"The most important covenant we prepare for is being sealed in the temple"


Monday, September 23, 2013

Self Reflection

How often do we sit back and reflect on the lives that we live?
The answer: certainly not enough.
 
 
"Who do you see when you look in the mirror?
 
Who are you looking at?

Who are you looking for?
 
Who is looking back at you?

On some level or another, all of us are seeking ourselves whether we know it or not.

We all have beliefs, ideas, thoughts and attitudes which govern our thinking, our knowing and our living. Changing our thinking, our long held beliefs can dramatically change our daily lives.
Try looking at it this way.....
Take a moment to think about what this sentence on self reflection means for you.

It is talking about how we perceive ourselves and our surroundings - how we fail to see that life reflects us back to ourselves.
Because we keep on looking out the windows, many of us take forever to realize that we are looking at ourselves mirrored back to us by others and by the events of our life.
This saying about self reflection helps us to become empowered.
If we see that our negative feelings towards others are reflecting back to ourselves our own sense of negativity then we can do something to help ourselves forward. By continuously looking out the window and putting the 'blame' on others we fail to utilize all the power in the moment.

Changing our perception of the problem by seeing the reality as it is reflected by us and to us, brings empowerment, change, discovery and consciousness.
As we learn to look for that reflection in the mirror rather than to project our senses outwards we gain a sense of responsibility for our own lives. Our authentic self begins to shine through."
 
Today I had a lot of self reflecting to do. I am not a perfect person. No one is, except for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We all have to do a little bit of self reflecting every once in a while. Self reflection is what helps us to become better people and greater disciples of Christ.  
 
I learned a lot today in my self reflection and I came to the realization that there is a lot for me to work on. A lot more then I had realized. Changing and becoming better is not something we can do all on our own. The Savior is part of the equation. May we always turn to him for help. Often times we do change and we become better but then we fall, and we again have to change. This is an ongoing process. That is why we have the atonement. As we make changes in our lives we must remember the way we feel when we change things about ourselves that are not in accordance with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  One of my all time favorite scriptures states "And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?"
 
Can we feel the change? Can we remember the spirit we felt as we changed our bad habit? Can we feel the peace we felt as we became a better person?
 
"In a mirror is where we find the reflection of our appearance, but in a heart is where we find the reflection of our Soul."
 


Sunday, September 22, 2013

We All Have That One Person

We all have that one person we miss more then anything in the entire world when they aren't by our side.
 
We all have that one person we can't stand to live without.
 
We all have that one person we tell everything to.
 
We all have that one person who consumes our every thought.
 
We all have that one person who we feel completes us.

We all have that one person who makes us smile uncontrollably for no reason.

We all have that one person that we would do anything for.

We all have that one person we can trust.

We all have that one person we want to spend all our time with.

We all have that one person we can forgive no matter what they do to us.

We all have that one person who can make us laugh at anything they say.

We all have that  one person who gives us butterflies every time we hear or say their name.

We all have that one person who we love despite all their flaws.

This might be relatable because WE ALL HAVE THAT ONE PERSON!

"If you want to know where your heart is... look to where your mind goes when it wonders."
 
 


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Clipboard Project

As an MG I write a lot of letter, and when I say a lot I mean A LOT!!!
I write letters all over the place: on my kitchen table, at the couch, on my bed before I go to sleep, on the floor, while I sit at my sisters cheer practice, etc.
So I am always looking for a hard surface to write on (other then the kitchen table or a book off my bookshelf).
As I thought about what I could use as a hard surface that I could carry around with me the thought hit me "why not a clipboard?"
SO what did I do??
I found a clipboard!
We all know how ugly clipboards (plain brown) can be.
So... I did what any girl would do!
 
I decorated it!
 
 
(the picture doesn't quite do its justice!)
 
 
This is a great project! It is so much fun and looks great and now I not only have a surface to write my letters on wherever I want, but also a stylish one at that!:)
 


Sunday, September 15, 2013

A Message for All

I came across the following quote and thought I should share it In hopes that it would effect you in the way it effected me.
 
Henry B. Eyring, a member of the first presidency of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints exclaims,
 
“A Seed of faith is already planted in your heart... But, like a growing plant, it must be nurtured or it will wither. Frequent and heartfelt prayers of faith are crucial  and needed nutrients. Obedience to the truth you have received will keep the testimony alive and strengthen it. Obedience to the commandments Is part of the nourishment you must provide for your Testimony.”
 
I love this quote and I always love the words that Henry B. Eyring speaks. He is a man of God and because of that, I know that if we listen to his counsel as well as the counsel of the other member's of the first presidency, we will be blessed, we will be guided, and our testimonies will be strengthened.
                              
