Dear Girls, Your story isn't over

This morning I came across this post I wrote two years ago, which then led me to become overwhelmed with God's love for me personally. I competed in 9 different pageants and didn't win one. No not one. I used to hate telling people this. I saw myself as a failure and was so afraid others would see me that way too. I remember the pain of rejection so vividly. While I can remember these negative thoughts and feelings like it was yesterday, I can honestly say in this very moment, the pain is GONE! My heart is 100% healed. I am able to see courage and so much great strength in myself. Today God opened my eyes to how He has seen me the entire time, whether dreams were coming true or not.

If I could tell girls anything, I would look every single girl directly in the eye and help them understand that they are loved, SO loved. So much potential lies within every single one of God's daughters. You have a divine mission and purpose! I never, ever want a girl to go a second without this knowledge.


At the end of that post, I wrote: 
"It hurts so deeply as I have been dreaming about this goal for the last 9 years and I put everything I had into this organization. For now I will trust my Heavenly Father with all my heart. I need to let go and let God step in and take me to where I need to be. My courage, self-esteem and faith is one blessing that has been given to me through pageants and I would not trade my participation in pageants for the world. I am so grateful I have been able to compete and I have been able to make a difference in so many capacities. I will keep dreaming, believing and searching."

God has taken me to incredible and amazing places, since that day. I'm so grateful for challenges in life that break my heart because that's what leads me closest to God. I would do anything and everything for him!!!

I realize that this was something simple, worldly and even silly to be heartbroken over, but you know what? It mattered to me SO MUCH at that moment. And because it mattered to me, it mattered to God. Whatever is breaking your heart today, just hang on! Heavenly Father loves you so much, I am confident He is catching your every tear. The pain won't last forever and it will get better! Let your heartbreak carry you to come closer to Jesus Christ so He can help you see what Heaven sees in you. Heavenly Father has so many great plans for you. Don't lose your faith that you are His daughter and all He wants is for you to be happy.

We often go through experiences to shape us into the individual God had pictured all along. He loves you. He has so many great plans for you. Strength is having the courage to trust His plan for you. It doesn't matter if your dreams come true or something that is so dear to your heart was never meant to be yours forever. Because when you trust Him, it works out and you become the girl that conquered heartache through trust. If you feel heartbreak in your life, just know this isn't how your story ends. You are going to triumph in the end. You have so much goodness and divine qualities inside of you. When you hang onto to the light of Christ and truly come to know Him, that light will shine through.


Life is meant to make us bend and twist, but you will never break! 


No matter what your going through, believe. Believe with all your heart that Christ has the ability to heal you. And no matter how many times you think you are failing, it's the opposite. You're actually growing and changing in ways you might not be able to see just yet. Chase your dreams without hesitation, they are placed in your heart for a great purpose. That purpose may come right away and it may take great faith and patience for you to see it. But no matter what, at the end of this book, you will end up happy! You end up living Happily Ever After when your heart is always turned to Christ. His light is always in there, even when you can't see it. 

I'm so grateful for the journey I have traveled. What I thought was failure, was really strength. Just because you try at something and don't succeed in the way you hoped, doesn't mean God doesn't love you or you are a failure. It's so much the opposite! 

You were born to become a queen. When you don't reach the goal you were hoping for, it just means your story isn't over, not yet! Hang on & believe. 

A Desire to Have Faith Is All You Need

Just recently I was having a hard time and trying to figure out what Heavenly Father would have me do,  I was seeking out the atonement of Jesus Christ, and this thought came to me...

Believe God hears your prayers. Hang onto that belief until you come to know without a doubt God truly hears you!

It was in that moment I realized just how far I had come. I LOVE The Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints so much. My testimony is so strong and my heart is completely converted. I mentioned I was having a hard time, the beauty of going through hard times in the gospel is you still have the ability to be happy and be at peace, no matter how hard it gets.

But you must know, it wasn't always like this...

