5 Ways to increase your gratitude

5 Ways to increase your gratitude

1. Pray

Get down on your knees and pray until you feel grateful and your heart is softened to a place Heavenly Father can heal your heart and remind you of all the incredible blessings He has blessed you with.

Sometimes when I'm in my car, I'll turn off the radio and make it a challenge to pray aloud (there is great power in prayers that have voice) ONLY thanking Heavenly Father without asking for anything in return. Once I start naming a few things I am grateful for, knowledge of my blessings come pouring to my mind and then I feel His love for me in abundance.

2. Keep a gratitude journal

Every night before you go to sleep, write down something you are grateful for. You can simply list one item in your journal a night or you can expand on the blessing. You will soon see everything you have been blessed with is far greater than you expected. When you are having a hard day, you can turn to this list and see how much you have to be grateful for.

I love writing down the tender mercies from my day. One way my faith has grown so much and I have come to know for myself how much Heavenly Father loves His children is watching for God's hand in my life. It's always there, always, and sometimes I make it a point to pray in the morning to have the ability to be aware of how God's hand is in my life. Heavenly Father knows exactly how to speak to you and He will send you a smile, a friend or whatever He sees you need, in His perfect time. Pray to see these tender mercies and then show Heavenly Father how much you love receiving them by writing them down and showing Him they are important and special to you.

3. Make a list of all the blessings that have come from your trials and heartbreaks

Trials come into our lives for a purpose. They are hard and challenging but they always bring blessings. This is what we call a beautiful heartbreak. Sometimes we think we know what we want but really Heavenly Father is the only one that knows what's best for us. Every trial you go through, there is a lesson to be learned, character to be gained, humility to be experienced, and faith to be built. 

Make a list of everything you have gone through that has been really difficult for you. Then start naming everything beautiful that came from it. This may be really hard to see so you may need to pray for some insight but I testify that trials are blessings!

4. Serve

When you stop focusing on yourself and what you don't have in your life, you are able to see life in a whole new perspective. The more you get to know the stories of others and you can serve them with your full heart, you will forget your own life and you will get caught up in helping solve the problems of others instead. You have so much to offer and blessings will become known unto you the instant you forget yourself and serve Heavenly Father instead. 

5. Get outside of your box

It can often be easy to get caught in our own comfort zone and we become confined by all we know. Do something different for a day... walk around a children's hospital, go downtown and take a look at all the homeless people, even something simple like reading a few heartbreaking stories will help you to realize how much you personally have and that there is so much more to life. You have been blessed so much and sometimes it just takes going to a new place or observing the life of another to see just how much you have!

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Happy Thanksgiving, what an amazing holiday! A time to be with family, a time to enjoy all the yummy deliciousness (I think potatoes and pumpkin pie are my favorite), and a time to reflect over everything you are thankful for. 

I have been writing gratitude posts on my Facebook page all month long and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me. It was something I just felt I needed to do. Interestingly enough, you'd be surprised how many Facebook friends I've lost because of it. After I noticed this, I started to contemplate if I should keep going and I was guided by my inner voice to stay true to the commitment I had made to myself and to Heavenly Father. As each day goes by, I've been able to also reflect on the influence it has had on others. I have received a few messages because of these posts that have brought me to tears in the most inspiring way.

Every single day I write one of my grateful posts, I pray about what to say. I pray and then listen to know exactly what I should write. These posts aren't planned out and I'm learning more about life and more about gratitude because of these posts. These gratitude posts are made possible through Heavenly Father, after all it was Him that gave me everything I have to be grateful for.

Right now I'm taking a positive psychology class that is completely focused on gratitude and how being thankful has the power to change your happiness and well-being. This class is part of my minor that will allow me to coach and train others in the positive upbeat of life. It's been the greatest experience to be living proof that gratitude really can change your life. 

10 AMAZING talks on trials

Trials bring blessings when endured in faith! Here are my top 10 LDS talks on trials. This is a great list to refer to when you need a little pick me up. 

 I also want to testify that trials are just part of our journey and the more you embrace your trials and count them as the blessing, the greater your happiness will be!

