don't give up now!

It's officially been a few weeks since the new year started. Have you gotten used to writing 2016? Yeah... me neither:)

A few weeks ago we all set some lofty goals. Most were attainable. Some were not. Some we are still going on. Some we are not.

We all want to be more in tune with the spirit, closer to Christ, healthier, more financially stable, organized, prepared, rested, and present. And those are all good goals! They are cliche for a reason, because they are things we should strive for!

But we fail so often and it gets rough to keep trying. So today I have a message for all those who are discouraged. Those who have already messed up and feel like it is over. The people who really want to improve but feel like it is too huge of a task.

There is one thing I just cannot stand about new years resolutions. I really really dislike the mentality that the new year is a fresh start and that we have to wait until the new year to improve, have a fresh start, and reflect on what we should do with our lives. Because the absolute truth is that we have the chance to have a clean slate daily!

 Because of Christ and his deep, incomprehensible, never failing love we never have to have a "dirty" slate! We can be washed clean each and every day as we humble ourselves and strive to become better through the Atonement.

We simply do not have time to wait around for the new year to set goals! I know it is easy to lose focus, and I do appreciate the emphasis the new year puts on reflection, improvement, and goals. But we should be doing that daily.

 We came to this earth so that we can become our best self! We can't just hope that that happens. We have to kick our self in gear, understand what we lack, and try our very best to overcome it daily.

Will we mess up?

Absolutely, it's guaranteed.

But you know what else is guaranteed?

We don't have to do it alone.

Christ will be there every step of the way! He will carry you when you don't have the strength to go on and he will dry your tears when you feel you can't go on. He wants  you to succeed! He is your cheerleader, your comforter, your best friend, your Savior!

So what does this mean?

This means that you lift your head up and you get going! You know that you are packed full of potential and that you have a mission to fill! You pray for Christ's help and know that He will come through. Most of all? You keep pressing forward. Don't stop! Keep repenting and trying again! Keep leaning on Christ and drawing nearer to him. Because the super glorious truth is that with Christ we can literally do ALL things! When you come unto Christ with righteous desires you are an unstoppable force!

Keep pressing forward, you've got this!

10 Resolutions to bring you closer to Christ {guest post for Madi}

I'm super excited to tell you about a guest post I wrote for Madi over on her blog Madison Custer!!

It's the new year and we are all looking to better ourselves, it's such an exciting time! And it's the perfect time to come closer to Christ! It doesn't matter when you read this post, whether it's January 3rd or June 27th because you can always change!

Click here to read more! 

Have a wonderful day!

New Series! {Make a difference Monday!}

I am so so excited to announce a new series!

I'm a humongous fan of kindness. I love how happy it makes you, and how happy it makes the person you are serving. I love how it challenges us to reach outside of ourselves and notice the needs of others. I know that love and kindness describe the Savior perfectly. He was so humble and always serving.

I want to be better about serving others in small ways. It is super easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and become totally caught up in our huge to-do lists. I know I have been guilty of that and I want to stop! People are so much more important than a to-do list!

I also know that sometimes the world is just plain depressing! The news is full of sadness and life can be full of disappointment. But it only takes a small act of kindness to brighten someone's day, to give them hope, and to encourage them to keep going. I want to add to the light in the world!

 So that leads me to this new series! I now introduce you to...... make a difference monday.

My goal is that each week in 2016, I will post an idea for an act of kindness. There is a huge variety of ideas, all are under $5 and a ton are free! They won't take much time and they are sure to brighten someone's day!

If you decide to participate (which I'm really hoping you will!) then just post a picture with the hashtag #moorelightandkindness and/or tag me (@moorelightshine_blog) for a chance to be featured on my instagram and blog the following Monday!

Check back for the first challenge on Monday! I can't wait!

counting our blessings & making them count

Last night on instagram I posted this:

"Even though thanksgiving is over it doesn't mean that your attitude of gratitude has to be! All the crazy sales that try to make us want more can make it easy to forget that we just spent a whole day reflecting on our blessings. How do YOU keep an#attitudeofgratitude all year long?"
 Hopefully you are still feeling that happy, grateful feeling that comes when you reflect on all the hundreds of blessings you are blessed with. But how can we keep that feeling all through the year? Especially when the world tries to turn everything into an opportunity to want and get more.

I've always been a pretty grateful person but I never noticed the part of gratitude I might be missing. I'm not sure how I missed it because everything in the gospel requires this one vital step. James 2:20 says that faith without works (or action) is dead.