There was a point in my life, awhile ago where I believed in God but was filled with so much doubt, that I forgot how to trust Him. My faith wasn't at the level it needed to be. I started to feel abandoned and like He had forgotten about me. I would pray every night and felt nothing. I kept praying because I really had nothing to lose.

After being so broken by events that had happened in my life that took me to my lowest of all lows, I strongly remember questioning if God was even there. I couldn't see Him, I couldn't hear Him, so how was I supposed to know if He even did exist?

I had the deepest desire to have faith. 
That was the ONLY thing I wanted in life. 
I felt like a failure because I didn't believe.
I felt hopeless and questioned if my testimony would ever come back.
I didn't understand how I could lose something,
that at one point, was SO valuable to me. 
Through this process I doubted if my faith was ever going to return.
I honestly felt like it was gone forever and I had strayed too far.

Want to know what changed? 

I prayed every single day, without fail, because I wanted faith back more than anything.
I had a desire - A BURNING DESIRE!!!

As it says in Alma 32:27: 
 "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words."


Just a desire can change EVERYTHING!! Anything is possible when this desire works inside of you! A desire is what gave me hope. I won't lie to you, it wasn't constant. My desire and faith at the beginning was shaky and unsteady but slowly and surely I was able to choose to believe that light could be found again.

I chose to believe that God was speaking to me. 
I chose to believe that He cared. 
I chose to believe He was in the tiny details of my life.

As I chose to believe He was playing a part in my life, that belief started to turn into faith. Choosing to believe something so small, like He cared about me as an individual, was what it took to heal my heart. This desire led me to humility, which then led me to faith. I noticed a pattern, the more I chose to believe he was speaking to me, the more I felt a peace that was undeniable. I actually started to feel Him guiding me and protecting me. The other thing I noticed was tender mercies in the smallest of ways. But believing the simple things in life that put a smile on my face came from Him, is what made all the difference.

Sometimes we expect these big, huge answers or miracles from God and we don't get them, then it can become easy to question whether He is there. But that's just it, while God has the ability to answer us in these HUGE ways, it's usually in the small and simple answers that amazing things come together. And not all at once either. 

Building back my testimony to the point that it was before took longer than I expected. I didn't see changes immediately. Sometimes I felt like giving up or that it didn't even matter. The beauty of it was that it mattered to God. He saw the effort I had been putting in and from the grace of Jesus Christ, through His atonement, I was lifted. He saw when I stumbled and He lifted me up. But it wasn't in some huge, miraculous, spiritual way. It was simple, and often times I didn't even see it. It's through looking back and reflecting on these experiences that I can now see just how far I have come. Little by little, my heart is truly converted and I'm confident that if I ever forget who I am again, I won't be doing it on my own, He will be there. Every single step of the way.

If you have lost your way and you want faith back in your life, 
choose to believe that God hears your prayers! 
Choose to believe that He is in the little things in your life and
those little things are answers to your prayers.

I PROMISE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART THAT A DESIRE 
TO BELIEVE WILL MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE! 

Believe that God is speaking to you! 

Believe that He will lift you up when you can't do it on your own!

Believe that the miracles come through the trials.

Believe that your desire to have faith will pay off!

Believe that the little things that make you smile, were sent just for YOU, from God!

He loves YOU and He is there for you, I promise. I wouldn't have made it this far without Him.

One day you too will look back and see just how far you have come and that God was there for you the ENTIRE time!

Check out this talk by Elder Holland, it's the talk I would rely on constantly when my faith wasn't steady.

101 descriptions of humility

I LOVE studying humility. It is my favorite topic. Everything that makes you become a better person, and everything that helps you become a disciple of Jesus Christ is all under the umbrella of humility. 

Being humble is what will lead you to follow God's commandments, bring peace and happiness in your life, and ultimately lead you to become like Jesus Christ.

I'm not perfect but this is the list I strive to become.


