Ta-duh

When it comes to the "AH HA" moments in life, I like them big.

Big enough to make me cry. 

Big enough that I write them on paper.

Big enough that it comes all at once like a giant avalanche. 

And big enough that they are engraved into my memory, 

like a broken etch-a-sketch that won't erase.

But I don't always get them that way.

Sometimes they come in small simple packages,

that are easily looked over and forgotten

On occasion they are special enough for me to notice.

My eyes are open, my mind is free 

and my heart is vulnerable to anything.

These small, simple packages are suddenly popping up (Like daisies!!! --Mulan) all around me. Little by little, they've been turning into the "AH HA" moment I've been needing.

A beautiful song, with meaningful words that 

echoes in my head every minute.

A hug coming from a mother, that for the longest time, 

seemed so distant.

A night of laughter crammed in a car, 

shared with my favorite girls in the world.

A co-worker telling me everything will be OK, 

when I'm convinced otherwise.

The cool Fall air becoming stronger everyday, 

persuading me into cozy sweaters. 

Council from a prophet, who lived long ago, 

printed on paper for me to read now.

Personal scripture and life instruction from God, 

whenever I need be reminded of His love for me

These are my glorious, small packages

 that have saved me from a week of confusion and sadness.

What are yours?

The Impact

3rd Grade, Mrs. Nelson's class, Sept. 11, 2001.

Not yet old enough to comprehend what was happening,

I finally understand and it's taken me 10 years.

Never understanding the impact It's had, 

not only on America, 

but on the citizens of this blessed country.

It started war and conflicts that will possibly never end.

It's broken hearts, but strengthened them too.

Innocent people died, but innocent people lived.

For a short time, it united a divided country.

My testimony of our Father in Heaven has been strengthened today.

At times we feel abandoned, and that God has forgotten us.

HE HASN'T, and he certainly NEVER will.

We are his children, and he loves each of us,
 more than we can ever know.

He sends us these trials to remind us what's important.

To look beyond ourselves for a change. 

To help others in need, and let people help you.

To count your blessings, and realize where they come from.

It shouldn't blind us of God's hand in all things.

It softens our hearts, motivates our minds,

and makes us want to reach out.

It's taken me 10 years to realize this.

Realize it for yourself, and I promise you will feel at peace.

I promise your trials will seem but small hills, just waiting to be conquered.

Never be ashamed to be an American.

We have every reason to be proud;

We have every reason to be humble.

Don't Make Me Go

Never in my life have I felt this peaceful. I have been fortunate enough for the past 4 days to be surrounded by a stunning beauty. The ability to walk 100 yards and be on the edge of endless water. Wiggle my toes in the chilling sand that is dotted with perfectly sculpted  rocks, and splattered with washed up seaweed. To breath in air that is so light and refreshing, it doesn't just fill my lungs, but it fills my heart. Fills it with something beyond a lot of peoples' comprehension: Peace.
I feel at peace because I know who I am, and where I'm going. Because I know where I came from, and I know that I am loved, not only by my acquaintances on earth, but by my Heavenly Parents, and my Brother Jesus Christ.
Created by them, the world around us is full of beauty that is so breathtaking, it makes me realize their immense power. The fact that they created endless worlds, or that they know the number of every grain of sand on every shore, proves that they obviously have enough power to know everyone of us by name. But they don't just match a name with our face, but a personality, strengths, weaknesses, potential, sorrows, and sins. And to me, that is absolutely amazing.

This is where I've been.

I steal quotes.

I found this quote in my scriptures today, and found it so inspiring. Here it is. Don't cry too much.

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration; I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming."--Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Blessed. Not Lucky.

Here's a story about a girl.

She has everything she will ever need and more.

She has an eternal family, with strong relationships.

She has friends that support her in all she does.

She lives in the most lovely neighborhood in all the country.

She even has a comfortable home, that keeps her warm,

and cools her in the heat. She has a warm bed.

Equipped with a cuddly teddy bear, warm blankets,

and pillows to rest her head.

She has a room full of food,

and a faucet that disperses fresh water at her command.

She enjoys many more comforts.

So many, that they cannot be numbered.

But the most precious gift of all, that 99.8% of the world doesn't have, was knowledge. Knowledge of her true divinity. Of all that she can accomplish. Of the light she has inside of her. Light that can be spread like wild fire, if she let it burn. Of a man, who gave her that light. That, from long ago, died for her and all others on this earth, so they could return to live with their Heavenly King once again. So she could be free of sin and sorrow.

You might say it was luck that a simple girl can enjoy all these comforts. But she has a purpose to fulfill. She has a mission to accomplish, and that is to spread her light. 

She has the knowledge, and the means. She needs to find the people who are lacking the light. The people who are searching, and are prepared. But that requires readiness and a positive personality, in which she needs improvement. 

"Laugh a little now and then, it brightens things a lot. 

It helps you see the brighter side, if even if there's not. 

Don't go around gloomy and forlorn,

 but make your fellow men glad that you were born."

"What you do for yourself, dies with you, 

but what you do for others, lives on forever."

overwhelmed.

Somedays it's hard for me to remember.

Somedays it's hard for me to forget.

Somedays I'm not sure what to believe.

Somedays I don't think about it at all.

But everyday it's the same thing.

The same basic fact that I've been learning my whole life.

I AM LOVED.

By whom? You might wonder. 

By my Redeemer. My King. My Lord. My Savior. 

My Brother. My Friend.

Scratch that. 

By our Redeemer. Our King. Our Lord. Our Savior.

Our Brother. Our Friend.

His list of names is endless. And so is His love.

Not only does our brother Jesus Christ love us, but our father in heaven does too. More than we can even comprehend.

"There's so much more to me, He helps me see that I have so much to offer.
I am His Daughter. He loves me the way I am. He's my strength when I stand. He is my King and my Father. I am His Daughter." -- I am His Daughter - Nicole Sheahan (highly recommended for your feel good tunes)

Sunday's are usually the most spiritually overwhelming days for me. But this summer I want to be spiritually overwhelmed everyday. Not just once a week.
I love my Savior, and my Heavenly King. I know they both love me.
I just need to remember that they do.