Be.....Alright.

If you don't know this by now, you probably should- One of my favorite quotes ever is, "Come What May and Love it." Elder Joseph B. Worthlin said this a few years ago, and for the course of most of my mission it has became a motto for me. 

I have found though that it's really easier said then done. I find it's really easy to spout it off when others are having a hard time, or if I am just jokingly saying it when something small happens... But when the time comes to really put this phrase into place... That's when I find myself struggling with the application. 

So the real question is... Why I am I telling you all this.... Well for one, I am needing some creative ideas for my blog, this one not being one of them, and second of all.... I felt like someone out there needs to hear this today. Today there is someone that needs to know that everything will be alright, today there is someone whose heart is saddened, and who feels broken, and to you... Whoever you are... "Come What May, and Love it." It might sound harsh at first, but it seems like for every good day there is a bad, for everyday of sunshine there is a period of night, for every Friday of Crucifixion there is a Sunday of Resurrection, and for every valley there is a mountain. Somedays this motto of "Come What May" is the only hope of getting through the hardships..

So how do we find this attitude??.... Well in on of my favorite hymns (I Believe in Christ, 134), it reads- I Believe in Christ, So Come What May. That's how we find it, through faith in Jesus Christ. . . Life somehow becomes so much easier as we put our faith and trust in the Lord, and Savior. Its as if these troubles MELT from us, and we feel the warmth of the light, and Spirit again. 

So for you, whoever you are... Take your time to read the scriptures, and to pray. These are two ways of developing this attitude of conversion. I know that you can make it through, and that everything will Be Alright.

Be Real:)

As I sit pondering what to blog about today I think of the many things I could say, the many interesting stories I could share, the many mind boggling quotes I have on my mind, and the many awesome videos that I could post... But I think that I want to take a different approach today. Today I want to blog about what's REALLY on my heart, and things that I have seen time and time and time again in my life. 

One of the greatest attributes I see in people is the ability to "Be Real". Growing up and even more so now that I've been living on my own, I've found that it's all to easy to put on a face, and to say "The Right Thing" at "The Right Time" and to not do or say what is really on your heart or that is totally honest- in the fear of hurting some one's feelings, or being judged, or just doing it cuz everyone else is .

I hope you know what I'm talking about. 

Well, I was talking to a good friend, and she mentioned how it's hard to be honest with yourself. I was surprised when I realized that it's so true! I feel so many times during my day I catch myself not being honest or real with ME! haha. How crazy is that right...? As I was looking for opportunities to correct this behavior, I realized that one of the biggest and most critical things I needed to fix was the way I pray. I find when I am really tired or in a hurry that I just ramble off a prayer to say I did.. I believe this is the biggest thing I wanna fix. I've found as I've watched for these "UNREAL" moments I find more and more in me...

I've decided to re-evaluate in more ways than one in this area.

I truly believe that if we start to look for those times when we aren't the most real, and improve upon them that we will be come a better person, and someone that people will be more likely to want to come around.  I've decided that I want to do better at this myself, because I know that as I do so I will be more like my Savior, Jesus Christ. He was the most real, sincere, genuine, loving, and honest person ever.. and I want to be like that..  

I guess today ask yourself-

What is Real?

"We all need to know what it means to be honest. Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving."
--Elder James E Faust, "They spoke to us"

Be Still...

I haven't updated this blog in forever, and I felt that I would share a few thoughts that I have been having...  For the past 3 or so months the Tennesee Nashville Mission Choir has been going around to different LDS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) Chapels and sharing a musical devoitonal with all denominations of faith. It is focused on our Savior, Jesus Christ. I have loved being a part of this production, and have seen many lives lifted because of the message. The video I shared above is a song that is sung as part of the Devotional. I came across this one day and as I listened close to the words my heart was touched. It was that moment when Heaven and Earth connected and all things around me were still. It reminded me of one of my Mom's favorite scriptures which reads, "Be Still, and know that I am God." She's the best, and often reminds me to do just that...  I've found that many of times in my life things get going all to fast, and I'm going in all directions, and I often always forget to simply, "Be Still". That's the last thing on my mind, and the #1 thing that I should be doing in those moments. I guess learn from my mistakes, and when life is overwhelming... Sit down, Eat A Brownie, Put your Feet up, and Think of ALL Christ has done for you. :) That's my challenge to you today.. :)

Be Prayerful!!!

Let me ask you this, Have you ever felt that no one is around that really wants to listen?? Or maybe, You feel that the pain of things is about to break you... I have learned that we just have to surrender, and fall to our knees. My sister recently sent me an amazing plaque that says, "When Life Knocks you to your Knees, You're in the perfect position to Pray." This is true. I have been knocked to my knees many times, and the only way that I have been able to find the strength to get up is to pray for help... "Prayer is the Passport to Peace." Life is hard, and when we turn our hearts and mind to our Father in Heaven, He will give us the strength to overcome that trial that lies before us. I had been praying for some help in different areas, and I felt that God hadn't been hearing my prayers, then one day I was searching for something to blog on and I found this....

This was sent as an answer to that prayer.. I know that if our Heavenly Father could speak to us face to face during our trials, he would most definitely tell us something like this! :) He is always trying to make us into something better then what we are, and that is what I learned that day. What a blessing it was for me that day, and I hope that someone out there will find the same answer and peace this brought to me. I love prayer, and I know that, "When life gets to hard to stand, (We must) Kneel!" :)

Be Devout!!!

1. Come, thou Fount of every blessing, 
 tune my heart to sing thy grace; 
 streams of mercy, never ceasing, 
 call for songs of loudest praise. 
 Teach me some melodious sonnet, 
 sung by flaming tongues above. 
 Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, 
 mount of thy redeeming love. 

2. Here I raise mine Ebenezer; 
 hither by thy help I'm come; 
 and I hope, by thy good pleasure, 
 safely to arrive at home. 
 Jesus sought me when a stranger, 
 wandering from the fold of God; 
 he, to rescue me from danger, 
 interposed his precious blood. 

3. O to grace how great a debtor 
 daily I'm constrained to be! 
 Let thy goodness, like a fetter, 
 bind my wandering heart to thee. 
 Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 
 prone to leave the God I love; 
 here's my heart, O take and seal it, 
 seal it for thy courts above. 

My companion, Elder Horner, and I decided to sing

this musical piece today for a meeting that we

had with all the other missionaries. I was really 

paying attention to all of the lyrics and there was 

one line that really stood out to me.... Which one 

Speaks to you??? 

Well the one that hit home for me

is the line that reads, "Take my heart, O take and

seal it, seal it for thy courts above." I love these 

words! What greater gift can we give God then to give 

him our will, and heart. I know that if we can really 

apply this song to our lives we will one day live 

with him again. What an amazing day that will be. 

We all may have those days' that we feel that line,  

"Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it, prone

to leave the God I love..." I know that I have felt this. 

And if you really focus on giving your whole heart to him

and ALWAYS remember him, you can overcome those

feelings. You are human, and so am I. I have found in my 

life that I can overcome all things in Christ! :) 

I am truly blessed to have this testimony!!