Remembering to be Thankful

Hey guys! It's been a while but I'm back on my blog! I have decided to be a little more focused with the things I share on this blog, in hopes that the messages I share can be meaningful to those who choose to read them. I will focus on things that bring me happiness in my life, and how to stay focused on those things each and every day. So here it goes....

I know without a doubt that one of the KEY components to being truly happy is GRATITUDE. And I don't mean just naming off a list of blessings in your life every so often.  I mean being ACTIVELY GRATEFUL every day of our lives no matter what difficult things may be happening around us.

Let's talk about a couple examples that you may be able to relate to one way or another...

1. This one is for all you singles out there... you've been dating someone for a while, and things are going really well. You feel like finally this is the person you are supposed to marry and with whom you are going to a build a life together That person unexpectedly decides you are not actually the person they see themselves with for the rest of forever, and ends the relationship. You are devastated, and feel the depression start to sink in.

You have 2 options,  First one, the easy one, is to become discouraged and miserable and numb yourself up so you don't hurt so much anymore. You might become reclusive and just stop caring. You might even lose motivation to better yourself and become the kind of person that you know you need to be.

Second option, the harder one, will invariably help you to truly MOVE FORWARD and be HAPPY again. And it ALL REVOLVES AROUND GRATITUDE. Of course you are very sad and spend time grieving, because that is natural and healthy to do, to a point.  But you remember that you have been blessed with a family who loves and supports you.  You have friends who have your back no matter what and encourage you to get back out there and be social, You especially remember that you have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who died for you so that you can become like Him and eventually become truly happy. You are reminded of the healthy body you have and the ability to do things you enjoy: run, hike, listen to music, read, laugh, play the piano. Slowly, but surely, you begin to feel your burden lighten as you remember to THANK THE LORD for all you have, and to keep optimism high by focusing on the good in your life.

2. You are the parent of a child who has decided to make some poor decisions in his or her life and who is causing you heartbreak. What have you done wrong? You have done all in your power to raise them in love and teach them high moral standards so that they would know how to be happy. But no matter how hard you tried and how much work you did, your child still has their agency and has chosen a path you would not have chosen for them.

I recognize that this kind of trial is one of the hardest out there. I am not a parent myself so I can not fully empathize with anyone going through this. However, I have seen multiple examples of this in the lives of people I love and care about.  I know not every situation is the same, but I do believe that the same principle of gratitude applies.

Again, 2 options. First, you may chose to be hurt, angry, and even become bitter, Perhaps you are justified, for no one has ever caused you so much heartache, You may feel it would be less painful to just stop talking to that person and cut them out of your life.

Second option- recognize that NO MATTER WHAT the choices of this child have been or will be, that person was sent to you from God Himself.  You were given charge to care for and LOVE this person, regardless of his or her individual decisions. Imagine what happiness you would have if eventually that child turned his/her life around. And even if that were not to happen, you choose to be GRATEFUL for the blessing they have been in your life and the good memories you have had,  And you love them, MORE THAN EVER.  You hope that one day your child will realize what they have done and turn to you because you never stopped loving them. You cherished them and never let them forget it.

NO MATTER WHAT the trial is that your are dealing with right now- an addiction, loss of a loved one, loneliness, difficult time making an important decision, feelings of discouragement....don't ever let yourself get so low that your forget to be THANKFUL.  Jesus Christ Himself truly suffered for every one of our struggles.  Not only did He atone for our sins, he felt our weaknesses, our frustrations, our despair.  He alone knows how to succor us and help us move forward when life is hard and find peace.  Turn to Him in gratitude for all He has given you, and He will help you to be at peace and find joy no matter what your circumstance may be,

Here are a few pictures of people and things for which I am so grateful, and that help me move forward and have joy even when things are tough:

I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I am so thankful that He died for me and every one of us so that we may come into Him and be happy.  If you want to know more about my beliefs, just ask me:) or visit lds.org. 

The Book of Mormon gives me comfort and direction time and time again, I have a testimony of its truth and know without a doubt every word therein is from God.

So grateful for new experiences that make life exciting, like traveling to NYC and walking through Central Park.

I am so grateful for the example of my little brother Mark who is serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints in Milwaukee, WI. He is doing this because He loves the people there and wants them to find happiness in coming unto Jesus Christ,

I love NATURE. I feel so close to the Lord when I am enjoying His creations and especially when I am on top of a mountain!

SO grateful for best friends. Heather loves me despite all my flaws and laughs at my blond moments.