1. Humility is knowing that God is wiser than you and you are willing to acknowledge him in all that you do.

2. Humility is the pure love of Christ.

3. Humility is letting others go ahead of you.

4. Humility is not having to have the last word.

5. Humility is doing favors for others.

6. Humility is the willingness to open your scriptures.

7. Humility is the strength to not raise your voice when you're upset.

8. Humility is not needing attention.

9.  Humility is forgiving someone you think doesn't deserve it.

10. Humility is being concerned about the person more than the problem. 

?11. Humility is the grace between loving a person who has completely different beliefs than you.

12. Humility is admitting you aren't always right. 

13. Humility is showing respect. 

14. Humility is being kind to someone even if they have offended you.

15. Humility is turning the other cheek.

16. Humility is asking for help and guidance from Heavenly Father.

17. Humility is giving others the spotlight.

18. Humility is gratitude.

19. Humility is the ability to not always have to have things your way.

20. Humility is acknowledgement that everything you have comes from God.

21. Humility is honesty in all things.

22. Humility is giving away what you don't need.

23. Humility is being fearless because you trust The Lord.

24. Humility is sharing what you have to offer.

25. Humility is willingness to sacrifice what is asked of you. 

26. Humility is courage to do the right thing.

27. Humility is letting go of the need for attention.

28. Humility is the desire to Come Unto Christ.

29. Humility is giving praise and compliments to others.

30. Humility is admitting you are wrong.

31. Humility is speaking no unkind word, even if you know you're right.

32. Humility is T.H.I.N.K before you speak.

33. Humility is recognizing that opportunity is hard work.

34. Humility is willingness to do what you don't want to do, especially when it's the right thing.

35. Humility is not caring what other people think of you.

36. Humility is letting other drivers go ahead of you.

37. Humility is acceptance that the ideas of others may be better than yours.

38. Humility is having faith that others can succeed.

39. Humility is not being jealous of the successes of others.

40. Humility is the acceptance that not everything always has to be equal.

41. Humility is the desire to give more than you expect to receive in return.

42. Humility is the quality of confident people.

43. Humility is pure happiness.

44. Humility is turning to God immediately when you have a problem, fear, or doubt.

45. Humility is accepting that the trials in this life are needed for us to grow.

46. Humility is turning away from your thoughts no matter how hard your life may seem.

47. Humility is serving another person, even when you feel your own world is crashing down.

48. Humility is the desire to have the spirit in your life.

49. Humility is choosing to dress modestly.

50. Humility is putting aside another's offensive remarks.

51. Humility is forgetting about your to-do's to be there for someone else.

52. Humility is not always having to be right.

53. Humility is willing to trust God's plan is better.

54. Humility is turning to ask for God's will to line up with yours.

55. Humility is willingness to allow God to change your heart.

56. Humility is the ability to give up what you want for what He wants.

57. Humility is trusting in the path that He leads you on.

58. Humility is courage to believe God knows your heart better than you do.

59. Humility is giving up all the worldly things that entice you.

60. Humility is building someone up whether they hurt you or not.

61. Humility is never feeling inferior to another person.

62. Humility is never gossiping about other's behind their back.

63. Humility is jumping to be the first one to apologize.

64. Humility is building someone up when they tear you down.

65. Humility is being pure and virtuous.

66. Humility is stopping

67. Humility is willingness to let go of perfection.

68. Humility is accepting what you DO have and being happy with it.

69. Humility is recognizing the role God plays in your life.

70. Humility is relying on the atonement of Jesus Christ.

71. Humility is being teachable no matter what you think you may know.

72. Humility is willingness to forgive others, no matter what kind of harm they caused.

73. Humility is uplifting everyone in your space and never needing credit or glory.

74. Humility is being a good example but never trying to change another person.

75. Humility is opening your scriptures when you don't feel like studying.

