Cure with Sonlight

"But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." (1 Nephi 1:20, http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/1?lang=eng)

During the winter I struggle with something that is called SAD, seasonal affective disorder. The lack of sunlight and warmth gets to me and I am depressed, sluggish, and lose my will to little things. Exercise helps, as does eating right and getting enough sleep, but the "cure" is Spring. Here in North Carolina winter is awful, not because it gets super cold, but because it gets relatively cold, extremely cloudy and gloomy, and it doesn't snow here. At least snow looks pretty; here it rarely snows, so everything just looks dead and depressing. 

Anyway...

Spring has come and everyone has said that they have seen a dramatic difference in me. The sun has come out and stayed for the most part, the weather has gotten warmer and warmer, and the plants have come back to life. The first day it was warm and sunny outside again I wanted to cry because it felt so good. It felt like a weight melted off of my shoulders. It was wonderful and terrifying at the same time. 

Many times in our lives we seem to be lost in a gloom, wandering with no direction. Sometimes we may not even notice how lost we are, until we get a taste of sun. The sun is the light of Christ and a new sense of purpose. Even when we have grown up knowing Him, we oftentimes become desensitized to His presence, and sometimes don't notice when we just wander instead of following His direction. I know that the sun is one of the most wonderful of God's gifts, such a huge but small tender mercy.

I testify to you that I know that Christ lives and loves me. I know that if we redirect ourselves and align with what God wants us to do, we will feel His presence and walk into the sun. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Following with Faith

"And my father dwelt in a tent." (1 Nephi 2:5, http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/2?lang=eng)

In the Book of Mormon in the book of Nephi, Lehi was told to leave Jerusalem because it was about to be destroyed. He told his family that they had to leave and that God has a place for them to go. When Nephi was talking about when his family went to live in the wilderness before they could go to promise land, he mentions that his father lived in a tent. His father didn't leave Jerusalem to get comfortable right where the Lord told him stop and rest. He didn't build a house. A tent is mobile. He was ready for further instruction from the Lord.

It makes me think of my own family. With my dad in the military, we have moved many times. Our most successful move was from Newport News, Virginia to Fayetteville, North Carolina. We moved here and prayed to be happy. We prayed that the Lord would guide our family. We have been very happy here. Fayetteville has its issues but we have loved our friend here and many things have worked here in our favor. 

Are you ready to go where the Lord wants you to go? Or whenever you stop and rest, do you get comfortable?

I bear my testimony that I know that God lives and loves me. I trust Him because He knows what is best for me. As long as I am ready to listen, I will be led by Him where I need to go. 

Walking with God while injured

"And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen." (D&C 89:18-21, http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89?lang=eng)

So yesterday I was jumping rope when I tripped and fell and I guess tore up the inside of my foot. Needless to say, I have the worst injury story ever. BUT I have faith that this trial shall be a blessing. The doctor said that I have already begun healing well (I went to the ER yesterday evening and went to the podiatrist today). I am grateful modern medicine, CT scans, Tylenol, Motrin, and my boot. 

I honestly believe that pain medicine is a testimony of how much God loves me. I am in a minimal amount of pain during the day, but night is the worst. The second I sat down in bed and relaxed my foot started to throb and within seconds I was screaming. I prayed for the medicine to kick in faster. I prayed and prayed and I loosened the ace bandage (it was super tight) and within minutes I noticed a difference.

I have felt utterly useless since my fall yesterday (honestly, I sound like an old person) but I have the best siblings on the planet. They try to help me in every way they can. I love them so much.

This is so hard, but I shall keep looking for blessings in this trial.  

I know that God loves me and that He cares about my well-being. I am grateful he gave me such wonderful siblings. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Trust in the Lord with ALL thine heart

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6, http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/prov/3?lang=eng)

Sometimes it feels like you're blind and you can't see where you're going, and it's really scary. Sometimes you think you know where you're going and it turns out you've been going in circles. Sometimes you're too scared to go out of your comfort zone, so you plant your bum right where you are and hope something great happens to you. Sound familiar? Each one of us has been in one of these situations before. Why? Because at some point we stopped trusting God.