 
 


Saturday, September 14, 2013

Testing My fun computer

I finally did it. I joined the technology world and bought myself a laptop. There is something about laptops that just make you feel so much more independent and self sufficient. Ginger and I were playing around and checking out the apps that are included on windows 8 and we found a fun video app. We made a video and we decided it would be fun (I guess. and a little embarrassing) to show it to you!:)
 
Enjoy making fun of us for the rest of your lives!;)
 
 
 
 
 
                          I'm not really sure what made me feel okay to share this. Oh well, It is what it is.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Good Ol' Arizona

You know what amazes me?
Ten years ago Arizona had only 1 temple. The Mesa Temple.
Today, Arizona has 6 temples that are already built or are in process of being built.
The Lord has a plan for those of us in Arizona.
Living up to what Heavenly Father expects of us is something we must work on everyday.
Keep making him proud!!
LOVES!!
 
 
Mesa, Arizona 7th operating Temple

 

 



Snowflake, Arizona 108th operating Temple




Gila Valley, Arizona 132nd operating Temple
 
 
 
Gilbert, Arizona Temple (Under Construction)
 
 
 
 
 
Phoenix Arizona Temple (Under Construction)
 
 
 
and the Tucson Arizona Temple which was announced on October 6, 2012
 
 

"Each temple building is an inspiration, magnificent and beautiful in every way, but the temple building alone does not bless. The endowed blessings and divine functions…come through obedience and faithfulness to priesthood authority and covenants made."
—James E. Faust
 
 


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Have I done any good in the world today?

I'm feeling very blessed today. I can't quite pin point the reason why but I think it has something to do with the people who are in my life. I had a really sweet experience today that I wanna share with you, the blogging world. So a few days ago I got a message on Facebook from an acquaintance of mine telling me that she was sick and then said a few other things. I had the impression to send her a get well soon card along with a few encouraging words and I asked her for her address. I immediately acted upon the impression and sent her the card. Today, she messaged me on Facebook again telling me that she had received the card and thanked me for my kindness and told me that the card was exactly what she needed to get her through the rest of the day. Her gratitude was so sincere, it amazed me. She told me that receiving the letter in the mail made her day. How incredible it is that such a simple act of service can make such a huge impact on someone's day? Following impressions is important. She said that I made her day but, little did she know, that she actually made mine. She simply says to me "You just made me think of the song 'Have I done in any good in the world today?' then it says 'Have I helped anyone in need, have I cheered up the sad, made someone feel glad? If not I have failed in deed...' Well Savanna, you sure aren't a failure, you are amazing! Thanks for everything!"  Those simple words from her made me realize how important friendships are. It doesn't matter the type of friendship you have, you should always strive to make those around you feel good about themselves, and that is exactly what she did. She made me feel so good about myself.  Friendships are important. Even if you haven't met them face to face. Always treat those you know and those you are associated, with love and respect.

The song "Have I done any good in the world today?" speaks volumes. What a great principle that song teaches. It is so important to do good in the world. The good we do can be as simple as giving a stranger a smile, or sending a note to a friend, or letting someone know that you love them and are thinking of them. The simple acts of service that can be done everyday are the ones that mean the most. 

"Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? have I cheered up the sad? made someone feel glad? If not I have failed in deed." 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

A testimony is like...

I've come to the conclusion that a testimony is like a puzzle. In many many ways. For one, a testimony takes time to build and a puzzle takes time to complete. Sometimes the pieces get lost 
and are often times found upon dedicated searching. They take time to find and you have to have patience. If you have nothing but ONE piece of the puzzle then it is easy to add on to. If you have a picture of what the puzzle should look like  (or someone 
else's testimony to lean on) then building and putting together the puzzle can be a little more simple. Different pieces represent different elements of the gospel such as forever families, the temple,  the holy ghost, tithing Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father etc... those things don't come all at once but rather they come one by one, little  by little. Sometimes you hold that piece near and dear but you can't quite figure out exactly where it fits in the puzzle, and that Is okay. Everything will eventually piece together. If you only have one piece of that puzzle don't fret, for the rest Is surely to come. All you need is the solid foundation of one piece  to build off of. One piece can get you to forever. Your testimony will never fail you if you keep working as hard as you can to complete the puzzle. The last piece to your puzzle (or the completion of your puzzle) won't come until you reach exaltation,  but that's what this life is all about. This life is about working toward completing our puzzle. We have to work towards it and it is a never ending process that needs to continue until the very end. Don't forget your puzzle and let it sit a float. Constantly refer to your puzzle and I promise it  will always grow. "Line by line, precept upon precept. Here a little there a little until the very end." 
Don't lose your pieces. Keep them together and then you'll see how the whole picture comes together.