Now replace the word faith with gratitude.

Am I simply saying thank you for what I have or am I using my blessings to spread good?

If we thank God for a loving family and then go yell at them all is that showing real gratitude? If we thank God for the Atonement of his Only Begotten, but proceed to mess up over and over without guilt or an attempt to improve does that show we value his sacrifice? What about thanking God for the amazing technology we are blessed with but then wasting our life away on it, using it for evil, or filling our minds with terrible things?

The way we use the blessings we are blessed with is a clear indicator to our Heavenly Father of how thankful we are for His limitless mercy and generosity towards us.

I believe whole heartedly that our Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and we are placed where we are for a reason. I believe that I (and everyone else) was placed in a situation with certain gifts because our Heavenly Father knew we could use these blessings and goodness for good, to uplift and inspire. I know if we lack things our Heavenly Father knew we would better benefit and grow from that trial.

How will you make your blessings count today? I'm going to try to make sure that I share what I can, keep sharing goodness, and show as much love as I can to others. Comment below what you plan to do.

Happy Weekend!

How to be Happy According to Nephi {Guest Post for Eden}

Hello fabulous readers! I just wanted to share the link for the guest post I did for Eden. She posted over here a while ago and it was great!

This post is kind of a follow-up to my post about why doing hard and/or strange things makes me incredibly happy.

Here's an excerpt from part 1:

"I promise you. I choose to do all of this 100% on my own.
So why? Why oh why? Why why why?
Because it makes me so incredibly happy. Giddy really. Overjoyed. Elated. Can't wash the smile off my face kind of happy."

My guest post talks about how Nephi and his people lived "after the manner of happiness" and how we can acheive that today. It's a fool proof recipe for happiness straight from a prophet of God! How crazy amazing is that?

read it here.

Have a wonderful day and don't forget to check out my latest post on Eden's blog!
-Shelby

Thoughts on the Atonement// Articles of Faith 3

*The following is from a talk I wrote and gave a while back. I know the Atonement is real and the Savior and our loving Heavenly Father know us and care about us more than we can even comprehend. Please keep this in mind throughout the week! Happy Monday!*

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ all Mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

It was the ultimate expression of love.

The key to peace, joy, and happiness in this life and the life to come.

The Atonement plays such a vital role in each of our lives. “(Alma 34:9).... according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish;  Bruce C Hafen said, “Christ’s Atonement is at the very core of this plan. Without his dear dear sacrifice, there would be no way home, no way to be together, and no way to be like him”

Without the Atonement the gospel is pointless. We can never become like Christ and we can never return to live with our Father in Heaven, so why try? Living the gospel. without applying the Atonement is useless. We will never be perfect on our own, we will never overcome the Natural Man without the guidance of the Spirit we can get when we have repented, and we can never truly repent without Christ’s unimaginable sacrifice of taking our and other’s pain upon him.

The Atonement encompasses so much of our life. There are 3 principles of the Atonement:

1. Love.
1. The Atonement is the ultimate expression of love. The Savior was willing to suffer unimaginable pain and humiliation for our, yes mine and everyone else’s in this room and in the world, salvation. If you feel like no one cares, I want each and every one of you to know that you ARE loved. I know with all my heart that there is a loving Heavenly Father who loves each and everyone of us beyond comprehension. A Father who was willing to send his Beloved Son, who had done no wrong and made no mistake, to suffer.
2. All things unfair can be made right through the Atonement.
1. Many things in this life are unfair. From simply being let down, to terrible shootings the age old saying “life’s not fair” rings true as ever. But why does our Father in Heaven allow this to happen to good people? Dallin H Oaks explains it best, “Our needed conversions are often achieved more readily by suffering and adversity than by comfort and tranquillity.”7 While we know that unfair things happen for a reason, it doesn’t always make it easier. The precious Sacrifice of The Savior allows us to press forward through trials and forgive those that have wronged us because our Savior has felt our pain and has payed the price for other’s mistakes. "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people…..(12) and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."(Alma 7:11) The Atonement allows the Savior to fully comfort us and stand beside us, carrying us when we are too weak to walk, and whispering peace into our hearts when we are worried and overcome; because he knows exactly what we are feeling. The night in Gethsemane allowed The Savior to overcome every unfair thing in this life.
3. You can overcome the natural man through the Atonement.
1. So what is the Natural Man? According to Mosiah 3:19, where King Benjamin is talking, “The natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam.” King Benjamin warned that in this natural, or fallen, state, each person will be an enemy to God forever “unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” The ultimate goal of our time on earth is to become more like Christ. But we can’t become like him on our own. It’s simply impossible. We are all human and imperfect beings learning and striving to be our best and we will all slip up and make mistakes at one time or another.One of my favorite scriptures, which happened to be the youth theme in 2014, states, “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32).  This scripture reiterates the fact that we are all imperfect beings that rely on Christ. We can’t do it without his help. We have to depend on the Atonement to overcome the Natural Man inside of us. While it is easy to become frustrated on our mortal journey to our lofty goal of perfection, a New Era article puts it best, "trying to become perfect all at once is like trying to climb up a mountain while riding a unicycle and juggling, Impossible.” But as we learn to apply the Atonement to our lives, day by day, minute by minute, we learn a fundamental truth taught by Quentin L Cook “The enabling power of the Atonement of Christ strengthens us to do things we could never do on our own.”

