We Need God When Life Is Sunny

"We need God just as much on sunny days as we do when it's raining." I'm not sure where I heard this quote, who said it, or if I even wrote it correctly, but I feel like it applies to my life in a big way. Like many, I am so very good at calling upon the Lord when I am in the midst of great trials or turbulent time of tumult. Some of the most sacred times of my life have also been the most difficult ones because they're the ones when I was closest to my God. After all, I needed Him then more than ever.

Or did I?

Actually, I need God with me in my life all the times, equally. There are no times when I need Him more or less, rather times  that need of Heavenly Father is less or more apparent to my imperfect eyes. For instance, when life is all fine and dandy, sometimes my scripture study grows lax and my prayers less intense. However, the moment something goes wrong, I'm quick to my knees. I think this pattern is typical in many people.

So guess what? It is super, super awesome that we pray when we need help!! Woohoo!!! Yeah! That's great! But we can take it to the next level! When life is peachy, have deep, meaningful conversations with Heavenly Father. He loves us so much and wants to hear from us! Talk to Him. Let Him know about how your day went, your triumphs, your mistakes, plans for tomorrow. When we pray like this we become closer to Heavenly Father and Satan has less power over us because we have the Holy Ghost more abundantly in our lives.

Alma 34: 18-27:

 "18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.

 19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.

 20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.

 21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.

 22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.

 23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.

 24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.

 25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.

 26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

 27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you."

I know that God answers our prayers, hears our prayers, and loves our prayers because He is our loving Father. Even though I'm still working on consistently praying with enough fervor when the going is good, I know that God blesses me most abundantly when I continually call upon Him.

 

Humble Happiness

A few days ago I woke up, as they say, on the wrong side of the bed. Something about me is that I make it a point in my life to be happy as much as I can, but that morning, I just couldn't be, no matter how hard I tried. So, I told myself that I couldn't get ready for school until I was happy. I said a prayer, telling Heavenly Father that I wanted to be happy, and that I was trying to be happy. I asked Him to help me be happy. But when I completed my prayer, I still wasn't happy. Frustrated, I immediately began praying again. This time I said, "I can't do this on my own. I really need thy help to be happy today.". All of a sudden, it was as if the negativity inside of me was swept away. It just kind of dissipated. Throughout the course of the day, several things went wrong, because of which, a couple people told me it just wasn't my day, but I was still genuinely happy nonetheless. This is because my happiness came not from my circumstances and surroundings, but from God, and my relationship with Him.

This experience reminded me of one of my favorite scriptures (which happens to be a Book of Mormon scripture mastery!), Ether 12:27-

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." 

Usually I think of this in term of "big weaknesses", habitual ones that take lots of time to correct. However, that day I realized that it can apply to "small weaknesses" as well. Because I went to the Lord in prayer and recognized that I couldn't be happy by myself that day, and that I could only do it through Him, He made that weak thing become strong for me that day.

I am going to try to apply this more often in my life. For example, you may recall that my favorite phrase is, "I can do hard things!". I am now amending it to say, "I can do hard things with God!". What can you do in your life through humility? It really is a power. 

*(By the way, finding "if/then" phrases in the scriptures is really cool. You'll see that I highlighted the scripture above in that way. These are conditional promises the Lord gives us. It's pretty cool to find them! I always mark them in my scriptures when I come across them! And they don't ALWAYS have the words if/then explicitly written, but the promises are still there.)  

 

One Simple Trick to Instant Happiness

Breaking news! I have unearthed an instant remedy to any sadness, bad mood, or fear! (I feel like an internet ad. Ya know the ones where they say, "Five tips to a flat belly" or "Get rich fast! Try this old trick!" haha) But really, it works. Every time. Here's what went down.

So, today I was in a bad mood. I was scared, upset, sad, etc. It was just one of those days when my thoughts kept spiraling down and I was emotionally raw. I wanted to make that go away. Then, I remembered something I read in this month's New Era. The article is called the Facebook Project (or something like that). Basically, this girl would pick out five people from her friends list on facebook and send them a message telling them what she liked about them and that they are awesome. I loved that idea! So, I gave it a try.

And guess what? It's pretty much instant happiness. I picked out some people on my chat bar and just told them what I thought about them. It was simple, but felt so good! I did this a few days ago, as well. Both days, the result was the same. Lots of these people messaged me back telling me that those words were just what they needed to hear, and that I had totally made their night. The cool thing is, though, it didn't only make those peoples' nights, but mine as well!

