Believing Christ

For my New Testament class we have to read “commentary” reading or texts about the New Testament. We have assigned books we had to read twenty pages or more from. First I read Jesus the Christ by Talmage and I honestly loved it. I just started reading Believing Christ by Stephen Robinson. What a great read! This text has opened my eyes to so much and I have only read twenty pages. It honestly can be said to be one of the most influential books I have read.

I think too often we don’t apply what we know to ourselves. It is so easy to say “Yes, they can be forgiven but I can’t.” I know I do that at least. In this book, Stephen Robinson brings up some great points. He says, “They may believe that the Church is true, that Jesus is the Christ, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, while at the same time refusing to accept the possibility of their own complete forgiveness and eventual exaltation in the kingdom of God. They believe in Christ, but they do not believe Christ…

“Not only must we believe that he is who he says he is, we must also believe that he can do what he says he can do. We must not only believe in Christ, we must also believe Christ when he says he can clean us up and make us celestial…

“These people simply won't believe that the gospel can work for them. And without obeying the first principle of the gospel, without having genuine faith in Christ, these individuals cannot enjoy the power and the blessings either of faith in Christ or of the principles that follow faith—repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Even though they may consider themselves experienced and mature members of the Church, they have not yet been spiritually born.”

I think this is such a great book because too often we get caught up in how we are not perfect. Of course we aren’t. If we were perfect we wouldn’t have to come down to earth in the first place. This book really opened up my eyes to how I often am hardest on myself and how I need to let Christ help me. I can’t be perfect without His help. I am so thankful for Christ and all that He went through so that I do have the opportunity to return home to my Heavenly Father one day.

Home Means Nevada

So I got to go home for this weekend. I have been missing home like crazy. I don’t know how some kids can go almost years between their visits home. I miss my family so much it is indescribable. There have been so many times that I just wanted to come home and be with my family. That is probably the hardest part of growing up for me. It hasn't been the bills or the school; it has been the lack of being with my family.

Since I was going to Vegas I brought my roommate Keturah. She had never been to the wonderful place I call home: Las Vegas. We brought her to some cool places like Hoover Dam and the Strip. I think the coolest thing was the temple though. I love my temple. The Las Vegas is so pretty! My dad has been to so many temples and swears that ours has the prettiest Celestial Room. I love my temple so much. It is as much as part of my home as my actual house is. I love how even though there is so much sin in Las Vegas, we still have something to look forward to. When we went to the strip I am sure we were the girls with the most clothes on (I was hoping for someone with more clothes) and there is sin all around, I was so glad for the standards that the church has. I am glad that my parents raised me in the church. Most of the members in Las Vegas are either strong in the Gospel or completely fallen away. There is no real middle ground for members here, and if the person is in the middle, they won’t be for long. I am so glad that our church has the standards that the church has. It makes being a member in Las Vegas very hard, but it also makes your faith and testimony in the church grow very strong.

I love my temple

I'm Going There Someday

Today I have been thinking about temples a lot. My co-worker and I play this game at work where we change my desktop background to a different temple and we have to guess what temple it is. So I am getting to see some really pretty temples. Then I started thinking about the joys of the temple. I have a little brother adopted from Guatemala. He is the funniest kid ever and we are really close.

Well, before we got sealed to him he had cerebral seizures. He stopped breathing for a while and we almost lost him. At the time, while my parents were trying to take care of him medically, all of us children gathered in a bedroom and prayed. We loved this child and wanted him to be part of our family forever. Those were some of the scariest moments of my life, but looking back they are part of the sweetest: a family gathered together in fervent, faith-filled prayer. We later got to go into the Las Vegas temple and watch my little brother be sealed to my parents so that we could be a forever family.

Temples really are a light for all to see. In Las Vegas there are a lot of lights, but the temple has a different light. Instead of the neon glow of street and club signs, it has a pure white glow. I love the temples. In them there is peace, safety and hope. I love all the ordinances that occur within them because I love my family so much that being with them forever is the only thing I want. I can't imagine having to go through life not knowing that I will be with my best friends forever. I am so thankful for temples and the wonderful ordinances within them.

"The temples are sacred, holy places. They are a source of spiritual power and strength. They are a place of revelation."- Silvia Allred

“A grownup is a child with layers on.” - Woody Harrelson

So yesterday one of my great friends turned 18. Some call her Keturah, K. Small, or Dactyl but she is more like a sister to me. Everyone thinks we look alike and that we are sisters. At first we thought it was kind of weird, but now we really like it. We just think, "Ya we practically are sisters."

So my sister turned 18 and we just spent the night together, playing cards, eating brownies (and forcing her to finish hers), watching sports and just enjoying the company of the group. It is times like this that make me really think about the simple things in life that I enjoy. So I am going to say some of the few things that I am truly thankful for. Some are weirder than others but here they are:

• 1. Family. They are my everything. All my fondest memories revolve around them. I miss them so much. Some people would be surprised about how homesick I really am. I wish I could just go home and live there again. You can ask anyone, family is my first priority and I will always put them first.
• 2. Technology. With out this I would not be able to call my parents every day. I would be SO sad (and yes, I do call every day).
• 3. The Gospel. It truly brings peace and happiness to whomever seeks it out. I just want to share the joy I find in the Gospel with everyone I meet and just let the world enjoy the blessings that I do. Some may think it is an impossible feat, but I am going to try and share the Gospel with whomever I can.
• 4.Missionaries. My mom was converted by some wonderful missionaries and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. My mom, dad, brother and sister have all served a mission and I hope to soon add to that list. I want to help make eternal families and pay it forward like my mom did.
• 5. Vegetables. Last night I had grilled zucchini and crook-neck squash. It was delicious. I miss having as much vegetables as I used to at home.
• 6. Sunny Days. Being from Las Vegas, that is on of the things that I truly miss. I live for sun. I feel like I am at my best when the sun in out and shining.
• 7. Disney Kid Movies. They are so happy and cute. I love happy endings and I love being able to watch movies that I know will be appropriate.
• 8. Friends. This seems far down on my list but I was honestly just trying to think of how I could adequately express my love for my friends. I would not be the person that I am today without all those that have come into my life and shaped me into the person that I am today. Though I have some friends back home, on missions, at other colleges or at BYU, they all influence me and continue to influence me wherever they may be.
• 9. Music. My family speaks, lives and breathes music. What music I listen to honestly determines my mood. I have this secret obsession with classical music. I love listening to hymns played on a piano, cello, violin, whatever I can get. Those songs calm me down and help me be the person that I need to. My current favorite is "Redeemer" by Paul Cardell. It seriously brings the Spirit so strongly that I often cry while listening to it.
• 10. My cello. Though I don't have it with me, I soon should. I miss being able to play it and to be able to relieve stress through it. Some don't even know that I play the cello but it is one of my passions and I have missed it dearly.
• 11. Running. This is a new like for me. I used to hate it but after 2 knee surgeries I realized how I had taken it for granted. I am still working on being able to run and I can't wait until I am back in shape.
• 12. My knee. It doesn't always work the best at times but I am thankful that I have one.
• 13. College. College is my life. I love learning (even though trying to keep up my grades stresses me out to no extent). I am so interested in all that I am learning and I realize what a blessing it is that I can go to school. So many people don't have the same opportunity I do.
• 14. Trials. This is such a hard thing to be thankful for but looking back on all that I have gone through, I am thankful that God put me through what He knew I needed so that I could become what He wanted me to become. One of my favorite talks of all times come from this idea. Hugh B. Brown's "Current Bush" talk. And since I love it so much, here is a link to it: http://lds.org/new-era/1973/01/the-currant-bush?lang=eng
• 15. Christ. He is not by any means at the bottom of my list, but is at the top. He is not by any means a simple thing to be grateful for. He is my everything. When I feel the world is falling apart, I can talk to Him and know that He is listening and has empathy for me. He knows what I am going through. He gave His life for me that I can repent and return home to my Heavenly Father again. He is my Savior, Redeemer, my All. For anybody that is struggling, Seek Him. For anybody that needs help, Seek Him. For anybody that needs a friend or needs to be comforted, Seek Him. He is always there, just waiting for us to ask for His help.

I am so grateful for so many things and I am truly blessed. I am so blessed that I have SO many things to be grateful for. I hope that I can use them the way that Heavenly Father wants me to.

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."- W.T. Purkiser

"Stress is poison." -Agavé Powers

So I just took an online stress test on a medical website. My result? High. Funny because that doesn't surprise me at all. I have been so stressed lately and I don't know why! It seems like whenever I feel like I have got a grip on things, a wave of things to do comes and crashes down on me. Honestly the only thing that has been a bit of a stress reliever is reading the New Testament. I feel at peace when reading it. I wish I could just read it all day in order to avoid the stresses of life. It just makes Matthew 11: 28-30 so much more special in my life when Christ says "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

 I am just glad I have the Gospel in my life to help me whenever I need it. I am so lucky to have the scriptures to read and calm me down.

True Friends

I feel like I am blogging a lot lately but I just have a lot to say and it seems that this blog is a bit of a stress reliever. Today I am SO grateful for my friends back home.  My best friends that were still in Vegas this last year made being away so hard. We did everything together, literally. Julianne and Sara have always been there for me and it was hard to leave them. I really like the quote “The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” Whenever I feel down or miss them, without hesitation I can call them. Even though we are approximately 381 miles away we can still call each other for anything. I am so glad that I have such great friends wherever I go.

What brought this wonderful blessing to my attention again was last night. I received the greatest phone call from Julianne last night. She was just calling me to tell me how much she loved me and that really touched me. I needed that so much and I was so grateful that she listened to the Spirit and called me up. She is such a great friend and a great example to me because she is so strong in the gospel and always shows me how to live my life right. We have done so many crazy things together and we have grown so close that I know we are literally going to be friends forever. How blessed am I to have such great friends such as Julianne and Sara. Thanks girls for changing my life for the better. I am glad we have known each other since before we can actually remember.

 

"To have friends who will always take you to higher ground is an incalculable blessing."

Wyoming

So today I went to Wyoming with Keturah Small for my friend Trent Bennett's farewell talk for his mission. The road trip was hilarious and awesome and a great bonding time. Also he is going to be SUCH a great missionary. Once he started his talk the Spirit immediately flooded the room. I am so jealous that he gets to go out on his mission!! I want to go on a mission SO badly... I just want to leave right now!! 

Also, on just my three hour road trip I was able to see such a wide variety of beautiful scenery. It was magical. I could just see God's hand in all the beauty that is around me and I am so thankful. I just keep thinking of the primary song called My Heavenly Father Loves Me where they say "I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world Heavenly Father created for me."

Great Examples

So, hanging out with the great people that I do, I noticed how they all have a blog. What a great idea for everyone to keep up with each other! So here goes my shout out to my girls Heather, Becs and Pono for being such great examples to me. “Good friends are like stars.... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there”


Hopefully I keep up on this blog so everyone can keep up with me!


So lately I have been super stressed out with school. I want to get good grades and do the absolute best that I can, so I am always scared of not reaching my full potential as a student. It seems like there is so much to do and so little time, but hey that's spring term! The stress was getting really bad this week and I was getting sick to my stomach constantly. My mom and great friend Heather suggested that I get a Priesthood blessing. I am so lucky to have great people in my life to help me remember the great blessing that I have of the Priesthood in my life. So I called up my brother and he came over and gave me a blessing. How awesome is it that I live right by my brother so that he can bless my life daily. He gently reminded me that God is in control so I hope that we can all remember that. It was such a great experience and now I have the determination and strength to keep going. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to go to school and to be surrounded by great people.


"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." ~Winston Churchill