76. Humility is gratitude through trials and pain.

77. Humility is courage is to reach out to those who need a friend.

78. Humility is never worrying about what other's opinions are of you.

79. Humility is guarding your thoughts of all inappropriate and evil things.

80. Humility is faith that the intentions of others are good.

81. Humility is serving secretly, not caring if anyone ever finds out it was you!

82. Humility is loving every single person. 

83. Humility is getting rid of labels, stereotypes and all unkind names.

84. Humility is yielding to the authority of others. 

85. Humility is quick to repent no matter how big or tiny the sin may be.

86. Humility is willing to sacrifice popularity for truth and integrity.

87. Humility is realizing being a child of God is the greatest call you will have in this life.

88. Humility is willing to let go of all media that isn't fulfilling.

89. Humility is sustaining every word the prophet says.

90. Humility is accepting and embracing the life you have been dealt.

91. Humility is constant looking around to make another's day better!

92. Humility is praying for temptations to go away.

93. Humility is being nonjudgmental.

94. Humility is helping others to feel of Gods love by the way you treat them.

95. Humility is praying for your heart to be open & accepting.

96. Humility is trusting in the Lord with your entire heart.

97. Humility is never postponing a prompting.

98. Humility is praying when you don't feel like it.

99. Humility is looking on the heart instead of worldly appearance.

100. Humility is seeing the good in everyone.

101. Humility is striving to keep sacred covenants.


What does Humility mean to you?

5 songs that speak to my heart

God speaks to me through music, which is why I really, really wish I could sing. 
Oh well, maybe one day this gift will come to me.
Anyways, I wanted to share 5 songs that have spoken to me this last little while. 
These songs are on my constant replay and they are all sung by LDS artists. Enjoy!

5 songs that speak to my heart

1. Whole Wide World - Mindy Gledhill

2. Glorious - David Archuleta

3. Again - April Meservy

{I can't locate this song on youtube but here are the lyrics. Lyrics are by Tyler Castleton}

I've wrestled with demons in darkness
I've wrestled with what has been lost
I carry this crashing weight on my shoulders
And try not to think of the cost

It's more than a single decision
It's giving a part of myself
It's something I simply can't do on my own
So I'm pleading with you for your help

Again and again I've asked myself why
I don't think that I have any tears left to cry
My soul is so tired I'm longing for rest
I'm giving my all and I'm doing my best
It hurts to move on from the place I am in 
But you understand where I've been
And you reassure me it's time to start over again

I'm finally ready to listen
I'm finally ready to hear
Struggling to get to a place you can reach me
Where peace can speak louder than fear

I can't see the end of the story
There is no way to know how it ends
For now I let go and I trust you to lead me
And show my hear where to begin

Again and again I've asked myself why
I don't think I had any tears left to cry
My soul is so tired I'm longing for rest
I'm giving my all and I'm doing my best
It hurts to move on from a place I am in 
But you understand where I've been
And you reassure me it's time to start over again

All of the pain and confusion I'm going through
I'm turning it over to you
Willing to trust it's the right thing to do

Again and again I've asked myself why
I don't think I had any tears left to cry
My soul is so tired I'm longing for rest
I'm giving my all and I'm doing my best
It hurts to move on from a place I am in 
But you understand where I've been
And you reassure me it's time to start over again


4. Beautiful Heartbreak - Hillary Weeks

5. Sometimes He lets it rain - Katherine Nelson

{This song was the song my EFY counselor played for us one evening during our group devotional. It touched my heart then. She told us it was this song that someone sent to her on her mission when she was having a rough time. It was this song that gave her hope and saved her. Lately this song means so much more to me than it ever has before.}

How do you share goodness?

For some reason, I hate sharing my personal stories, especially my past mistakes or my imperfections. But how could I share goodness if I hide everything I've ever been through?

I love how Robin Roberts says it, "Make your mess your message." 

So I'm going to be real because after speaking with my cousin today and reading her post, I am reminded of a few things.