I'm going to keep doing this! It makes me feel so great! And I know it's a way I can be an instrument in the Lord's hands to let His children know that they are loved!

So, give it a try! You'll love what happens!

School: More Awesome than You Realize...

My heart is so full right now! So very full of joy! I began school yesterday, and it's going marvelously. I love all the people. They make me so so so happy! And I'm really excited about my classes!
I have something very important to tell you all.
Learn to love school. Just do it*. We are celestial, glorious beings of light. Light is derived from intelligence. Pretty much the whole reason we're on earth is to learn! (Along with obtaining a body, being sealed to our family for time and eternity, etc...) What better opportunity to learn do we have than school? That's the reason we're there! And if you stop and think about it, it's SUCH a blessing that we can go to school! For most of us, it's free, public education.
In my patriarchal blessing it tells me to cherish my education, and that as long as I seize the educational and learning opportunities which come my way, that the knowledge I obtain will bring me joy, and that I'll be able to bless the lives of others with it. How cool is that? Not only does this apply to me, but to each person on earth. It most definitely applies to you.
The cool thing is that I have found this to be very true! I just love knowing things! Even if my knowledge isn't very deep, it's so great to understand why parts of the world work the way they do. For instance, whenever I wash my hands, I think of how the soap molecules bond to the water and dirt molecules, which is how it cleans my hands. I just find it amazing to know this, and how that science applies to me!
Also, school is an incredible way to develop yourself. I could write a book on how I grew as a person through school and the opportunities it brought just last year alone. In the two days I've been in school this year, I have already seen myself beginning to progress as I've had to adjust to new situations. I find it very fascinating. It makes me soooo happy to think about where I am now, and where I'll be at the end of this school year: socially, academically, musically, spiritually, personally, etc. It's all affected!
In addition, I want to stress the importance and awesomeness of goal-setting. Some people groan when that is mentioned. Goal-setting doesn't have to be difficult, boring, drawn-out, or confusing. Goal-setting can be simple. I half-subconsciously set a goal yesterday! Isn't that cool? In my math class I passively decided that I wanted to be more outgoing- ask more questions, and participate more. (Generally, since math is my worst subject, I was afraid of participating too much because I didn't want to look stupid. But I realized that by going out on a limb, I'll grow.)  When I realized the goal that my subconscious mind made, I solidified the goal. I made it reachable. I decided that I'd either ask a question, or answer a question at least once every day. It's simple. It's doable. And it will help me become a greater person.
Seriously, guys. Have fun in school! It's not worth as much if you don't strive to enjoy it! Your possibilities are truly endless. For real.

 * By the way, at youth conference, there was a guy who had a sweatshirt that said, "Just go and do it." with an angel Moroni in the act of running. It was so cool!

Content Once More

I have this awesome friend who has gone through some really difficult things in her life. She is a lovely person, who I love dearly. Lately, though, she has been very distant and unhappy. Though I've tried, I haven't been able to reach her and cheer her up. She wouldn't talk to me, or anybody about what was wrong, and I was really worried about her. Yesterday, however, she received her patriarchal blessing (are you sensing a theme in my posts of late? :D ). Right after which, she came to mutual. She arrived late because of that.  When she walked in, there was an almost-visible halo of happiness and light around her. She looked so beautiful and joyous. It was such an amazing thing to see her so happy after the many worrisome months of her distance and sadness. I feel so much peace now, after being so concerned about her- it's a beautiful thing!
I'm just so grateful for our loving Heavenly Father who loves my friend even more than I do! Even though she and I are very different, I love her very much and I'm so glad that she is content once more.

Coming Full Circle

Life is going really well for me right now. It is especially so in contrast to this time last year (See here, here, and especially here). Not everything about my life is perfect, but my life is so amazing! I've been able to see how the Lord comes full circle and delivers the blessings promised for obedience and as a result of several long-lasting hardships I've endured. Nothing is as rewarding as this.

Over the past three or four years, I've been working on a personal goal which I never achieved. This January I rededicated myself to this goal (again) and I'm finally making progress! It's a visible sort of progress that I can see all the time, and it's so incredibly rewarding to know that I'm beginning to conquer something I've been struggling with for so long!