The Atonement can bring us the peace we so desperately seek in this world of turmoil and contention. Quentin L. Cook said, “The Savior is the source of true peace. Even with the trails of life,  because of The Savior’s Atonement and His grace, righteous living can be rewarded through personal peace.”

The last part of this Article of Faith is key to our Salvation. “By Obedience to laws and Ordinances.”

The Atonement is not a magic wand. It doesn’t clean up and fix everything magically. We must do our part by living Christ’s word and desiring to become clean and pure. We must desire and try our very best to live according to the teachings of the Gospel.

Linda K Burton gave an amazing analogy to The Atonement in the 2012 Conference, “A woman walking along a road fell into a pit so deep she could not climb out. No matter what she did, she could not get out by herself. The woman called for help and rejoiced when a kind passerby heard her and lowered a ladder down into the pit. This allowed her to climb out of the pit and regain her freedom”

Luckily, we don’t have to wait and wait just hoping that someone will throw down a ladder. Christ has already paid the price of buying the ladder, which allows us to climb out of our pit of sin and come unto the vast beautiful world of righteousness and salvation once we truly desire to get out. Then we must do our part by actually climbing the ladder.

I have made too many mistakes to count, do I wish I could redo parts of my life? Certainly. But do I have regrets? No. because I know that once I have repented The Atonement has made it right. I think the key is to feel sorry, make it right, repent, learn from it and move on. Don't spend valuable time regretting your mistakes. They can be made right through The Atonement. I know without a doubt that The Atonement is real. I know that our Savior loved us enough to die on the cross for us, beaten, bruised, and spit upon so we could live again with him by becoming clean of our sins.. He loved us that much. He loves us beyond comprehension. I know that The Atonement makes it possible for us to return to live with our Heavenly Father someday. I know that Christ lives and loves us no matter what. He is your best friend, your biggest cheerleader, your Comforter, and your Redeemer. He knows we are imperfect, and walks beside us, helping us become who we are destined to be and fulfilling our Divine Inheritance as sons and daughters of a living Heavenly Father. Since he has faced such devastating pain we can find peace and comfort knowing that he always stands beside us. He will lift us up and carry us through times of strife, darkness, and hurt. He is there. He loves us. He added purpose to our mortal ministry no other could. I know will all my heart the he broke the chains of death, freeing us from it's bondage. We can have peace and hope and joy and salvation. If we will just believe and accept this glorious truth! It was the ultimate expression of love. The key to peace, joy, and happiness in this life and the life to come.I am so thankful for the Savior's amazing gift to us.

In the name of Jesus Christ Amen,

Increasing your Glow// Guest Post by Eden

Good Morning lovely readers! Nice to see you again! It's been awhile and a lot has happened since we last talked. School has started, I've been on a few adventures, and I leave bright and early each morning for seminary (which I love by the way...). But all of that can wait because for now I have a guest post from the lovely Eden! I'm super excited to have her over here today! I'll be posting over on her blog later this week so be ready for that too! Edens blog is wonderful so you should definitely go check it out! Now... a drum roll for Eden!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello everyone! My name is Eden. I'm the girl behind the blog We Are Worth Saving. I am super excited to be on Shelby's blog today. She's such an amazing writer, and she is so creative and fun! I am 15, a lover of food, and a can't-stop-smiling type of girl. Oh, and teenage bloggers ... UNITE! Shelby is writing a guest post for my blog, so stay tuned for that!

This is me, in the middle with the black shirt. If you're wondering, yes, we are in fact holding crawfish...yum!

