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!

We thank thee O God for a prophet!//Amos 3:7

A few days ago I was in charge of the seminary devotional. If you're unsure what that means it's pretty much the opening spiritual thought for early morning bible study. We had to draw scriptures out of a bucket and I happened to pull out Amos 3:7. At first I have to admit I was a little disappointed because it isn't super duper close to conference, but then I realized it was our dear prophet's birthday recently (I actaully ended up giving it the day before his birthday...) and I couldn't help but think how stunningly perfect the timing was for me to study about prophets. Isn't it just amazing how everything always works out?!

Amos 3:7 says.......

 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

After looking at the foot notes I loved the Joseph Smith translation. It tells us the word but means until, so here is what it is really saying....

 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, until he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

(As a side note secret means vision or revelation, not some kind of sneaky thing.)

I thought that was pretty cool. There is so much changing in a world where wicked is becoming the norm. There is so much we need to be prepared for. And we can, We can be prepared for those things that knock us off our feet and take us by surprise. Those crazy disasters and confusing society shifts.

Here are a few recent examples.....

• We were counseled to get food storage prepared. Since then the economy has dropped, jobs are harder to find, and countless natural disasters have taken place. Countless people have been  less hungry for following this inspired counsel. 
• In 1995 The Family a Proclamation to the World was announced. Since then laws have changed, divorce has increased, gender is being questioned, and countless priorities have tried to overtake our few hours of family time. By listening to that advice so many years ago and strengthening our families many latter day saints have been prepared to face these strong attacks on the family. 

I just wanted to wrap this up with one more quote:

{source: lds.org}

I am so grateful for the profound influence prophets have had on my life and the comforting knowledge that I never have to be taken by surprise and unprepared if I will just listen to the prophet.

uplifted & inspired

Conference was pure amazingness.

I just realized that was almost 2 weeks ago. Wow. That went by pretty fast. But it has stuck with me throughout the busyness.

As a slowly reread all the super inspiring talks, the importance of defending and growing close to family, the Savior's love and grace, being a light and example, and so many other important principles stick out to me,

I have been trying so hard to apply what was said in conference. I've been trying to read my scriptures and say my prayers more consistently. Aside from the broader areas it has helped me specifically too. Once a month members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints fast for 2 or more meals, we fast for a reason. I woke up especially hungry and thirsty, but I knew that I wanted to fast. After printing out Elder Erying's talk and reading about the blessings and importance of fasting it helped me have the strength and determination to keep going. While this was a tiny example it really shows how conference can impact our lives.

My favorite talk (it is super hard to pick a favorite! They were all so good!) was Elder Holland's. I loved the story about the 2 brothers. It is such a comfort, a humongous indescribable peace and blessing, to know that the Savior lives and loves me (and each and every one of you) and will never let us fall. I can just see the scene between the 2 brothers, but instead I imagine me falling and the Savior's arms. No matter who you are or what religion PLEASE read this talk for me?

I could write pages and pages about how much I loved conference and how I feel so uplifted and inspired, ready to tackle the world and become a better person. Please don't take it from me though, go read a talk or 2....... or all of them.....preferably all of them:)

-Shelby

I've seen mountains be moved

Picture creds to mom and dad from many years ago......

 I have never witnessed the removal of an actual mountain. But because of faith I have seen a mountain of doubt and despair removed and replaced with hope and optimism. Because of faith I have personally witnessed a mountain of sin replaced with repentance and forgiveness. And because of faith I have personally witnessed a mountain of pain replaced with peace, hope, and gratitude. Yes, I have seen mountains removed.
-Richard C. Edgley

This is one of my favorite quotes from Young Women's a few weeks ago. How true this is! Miracles take place daily, we just have to look for them! 

{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! 

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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! 

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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

Conference Countdown!

How is it already September?

This year has flown! 

I honestly feel like it should be May and Summer should be just starting! But instead I'm in school. Kind of a disappointment:) 

I found an amazing Instagram account that you all should follow called 30daysofconference. Each day it gives you one talk form the previous conference, so that by the time next conference rolls around you will have read all the talks. This is such a wonderful way to be more prepared to hear the words of our living prophet, President Monson!

My Personal Progress Advisor suggested that this would be a great Personal Progress goal, it isn't too late to start- you could just read 2 a day until you catch up.:) This doesn't have to take a bunch of extra time either- you could read each talk right before bed or on the bus to get a spiritual jumpstart for your day.

I know that we have a living prophet and apostles on the earth today! Why would God leave us stranded on earth with no guidance or help? He is a living, caring God who only wants the best for us! I know that if you accept this challenge you will be blessed.

                          

 

Who's going to follow them? Comment if you're in for the challenge!

Keep Going

I saw this on pinterest the other day and loved it! I have used it as my wallpaper for my phone and it is so cute!  Click here for the original source.

 

It is so important to never give up! Just keep moving forward!

Another great quote on this topic:

(via)

 

Even when you feel like you cannot take one more step, when life seems so dark you feel as though you won't ever see light again- keep moving forward. Don't get discouraged, keep trusting, keep believing, kneel as much as you can, cry unto God. Do anything you have to, just don't quit. You are worth an infinite amount and God has a plan for you. You are not destined to fail,  but to succeed gloriously. He will not leave you in the dark.

 

Good things WILL come, I promise.

