If You Just Believe

When I was 5 I believed I could be anything I wanted to be. 

I also believed I was good at everything. 

When asked if I was cute the respond "yes" would follow. 

"Are you good at dancing?" "Yes" 

"Are you good as swimming?" "Yes" 

We all know or have a 5 year old just like that in our lives, in this very moment.

We all used to be that way until... we grew older, and reality set in. 

"I can't..."

"I don't..."

"I'm not good at..." 

We lost belief in ourselves. 

How can we gain that same faith we once had in ourselves again? 

Our greatest dreams in life can become a reality if only we are willing to work and have faith in our abilities and talents. 

We shouldn't let people tell us we can't do something.

We can learn and be taught anything we set our minds to.

Am I a disciple who is capable of accomplishing great things?

Of course I am!! As long as I believe in myself and the abilities that I have. 

If You Just Believe...you CAN accomplish wonderful things. 

"It's never too late to become who you might have been"

How do we become who we were meant to be?

How do we create a Christ-Centered life?

The answer is truly simple: Make the right choice, at the right time, in the right place.

We aren't perfect people but we can strive to be. 

How else might we strive to have a Christ-Centered life?

Regular temple attendance perhaps? Although that might be simple, there are even simpler things we can do. 

Daily Prayer and Daily Scripture Study.

What if you slip up and miss a night?

 What caused you to skip your study and go straight to bed?

Maybe it's time to re-prioritize and make commitments. 

We can show Christ that our lives are centered around him by committing to ALWAYS read our scriptures and say our prayers no matter how late you get home from a date, no matter how late we stay out with friends, no matter how much homework we have. NO MATTER WHAT make scriptures study and personal prayer a priority and commit to never missing a day. 

It's the little things that help us become who we are meant to be. 

Through Jesus Christ we can become who we want to be. The lord has time to help each and every person. If the Lord has time for all of God's children shouldn't we have time for him?

We can't be perfect, but as long as we are trying, that is enough! 

The Lord see's past our imperfections and see's the GREATEST good  with in us. 

How can we learn to see the good in ourselves?

How can we forgive our shortcomings?

How do we see ourselves as the Lord see's us?

Believe that Christ see's nothing but the good in us. 

Believe that he loves you more then imaginable.

Believe you can be who he wants you to be and eventually you will be just that. 

The first step in becoming who we are meant to be is to change and in changing we will begin to recognize the lord and understand our worth in his eyes and we will turn our lives over to him. 

It's easy to feel the changes when we first make them but as life goes on and we become caught up in the moment,  and sometimes we forget what prompted us to change.

"The answer from making the change and then for keeping it, is to testify of the Lord's hand concerning the change all the rest of our days.(Freeman)"

"If ye have experienced a change of heart, and felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so NOW? (Alma 5:26)" 

When our Journey includes the lord and we recognize our worth within his eyes, we begin to realize it is never too late to become the person the lord wants us to be. 

It's never too late to make Christ the center of our lives!!! 

Preparing for Eternity, not waiting for it. 

Aspire to Be Something Higher

One thing you should know about me if you don't already is that I love to read other people's blogs. There seems to be something about the blog community that I love. I don't know if it is the fact that I am a blogger myself, or if is because I love hearing other people's opinions, or if I love being uplifted or what. I guess it is a combination of all those things put together. 

Anyway what I'm getting at is that I was reading a blog recently and the blogger was talking about how she doesn't like that people look up to her. She wishes people didn't look up to her. Maybe that's because she is scared. I can see why people looking up to you could be a scary thing. Rather then thinking of it as a scary thing we should look at it as a compliment. 

My Heart always melts when I am told by younger siblings or even friends that they want to be like me someday! What a huge responsibility, but also what an honor!! Knowing that people look up to us makes us become better. With the knowledge of knowing that there are people watching me and looking up to me, I want to aspire to become the best possible me I can become. I try my hardest to be the best example, I try to aspire to become something higher. Being looked up to makes it harder for us to make big mistakes, it makes it harder to be mean to those around us, it makes us watch the words we speak, and the actions we take. It help us aspire to be something higher! 

"To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to achieve."

                         -James Allen

Thank you for coming

The term "Thank you for coming" is used quite often. There are many ways it can be interpreted. Perhaps the following story will help you to understand the way we should always see the phrase "Thank you For coming."

 

The following story was taken from a book called "Becoming His" by Emily Freeman.

 

"Many years ago I had an experience I will never forget. I was serving as a visiting teacher. My assignment was to a woman who was struggling with a trial that had the potential to destroy her life. I had been visiting this woman for four years. She was one of my dearest friends.

On this particular night, things were not going well, and at nine thirty in the evening we ended up at the bishops office over at the church building. We counseled together with the bishop for a time, and then, in an attempt to try to find some solutions, we called a private counselor this woman had been working with to see if he could help us. He happened to be driving home from a party with his wife and agreed to come to the church.