So for this post I'll be writing about how we can increase our light. This post is sort of a part 2 to the post on my blog here. I definitely recommend giving it a read to gain a little back-story for this post.

As I was reading some articles online, I found a study that HuffPost did where they looked up various religions using Google autocomplete suggestions. I decided to conduct my own search so it would be more recent. This is what came up:

A lot of non-members of the LDS church have noticed something different about the appearance of Mormons. I was surprised by this, but apparently it's true. These are a couple of screenshots I found online:

This really interested me. There was even scientific studies that proved it. According to several general authorities, someone accompanied by the Holy Ghost glows. It's a SPIRITUAL attractiveness. So, in this post I will share some ways that you can increase your light.

The way to increase your light is to come closer to Christ. This quote perfectly tells you how; "Consecrating one's life to the Savior, Jesus Christ, increases one's light."

Image Source

So, how can we become more like Christ, and come closer to Him?

We can do it by developing our testimonies and having faith in Christ. Focusing on Him will bring us closer. The Lord said, "I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world." And guess what? We were created in the image of God. We have the Light of Christ in us, whether it be a small sliver or a bright, blinding light. Our divine worth is so amazing. Unfathomable. We can be bearers of this glorious light. Let the sunshine that is in your heart show in your face.

I am constantly trying to be more like Christ, but it is hard. Temptations arise, and there are a lot  of worldly things out there. Like when I get upset with my siblings, I have to remind myself that I'm not being Christ-like. For me, it is something I work on a lot. Even constantly.

Here are 10 traits of Jesus Christ, and some ways to work on them. I invite you to choose one and work on it. Maybe even use it as a Personal Progress experience!

1. Faithful. We can do this by keeping the commandments.
2. Forgiving. This includes ourselves as well as others. This can be one of the hardest for some people. Thankfully, I am downright awful at holding grudges. No joke. Even if I try.
3. Giving. Try to serve others everyday, even if it is just holding a door open or smiling at someone. It will most likely make their day.
4. Prayerful. Pray daily and give thanks. Really try to communicate with God. He is our Father and He loves us. He wants to listen.
5. Wise. Study the scriptures and be willing to learn.
6. Virtuous. I can't begin to express the amazing thing that virtue is. A virtuous woman's price is "far beyond rubies." It really does shine. Maybe evaluate the entertainment or music you listen to. For me, sometimes I stray from this and listen to music that probably isn't the best thing to be listening to. I'll say, "Oh, but it's catchy." But let me tell you, there are some amazing artists out there with catchy music that doesn't have curse words or suggestive lyrics.
7. Humble. Do His work, and trust in Him. Try not to be prideful.
8. Charitable. Try doing little acts of kindness, and share Christ's pure love.
9. Patient. I have trouble with this one the most I think. This includes others and with ourselves.
10. Obedient. Make good choices and follow His commandments.

Lastly, CHOOSE to be happy and you WILL shine. "Nothing is more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarge the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth."

James E. Faust said, "I see the light shining in your faces. That light comes from the Lord, and as you radiate that light, it will bless you and many others." Check out one of his amazing talks here!

Thanks again Shelby for letting me guest post on your blog! Come and check out some of my other posts on We Are Worth Saving!

CTR Super Heroes

Superheros have been on my mind a lot lately.

I've been working my way through the Avengers movies. I saw Avengers 2 a few weeks ago and decided after seeing that one I should probably see the ones that came before. I knew literally nothing before I went to see it. If you want to know how clueless I was I thought superman and spiderman would be in it. Whoops... I know better now. Haha:)

A while back me and my youth group did a 5K (Which I wrote about a little right here.) It was a superhero one and it was pretty awesome. It rained SO hard that day and I don't know if I've ever been wetter, but it was still a great experience.  I learned a lot about dedication while I prepared for it and it was such a great missionary opportunity.

Our team name was the CTR League.

And we got so many questions about what that meant. Were we the choose to run league? Were we the cumberland trace running club? What does CTR mean?

Choose the Right. 

Wow, that's pretty straight forward. But so tricky at times.

And it really stands out to people.

We had an old man come up to us and tell us how much he loved the message and what we are standing for. People will notice when you get a group of teens together who are kind and fun, but not crazy and disruptive. Teens who are smiling and laughing with out cussing or doing anything inappropriate. Teens who are happy for others. Teens who are respectful of others. (The other day I saw some teenage guys at sonic steal the enter sign. Like they took the front panel off- let's just leave it at the manager very clearly was unhappy and then we left because it was not a G rated scene;)

So stand for choosing the right. And make it known. Through your speech, actions, and everything you do. People WILL notice and it will impact them!

