Thoughts Create Our Emotions + Random Thoughts by Ashley

Hope you had a beautiful weekend and you got outside to enjoy the sun! It was beautiful this weekend. The sun is one the greatest creations ever. Seriously, craving summer right about now.  

I had such an amazing weekend spending time with some incredible young women, fourteen very choice and amazing of them to be exact. We filmed a video introducing The Power of One Girl. Every girl was interviewed by me. These girls have powerful testimonies and being around them was such a strengthening experience for me. 

Then what a spiritual and sacred Sunday as the Provo Temple Dedication took place. My heart was filled with the love Heavenly Father has for His children. How glorious it is that Heavenly Father has purpose in all things and He can make beauty out of ashes. I also enjoyed some time playing with kiddos, they sure give you a different outlook on life and make you appreciate it that much more. 

Some days I feel empowered and it's as if I can see God's hand in my life as things come together. And then there are the days where I just feel stuck and in a funk. The days where I use more faith than eyesight to know that the Lord is aware and opposition comes at us for a reason. This life is supposed to be hard, it's supposed to test us. If every single day was perfect, if everything worked out like we thought it should we probably wouldn't ever learn and we definitely wouldn't grow. 

When the little things come up that pull at my emotions, I'm grateful for the reminder to check in with the Lord. Negative emotions are necessary because they are powerful in pointing us back to the Lord. We have power over our emotions and the more we turn to the Lord, the more we can fight our negative emotions. However, it's not something that can fully avoided in this life because this life is a time to learn and grow. A time to turn our hearts to the Lord and know how to do just that. It is our thoughts that create emotions. Sometimes it's one simple thought and other times it's a cycle of thoughts that turn them into emotions; but nonetheless it is up to us to anchor our hearts in Christ so we can take over our thoughts and have power over our emotions.

The times where I feel off balance and in a funk, the times where I start to feel bitter or angry over a simple experience; it's in these moments that remind me I'm not planting my heart in Christ or my burdens at His feet and it's time for me to let go. Every time I turn to the Lord, every single time I tell Him about a trial or what's weighing down my heart, He either fixes the situation or lifts me up so I can keep going. God doesn't leave us in the ashes. God takes us and makes us whole. God has great plans for us; sometimes I understand how powerful those words are and other days I have to walk blindly and submit my will to His. No matter what, no day is wasted. No trial is unavailing. No broken heart is permanent. 

You are not forgotten and you are never alone!