As you can read in the links above, I've had a loooot of back problems over the past year and a half. I was in pain, I could hardly move, I couldn't play my viola, and didn't know if I ever would again (which, if you don't know, viola is my LIFE! I plan to major in it, etc.), I wore a back brace which looked terrible and was extremely uncomfortable... you get the picture. It was hard.But, a year and a half later, I have been extremely blessed! I now am in the highest orchestra in my school, and I'm first chair. Because my back is strong enough I am able to practice a lot, which helps me excel.  I also started a string quartet with some of my friends, and we now play for weddings, parties, and such. And, this year I am a member of the Honor Orchestra of America, which, if you're not a musician, is a big deal. I'm sooooo incredibly excited, and SO grateful to my Heavenly Father who has blessed me to make these things possible.

Most of my life I've battled severe chronic depression. This was especially hard to bear last winter in addition to the other trials I had. It became much worse. But slowly, I have learned how to combat the negative feelings which seem to constantly threaten to make camp in my brain. Through the Lord's help, I am able to feel peaceful, joyful, and optimistic nearly all the time. This is such a relief and beautiful blessing for which I am extremely grateful.

I feel so blessed right now. It's so wonderful to be in a season of my life filled with blessings. There are even more blessings I'm experiencing, but I can't list them all. I love my Heavenly Father, and I know He loves me.

Father Loves to Bless Us

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing completely awesomely, which, I'm sure you are!

So, I have seating auditions on Wednesday. Two days from now. And, accordingly, I've been practicing my butt off. But, I've been super nervous because I haven't felt ready. And my time for practice is slowly dwindling. As of earlier today, I did not AT ALL feel prepared. But now I do. The acquisition of that prepared feeling has a story. Because I like stories.

It starts this morning. In the morning, I planned to spend all evening practicing tonight.  And that concludes the morning portion of the story. So I went about my day. Right before orchestra, last period, I found my best friend Kallie*, and we began to walk to class. But she seemed really sad. She wouldn't talk, and I couldn't get her to tell me what was wrong. I'd never seen her like that before. It was really scary for me because I didn't know how to react. All I knew was that my bestest friend ever was obviously going through deep emotional pain. It tore my heart. And I felt awful that I couldn't help because she wouldn't tell me what was going on. So, I never ended up finding out. We had orchestra, then we went home. I told her over and over that I loved her, and I texted her, and wrote on her facebook wall. I prayed that Heavenly Father would comfort her. But I was depressed. I was scared because I didn't know if, like, she got a text from her mom that her sister was in the hospital, or if her grandma died, or… I don't even know.  But I was worried sick. And depressed.

So, I got home, and I tried to practice. I hacked away at my auditions cuts and solo piece for about an hour, but it was fruitful in only the sour fruits of frustration, self-anger, more depression, worry, and back pain. I felt miserable. Nothing was working. I was so scared for auditions and about Kallie.

After dinner, I texted Kallie again, and this time she told me that she felt all better. I was OVERJOYED! Relief flooded me. I felt awesome. It astonished me just how much worry left me when I knew she was okay.

So then, I practiced again. This time I prayed that Heavenly Father would help me with my practice. I was a little skeptical because I didn't know if He would help since I ask for things so much, but I decided that if I went ahead and prayed for that blessing, and had faith that He could and would, that He would. And my Father did.

Right after my prayer, I thought, "Hey, I need to rosin my bow." So I did. Then, I knew I needed slow metronome practice. So I set it up. Then, I knew just how slowly to start practicing. My practicing was beautifully smooth and practically perfect.  I increased in ability a lot-fold. I don't know how much. Just a lot. I now feel a lot a lot a lot a lot a lot a lot more confident for the chair test. AND I still have another day for practice. I've got this!

I'm so grateful for my Father in Heaven who loves me sooooo much. Today I learned that He loves blessing us, and doesn't get annoyed when we ask Him for things. He wants to bless me. And I love Him.

*Name has been changed

Prayer is so powerful. It's our access to fortification from heaven.

I Want to Have That Kind of Faith

So this morning I watched one of the most touching Mormon Messages I've ever seen. Which is saying something because Mormon Messages rock.

Basically, it's about a young man and his father who were in a car wreck with their whole family and they were the only survivors. They share how they are still happy because they know they can live with their family forever.

You should really watch it. Here, I'll make it easy.

Did you watch it? If you were too lazy, at least watch from 1:51 to 2:52.

I love how the first thing this young man did when he heard the news of the deaths of most of his family was to smile. He smiled because he knew that everything would be alright. He knew that his family was safe in the arms of heaven and that he'd see them again.

We are the children of Christ. He will comfort us. Go to Him and He will embrace you.