Choosing the Right can be your superhero. It will save you and keep you out of bad situations. It's the most awesome superhero because it saves you before the situation even occurs. The CTR Superhero is pretty cool because it is up to you to use it. You don't have to hope it rushes to your rescue- you know it will always be there as long as you let it!

What's your favorite superhero?

Have a great day!
-Shelby

Super Duper Easy DIY Magnets

For my birthday I recently got a magnet board, but it only came with 2 magnets, What?!?  I totally wanted to hang more than 2 things so I decided to make my own!

There are so many things you can make magnets out of. The bracelet that doesn't fit. The earrings that are missing a match. necklaces. Anything!

A few years ago someone gave me this bracelet as a gift and I thought it was super cute! The only problem was it wouldn't fit on my wrist and it was a little to bulky. I often wear bracelets on my right hand (it just feels more natural) but I can't wear bulky ones because they hurt when I write.

 So in 3 simple steps I had 5 new magnets!

1. Cut them apart with pliers

2. Use Gorilla glue to stick magnets on.
3. While they are drying go online and find some super cute prints to hang up or go through your camera roll and pick some cute pictures to hang up.


Pretty easy, huh? I thought they turned out super cute and they look great on my magnet board holding up some pictures and cute prints! I'd love to see what you make magnets out of or what you decide to hang up! So post it on instagram and tag @moorelightshine_blog for the chance to get a shoutout!

What else can you think of to make magnets out of?

Have a great day!

NEW Blog Button!

Shout out to all the wonderful women out there, I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day! I am eternally grateful for the influence my mom and all the other amazing women who have impacted my life. I know that the work you all do is more important than anything else in the entire world. I am so grateful for the love and amazing example my mom is to me!  Keep being the amazing Christlike examples you are!

You may have noticed a week or so ago that I added a blog button to my side bar.... that was terrible. <sigh> After reading lots of online tutorials I tried it and it failed. The little box wouldn't show up, the picture was super shrunk and it was hard to read. Well fear no more! I finally got a new one! I super duper appreciate anyone who put the first one on their blog! It means so  much to me, especially since I know it wasn't super convenient, since I didn't have the code easy to grab.

How did I finally figure it out? This grab button builder helped me SO much! All you have to do is put in the information and it works! Then copy and paste the code it gives you into a HTML widget and the little box beneathe it + the button pops up! It was magic;) haha but really it was SO easy!

Also this week I plan to add some other blogs' buttons to my sidebar. There are some pretty amazing ones that I have been meaning to add so watch out for that!

Have a great day!
-Shelby

PS: Check out the new let's connect page at the top.

Come and Hear

Source

General Conference is coming up and boy can you bet I am excited!!! General Conference makes me as giddy as a 5 year old in a candy shop where everything is free!(is that analogy even make sense?) You will probably hear a lot on various Mormon blogs about this wonderful thing we call conference. It is the opportunity to hear God's word. I loved the above print about why we have conference found at LDS Nest (Follow the link for other printable awesomeness!). So I am here to officially invite you to conference.

Who? Anyone at all.
When? (All times in MDT)   
General Women's: Saturday, March 28, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday Morning: Saturday, April 4, 10:00 a.m.
Saturday Afternoon: Saturday, April 4, 2:00 p.m.
General Priesthood: Saturday, April 4, 6:00 p.m.
Sunday Morning: Sunday, April 5, 10:00 a.m.
Sunday Afternoon: Sunday, April 5, 2:00 p.m.

Where? In Utah, OR online at lds.org
How? Go to lds.org it will prompt you to watch it live. If you can't watch it on the original air date or time you can watch the videos that come up a few hours later or read the talks that come out a few days later.

Why? I promise you will leave feeling uplifted and inspired. I know prophets are called of God. I know our Heavenly Father cares about us and wants to bless us. I know he lives! He leads and guides us and wants the best for us! Why would Heavenly Father leave us abandoned and only help those in bible times? He loves ALL his children and would never leave us comfortless. I know these things are true. Please watch or read at least a little General Conference,, do it for me, for yourself, and your Heavenly Father. Thank the Savior for what he did for us by dedicating some time to him. I promise if you have prayed and come with an open heart you will leave feeling inspired and loved as you discover your divine identity as a child of God.

