life's good!

I just wanted to share how much I love life right now! 
  People are so good!! I know I say it all the time, but I truly love people! 


It continues to amaze me how our Heavenly Father could create so many unique, beautiful spirits!

I know I shared this picture not too long ago, but hey! I'll just share it again. haha.

Cool, right?!

I had to visit an art show and write a report about it for an art class I'm taking. I decided to go to a chalk art festival that was held in my community over the weekend.

It's so interesting to see what people decide to draw when they could draw anything. 

Check this one out!

I whipped my report out in a quick fifteen minutes and didn't exactly ponder the experience like my teacher wanted me to. haha. So I just said all this stuff about how art is a form of social media and how it can change the world, blah blah blah.

But you know what? I was kinda right!

YOU have things to share with the world! You have thoughts in your head that are incredibly unique and could truly change the world!


What a work of art the human race is!

Wow!!

I'm so excited for the future! People can say all they want about teenagers and about how society is doomed, but I know some truly incredible kids! Kids who love God and do what's right and know stuff about the Middle East and China and places like that that I could never dream of understanding! :)

Great things await us!






America by Imagine Dragons

I can't get this song out of my head. I love love loooove it. LOVE it.

It's one of those goosebumps-I-love-my-country kind of things.



That's another thing! I just wanted to remind people to never take our amazing country and the luxuries we have for granted.

I feel like - especially during elections - there is so much tension and talk about how our country is doomed and in ruins and going downhill.

Well it's still the greatest nation that exists!

 

 



There are those, I know, who will say that the liberation of humanity, the freedom of man and mind, is nothing but a dream.  They are right.  It is the American dream.  ~Archibald MacLeish 




Life's good, people! God has His hand in everything! You are SO blessed!

Be nice to others! Remember who you are!





P.S. On a more serious note, my heart aches for all who were effected by the tornado in Oaklahoma. My prayers and the prayers of many others are with you. God bless you all.

P.P.S. I think that minus the piercings and lack of personal hygiene (and a whole lot of other things), I'm pretty much a hippy. Yep. World peace, man! (haha) :)

Lincoln

Oh my gosh you guys. Go see Lincoln right now.

It was so good. (so good!)


I went with a friend tonight... (we were pretty much the only teenagers there... ha.)

It was amazing and had so many good quotes in it. The kind that kinda give you the goosebumps.


I left feeling uplifted, smarter, more patriotic, and much more appreciative.


I love our country.

(Now go see it! It was amazing!)

regardless.

After school I worked, went for a (short) run, did my homework, studied for a huge chemistry test I have tomorrow, and practiced piano for an hour and a half today...

All. Before. Ten!!!!

And I'm not sure that has ever happened to me in my life! (Well in the last big chunk of my life, anyways!!)


So I wanted to blog but I don't want to spend forever. I am excited for s.l.e.e.p. tonight!!


I have been thinking a lot about our amazing country and I have just been really grateful.

You know, I have been following the election a lot since the summer.

And I really fear for our country.

But I decided yesterday afternoon to be content and at peace with whatever happened.

God loves all His children. No matter where they live or how they live.

He doesn't just love Americans. He doesn't just love the people living in poverty.

And to think our people are - or our nation is - superior when compared to others... well it's just wrong.

But I know that God watches over our country. I love my country and I am so grateful for the inspired founding fathers who created such an amazing government that can withstand so much.

We do have the most brilliant and inspired system in the world, that I believe.

Even with its flaws, our government is amazing.

And I really hope our country will pull through.


Either way, I am grateful to God for watching over us.

Whatever happens, I feel that our constitution won't fail us.

(Though it may come incredibly close, ha.)


God is good and our country is good.


And I will support and pray for the president regardless.



God bless America.

god bless the usa!

2 Nephi 1:7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.




And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died 
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land...
God bless the USA!




You can say what you will... but I will always hold my country very near and dear to my heart.

May God bless America.

And happy Independence Day to you and yours.

Memorial Day... 2012

A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen.  ~Edward de Bono

You know... I've heard that remember is the most important word in the English language... 

And I think that that's true.

So... remember.

Remember what people have sacrificed for you in the past... 

And remember the people that are making sacrifices for you now.

And never ever take for granted the gifts that they have given you. 

And always live with a grateful heart.

To all those who have given me freedoms... and to those who are fighting today so that I can keep those freedoms... thank you.

To those who have sacrificed more than I could ever imagine... so that I could have the gospel... thank you.

And to you... thank you for giving me perspective... and something to look forward to.

An Easy and Fun Way to Help With Genealogy

     What is indexing? Like the video above said, original documents - birth/death certificates, marriage licenses, military forms... basically anything with information on it - are found and then digitalized so that they can be saved.
     Volunteers sift through all of the photos and key the information into the computer... things like their name, spouse, parents, birthday... stuff like that. After the names are indexed, people on the Family Search website (or those using other programs like ancestry.com or RootsMagic) can search for a relative's name, and all of the information indexed will pop up.
     For members of the Church, that means that we can quite possibly find names to take to the temple.
     The youth in our ward have all signed up so that we can start indexing. Let me tell you, I am already hooked. It is so easy and strangely addicting... and a very easy way to do service and help people so that they can further their family history.

     I'm serious... it is SO easy. Go here to get started. All you have to do is download the software and create an account. (If you already have an LDS account, then that will work.) Just so you know, if you need to create an account, you will need your Church membership number. If you don't know it, no worries. Just talk to your bishopric (probably the ward clerk, actually...), and they will give it to you.
     Once the software is downloaded and you have logged in, a video will pop up explaining the program to you. It is only like six minutes long.
     That's it! You are ready! Now you just go through documents and read them so that you can key in the information that is asked for. If you can't read the handwriting, send it back and you can get a new document. I am very new to this, but I'm having a lot of fun with it. It also feels good to know that the names I'm entering in are more than just names. They are people, who lived and died, and who now need our help.

     Starting April 2nd, you can help index the 1940 Census. There were over 130,000,000 people in the U.S. at that time, and it will be a huge project to index all of those documents. What's cool is that 1940 wasn't really that long ago. We all know people that were alive at that time (they only have to be like 72 or older), and it's neat to know that is the generation we will be helping. It is these people and their parents/grandparents that need our help now... People you may know or deceased people that you are closely related to...




     Just do it. It will be so worth it, and it makes you feel good to know that you are helping people. It may look intimidating at first, but it is so incredibly easy. Trust me. You will love it, and then you will want to spread the word to your friends!

Did one of my posts leave a lasting impression on you? I'd love to hear about it! Comment below! 

 Want to read about the layout of my blog? Click here.

It Passes All My Understanding...

Man... I love Soft Sunday Sounds...
     I should just post my favorite new songs at the beginning of each week... Oh wait... I pretty much already do! :)



It Passes All My Understanding - Cherie Call

Now you scroll through the lyrics... and pictures. :)

-----

I was sitting on a southbound plane, 

I was buried in a magazine

When the man in the next seat over 

Wanted to talk to me

He talked about the universe, 

He talked about Saturn's rings

He said, "I might be an atheist, 

Except for just one thing:

It passes all my understanding 

How it all worked out just right,

The distance that we live from the sun, 

The stars that shine at night.

We may prove that it was just an accident

But how did it begin?

It passes all my understanding"

I told him, "You are a scholar; 

You know things that I don't know

But I believe a God in heaven 

Made everything below

And I know we are his children; 

I've known it since I was two

But when it comes to being struck with awe,

I'm just like you.

It passes all my understanding, 

All the beauty we have here

From the majesty of the canyons 

To a tiny baby's ear

And even when I can't believe it, 

He still believes in me

It passes all my understanding"

We watched the sun set through the clouds

In a tiny little airplane window 

With people sleeping all around

And I thought of how we just expect this world to be

And when the flight attendant passed me by

I threw away my magazine

It passes all my understanding, 

That the Lord knows both our names

And that He made this world for everyone

That was sitting on that plane

And in spite of all of man's distractions

He offers us His peace

That passes all my understanding

-----

     You know... we often see the parts of the world that aren't as pleasant... parts that people have abused so much that it's hard to look at... We hear about how we aren't taking care of the earth (which really is true), and how it is getting harder and harder to find beautiful things... 

     Well that last statement isn't true. It's not hard to find beautiful things.

You guys... what a beautiful world we live in!

Be grateful for it!

Did one of my posts leave a lasting impression on you? I'd love to hear about it! Comment below!

 Want to read about the layout of my blog? Click here.

An Introduction to The Book of Mormon

     I've been writing this blog with the mind-set that it would be members of the church reading it... As I've gotten many page views from people all over the web, I decided that I want to do a basic introduction of the Book of Mormon and the missionaries...(missionaries tomorrow).



 

   
The following video is about a man whose life was changed forever because of this wonderful book. I'm sure that the lives of many others will also be changed because of him...




     I looked up the talk given by Tad R. Callister at the last General Conference to find a quote, because I remembered he gave an awesome talk on the Book of Mormon in the Sunday morning session last October...
     But there were too many good ones! It seriously took me forever to decide which words to quote on here... I did finally decided, but I would invite you to read the entire talk here. 


-----

"But why is the Book of Mormon so essential if we already have the Bible to teach us about Jesus Christ? Have you ever wondered why there are so many Christian churches in the world today when they obtain their doctrines from essentially the same Bible? It is because they interpret the Bible differently. If they interpreted it the same, they would be the same church. This is not a condition the Lord desires, for the Apostle Paul declared that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). To help bring this oneness about, the Lord established a divine law of witnesses. Paul taught, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1)."

"The Bible is one witness of Jesus Christ; the Book of Mormon is another. Why is this second witness so crucial? The following illustration may help: How many straight lines can you draw through a single point on a piece of paper? The answer is infinite. For a moment, suppose that single point represents the Bible and that hundreds of those straight lines drawn through that point represent different interpretations of the Bible and that each of those interpretations represents a different church."

"What happens, however, if on that piece of paper there is a second point representing the Book of Mormon? How many straight lines could you draw between these two reference points: the Bible and the Book of Mormon? Only one. Only one interpretation of Christ’s doctrines survives the testimony of these two witnesses."

This is my attempt to recreate the picture they showed...  Don't laugh at it... I'm already feeling a little OCD about the top part! :)

-----

Okay...
     Do we believe in The Bible? Obviously yes.
One of our Articles of Faith states
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."
(AofF 8... to read the others, click here.)

     So does that make us Christian?
Absolutely. 
     A Christian is anyone who believes in Jesus Christ, and that He is the redeemer of our sins. I don't know how anyone can argue that we are not Christians... our church is named after Christ!

     Now... I am not a convert to the church. I was born into the gospel. I do have a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. I see miracles happen in our church every day. I know that this is the true gospel restored to the earth, because I feel the Spirit when I learn about the scriptures, and when I go to church.
     I've had the opportunity to go to pretty much all of the Church history sites in the U.S. When I was in Palmyra, New York, which is where the First Vision occurred, I gained a deeper gratitude for this book, and for all that Joseph Smith sacrificed to give it to us.
     When I was in Nauvoo,  Illinois, one of the cities that the early saints settled, it was peaceful. It felt like taking a step back in time, and I gained a deeper gratitude there too. A gratitude to those early saints who gave all that they could to have the gospel.

     I know that the Church is true, and that the Book of Mormon is true, because I have felt things. I just know it in my heart, and I could never deny it.


Please click here to learn about the Book of Mormon in greater depth.
To request a free copy of this amazing book, please click here. 


Moroni 10:4 - And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 - And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Did one of my posts leave a lasting impression on you? I'd love to hear about it! Comment below! 

Want to read about the layout of my blog? Click here.

In Honor of President's Day... (I Know... Yesterday...)