I want to have that kind of faith. If that were to happen to me, I want to have enough faith so that my first reaction could be a smile of peace and love.

I love my family. And I am so incredibly grateful beyond words for the beautiful plan of happiness that our Father in Heaven has given to us. It's a beautiful gift from Him because He loves us.

The Influence of the Holy Ghost

Usually I have a general topic in mind and some sort of plan for what I'll convey, if vague. But today, I'm wingin' it. I know that the Spirit will guide my words.


The Spirit. Yes. That is what I'll talk about.

The Holy Ghost has several names: The Spirit, Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, Comforter, just to name a few.

Who is the Holy Ghost?
The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a personage of spirit, without a body of flesh and bones. He is often referred to as the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, or the Comforter.   -Holy Ghost, Study By Topic

What does He do?
The Spirit has many roles. He comforts us when we are weary. He answers our prayers. He testifies of truth when it is taught. It is through his witness that we can obtain a testimony of God the Father and Jesus Christ. He also can guide us. When we are about to make a decision, the Spirit can help us to feel which way is right. This can be a matter of choosing whether you will obey your parents, which class you should take with your two leftover credits, which college to go to, or any decision. The Holy Ghost can also protect us. He does this by warning us when we are about to make a wrong choice or if we are in danger.

How do I know if I am feeling/ have felt the Holy Ghost?
This is difficult to answer. Everybody feels the Spirit a bit differently. Most people describe hearing a "still small voice" or feeling a warmth. Some people cry when they are feeling the Spirit very strongly; they cry in a good, happy way. Sometimes you will feel at peace. Sometimes you will feel elated and jubilant. Other times you will just feel still and calm.
Often, it takes a lot of practice to figure out when your feeling the Spirit verses over-analyzing your own thoughts. Sometimes it's very obvious, sometimes it's not. You can strengthen your ability to realize the promptings and feelings of the Holy Ghost by praying for help and putting yourself in situations that are conducive to the Spirit.  Ponder the scriptures after you read them. Sit in a few moments of silence after praying so you can feel God answering your prayers through the  Spirit.

How can I feel the Spirit more in my life?
Start off by reading your scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, daily. Pray daily with real intent and a sincere heart. Do not place yourself in places or situations where wickedness and crudeness abound. Participate in wholesome activities. Keep the commandments. Take the sacrament and keep your covenants.

I know that the Holy Ghost is real. He most definitely is! I have felt his wonderful, powerful influence in my life. Many nights I have almost cried myself to sleep, but then I have been filled with stillness, peace, and joy by the Holy Ghost. He loves us, just like Heavenly Father loves us and Jesus loves us.

The Outward Appearance

We've all heard the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover." But we're all guilty of doing that sometimes, well at least if you're like me. I'm nowhere near perfect at that. But, I try not to, of course.

This video really made me think twice about judging people by how they look. Appearance isn't everything.A lot of times our appearance reflects hardships we've faced or are currently facing. For me, that would be my back brace, amidst others. I know I wouldn't want anyone to think badly of me just because I have a brace. Or because the can't see the actual brace (It's under my clothes.) think that I look funny. Other people have scars from traumatic accidents, surgeries, illnesses, etc. But that doesn't reflect the person inside.

Here is a video of just that. The judges and everyone in the audience judged this boy before he had even said anything, unfortunately myself included.  But then, we were all in for a big surprise.

(If you have trouble viewing it from here, click right here.)

There is more to every person than you can see just by looking at them. Everyone has a story. Everyone is fighting a hard battle, but you can't see that from the outside. And everyone has inner beauty and awesomeness! But most importantly, God can see the strength and royalty in everyone. He doesn't judge people based on the way they look. 

"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord ^aseeth not as ^bman seeth; for man looketh on the outward ^cappearance, but the ^dLord looketh on the ^eheart."

 

Everyone has inner awesomeness. And I've decided today that I'm going to strive harder to find it in everyone.

Potential of Diamond

The difficult things that we face in life are...well, difficult! Often it feels like we can never get past them. They are frustrating and put so much pressure on us. So much pressure, it seems sometimes that we will explode! 
Did you know that us humans are not the only things that undergo pressure? When coal undergoes extreme pressure, it turns into diamond! We are just like coal (haha). Heavenly Father sent us to earth because He loves us and knows that we have the potential to become diamonds. The trials we face may be extreme, but the outcome is beautiful.