Ideas for celebrating Easter

This Easter week, I am really trying to focus on the Savior and I thought you all might like to know what I am using! It is so important to focus on the Savior all the time, but especially close to Easter as we try to understand everything he did for us.  A lot of times it seems like Easter is a one time deal, where as Christmas has a whole season. Easter represents so many glorious things, the Atonement, the Savior, the Resurrection and all that was made possible because of them, so why does it get less attention?

I am totally referencing this GREAT resource! It is geared towards family activities, but it can be easily used for just you. The thing I loved most was how it had scriptures for each day and things to journal/think about.

These bible videos are great for understanding stories, especially with younger kids. Mormon Messages are also amazing!

I've been reading the mormon.org page about #becausehelives and #heishere, it also has things about each day of the week you can read. Later in the week I plan to post a picture with the #heishere marker. I'm also reading through the mormon.org page about Jesus Christ. It is super uplifting and a great reminder about all that Jesus Christ is and did for us.

Videos: ( I only linked 3 but there are SO many more on The Mormon Channel youtube account-they don't just apply to Mormons either, I encourage everyone to watch them!)

(I wouldn't encourage showing the last one to small children because it is super sad, the reason I included it is because of the words. It might be best to just press play and minimize it because I feel like the words are SO powerful. You can listen to the whole talk here.)

Most other links I would recommend are linked in the first source so you can find them there. Another great idea would be to look up talks about Easter, Christ, and the Atonement.

Journaling is my last recommendation. Some ideas are:
What role does Christ play in my life?
How do I see his influence?
What can I do to draw nearer to him?
What role does the Atonement add to my life?
Without Christ and the Atonement would life have purpose?
What purpose do they add?
How does the Atonement relate to grace?
What power is there in the statement he lives?
Thoughts on the Savior's love
How can we become more like the Savior?
Christ gave up all for us... what can we give up for him?
What blessings have you seen because of the Atonement?

What ideas do you have? Any great links you know of? I'll add them to the list!

I hope you all have an amazing Easter week as you strive to make Easter and the glorious truths it holds part of your lives.

-Shelby

come be inspired

I highly encourage EVERYONE (Mormon or not!) to tune in tonight and listen to the Women's broadcast! I promise you will leave feeling uplifted and inspired! It is amazing!

I admire these women (and men) who speak. I admire their courage and strength and the way they give up parts of their life to serve others. I hope I can be as amazing as them someday!

Busy tonight? That's ok! You can watch it later on lds.org.

Only 3.5 hours! Ahhhhh! I am so excited!
Please watch it, I promise you will be blessed!
-Shelby

Motivation on a Monday: #embark

So I know yesterday's post was about embarking and I could have combined these two, but I wanted to really focus on the message yesterday and who doesn't need a lift me up after returning to real life again? Also sorry if another post popped up in your feed (or however you read blogs), I was fixing some labels that were duplicates and it reposted (or I never posted it, not sure).

I love this video. The music is awesome (you can check out more awesome stuff like it at lds.org/youth/music) and I love how it shows simple acts of service. I also like how it relates it to social media and encourages youth to share how they have served. The teenage years are feared by parents, but lets show them how awesome we can be! Sure there are some our age who put a bad face on these years, but lets overpower the bad! How are you #emabarking?

-Shelby

The fullness of the gospel {an iron analogy}

Iron Pic Source (Edit is my work)

*Switches to story telling voice (and language)*

Once upon a time in a land far far away called Kentuckia, in a white farmhouse an iron broke (and their washer and heat...but that's beside the point) This was very startling to their oldest daughter who really liked non wrinkly clothes

So they got a new iron. And the very picky daughter strongly disliked it. (She was kind of a laundry snob) She would iron and iron and iron, but alas her clothes would still be wrinkly! She was often the last daughter out the door, and we all know that when you are in a rush, the last thing you want to do is take 20 minutes to iron.

So she went on despising the "iron that never worked." And having slightly wrinkly clothes.

Until one day her dearest mother, who knew of her frustrations, said dearest daughter; did you know the iron keeps being switched to the lowest power? That could most certainly cause the iron's performance to be less than satisfactory!"

The said daughter turned a shade pinker because she realized that she had been adjusting the power to what she thought was high, but was actually low.

The daughter learned to use the iron correctly and they all lived happily ever after in their neatly pressed clothes.

The End.

*Switches to normal writing*

So how does this relate to the gospel?

Sometimes we become frustrated. We don't feel the fullness of the gospel. We don't feel the joy and peace it promises. We don't feel a reassuring feeling or a confirmation of truth. We might not feel like The Savior is comforting us or standing beside us. There are numerous examples of ways we might not feel like everything is just right.

