I Need Him

I know I need The Lord so much. I can't make it on my own. I'm so grateful He is there to help me - in every aspect of my life.

The Marathon of Life

I love this! Such a needed reminder.  I haven't reached certain points in the "marathon" of life and have felt behind. But, it doesn't matter. What matters is where I'm going - not how long it takes me to get there.

I'm Not Ashamed

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth..." (Romans 1:16)

This scripture has been on my mind. I've felt closer to the Lord lately and when I feel that way I just want to share with the whole world what I believe and know to be true. So, I have been sharing my testimony a lot lately on many platforms.

My testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is something that is very precious to me. Sometimes I worry that I share too much (as in, too frequently. I worry that I am annoying.). (I'm not usually the sharing type in person. I'm usually pretty quiet. Writing is so much easier for me.) But then I remember that I shouldn't worry about that. I shouldn't be ashamed. The desire to share my testimony is a good one. (Of course, there are very personal, sacred things that shouldn't be shared - which I don't share). I shared my beliefs/testimony every day as a full-time missionary. Why shouldn't I share them now?

Tonight I watched a devotional given by an apostle of the Lord (D. Todd Christofferson) and he said the following: "finding our life by losing it for His sake in the gospel entails a willingness to make our discipleship open and public". ...'Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). I needed to hear that.

I love the Gospel and know it's true with all of my heart. I am proud of my beliefs.  I absolutely love sharing them because the knowledge I have has blessed my life so very much. #sharegoodness

The Image of God

"The most realistic self-image of all is to conceive of yourself as made in the image of God." -Maxwell Maltz

Selfishness

"Those who are selfish seek their own interests and pleasure above all else. The central question for the selfish person is “What’s in it for me?”
.....
When we seek self-service over selfless-service, our priorities become centered on our own recognition and pleasure.

Past generations had their struggle with variations of egotism and narcissism, but I think today we are giving them serious competition. Is it any coincidence that the Oxford Dictionary recently proclaimed “selfie” as the word of the year?

Naturally, we all have a desire for recognition, and there is nothing wrong with relaxing and enjoying ourselves. But when seeking the “gain and praise of the world” is a central part of our motivation, we will miss the redemptive and joyful experiences that come when we give generously of ourselves to the work of the Lord."

I was listening to this talk this morning ("Are You Sleeping Through the Restoration?", Dieter F. Uchtdorf) in preparation for the Relief Society lesson I'll be giving in a few weeks. I really loved this part. Selfishness is a huge problem in our society. And believe me, I'm not pointing fingers - I can definitely see it in myself. Being single is a very selfish time of life. It's so important to look outside ourselves.

He goes on to talk about how we can overcome selfishness. It is by thinking of and serving others. I know from experience that that is true. We can find great joy in serving others. It's truly when we lose ourselves in the service of God that we find ourselves.

God Knows

"God knows what we do not know and sees what we do not see." -Howard W. Hunter

These words have been on my mind. It seems obvious... yes, God is all-knowing. But, I think there is a definite need to constantly remind ourselves of this.

I wonder what the future holds. I wonder what God's plan for my life is. And I worry about it at times. And then I remember the truthfulness of these words. He's got it all taken care of. He's got a plan. I have to trust His plan. And trust that He knows what He is doing with my life.

I am so grateful to know that there is a plan. Heavenly Father is a loving Father. He wants what's best for us. He'll always take care of us. And things always work out.

President Gordon B. Hinckley said,

"It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is.
It all works out. Don’t worry.
I say that to myself every morning.
It will all work out.
Put your trust in God,
and move forward with faith
and confidence in the future.
The Lord will not forsake us.
He will not forsake us.
If we will put our trust in Him,
if we will pray to Him,
if we will live worthy of His blessings,
He will hear our prayers."

Where I Am

"I may not be where I need to be but I thank God I am not where I used to be."

I heard this quote tonight and really liked it. I feel this way about a lot of things in my life (including recent weight loss/trying to be a healthier person). I'm striving to be better and sometimes it gets overwhelming when I think of how much better I need to be (in all areas of life). But, I have grown SO much in the past several years of my life. It is amazing to look back and realize how far you have come! And I really am thankful I am not where I used to be. (P.S. sorry for the cheesy mirror picture! :) )