 

 





WOW! General Women's Meeting

I was blown away by the amazing General Women's meeting this past weekend. I felt such a strong spirit of unity, love, devotion, and strength! The women of the church are amazing and we can learn so much from them! I highly recommend watching it! Please do! It will strengthen you and uplift you and inspire you to do better! One of my favorite quotes was:

 

We are unstoppable!

Hump Day #6: Come what may and love it!



It's time for our (some-what) weekly Hump Day! If you are lost check out the Hump Day tab above.



I could only find the pin this came from, not the original source!

 I love this quote! It is so simple, yet so true! In this world of fear a uncertainty, we just have to embrace life and find joy in everyday. We never know what is going to happen- there are so many disasters just waiting to happen. But we also know that what ever happens is for our own good. Heavenly Father has a plan for each and every one of us that allows for maximum growth. If face every challenge with anger and fear, then we aren't able to grow stronger. We have the choice to be happy or to be angry. Which will you choose?

An amazing app + a great quote!

Do you have the app LDS Daily app? It costs money, but it is totally worth it! Every day it gives you a scripture, a quote, and a hymn. I love it! It can give you such an awesome spiritual boost in the morning! As I was reading about a week ago, I came across this quote:

"The real question, of course, is about cause and effect. Do some sectors of our society have stronger values and families because they are more educated and prosperous,or are they more educated and prosperous because they have values and strong families? In this worldwide Church we know that it is the latter. When people make family and religious commitments to gospel principles, they begin to do better spiritually and often temporally as well."

                                                               Elder M. Russell Ballard 

                                           Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

I hadn't really though of the difference! But as I think about it- it is entirely true! The gospel applies to all areas of life! Not just the spiritual part! As we come to accept and love our Heavenly Father and his way of life we will be able to achieve more worldly goals too. We know that we are on this Earth to grow and learn as much as we can- so we strive to gain the highest education possible. We also know that hard work brings joy and a sense of purpose, so we strive to work as hard as we can to gain our goals! When we are close to our Heavenly Father we are happy and when we are happy we achieve more!

I have a testimony that as we strive to become more like our Heavenly Father and the best person we can be, God will bless our efforts both spiritually and temporally.

Hump Day #5: Do Something Awesome

Hello! It's time for another Hump Day! If you are totally confused you should check out my "Hump Day" tab above- it explains everything!

 

I am totally loving today's print! It is so cute!

 

 

 

I really want to give credit where credit is due, but I am having a hard time finding the original source! I found it in this pin, which led me to Courtney Searcy's Behance page.  I couldn't find it on there, but I am assuming she made it. I hope this is right!

 

 

If you haven't seen the super cute video clip this comes from- you totally need to! 

Everybody needs a pep talk sometimes!:)

 

I hope you love this print as much as I do1

 

Have a great night!

 

-Shelby

 

Ps. Don't forget to "create something that will make the world awesome!" :)

Hump Day #4- from The Sprinkles on My Ice Cream

   Well, no such luck. In my last post I was hoping for a snow day- but it all melted :( Anyway.... Today is Wednesday and it is time for another Hump Day. If you are just joining us you can find more here.. Today's print  is from The Sprinkles on my Ice Cream. This is seriously an awesome blog! She really does make life sweeter :) This week she shared 2 awesome prints that I just couldn't resist sharing! 

 

The first is a great quote from Elaine S Dalton (the former young women's president) and it is super cute! I love this quote so much!

"What makes you Beautiful" (Post)

This quote is so true! Why be sad and negative, when we can just as easily be happy and grateful? It's all in your attitude!

"Magnify the Good" Post

I highly recommend reading both these posts (links in captions under the pictures)- they are both so awesome!

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!
-Shelby

Courage Quote

I thought I was finished posting on courage (you can see my  other posts here and here), but then I remembered this quote from the Princess Diaries (an awesome movie!) So I thought I would end with a great quote and a free printable/screensaver.

I little background info:

That night she is supposed to go to a big ball and announce whether she will be Genovia's Princess or not. She has no clue if what to do, so she is planning to run away. As she is packing her diary (that her father gave her) a letter falls out. In it it says:

 

"Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear."

 

I think this is so true! I am sure that Esther was scared when she went to the King, but she decided that saving her people was more important. Nephi must have been scared to go and get the plates, but he decided that his people's records and the prophet's words were more important than his fear. Samuel the Laminite must have been scared that he could be killed by the Nephites, but he decided that spreading God's word was more important.

 



We must decide that choosing the right is more important than being scared of ridicule. We must decide that sharing the gospel is more important than our fear of rejection. We have to decide that standing up is more important than our fear of falling.

-Shelby

 



The Acorn of Honest Inquiry...

If you watched this past General Conference you heard President Uchtdorf's talk, in it he said:

In his talk he also talks about how it is okay to have questions and doubts about the gospel- everyone does- we just can't let them get in the way of our faith. On Sunday a speaker in church was talking about faith. She made a really good point: If Joseph Smith had never doubted, the restoration wouldn't have happened. The important part is that he acted on his doubts. Once he acted his inquiry truly did grow into a great oak of understanding.
You can read his whole address here:
 http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/come-join-with-us?lang=eng&query=
Have a great day!

PS: I got the chevron background from Doodle Craft. http://www.doodlecraft.blogspot.com/2012/08/minty-chevron-freebie-madness.html