But it might be because we aren't fully taking advantage of all the gospel. We might be just like the oldest daughter, ironing and ironing with no change. We might be reading our scriptures and praying day after day, day after day, with no answers.

We may be forgetting the most important tool. The spirit. If we forget the spirit, we are still partaking of the gospel, but only at a very low power level because the spirit is the only way to truly partake of the fullness of the gospel.

It might take revelation. We may have to wait for our Heavenly Father, like the mom in the story, to help us know what to do.

So what is our responsibility? To throw ourselves into the quest to come unto Christ. To keep persevering. To invite the spirit into our lives in every way possible. To always be worthy of his presence. To be ready and receptive of revelation constantly.

I know our Heavenly Father is constantly there for us. He loves us. He is our never failing friend, the Prince of Peace, and The Savior of the world. He sacrificed all for us and loves us beyond comprehension. Sometimes life can become frustrating and these truths become blurry. I plead with you to not give up. Your dark night will end and you will wake to a glorious dawn.

I know this with all sincerity of heart,

-Shelby

PS: I am the oldest daughter.

{Guest Post from Halee} Stay Focused

Good morning blog world! 

I am so excited to have Halee guest posting over here today! 

I recently did a guest post for her on her awesome blog that you should totally check out:) I  agree so much with what she is saying- it is so important to stay focused so we can achieve what we really want! 

