and I hope that I can always remember that people have died to protect the ground that I walk every day.

Sometimes it's time to move.

I'm grateful for the chance that I have to start over each week...I just wish that I could forgive myself and move on from the past. It's hard to feel like God has forgiven me when I can't even forgive myself. I've been trying to work on forgiving myself, and loving myself completely–flaws and all. It's been difficult, and is taking time, and hasn't happened all at once, but I know that with the help of my Savior, and the support of my loved ones and close friends, I can do it. I just need to not give up, and keep going, even when I feel discouraged, and even when I make mistakes again.

One thing that stood out to me in sacrament meeting was, "Because of our Savior's Atonement, we can become whole again" (emphasis added). I really loved that statement. When we use the Atonement to be forgiven and start over, we become clean and whole, just like the day of our baptism.
One other thing that was said that I loved was, "First promptings are pure inspiration from heaven." I really loved that, and I firmly believe that that is a true statement. I am sure that I have been the answer to other people's prayers, and I know that other people have been answers to my prayer, and I am so thankful that they followed the promptings of the Spirit.

"You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you." ~Elder Harold B. Lee to Elder Boyd K. Packer soon after Elder Packer became a General Authority

I really liked this quote, and I loved the title of the article that it is from. It's called, "Move Forward in Faith", and I recently watched a video interview of the LDS singer/songwriter Calee Reed where she said, "Sometimes His timing means move now", and I absolutely LOVE this idea! Sometimes His timing means that we have to be patient, but sometimes His timing means that we have to have faith and just make a decision. He'll let us know if we make a wrong choice.

I think that we often put forth a lot of faith and hope that God will do everything for us. That if we pray for Him to do something, or give us something, that if we sit back and wait, He'll do it. 

But that isn't how He works. He has given us the gift of agency, which means that He will not force us to do anything, and He will not force anyone else to do anything, either. So when we ask Him for help, He expects us to finish praying, get up, and go out and do something. And as long as we are doing what we are supposed to be doing, we will be blessed, and we will receive the blessings that we have asked for–in due time. One of my favorite quotes of Elder Holland's is, "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come." No one is perfect–all we can do is try our best. As long as we are doing our part, God will do His.

Life is hard. I don't know about you, but I have weaknesses that I can't overcome by myself. I have trials that keep coming back because I don't always know how to deal with them, and sometimes they change into a new form. Some days, I am doing GREAT. Some days...not so much, and I can't figure out how to deal with them...I can't figure out how to get over them...I can't figure out how to get rid of them. There are lots of times, as I'm trying to work through them, where I keep forgetting something...I keep forgetting someONE. I keep forgetting my Savior. With Him, I can do ANYTHING.

Even move.

I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father has not left me alone. Sometimes He's quiet...that's another thing that Calee said in the video I shared previously. Even when you're doing everything right...reading your scriptures, going to church, going to the temple...sometimes He's quiet. But that DOESN'T mean that He's not here. That doesn't mean that He doesn't care. That doesn't mean that He isn't helping guide you. He really will let you know when you're doing something wrong, or when you go ahead with a decision that isn't right for you. And if you can't feel His love...He will send you people who do, and they will show you just how much He loves you through their actions. They will bless your life just by being themselves, and just by being in your life. They will always listen. They will always love you. They will always be there for you. And they will sometimes wake up in the middle of the night because you needed someone to talk to and God knew you needed them.

I'm grateful for my Savior, and for the love that He has for me. I'm grateful for the strength that He gives me, and for the support that He has given me. I'm grateful for my friends who support me and love me, and who always show me just how much they care for me. I'm grateful for the life that I have been given, and I'm grateful for the experiences that I've had. I'm grateful that I am not alone in this life. I don't think I could make it by myself. I am grateful for the changes that have occurred in my life, and I'm grateful for the chances that I have had to change. I am grateful for the opportunities I have to serve those around me, and I'm grateful for the times that I have had to take time and let others serve me. I am grateful for the wonderful people in my life who love me. I can't imagine my life without you! Thanks for everything you do!! 

I hope you all have an amazing week! I know that God loves you very much and He wants you to talk to Him. Remember that He is always there for you.

Xoxo

Mattie

Honor thy mother.

Today is Mother's Day, and I am so thankful for my mother, and for all the women in my life! I learn so much from each of them and I really look up to them. I am grateful for their examples of love, service, kindness, charity, and how to be a good woman, mother, and daughter of God. I don't know where I'd be without their love and examples.

Sacrament meeting was full of beautiful messages about mothers:
-We have no need to doubt, for our mothers know, so we can know.
-The relationships we have with God and with our mother are of equal importance.
-You can't remember mother and forget God; nor can you remember God and forget mother.

"If we want to be Christlike, honoring our mother is a crucial part." Bishop said that in Relief Society as a summary of the messages of sacrament meeting, and I loved it so much. My brother spoke in sacrament meeting today and he talked about how Jesus Christ treated His mother. Christ is the epitome of how to be Christlike (I mean, who else would be?) and He loved and respected His mother so much. If we are to be Christlike, we must treat our mothers as He treated His.

There are so many women in my life that I am so grateful for, look up to, and love so very, very much, but I'm just going to talk about a few of them.

I am so thankful for my mother. I have learned so much from her, and I know that she will always love me. I am blessed to have such an amazing example to look up to. She does so much for my family, and I hope that someday I can be even half the woman and mother that she is.

I am so thankful for my grandma. I love my grandma so much! She is always thinking of others and she is such a wonderful example to me of how to minister and care for those around you. She blesses my life and I am so, so thankful that I have her in my life.

I am so thankful for my aunts. I love them so much! They are all wonderful examples to me of Christlike love. They all do so much for their families, and I know that if I ever need them, they will be there for me.

I am so thankful for my Great-Grandma Harker and my Great-Grandma Radke. I am lucky enough to share a name with each of them (as well as my mother), and I learned so much from my Great-Grandma Harker when I was growing up. I never met my Great-Grandma Radke, but my dad has told me that I am like her in many ways. I am grateful for their examples and I am so thankful to bear their names! I hope that I can be as strong as they were, and I hope that I can do as much good as they did.

This is just a small portion of the women in my life, but I am so blessed to have so many wonderful women in my life! I know that they are and will be blessed for their service, love, and efforts to follow the Savior, and I know that I will be a better woman as I follow their examples.

Here are a few links to several different songs about mothers that I love and wanted to share with you.

I know that the women in our lives are some of the most important and special people to ever walk the planet. I am so thankful to have so many wonderful examples of beautiful and amazing women to follow in my life.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the women!! May you have a beautiful and special day filled with love.

Xoxo

Mattie