Ever since the day I can remember, I had the strongest, boldest testimony of the LDS Church. In fact, even as a 7 year old, there were times when I would go to church by myself and sit with a neighbor family because my own family didn't feel like going and I knew I needed to be there. I couldn't wait to be in young women's or attend the temple. I earned my Young Women's medallion twice by the time i was 16. I even earned an honorary charm bracelet my ward young women's presidency offered me for service hours and mentoring other girls to challenge me to never stop focusing on Jesus Christ. The light of Christ was in me. 

After High School graduation I had become really good friends with a group. A boy in the group started liking me, however he didn't live by the same standards I upheld, so I told him we couldn't date. I was very kind and respectful and kept being his friend. He was very persistant until several months later I found myself saying yes we can date. I saw he was making changes in his life and he promised me that we would use our time dating to become our absolute best selves. He told me we would study scriptures and pray together and that he needed me to be a spiritual guidance for him. He told me he would even consider going on a mission and dating me would be the preparation he needed to prepare him because I was stronger than him and he needed my testimony. I had turned 18 not long before and I thought it sounded like a great plan. Besides, I was starting to care about this person an awful lot, I didn't want to do anything to hurt him. So we started dating.

Little did I know, he would be the one influencing me instead. I would take him to church with me but slowly I started to see he wasn't as invested as he had promised he would be. I kept thinking how I wanted to be with him forever and I needed to help him gain a strong testimony so we could go to the temple together to be married. Through this process, he would share his doubts with me. He would share why he found going to church boring or why certain standards made no sense to him. He was very persuasive, in fact so persuasive that little by little his doubts and disbelief's started to chisel at my testimony. I NEVER, not once fully lost my testimony. I NEVER stopped going to church but it got to a point where the strong rope I was holding onto was all but left to a tiny thread.

I felt alone and broken as the years went on. People would try to tell me to break up with this guy or they would preach things to me I just wasn't ready to hear. You see, once you get to this point, your heart is HARD and you have your plan and that's the only vision you can see. I wanted it to be him, I grew comfortable with him. He knew me, he understood me and he believed in me like no one in the entire world ever had. That's all I thought I ever needed. 

When people would tell me they disagreed with the guy I was dating or when opinions or beliefs were shoved in my face, I held onto what I wanted even MORE! It had to be my choice on my time with the loving patience and guidance of my Heavenly Father. He knew my heart and he honestly and fully prepared the way for me to leave in a timing that synced with mine.

The reason I share this is because missionary work is very heavy on my mind lately. I know the happiness I feel now, and I want others to experience this as well.

When others preach, shove or critique, and humility isn't in the other person's heart, that person is bound to do the opposite of what is being said. Those that can't comprehend God's love for them will feel attacked instead of the love of Christ. 

I wanted to give a shout out to my amazing cousin for being such an amazing missionary in my life when I was lost. While I wouldn't call myself completely inactive, the gospel wasn't fully in my heart. I wasn't converted like I am now. My cousin knew who I was dating wasn't right for me but she never preached or lectured me about it. My family voiced it loud and often. I look back now and my heart aches for not listening to those who knew better, however I know I had to learn on my own and I would not be who I needed to be without those experiences in my life. 

It was my cousin, Elise who always shared hope and goodness, just through her love and friendship. She never made me feel inadequate for the choices I was making. She was patient and kind. She loved me for me and not for what I was or wasn't doing. She would share church thoughts and quotes or take me to institute with her but it was never overbearing. Elise never pushed and that made the difference! She was the example I needed in my life for me to be able to let go of the guy I was dating. She accepted me for who I was, I didn't ever feel like she was trying to push missionary work on me. I felt her love for me and that gave me the desires to reevaluate my life enough to take a leap of faith and let go of what I was hanging onto so tightly. 

Lately I've thought about the question of why we do missionary work. Missionary work should never, ever be about who is right and who is wrong. It shouldn't ever be about pushing personal beliefs onto another person because you know it to be true. In fact, it should be the opposite. It should be about loving the other person so much that you respect their decisions and if/when the timing is right, they can personally choose to join or come fullheartedly back to the church because it was the spirit that touched their heart. 