10 talks to bring you peace during trials

1. More Than Conquerors through Him That Loved Us

By: Paul V. Johnson (Of the Seventy)

"Sometimes we want to have growth without challenges and to develop strength without any struggle. But growth cannot come by taking the easy way. We clearly understand that an athlete who resists rigorous training will never become a world-class athlete. We must be careful that we don’t resent the very things that help us put on the divine nature."

{Read it HERE}

2. Bread or Stones: Understanding the God We Pray to

By: S. Michael Wilcox  (Religion Instructor and Author)

"What we need to understand about our Father in Heaven is that He prefers to prepare us to face the storms of life, the contrary winds, rather than to still them. So if you are past your fourth watch and He has not come, don’t assume that He is not there, that He doesn't care, He doesn't listen, or that you are not worthy. Assume your ship is tight like a dish. You will not sink.  Somewhere in the past of your life, experiences have been placed by a wise and foresighted Father in Heaven to prepare you to face the very things that you are facing. As the lion and the bear came to David, before Goliath, to prepare him to face Goliath, so will lion-and-bear moments come in your lives before the Goliath moments come. Because if your ship was not tight like a dish and you have reached the fourth watch, He will come to you and still the storm. So if the storm is not still, we must assume our ship is tight like a dish." 

{Read it HERE}

3.  That We Might "Not Shrink" (D+C 19:18)

By: David A. Bednar (Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles)

"Many of the lessons we are to learn in mortality can only be received through the things we experience and sometimes suffer. And God expects and trusts us to face temporary mortal adversity with His help so we can learn what we need to learn and ultimately become what we are to become in eternity."



{Read it HERE}

4. I will Give Myself to Him

By: Russell T. Osguthorpe (Sunday School General President)

"So, we do all we can to give ourselves to Him—our heart, our will, our soul. The more we follow this path, the more the Lord will bless us with His love. And the more we feel His love, the more we know we are succeeding in giving our will to Him."

{Read it HERE}

5. Your Happily Ever After

By: Dieter F. Uchdorft (Second Counselor in the First Presidency)

"In stories, as in life, adversity teaches us things we cannot learn otherwise. Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way. Our loving Heavenly Father has set us in a world filled with challenges and trials so that we, through opposition, can learn wisdom, become stronger, and experience joy."

{Read it HERE}

6. His grace is sufficent

By: Brad Wilcox (Sunday School General board)

"As dark as our trials, sins, and mistakes may appear, we can always have confidence in the grace of Jesus Christ. Do we earn a sunrise? No. Do we have to be worthy of a chance to begin again? No. We just have to accept these blessings and take advantage of them. As sure as each brand-new day, grace—the enabling power of Jesus Christ—is constant. Faithful pioneers knew they were not alone. The task ahead of them was never as great as the power behind them."

{Read it HERE}

7. Lessons from Liberty Jail

By: Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles)

"In our moments of pain and trial, I guess we would shudder to think it could be worse, but without the Atonement it not only could be worse, it would be worse. Only through our faith and repentance and obedience to the gospel that provided the sacred Atonement is it kept from being worse."

{Read it HERE}

8. Stepping-Stones and Stumbling Blocks

By: Steven E. Snow (Quorum of the Seventy)

"How do we turn adversity into a stepping-stone and not a stumbling block? How can we make a bad experience become a learning experience? Part of the answer lies in perspective. How we choose to lead our lives and how we make faith part of our lives ultimately helps us face the challenges that come to everyone in this earthly existence."

Read it HERE}

9. Mountains to Climb

By: Henry B. Eyring (First Counselor in the First Presidency)

"If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing. In all conditions, we can choose the right with the guidance of the Spirit. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ to shape and guide our lives if we choose it. And with prophets revealing to us our place in the plan of salvation, we can live with perfect hope and a feeling of peace. We never need to feel that we are alone or unloved in the Lord’s service because we never are. We can feel the love of God. The Savior has promised angels on our left and our right to bear us up. And He always keeps His word."