In the Book of Mormon Lehi is told to bring his family to a promised land, and to get out of Jerusalem because it was about to be destroyed. How many of us would have gone but been too scared and turned back? How many of us would have planted ourselves right where we were and said, "No, I'm not leaving."? How many of us would have gone, trusting the Lord? 

I'm not going to lie, a lot of the time trusting God is hard. In Matthew 14, Jesus was walking on water towards the disciples and Peter wanted to meet him and walk to him. Peter was walking on water, trusting in God and His power. Then he noticed the great wind and his  faith faltered, he started to sink. Sometimes it's ok to be scared, most of us won't have to walk on water. It's the paralizing fear, the fear that makes us want to hide in our bathroom cupboard and call our moms, that is disastrous. When we give in to that fear, is when we fail. We don't leave Jerusalem, we start to sink, we don't leave for our mission, we don't take that job that'll take us from home. Trusting in God doesn't necessarily mean we won't be afraid, it means that we understand our fears but won't give in to them. We keep moving forward. 

I know that when I trust God I am blessed. I am greatful every day for the blessings of following His guidance. I know that the Savior lives and loves me. I know that God loves me. My Savior knows my trials, and he made it so that I can be free of them. This is why I trust Him. I trust my God because He knows my beginning and future, He knew me before I was born. He knows what is best for me. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus  Christ, amen. 

Happily Ever Forever

"Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord." "A man cannot receive the fulness of the blessings of the kingdom of God alone, nor can the woman, but the two together can receive all the blessings and privileges that pertain to the fulness of the Father’s kingdom." (1 Corinthians 11:11, Chapter 15: Eternal Marriage, Joseph Fielding Smith)

One of the greatest blessings of the gospel is temple marriage. When a couple or a family is sealed in the temple, they are able to be together forever. Death cannot separate families anymore. I think it is the most romantic thing ever, being with the ones you love most forever. It seems that all of my friends are getting married, and many of them in the temple. I am so happy for you guys. I can't wait to be married to my special someone, and then raise a family. It will be undoubtably hard, but it shall be worth it. I am grateful for my wonderful parents. I remember getting sealed to my family when I was little and it was wonderful. 

I bear to you my testimony that I know that Jesus lives, and through His atonement families can be together forever. I know that temples are sacred places where the blessings never end. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Love notes from my Heavenly Father

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7, http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/3?lang=eng)

Since I've started my mission papers, finances have been brought up lot, and I've been thinking about it a great deal. I've learned to put my trust in the Lord a lot recently so I've figured that I should trust Him with this too. Yesterday morning I was thinking about how far my Pell Grant money will go after I buy my plane ticket to fly out to Utah for the summer. I was saying my prayers when I was thinking about this and I asked for the help to be able to make it to when I start working again. Today when I was  gathering my cash to pay my tithing, I was digging through my wallet when I found an additional twenty dollar bill. I counted again. I was supposed to have forty dollars and some change, no way was I supposed to have sixty. I was in shock. I kept checking my budgeting app because I don't have that income in there. My only conclusion was that it came because my Heavenly Father is watching over me. 

Elementary school through high school, my mom would leave little "love notes" in my lunchbox when she made my lunch. They would include cute little sayings or a simple "I love you." From eighth grade up this became very rare because I made my own lunch. But whenever I was running late and my mom packed my lunch for me (that woman is an angel), I could always count on that note. 

That twenty dollar bill is like one of Heavenly Father's notes for me. When I need Him (which is all the time) I can always count on Him.

Maybe it's been in my wallet for a long time. Maybe I just didn't log it into my budgeting app. Maybe I'm just crazy. I don't think so. 

I have a testimony that God loves me and has a plan for me. No matter what I face, He has got my back and will support me as long as I follow His commandments. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.