We can share and teach what we believe all we want and we REALLY should. But this shouldn't define us. We should share goodness through love, service and acceptance no matter who we feel is right or wrong. We are all imperfect, we all make mistakes and there is so much beauty in free agency. So we shouldn't ever preach what we know to be right or what we strongly believe in because just maybe at the phase of life they are in, they see things differently than you and they aren't ready! LOVE them anyways. Mormon or not, never exclude anyone. Never, ever allow someone to feel less than you because they aren't living the way you are.

Let's get rid of labels. Let's not define one another by what religion we are. Missionary work should be founded on the principle of service. We should start by being a friend and serving because we care about them. That should be the main reason we do missionary work. Once the love of God gets inside of you, it will come easy and natural to pass on that love and help others to feel it just by your kindness and loving words.

I wrote this post for two reasons: 

1. To tell girls that who you date has a stronger influence on you then you can comprehend. Choose wisely, with deep prayer and thought. 

2. I wanted to share my personal experiences to bring some food for thought on how we're approaching missionary work. Love & acceptance is one thing that everyone needs in their life.

So go share goodness!

{Credit goes to Elise for parts of our conversation today}

A word on heartbreak for Christian Girls

Today I wanted to write a post about heartbreak for Christian Girls. I want girls everywhere to know that although heartbreak hurts and is basically something you can't avoid in this beautiful world, it is always worth it to go through a trying experience. You will always come out stronger and refined in the end.

Although heartbreak hurts, 

everything that is painful has a purpose.

If I could tell girls anything, I would encourage girls to actively strive to let love into your life without fear of getting hurt. There is so much beauty that comes from heartbreak. It's a process we all must go through to be the girl God wants us to be. The most incredible thing of all is the knowledge that Christ will always heal your heart. Your heart won't stay broken forever, I promise.

My very wise and beautiful cousin once shared these words of wisdom - 
"Worst case scenario, you had your hopes up and you get your heart broken. But that's not actually so bad. Just place your hope in the atonement and in God's plan and remember that God works with us best when we come to Him with a broken heart. He'll heal it and make you better. So don't be afraid of heartbreak." 

Although we've been discussing love, heartbreak doesn't just relate to love and relationships. It can relate to every area of your life. Plans not working out, dreams not coming true, heartbreak in feeling lost and alone, fear or dismay, pain or agony. Everything that hurts us and causes us pain and our hearts to tremble, is simply beautiful. Think about it, we wouldn't be who we are if we never went through hard situations and experiences we had to overcome. While the pain can be so excruciating at that moment, it's moments like that where we come out stronger and better. You can look back through your life and see that Heavenly Father made adjustments to the fairy-tale you thought you wanted, only to see He designed the perfect Happily Ever After, just for YOU because He knows you personally. Every single thing that breaks your heart, God uses those experiences to build your mansion, helping you to become the girl you were meant to be.

The beautiful thing I have discovered about heartbreak is God speaks to you more clearly and more easily when your heart is broken and needs a little mending. When that feeling becomes overwhelming and you feel alone, wishing it would all be taken away, that is when you turn to God. Allow God to mend your heart for you! Through the power of prayer, you will find the purpose of the trial you are facing.

Heartbreak leads to humility. When you practice humility, it means you are admitting that you are not strong enough to do it on your own. {Mosiah 4:11-12} That is when you reach out for Heavenly Father's help. Heavenly Father wants you to turn to Him. He loves you so much and He longs to heal your heart. Sometimes Heavenly Father will intentionally put heartbreak on your path so you have the opportunity to experience the beautiful tenderness He always has to offer.

I love these 3 Scriptures and the way they explain how you must be humble so He can dwell within you:

1) Isiah 57:15 - For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 

2) D&C 56:18 - But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power of great glory unto their deliverance; for the fatness of the earth shall be theirs.