{Read it HERE}

10. Trial of your Faith

By: Elder Neil L. Andersen (Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles)

"These fiery trials are designed to make you stronger, but they have the potential to diminish or even destroy your trust in the Son of God and to weaken your resolve to keep your promises to Him. These trials are often camouflaged, making them difficult to identify. They take root in our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities, our sensitivities, or in those things that matter most to us. A real but manageable test for one can be a fiery trial for another.

How do you remain “steadfast and immovable” during a trial of faith? You immerse yourself in the very things that helped build your core of faith: you exercise faith in Christ, you pray, you ponder the scriptures, you repent, you keep the commandments, and you serve others."

{Read it HERE}

*Please note the callings listed were the positions held at the time the speeches were given. These callings may not be accurate the time this post is published.

*Photo above credited to LDS Church 

God is a fourth watch God

I can't stop watching this video. 

The scripture reference:

Matthew 14:25-33

25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer ; it is I; be not afraid. 
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid ; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith , wherefore didst thou doubt ? 
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 
33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. 


Why did Peter doubt? He was walking on water and Christ was right in front of him.
If I was in his shoes, would I doubt?
Sometimes Heavenly Father puts us in the toughest situations.
Sometimes our heart doesn't match the path that Heavenly Father has us on.

As I read the words in verse 25 "in the fourth watch of the night", the thought "God is a fourth watch God" instantly popped into my mind, which then immediately reminded of this talk. 

As it says in this talk, a fourth watch God means He is watching us toil or row through our trials all the way till the night is over. Sometimes that can feel like an eternity. Sometimes just ONE of the minutes of your hardest trial can feel so agonizing and you feel as if you will never make it through. Trials you are waiting on to be lightened, patience of waiting for everything to work out and fall into place like you have been promised and.....nothing. You start to doubt, you start to cry, you start to wonder why Heavenly Father is there crying with you but He's not doing anything about it.

"When the trials aren't over and the blessings don't come, don't assume that He is not there, or He is not listening, or He doesn't care, or you're not worthy. Always assume you have not yet reached the fourth watch." - Michael Wilcox

You take the trial these apostles had just gone through and it wasn't UNTIL the fourth watch of the night that Christ came to them. Christ is always there to carry us and lift us up, if we don't doubt and if we live in faith - that's when we can actually walk on the water.

Faith is powerful, faith can move us to do great things!
Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need to go through to shape us into the people
we are meant to be. 
He isn't going to let us fall. He's with us every step of the way.
Trials are excruciating yes, but oh so very rewarding are miraculous! 
And once you get past the trial, we too can be like Peter and God will give us a chance to walk on water!

Bring on the war

In Institute yesterday, we were talking about how God is the only one that knows your thoughts and knows the true intentions on your heart. 

Alma 18:32 - "And Ammon said: Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning."

It was then brought up that Satan can't read your thoughts at all. He can put thoughts into your mind, (like doubt, temptations, immoral thoughts, etc.) but after these thoughts are placed into your mind he has NO idea what you're doing with them. He doesn't know if you are dwelling on them. He doesn't know if you're playing and tossing these ideas in your mind and considering acting upon them. He has no idea what you're doing with them UNTIL you choose to act upon them. 

Satan places a thought in your mind, he sits back and waits to see if you act upon it, that's when he starts jumping up and down with excitement saying, "Yeah, I got one!"

So how does Satan know your weaknesses? He knows them because of past actions. He sees what you do and how you respond to situations and he watches very carefully to know what he can do to trigger you the next time. But he will never know if you have a thought you're tossing around in your mind until you actually do something about it. HOWEVER, Heavenly Father knows. He sees it all. Jesus Christ knows, that's how he helps and carries you through it all.

I was listening to the greatest talk this morning. It's called "The difference one can make" by Larry Johnson. It's been my favorite talk ever since my very first days at Seagull Book. This talk is about a young boy by the name of Kent Williams, and the influence he has. Every time I listen to it, I can't wait to become better! I evaluate my life and decide on something to work on. This statement from the talk hit me hard today  - "I'm in an all out war against Satan." Kent would write in his journal about ways he was improving and things he could work on. He worried about every little detail in his life and wanted to become as Christlike as he possibly could while on this earth. He wanted to use every single talent and gift Heavenly Father blessed him with to take on this war against Satan. 