When he arrived, he left his wife in the car with a book and spent an hour and a half counseling with this woman, the bishop and me. At eleven o'clock that evening we finally came up with a solution. The course we settled upon would include changes that had the potential to affect the rest of my friends life for good. It would require strength. It would require great sacrifice. She had chosen to make the decision we had all been praying about for weeks. I was so proud of her, and I found myself humbled by the magnitude of the journey that lay ahead of her and grateful for the encouragement of a good bishop and a kind counselor who helped her reach that decision. As we prepared to go home, my friend walked over to the counselor, took him by the hand, and said, 'Thank you for coming.'

I thought of the sacrifice he had made to be there that night. It wasn't regular office hours. he had dropped everything to come. His wife had been sitting in the car in a dark parking lot in the middle of winter for an hour and a half. In the quiet recess of my heart I echoed her gratitude, yes, thank you for coming.

I will never forget his reply.

Most people would have said, 'you're welcome.' But that wasn't his response. When my friend said 'thank you for coming,' the counselor replied, 'you're worth it.'

He taught a powerful sermon in three simple words. He knew the potential she had. He knew she was meant for more. In his eyes, she was worth the sacrifice."

 

I hope that story touched your life as much as it touched mine. The man showed a Christ-like attitude that night. Every time we kneel down in prayer to thank our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ for all that they have done for us, I know they always respond "You're Worth it." Our worth is great in the sight of God. May we be more responsive to people with a heart full of love and an attitude of the savior.

 

 Our response to "thank you for coming," should always be "You are worth it."

When we help others and follow the example of our savior, we are showing them that we know their worth is great and that we see them as the Savior sees them. As a son or daughter of God with divine potential. In our eyes they should always be worth the sacrifice.

 

Am I the type of person who would help someone under any circumstance simply because I know they are worth it and because I see the potential for more with in them?

 

"With this commitment to who we can become, the spiritual door swings open. There is a new freedom to feel and to know, a freedom to become."

-Neil L. Anderson

It's a Small World After All

The Lord prepares the way for us, but it is always our job to work at getting to the way. 

After Easton had his first baptism I had a cool experience that involved the Man Easton helped baptize. I wrote an email explaining what had happened to Easton and the way I worded it to him makes the most sense so here is the email I sent him with the experience I had. 

 I normally wouldn't post Emails I send to Easton but I just can't get this story out of my mind and I really feel the need to share it. 

This following email was sent on Wednesday July 31st 

"Easton!! Okay, so I know you won't see this till Monday but this is way to important and cool to wait to write this till later!! If I was to write it down it wouldn't  get to you fast enough!! Again, I know you won't see this till Monday, but this is something that just can't wait!!

 Okay, so here is the big cool important stuff!!!

THIS IS GOING TO BLOW YOUR MIND!!!

I'll stop torturing you and get on with my story!:)

So my phone buzzed and I looked down at my phone and I saw that this guy in my old ward named Stephen Erickson who is a returned missionary messaged me on facebook, and I thought it was kind of weird because we had never really talked that much. Anyway, so I look at my message and here Is what it said word for word, copy and pasted!!

'Hey Savanna! I couldn't help but notice from your instagrams and blogs that Easton is in Fort Worth, Texas! That's where I served my mission. Here is the crazy part...your most recent Instagram pic of Easton is with Omar who my companion and I originally ran into on the streets over a year ago! I am beyond excited to see him getting baptized! :) I served as a district leader for 2 transfers in the area where Easton is at. Thank you for your posts! They're uplifting!"

How cool is that??? Easton!!! If the only reason why everything with your Visa was delayed was so that you could help be a part of Omar's baptism then it was all worth it!!:) I mean it was worth it anyway, but you seriously were sent to Fort Worth for a reason. By direct inspiration from God. This whole situation blows my mind! I am so excited for you to read this and I can't wait to hear back on your thoughts about the whole thing! When Elder Erickson was on his mission he planted a seed In Omar's heart but it wasn’t quite ready to sprout, and you were one of the ones who watered the seed and finally was able to get it to sprout. I seriously can't get over this!! I love the work that you are doing!!! I see miracles happening all around me! I see the miracles that you are helping to make happen. It really is so cool. You are such a light to me and all those around you!! I’m proud of you Elder Walker! Keep up the good work!:) 

Savanna W :)"

I felt extremely honored to be the middle man in this situation between Elder Walker and Elder Erickson. God works in mysterious ways. I feel blessed to have the fullness of the gospel and to recognize the miracles that are happening all around. We meet the people we do in our lives for a purpose, and sometimes that purpose you don't notice until years down the road. If I hadn't been in Elder Ericksons ward a few years back he never would have known that Omar was baptized, and because I knew Easton I was able to share that experience he had.  Elder Erickson found out Omar was baptized because of a picture I posted and Elder Walker was able to feel at peace  knowing he was exactly where the Lord needed him at that time so that he could take place in Omar's baptism. 

I have a testimony of being in the right place, at the right time, and for the right reasons. I know the Lord sends us where he wants us to go, and I know he puts us in situations for a reason. Everything that happens to us is in preparation for our eternity. The Lord uses us in ways we would have never thought. As you go about this week look for ways that God uses you to help others. You have a purpose in this life. Trust God, and know that YOU are an instrument in the hands of the Lord! 

I am NOT a believer in coincidences, only a believer in there being a purpose for everything that happens to us.

-Preparing, not waiting.