My family is such a stability in my life, I love them SO much and am grateful for their unconditional love for me.

I love to run, especially with good friends and on zero sleep:).

I LOVE going to the temple and find peace and guidance from the Lord there.

I got to be a youth counselor and Especially for Youth- I learned SO much from my kids. Love ya Kimi!!

Gaining Perspective

I feel like every few weeks I am taught some by lesson, like my life plays out in such a way that I am naturally focuses on a very specific topic for awhile....and then I naturally move on to something else I really need to learn/focus on at the time. I don't know of that makes any sense, it may not since I worked all night and got approximately 2 1/2 hours of sleep last night:).  But regardless, lately my "topic of focus" has been gaining perspective.  I have been studying a lot about the major component of having good perspective: FAITH.  Why is it so easy to become discouraged and exhausted at certain times in our lives? I know why. Satan WORKS on us in any way he can, and discouragement is one of his favorite weapons. But I also know that we all have our free agency, meaning we get to CHOOSE. Wow. Think about that for a moment. What a powerful gift god has given me, and you.  I cannot express in words my gratitude for this gift. And God knew that we would all make mistakes, which is why he sent his Son Jesus Christ to Atone for each one of us. I have a strong testimony of this Atonement, and that it not only covers our sins, but also allowed Jesus to experience EXACTLY what we go through whenever we have trials, sorrows, and weaknesses. He has already paid for all of that. However it is up to us to reach out to Him, live our lives in His service, which means in the service of other people, and it is also up to us to decide to be better. We have to really want it in order to take the needed steps.

So, lately I have wanted to gain stronger faith in Him and the power of His Atonement to help me change. I have also been striving to gain stronger faith in His plan for me. Sometimes, maybe most of the time, things don't pan out exactly how we plan. But I am learning that that's ok. He has something better in mind. However, I also know that it is extremely important that we are excited about the future, optimistic, hopeful, and TRUST in Him.  I realize that people go through HARD things, much harder than I have ever experienced or can imagine experiencing. I cannot empathize with so many people in this world and even in my circle of friends.  I can say that I know The Lord loves everyone. He knows we cannot handle all that life throws us by ourself, and that is where the Atonembt comes in. I love Him so much and studying more about faith as weel as learning about the Atonement has brought me significantly closer to Him lately, giving me a beautiful, hopeful, PERSPECTIVE.

Learn more about Christ and the Atonement @ lds.org

New Beginnings

Happy 2014!!

Like everyone else, in this world, I have some New Year's Resolutions, and my excuse for not posting about them sooner is that I have been busy working on them??  Haha but seriously, I love the feel of a New Year and getting a fresh start with everything in my life.  I also sincerely believe that in order to "get a fresh start" in no way requires an entire new year to roll around...but it helps:).

So...my New Year's resolutions? There are a number of them:

1. Get back into shape.  Let's be honest, just about every person has this on their list.  And it's a good one.  For me, I signed up for the SLC Marathon the end of April and am now in training for that.  Also, I am being really good about eating healthy food and keeping track of what I eat.  Guys, I have gone like 10 DAYS without chocolate! I didn't think that was possible:).  I am trying to cut out refined sugars for the month of january.  My specific plan will get me back to where I want to be by the end of May:). Wish me luck haha.

2. Stick to a budget.  Ok, so I am creating a budget this weekend based on monthly income.  I plan on reevaluating how I am doing each week so that I stay within my budget.  I am really excited about this one because its something I have not really done in the past but I know how important it is and want to make it a strong point of mine.

3. Become a better nurse. I am LOVING my job and feel I have come a long way these past 9 months as far as becoming not so stressed and more able to enjoy what I am doing. I want to continually improve in my patient care and increase my clinical knowledge as I work as a nurse.  To help, I am planning on going to the annual NICU conference they usually have in April to learn more and review what I know.

4. Be a missionary.  This is something I really need to work on!  I am going to send some BOMs with my testimony to some family and friends with my testimony as a gift...I think that is a good way of letting people know your beliefs without being pushy.  I am also going to pray that I will find at least one person that will start taking the missionary discussions this year.

I have a few more but these are the main ones.  Also, I got to spend time with my family over Christmas break and we had SO much fun!!  We rode bikes, ran, scrapbooked, played Settlers of Cataan, watched movies, ate yummy food, opened presents, I got together with some old friends...it was so fun.  Next time I am home will be to see RYAN!!:) Can't wait.