As I've been thinking about the example of Kent, I've been reflecting on my own life and what talents I'm not using and what messages my every day actions are sending to Satan. 

How does Satan view you without knowing your thoughts? Does he see you as a strong and faithful servant? OR does he see you as someone willing to bend and break if the right temptation were to come along?

It's the little things that actually matter. I know Heavenly Father has blessed me with an incredible talent of writing notes and crafting little gifts to take to people and just let them know they are loved. I have been slacking. I know Satan watches the little things I do or the lack thereof. He sees the little things that tempt me, like speeding to get to class on time. The more he sees what I am or am not doing, the more he knows exactly what thoughts and temptations to feed me. If I want to win the war against Satan, not only do I have to strive to be Christlike in every single moment, giving me more protection against Satan and drawing me closer to the Savior. But I also have to be aware of what Satan is and isn't seeing in my life. It was like an "ah-ha moment" for me. 

The fact that Satan doesn't know what we are thinking and will never be able to read our minds is such an incredible protection we are being blessed with. It's a way to have greater power over what buttons of yours he can push. If he sees you aren't living in faith, he knows it's the simple little things that can push you over farther. However, when he sees just how dedicated to your faith you are, and when he can actually see the armor of God you are wearing, he's not going to tempt you with the big things because he can fully see he's not going to win. He looses his power.

Commit to being in a war against Satan! What things do you need to add to your life? What gifts and talents have you been blessed with that you haven't been using? Satan is watching your every move and when he sees you forget to read your scriptures, even if just for one day, he knows you don't have the strength you need to fight him and that's when he can start to control your mind with doubt and pride. It's the little thoughts we have moment-to-moment and day-to-day that create our words and our actions.

Let the attributes of Christ work within you and become apart of who you are! The less you act on even the littlest temptation like dwelling on fear, the more Satan will see that he is never, ever going to win! You can have complete POWER over Satan when you choose to adhere to every principle, standard, and commandment that the gospel requires.

Make the Savior your absolute best friend, not Satan. Jesus Christ wants nothing more for you than ultimate happiness. He would do ANYTHING for you. He has already given you the greatest gift you will EVER receive. 

Veterans Day - Thank you to our Veterans & their loved ones

{Pictures from November 11, 2010 at the Veteran's Day Parade}

Being in the Miss Murray Royalty, I had the opportunity

of serving pancakes at IHOP for their

annual Children's Miracle Network fundraising.

I came across this man who was eating alone and so

I sat down to tell him about

Children's Miracle Network and the purpose behind it.

As we started talking I soon found out that this

man was a veteran.

He had served countless years and made so many sacrifices

as he was fighting for our freedoms.

He started to tell me of some experiences he had gone through

and my eyes filled with tears.

I told him "you are so brave, I can't imagine how hard that

must have been or the courage that it must

have taken to fight"

He just looked at me and said

"It was worth it for me and you to have freedom".

This man stood before me as happy as could be.

That moment has really stood out to me.

I want to find ways to thank Veteran's for the freedoms that I have.

I am so lucky and so thankful to live in America!

How can we value our freedoms more?

We don't always have the opportunity to come across a veteran and have

personal conversations with them but when we do it is such a glorious day and

an amazing opportunity to make a difference,

just by simply saying thank you!

I know many incredible, dear friends who have given 

so much for the every day freedoms of this country.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Words can't express my gratitude.

I don't just thank you this day, I thank you every single day.

Although this a day to honor you, it's vital you know how much

you're appreciated every single day of the year.

And thank you to the loved ones of these brave men and women,

thank you for the sacrifice you make so they can serve.

Thank you for your strength, your courage, your devotion, and your faith.

May you be blessed for the tears you've cried, the patience you've endured,

and the loneliness that must be at times so hard to bear.

I wonder if I would have the great strength that you so faithfully express.

Thank you!