Enjoy! 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello! My name is Halee (Not haley but haleeeeee ;-) and I blog over at Halee's Thoughts. Check it out sometime :-) A few random things about me: I love chocolate, Sadie Robertson, and blogging. I also own the Instagram account @haleesthoughts. You should go check it our sometime too! 

~~~~~~~~

We all have long term goals. Like getting married in the temple, having children, going to college, going on a mission, traveling the world, being president, becoming a famous singer or actor...etc.--whatever they may be keep them in mind as you read this.

Setting goals is a wonderful thing. But as always, Satan likes to destroy them. Why? Because his ultimate goal is to make you miserable like him. And if you where to accomplish your goals-- you'd be happy right?

That's why they are hard to accomplish. That why they are so rewarding when we do met them. Satan tries to tell us that we can't do it. We aren't good enough to be an actor, or go on a mission. That its too much work and you'll never make it. 

That is not true one but. You don't fall into Satan lies.

Are the little things keeping you from what you want most? For example is eating not so healthy keeping you from being a model, or is spending to much time with your friends keeping you from from reading your scriptures- keeping you from going on a mission? Is dating unworthy people getting you closer to marring you in the temple. Is spending all your money on ____ helping you save up to travel the world?

Don't let the little things -or big things- keep you from where you want to go.  That quote says it perfect. Think tomorrow. Think "How will this get me closer to my goals?"

Do you see where I am getting? Read that quote again. Do not let Satan get the best of you. Do not let him get the best of you. You got this. Your Heavenly Father and your loving Savior are there to help you. You can do anything you want to do.

Thank you so much for reading. I hope you got something out of this. I'd love it if you would go check out my blog! 

h a l e e

Perfection

Becoming Perfect can be tricky.

There is so much to do!

You have to be kind to everyone, pray every day and night, read your scriptures, complete personal progress, attend church each Sunday, do family history, include everyone, share the gospel, index, get all a's, never be late, spend hours getting ready, etc

Whew! I'm tired after just typing that!




I love a recent new era articles comparison, "trying to become perfect all at once is like trying to up a mountain while riding a unicycle and juggling.


 Impossible.




The end goal of everything is to become perfect, but we don't have to do it all at once. That can lead to frustration and giving up. Those are two of the adversaries favorite tools.




You read about these on popular women's blogs. But I don't think that people realize how much it effects youth. We can feel the pressure of "being perfect" because we are the rising generation. The world is dark and taunting. The halls of school bring this to a peak. It can be a lot of pressure to be the one who has to stand up.




The rest of this article was amazing so I'll let you check it out here.
Please read it!


What was your favorite part?




Hope you have an amazing fantastic day!




PS: I wrote about this a little bit before..... You measure up!
PPS: Sorry about the crazy header.... I'm trying to redo my design but it's kind of messed up right now.

New Years Resolutions Talk

How will you embark this year?

When Heavenly Father sent us to earth, he had a plan for us. For some of us that was many years ago, for others it was only a few. No matter how long ago our purpose is the same.

We live in a world of constant change. Many of you were alive when the first iPhone came out- even I was. It was thick and bulky and few apps could be purchased for it. In less than a decade the iPhone has dramatically changed, it is large, skinny, has a great camera, and even uses fingerprint scanners to log you in.

So what does this have to do with the gospel?

First off, God is not like technology. He never changes. So no matter if you came to earth 50 years ago or 5 months ago- your purpose is the same. So what is that purpose? Heavenly Father sent us to earth with free agency. He wanted to let us grow and learn. The purpose of our mortal mission is to become as Christlike as possible.

So that leads to my second point. We can be like the iPhone. Constantly improving. Fast, Efficient. Smart. Full of good stuff like the gospel (or gospel library). Wide spread like all the apps you can download. Money smart. Food conscious. Organized. A good communicator. Even skinny:)

It’s a new year! A fresh start. A clean slate. The perfect time to become the person you want to be. The perfect time to reach your full potential as a son/daughter of God.

I was asked to talk on new years resolutions. Don’t roll your eyes because they are overused or start taking notes because it’s January 11th and you have to remember these for next year because it wouldn’t be right for you set a resolution later than January 1st.

The Atonement is real so every day is a new start. You can become the person you want to be today, whether it’s January 1st, 21st, March 15th, or November 8th.

And for the eye rollers- I get what you’re saying. Everyone sets a resolution to be healthy, be organized, or save money. And I’m not saying those are bad- you go for it!

But I’m not here to tell you the perfect diet, one simple trick to organize your life, or the perfect plan to come up with 5,000 extra dollars a year.

The youth program plays a huge role in my life- I love it so much. Wednesdays and Sundays are pretty much my favorite days. Each Wednesday we recite the youth theme. And it recently it changed. So this year I decided to set a few of my resolutions around the new theme. It reads:

“O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day” (D&C 4:2).

Wow- thats alot. Serving with your mind, strength, heart, and might. Some of us find it hard to simply rub our stomachs and head at the same- much less serve with 4 parts of us at once.

So how can we do this?

Serve with our heart:

1. Serve because you want to. Serve because it is important to you. Dedicate your whole heart to it.
2. Serve spiritually. Serve The Lord by reading your scriptures, praying, reflecting on The Atonement, repentance, following the commandments, and giving him a few minutes of your time each day. If The Savior lived in your house wouldn’t you take a few minutes to at least acknowledge him, learn from him, and talk to him? Then do it in real life too.

Serve with might:

1. This is similar to the first. Be dedicated. When you are raking your neighbor's yard, don’t be dreaming of cuddling up in your bed with a good book or movie, a yummy snack, and falling asleep. I don’t care if it’s negative 3 degrees and you haven’t slept in 3 days. Be there because you want to. Give your heart to The Lord for a few hours.

Serve with mind:

1. Use your brain. Help tutor someone. Teach someone else. Use your talents to help others and bring The Spirit into their lives. Heavenly Father gave us talents for a reason don’t be like the foolish man who hid his talents. Use your talents to bless others.

Serve with strength:

This applies in 2 ways.

1. Don’t be scared to serve. Don’t be scared to sit with the unpopular girl at lunch. Don’t be scared to be the only one who stops to pick help the shy kid pick up their books. There are people who need our help. Sadly in today’s world helping others isn’t necessarily “cool” or popular. But it’s part of our role as children of God and it’s what Christ would want. Isn’t his approval more important?
2. Serve with your muscles! Don’t be afraid to get dirty. Sacrifice for others.It is so worth it for them and for you.D&C 73: 3,5 says “Behold, I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry, neither be idle but labor with your might. “And thus, if ye are faithful ye shall be laden with many sheaves, and crowned with honor, and glory, and immortality, and eternal life.” Wow! That’s alot of awesome blessings.

All this seems pretty overwhelming. But you can do it. You can become the person you want to be. You can do it!

I know we have a Heavenly Father who loves us. I know we are sons/daughters of God. You are special and you are loved.  We were meant to shine. I know The Savior Atoned for our sins so we can come back to live with him someday. Because of him there is purpose to our mortal existence. We can be forgiven! Isn’t that an amazing blessing?! Heavenly Father knows each of your struggles. He knows you and as you strive to become more like him by serving with all your heart, might, mind, and strength and drawing close to him through the gospel; you will feel his arms around you. You will feel his love, his hope, and his peace that can be found no other way. I know my Savior lives and he is the perfect example.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen