i'm back...with righteousness

do you ever leave your spirituality and testimony sitting in a corner?
a dark corner?
well, i do that. more than i should. i get so busy with life and things consume my thoughts, and slowly my spiritual insight and the aspects of the gospel slip away into the corner of forgotten, yet important things. however, God doesn't let me continue with this for too long. there He is, without fail, giving me the push in the right direction, and i'm on the right path once again. Striving for eternal happiness is never too hard.

I was talking with my roommate, melanie about how living a gospel-centered life is so easy, yet it appears to be so hard. simple things like taking institute and reading the scriptures every day; praying, having faith, searching for missionary experiences...all those things will lead to eternal growth and progression. but i wonder: why are these things so hard to accomplish at times? why do i feel like i would rather roll over and finish my episode of 30 Rock than read a chapter of D&C?
Answer: the devil.
I know, I know, it's kind of blunt to come out and say it, but it's true! Big shocker. The devil knows us extremely well. Better than we know ourselves. When he sees our testimonies slipping into that dark corner, he slips his hand around them and pulls them even further into the dark. He clouds our mind with seemingly ordinary and harmless things like, watching TV, worrying about the future, and even finding the "right" person, so we forget about the damage being done to our spirituality.

Luckily, God knows us better than Satan does. Thank heavens for that! God will see us becoming numb to the temptations and do His best to get us focused--but only if we let him. That's the biggest thing: we have to be willing to come back to God and concentrate on things of the Gospel, or our lives will never go anywhere. God can push and prod all he wants, but without us working equally on ourselves, we're a lost cause. For me, laziness is a HUGE issue. I get in a pattern of things, and I don't like to break it. It takes too much time. For instance, before I go to bed, I like to watch shows. Of course, during the middle of my show, I remember that I need to read my scriptures, write in my journal and pray. Naturally, I am too enraptured in the happenings of my show to shut my computer, and focus on more Divine things. "I'll do it tomorrow."

"I'll do it tomorrow." Procrastination. Putting things off. Perhaps one of the most dangerous things that we can fall into. "Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance." God gives us a commandment to be constantly working on our spiritual growth. Putting it off will end in, well, hell. Who wants that? Satan does. He's the only one.

I've realized that centering my life on Christ and the Gospel isn't difficult. But, it does take time. Our time couldn't be better spent. Through studying and learning of the things God has created and commanded us to do, we will learn about ourselves, the things we need to do, and how we can get to where we want to end up. What will get those results? Consistency. Doing "the basics" every day. Read, pray, and write. Reading will allow us to gain knowledge of the truthfulness of the Gospel, writing will allow us to see how God has blessed us in our lives, and how applying the things we learn from reading will help us along the way. Praying allows us to ask God for things we need, things we want, help people we love, and for the Spirit to be with us always.

These three simple things, if nothing else, will help us become the best person we can be. In turn, we will find what occupation best fits us, where we want to go in life, and most importantly, to find our other half. When we are our best selves, we'll find our best "other half". Love will come to those who work; work on themselves and spiritual progression.

True happiness will come if we follow these simple truths.
I know this.

God loves you, and so do I!

much needed

This is beautiful.
Thank you Julie for sharing this.
It was much needed.

sometimes...

Sometimes in life, people stop talking to you.
You may not know why, but they do.
Even if you've become great friends over the past six months, and you "click".

Sometimes in life, people stop talking to you.
Even if you haven't done anything wrong.
Even if you have a "fate" that needs to be determined together.

Sometimes in life, people ignore you.
Even if you're nice, and ask a simple, casual question, they may not respond.
Even if you'd really like to know what they're thinking.

Sometimes in life, people are confusing.
They may act one way, and then totally switch their behavior.
This usually happens right after something goes very right.

Sometimes in life, you want to be there for someone.
They may be going through a rough time, and you know how they feel.
You may know what to say and help them along their way, but they won't listen.

Sometimes in life, you don't know how to not think about something.
It eats at you, and you worry about it until you may or may not have an ulcer.
You can forget it for a second, but then your subconscious creeps up on you, and you don't know what to do.

Sometimes in life, you remember that there is someone who will listen.
Even if you forget for a while, there they are, waiting to hear your problems.
They will help you through anything--whether it be someone who stops talking to you, someone who ignores you, someone who is confusing, someone who won't let you be there, or if you can't stop thinking about something.

Always in life, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are there for you.
They want you to tell them what's on your mind.
They want you to come closer to them through your trials, big or small.
They want you to know that they will answer your prayers, and bless your life--if you do what's right.
Remembering is simple, and becoming more spiritual and a better example is easy with those two on your side.

So, in life, when your trials become too much for you to handle or even think about, give them over to God and the Lord, so they can help you through it, and so you can grow from it.

Making A Change

Being in college is HARD.
Living life is HARD.
Sometimes, we may want to live it on our own, our own way, and doing what we want to do. Independence is something that we, as human beings feel is very important to who we are. Being our own person, becoming "who we are" is vital to our happiness. However, sometimes, being an "individual" can turn into pride.
How can we fix this problem?
How can we become who we want to be, live up to our potential, and live a humble, good life?
Answer: Develop a strong, lasting bond with Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. Prayer, fasting, receiving personal revelation, learning and reading the scriptures...there are so many things we can do to achieve this relationship we so desperately need.

Once we do, our lives will become easier. Trusting in God and Jesus Christ to lead us down the paths that we need to travel makes our lives easier to live. Now, we need to work and pursue the things we want to do, but when facing difficult decisions, asking of God and Jesus for help can make the choice more clear.

I know that Jesus Christ and God live. They show us they love us through the scriptures, prophets and apostles that are alive today to give council, through the small and many blessings we receive each day. They want us to live the best life we can so that we can come back to live with them in Heaven.
Trusting in them will lead us to everlasting happiness.
They know what's best for us.

People Are Good

This is truly amazing.
Forgiveness is a real power that can free people from burdens and the pain of loss.
This is an amazing story about an amazing man who, with the help of God, Jesus and the Spirit was able to forgive a boy for something unimaginable.


http://bcove.me/wsdxc6ay


Watch it.

Spiritual Survival

This story is amazing.
I was browsing lds.org (one of my most favoritest websites) and I found this wonderful Mormon Message about a man who survived 9/11.
In the video, he discusses how he dealt with the tragedy and how he grew closer to God, Jesus Christ, and his family because of it.

Here's the link:
Watch it, you won't regret it.

http://bcove.me/pn9jvcm9

"After 9/11, some have said there is no God. But for me, He has never been more real."

Something Special

This message I wanted to post last night (but I fell asleep) is vital to everyone's happiness.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin was a member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles up until 2008. This message was given in a General Conference talk, and what a beautiful message it is.

COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT.

Elder Wirthlin gives us 3 things to do in order to increase or happiness and success in this life.

I love the simplicity of this message.

I hope you do too!