Also watch this - A Veteran's Day Special from Music and the Spoken Word

Opposition & making an impact

You Never Know - 

A Mormon Message inspired by words of President Hinckley

I watched this video today, don't ask how I'm just barely seeing it. 
However, I do believe that God's timing is always perfect 
and it was TODAY that this video touched my heart. 

The message was beautiful and made me cry. 
It's about the small and simple things you do that make a huge difference.
It's about loving others in the kindest and most simplest ways.
It's about following the promptings we have been given, 
even if it means putting our needs on hold for just a little while 
because what we are asked to sacrifice will always be compensated
with so much more than we are asked to give up.
It's about knowing there is still light even when our plans fall through.

I'm not a mom yet, but I hope to be one, one day soon.
In 9th grade, all I could think about was being a mom.
I would clean my house from top to bottom every single day, with every intention
of preparing to be a good homemaker.
I was the one helping my mom to get organized so our house could run more smoothly.
I was the girl that loved to make to-do lists and would race to see how fast I could get them done, because I wanted to be prepared for the busy life I would lead when I was a mom.
I was the girl that made a file cabinet full of files on every gospel topic you could think of, 
I would prepare Family Home Evening lessons to be ready for when I was a mom.
Growing up to be a mom was my greatest desire at the young age of 14.

As I was watching this video, my heart ached for this mom.
Her life was crazy and she just wanted a minute to herself as well as a minute to complete
the daily tasks that lied ahead of her.
I saw strength shining through her eyes as this mom kept pushing forward.
She had such an open heart as she was willing to serve those that needed her most.
When she was sacrificing her own needs for the needs of others, 
the Lord always stepped in and made up the difference.
At the end of the day she may not have achieved what she had planned out for the day,
but she got done what He needed her to do and THAT'S WHAT MATTERED!

I know being a mom is such hard work.
I know that days are never, ever going to be perfect
and will never go as planned.
But I also know that it will be the most important and most
rewarding thing I will ever do in my life.
This video reminded me of that.

I was going through the comments of this video on YouTube, 
There was so much opposition about this video.
I'm still confused as to how that can be.
Why is this world so quick to critique something? 
Why does this world try so hard to find something 
negative in everything that has SO much GOOD?

I keep on learning over and over that there is opposition IN ALL THINGS!
No matter what it is, it's impossible to please everyone.
Oh how I wish this would change, but it's not going to and I'm learning to love it.
Beautiful things come from opposition and things always work out.

Regarding the Miss Murray's Outstanding Teen Pageant
a project I worked so hard on for the past year,
there was opposition from the very beginning.
I had much support but also many stumbling blocks.
I kept proceeding because I knew that's what Heavenly Father would have me do.
After much thought and prayer I felt like it was finally going to come to reality.
At the very last minute I had girls drop out, leaving only two girls left.
This peace washed over me that I had had the influence I needed to have and 
it wasn't meant to go any further than that at this time.
In that moment, I knew that the pageant wasn't supposed to happen.
I learned that Heavenly Father had me pursue it as it would all fall into place as a test of faith.
Also I know each one of the girls that were going to compete left a hand print on my heart.
One story sticks out so strongly, I will never forget.

I received some opposition today about the pageant not going through.
It broke my heart because I knew without a doubt the steps I was taking were correct.
In fact, the way this opposition was worded made me worry about something else instead,
it shed some light onto a different story.

I had the opportunity to sacrifice my needs for one of the girls
and in the end, I was compensated for the sacrifice I made.
Heavenly Father always blesses us when we choose to serve Him instead.
This opposition from today showed me that I'm not done serving.
There's a girl who needs more love than I ever even realized,
and just maybe I don't know what I've done for her up to this point.

YOU NEVER KNOW THE IMPACT YOU HAVE 

ON THE LIVES OF OTHERS!

Often the little things you sacrifice mean SO much more to those you serve!

"You are doing the best you can, and that best results in good to yourself and to others. Do not nag yourself with a sense of failure. Get on your knees and ask for the blessings of the Lord; then stand on your feet and do what you are asked to do. Then leave the matter in the hands of the Lord. You will discover that you have accomplished something beyond price."

- President Gordon B. Hinckley