As this year is wrapping up, I have been thinking back on my development as a person throughout this year. I can clearly see how specific hardships can turn one of my weaknesses into strengths. One specific pressure I've been going through has been going on for years. But I can truly see myself becoming strong in that area.

One of my favorite scriptures shows us how we can turn our weaknesses to strengths.  It's Ether 12:27, which is found in the Book of Mormon.


And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.  -Ether 12:27

This scripture gives me such comfort.  It tells me that I can become strong where I am weak. What a blessing this is! I can become a better person, one weakness at a time. How great God is that He will help us. He loves us so much. I know that He loves me. He has done so much for me. Jesus suffered all pain so that He can help me. And He does. I know it. I see it in my life everyday!

If you would like to learn more about trials and adversity, and how you can come through them, click here.
 

Happiness, a Beacon

How do you know if someone is happy? They are smiling, maybe. Or laughing.  How do you know when you are happy? Do you feel good about yourself? Do you do well in school? Do you sleep better? Probably. Are you happy right now? If so, just stop for a moment, right now, and feel what it feels like. If you're not happy right now, try to vivdly imagine the last time you felt happy, and what it felt like.

Chances are, you have a smile on your face. :)  Now. Are you happy as often as you would like to be? If I lived in a perfect world, I would want to be happy all the time. Of course, in this mortal state, that's impossible. But, it is possible to be happy often, even most of the time!

So, how then, do you accomplish this? How can you become happy more often?

Lots of people think that happiness is just something that comes or goes because of  external situations. This is WRONG!  Those people that you know who seem like they are always happy are happy because they choose to be happy. Happiness is smost definitely a choice.The people I know who are happy all the time are happy even when they have a possibly life threatening illness, financial hardship, pressure at school, and more. 

One of my best friends is probably one of my biggest role  models.  She has gone through so many trials, including a life threatening illness. But, every I see her, she is always happy. I've talked to her about this, and she told me that she couldn't have been happy if she didn't actively try to be happy everyday. It takes effort to be happy. But that effort is so worth it!

Another friend of mine has depression. But she is a very happy and hopeful person. People often tell her that she is one of the happiest people they know. And everytime someone asks her how she can be happy even though she suffers from depression, she tells them that having depression has helped develop her into a happy person. She has felt the awfulness of depression and actively chooses to be happy because of how horrible it feels to be depressed.

And, we can always be happy as we think about the Savior.  He loves us. I know he does. And we are so precious to Him that He gave His life for each of us. This can give us confidence and happiness. Whenever we start to feel sad, we can think about Christ.  Also, you can always pray for the strength to choose to be happy. I know that He will give you that strength.

So. How can you be happy? You have to choose to be happy. And let me tell you, its not always, and sometimes not usually easy. And it takes practice.  Honestly.  But I know that each time you choose to be happy, the next time will be easier. And when you are happy, you shine like a light.  Others will flock to you, and you can influence them to be happy too.

Modest... Reasons Why you should be.

Modesty. Some girls cringe whenever the word is mentioned. They wonder why they shouldn't be able to wear what their friends and peers are wearing, and why it has to be so difficult. Some girls believe that modesty is outdated. I used to think all of those things. I noticed that in all of the magazines, all of the beautiful models were wearing revealing tops and short skirts, shorts, or dresses. What girl doesn't want to be like a model? I always dressed modestly, but I always wondered why I was being modest, besides the fact that my parents told me to be modest. So. Why should you be modest? I have come up with a list.

1. It is physically more comfortable.Whenever I have worn clothes that weren't the most modest, I felt really awkward. And it felt like everyone was staring at me. Especially when wearing tops that were too low cut. When you dress modestly, you feel comfortable because you just feel good.
2. Most of the time, only models look "good" in immodest clothing. It is much easier to love your body when you dress modestly.
3. You know that people love you for who you are, not just your body. Sometimes a person will hang out with you only because you are "sexy". This leads to heartbreak because after a while, the person will find someone they think is "sexier" than you, and leave. When you dress modestly, you know that people around you will love you for your personality and not for your body.
4. You know that you are doing the right thing. This is so important because it will give you confidence. You will have more confidence because you know you are doing the right thing, and becasue of that, God is pleased with you and will bless you.
5. You will have higher self esteem. Because of the confidence you will get, the comfort, and knowing that poeple around you love you for who you are, you will be confident in yourself.
6. You will have the Holy Ghost with you to guide you. This is so super important. With the guidance of the Holy Ghost, we recieve comfort, and help with all of the trials that being a teenager brings.
7. You will have an easier time making good choices. Not just because you aren't being revealing (
   which is important) but because you have the Holy Ghost with you, and because you are confident in yourself.
8. You will gain the respect of other people. When people look at a girl who is dressed immodestly, they think that she has no respect for herself and has a low self esteem. But when you are being modest, people respect your opinions, ideas, and personality more.
9. You show others that you know you are a princess. Yes. I just told you that you are a princess. You are a daughter of God, your Heavenly Father who loves you. You were born to be a queen. You can prepare for that role, and show Heavenly Father that you are doing your best to live up to that by dressing modestly.
10. You will be worthy to go to the temple. We believe that temples are holy houses of God, which are the only places on earth that can compare to the holiness of heaven. Only individuals who are spiritually worthy may go to the temple, and you must be modest to be worthy.

These are only a few of the reasons why you should be modest. Modesty includes:

• Shorts/Skirts/Dresses come to at least your knees.
• Shirts have sleeves.
• Clothing is not too tight.
• Tops are not very low cut in the front or back.

I know that when I am modest, my Heavenly Father is proud to call me His daughter. I know that He loves me, and I know that when I am modest I am showing Heavenly Father that I appreciate my body, which is a gift from Him. I know that when I dress modestly and live worthily, I can go to the temple, which is such a tremendous blessing!

If you would like to learn more about modesty, click here.

If you would like to learn more about temples, click here.

If you would like to learn more about the Holy Ghost, click here.

If you would like to learn more about Heavenly Father, click here.

Scripture in my DAILY life... :)

The key word in my title is DAILY!!! Can you tell? :) As you might have read a while ago, I am participating in a YW activity where we must read The Book of Mormon everyday for an upcoming activity. And, some amazing things have been happening as I have done that.
I am able to feel that the Holy Ghost is with me more often. I am happier, more peaceful, more energetic, and more in tune with the Holy Ghost those days that I have read. If I ever skip a day- I can tell!!!! I feel less happy, and I notice a decreased measure of the Spirit's influence in my day. I don't feel necessarily sad, and I don't necessarily not have the Spirit, but there is less. Noticeably so.  Those days, I have wondered, "What is different today? Why don't I feel as happy, or peaceful today? Why do I feel less of the Holy Ghost?" And, I know it is because I haven't read the scriptures that day. And the days when I do read, I feel an increased measure of the Spirit. I can almost always feel a sense of peace. I can feel my Savior's love for me more strongly. And, I have confidence because I know that I'm doing the right thing. When I read the scriptures daily, I have an increased sensitivity to notice and appreciate the blessings that my Heavenly Father gives me. I am able to receive answers to prayers better.
Lately, I have been fasting and praying that I may learn how to manage my time more efficiently. The days I read my scriptures I notice many blessings: I can get all of my homework satisfactorily finished, I get to bed on time, I am waaaaaay less stressed, and my day generally runs smoother. On the days that I haven't read my scriptures, these things haven't necessarily been happening. It is amazing to see the blessings I receive when I read my scriptures.
As I have read the scriptures everyday, I have been blessed with an increased capacity to love help others. When my friends or family have need help, the Spirit is with me. And I am able to give more than I would be able to without the Lord's help.
I am able to have more love for myself when I read my scriptures. Lately, I've been starting to be able to see myself as the Savior sees me. I feel truly beautiful and worth-while when I read the Book of Mormon. ANd throughout the day, when I look in the mirror, I don't have to worry if my hair or clothes will impress my peers, because I know that Jesus loves me for who I am, no matter what. And I know that He took on all of my sins because of that love for me. With this confidence and self-esteem, I am able to give my best everyday, because I know that my best is good enough for the Lord.

To learn more about the Book of Mormon, click here.

To learn more about the Savior, click here.

To learn more about the Holy Ghost (also referred to as the Spirit), click here.

Quite Possibly My Favorite Video Ever

I love this video so much!!!  It makes me cry every time I watch it.  Even though it is so sad to lose someone, Heavenly Father has a plan.  The Plan of Salvation, or The Plan of Happiness.We know that we will see loved ones again in Heaven if we live righteously. And, we know that if we pray in faith, that Heavenly Father does answer our prayers. So we should be happy.  After all, it is called the Plan of  Happiness..

I know this to be true with all off my heart.  It is my desperate wish for others to come to know of the truthfulness of Heavenly Father's love for us too.

If you want more information about The Plan of Salvation click here.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.