3) 2 Nephi 2:7 - Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. {Christ offers himself to those who have a broken heart}

God can take away so much of our pain, but sometimes He allows us to experience this turmoil and heartbreak so He can speak to us, humble us, make us whole, and guide us in the direction that He knows is best for our life. After all, He makes weak things become strong. {Ether 12:27}

Nothing sums up what I am trying to say, better than the lyrics from Hillary Week's song, 'Beautiful Heartbreak.'

I had it all mapped out in front of me
Knew just where I wanted to go
But life decided to change my plans
And I found a mountain in the middle of my road
I knew there was no way to move it
So I searched for a way around
Broken-hearted I started climbing
And at the top I found

Every fear, every doubt, all the pain I went through
Was the price that I paid to see this view
Now that I'm here I would never trade
The grace that I feel and the faith that I find
Through the bittersweet tears and the sleepless nights
I used to pray He'd take it all away
But instead it became
A beautiful heartbreak

I never dreamed my heart would make it
And I thought about turning around
But Heaven has shown me miracles
I never would have seen from the ground
Now I take the rain with the sunshine
Cause there's one thing that I know
He picks up the pieces
Along each broken road

Every fear, every doubt, all the pain I went through
Was the price that I paid to see this view
Now that I'm here I would never trade
The grace that I feel and the faith that I find
Through the bittersweet tears and the sleepless nights
I used to pray He'd take it all away
But instead it became
A beautiful heartbreak

Also, here is a talk given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2006.
It is titled ''Broken Things To Mend' ... I highly recommend it. To read the talk, go HERE!

The 50 lessons I learned this last week

This past week has been a whirlwind! I Literally have experienced every single, possible feeling and emotion within the last 7 days. The hardest weeks are the ones that you learn and grow the most. They are the most rewarding in the long run. If you ever feel like you are completely being challenged, take heart because Heavenly Father sees incredible potential within you! 

50 things I have learned within the last 7 days:

1. If God is asking you to give up your dollar store pearls, let go with faith so He can give you saltwater pearls instead. 

{This thought came from THIS album. God LOVES teaching me this lesson over and over!}

2. It's good to have questions, never feel inadequate by asking. A desire to know more is already knowledge in itself.

3. Faith isn't a perfect knowledge of things. {Alma 32:21} It's faith for a reason, the bigger the leap of faith, the more you will be blessed for it. 

4. Words that are from the spirit will come spilling at of your mouth when you least expect it.

5. God will show you over and over, reasons why you should trust him. Your eyes have to be open to see it.

6. Sometimes God will be silent for a short period of time because that's how He will get your attention when He has something HUGE he needs to tell you.

7. God puts people in your life for a reason. We go through experiences so we can help other people that will come along our path. Your eyes have to be open to what others can teach you and sometimes it's not what you expect at first. There are those few, special occasions where you don't realize the impact someone has on your life until you look through every single moment and then become aware of just how essential their role was.

8. Sometimes you don't know what you're looking for till it comes knocking on your door and then you begin to feel you could never live without it.

9. Faith grows the strongest when the desire is there. You may feel as if your faith in no where to be seen, but that's the beauty of it. The desire is working within you so deeply that the FAITH is there!

10. It's okay to ask for help. No one can ALWAYS be strong on their own. The strongest people are the ones that have the courage to reach out for help.

11. God never gives you what you want, he gives you what you need! Sometimes what you want is what you need and sometimes you have no idea what you really want but God does. God would never ask you to sacrifice something without a purpose. 

12. Love can enter your life when you least expect it. 

13. You are wanted and supported by SO many people in your life, don't push them away.

14. You don't have to always say yes. Say no to bring peace to your life when you don't feel it is right.

15. It's important to listen to Heavenly Father when he tells you something. Even if it's the last thing you want to hear. He has your best interest at heart.

16. Twitter has the power to change your life!

17. God has the strongest ability to change your heart. Allow your heart to be open to change.

18. If Heavenly Father sheltered you from the pain, you would forever remain the same.

19. Respecting and honoring worthy priesthood holders not only blesses them, it blesses YOU too!  

20. Faith is beautiful and amazing. If you don't have it,  just having a desire to have it is ENOUGH!

21. Good guys are far and few in between but they DO exist, so never settle!

22. To have a humble and open heart, start your day by doing something completely selfless and not about you!

23. Don't hold back, lay out everything you have to offer and people can choose to take it or leave it. More than not they will take it and it will break all barriers that were holding you back.

24. God has a perfect plan for your life. Trust Him!

25. Your life can change in a blink of an eye. But God is watching over you and He won't let you fall. His hand is in everything all the time. The test comes when you can't see or feel it for a small amount of time.

26. God knows everything so you don't have to.

27. You are always better than you think you are! Always.

28. Always act on a prompting, even if it makes absolutely no sense. In fact, you may not see anything at all come from it but you WILL have his peace and love in your life and that alone makes it worth it.

29. Rainstorms come so rainbows can be enjoyed. Blessings come from the storms. And while it's raining, why not dance...or kiss in it!

30. We are given trials because this life is a test. Embrace when they come along. God recognizes it's time for you to be stretched again.

31. Heavenly Father knows your name, your favorite color, what makes you smile, and even your favorite season. So often He will speak to you with the simple little things that you hold dear to your heart.

32. Your best friend is probably far greater than they have ever received credit for.

33. Tender mercies are all around you, Heavenly Father is in every detail of your life and He is never leaving!

34. Writing down experiences will become the most valuable thing in your life. It will reconfirm what God tells you. Satan wants you to forget words and experiences that have value. After writing, pray to confirm that what you have written is truth.

35. You are never, ever, ever alone - no matter how lost you feel.

36. No person is above temptation, that's why the Armor of God is so important.

37. While you can't control when or how your prayers get answered, He will send you the most simple but most glorious things to let you know He hears you!

38. Heartbreak can bring you closer or farther away from God. It's always YOUR choice!  

39. Exercise has importance AND God will never tell you to do something without a PURPOSE! 

{I've been on an exercise routine for the past 4 months. A couple weeks ago, I felt like my life was just too overwhelming and I wanted to quit. I received an extreme impression that I couldn't give up. - Then the AHA moment came from conference "Take responsibility for your own physical well-being. Decide today to begin a regular, long-term exercise program suited to your abilities, combined with a healthier diet." - Elder Klebingat.}

40. Giving up what you want for what God wants is what brings that complete ULTIMATE happiness  and peace in your life.

41. Your past doesn't define you, it can refine you if you allow it to! When you repent, it's more than being clean. You become fresh and completely renewed through the process. Your past is no longer apart of you.

42. Focusing on YOUR wants, YOUR desires, and YOUR will, will often only hinder you. This is the simplest but most profound way that Satan can work on you. Which is why humility is SO important! Get outside of yourself, put your thoughts on hold. Learn to focus on others to bring contentment into your own life.

43.. A simple smile can be the answer to a prayer someone needs.

44. Being brave and saying what you feel can change things in the most POWERFUL way!

45. You can't get close to the line Heavenly Father has set for us. The risk is too high.

46. The scriptures contain the answer to every question you need answered.

47. You have the ability to be loved for everything you are and are not.

48. To develop a stronger relationship with God and Christ - you must write down 4 things:
     #1 - Questions you have for Him. What are your trials?
     #2 - Answers that you received about the questions. He wants to see your listening.
     #3 - Tender mercies, look for Him in every area of your life and acknowledge that these                                         moments are precious and tender to you.
    #4 - Things to repent for. What daily thoughts, mistakes and unkind words did you do or say today? Make a resolve to fix them.

49. Moments of fear are building blocks for foundations of faith.

50.  If you pray for humility, don't be shocked when that prayer is answered immediately. That is the quickest prayer He answers. #LessonLearned