"It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible."
-George Washington


"Do not let any one claim to be a true American if they ever attempt to remove religion from politics."  
-George Washington

"In regard to this great book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are to found portrayed in it."

-Abraham Lincoln

“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.” 

-Abraham Lincoln

"Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties; write its precepts in your hearts and practice them in your lives. To the influence of this book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization, and to this we must look as our guide in the future. Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people."   
-Ulysses S. Grant

"The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe—the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God...... Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty...... With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own." 

-John F. Kennedy


"We establish no religion in this country, nor will we ever. We command no worship. We mandate no belief. But we poison our society when we remove its theological underpinnings. We court corruption when we leave it bereft of belief.
-Ronald Reagan


"Without God, there is no virtue, because there's no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we're mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under. If I could just make a personal statement of my own -- in these 3 1/2 years I have understood and known better than ever before the words of Lincoln, when he said that he would be the greatest fool on this footstool called Earth if he ever thought that for one moment he could perform the duties of that office without help from One who is stronger than all.
-Ronald Reagan

A man had deprived himself of the best there is in the world who has deprived himself of this, a knowledge of the Bible. When you have read the Bible, you will know it is the Word of God, because you will have found it the key to your heart, your own happiness and your own duty.

-Woodrow Wilson

2 Nephi 10

10 But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land.

 11 And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.

 12 And I will fortify this land against all other nations.

 13 And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God.

 14 For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words.

Click here to view my other post about America.

Did one of my posts leave a lasting impression on you? I'd love to hear about it! Comment below! 

Want to read about the layout of my blog? Click here.

America the Beautiful

2 Nephi 1:5,7- Notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands…Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever. 

      I don't know why I was given the privilege of living here in the United States, but I know that I am so blessed to live here. Guys, we are so lucky. 
   
     Alexis De Tocqueville wrote: "America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."     


     It's true... there are a lot of things going on in our country right now that are not good. Our political system needs some work (lots), our economy is bad, people are lowering their standards and tempting us to lower ours... 
I think that sometimes people get caught up in all of the awful things happening in our country right now, and they forget that they are living in a choice and blessed land. If we keep striving, as individuals, to make our country and world a better place... to put God and country first... we will be able to make America great again. 


In the meantime, never forget how lucky you are. You are so lucky to live in the circumstances that you live in. And just to give you an idea...
(And I know that I listed the following things in this post... but I know a lot of you didn't read that, so here it is again...)

- If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive the week.

- If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

- If you can attend a religious meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death... you are more blessed than 3 billion people in the world.

- If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep... you are richer than 75% of this world.

- If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealth.

- If your parents are still alive and still married... you are very rare, even in the United States.

- If you can hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful... you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

- If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder... you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.

- If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over 2 billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

-----------

God has performed many miracles for our nation. It is obvious that if we put our faith in Him and trust His judgement, things will work out for us.  

The following are excerpts from the book Seven Miracles That Saved America by Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart...


“At critical times in our nation’s history, God provided miracles to save us. And there are miracles yet to come,” according to the book. “This country was too important to the future of mankind to let it fail. Despite our weaknesses, which are many, and our failings, which have existed since our inception, God has been willing to intervene so that this nation might survive.”
No man is perfect. And neither is any nation. Yet, despite our weakness, we are still, as Abraham Lincoln said, “the last, best hope of earth.”


This is a fantastic book... and I looked up the seven miracles that they listed so that you could read them...


-Christopher Columbus’s “against all odds” discovery of the New World and the undeniable hand of God that led him here.
-  Jamestown – the English colonists’ survival of the “starving time,” which assured that America would be settled by a religiously oriented and religiously tolerant people.
-  A summer fog: How an unexplainable fog shrouded the East River on an August morning, allowing General George Washington and his army to escape annihilation at the hands of the British troops.
-  The epic events that led to the miraculous creation of the United States Constitution, forever establishing the United States as the “shining city on the hill.”
-  Abraham Lincoln and the Battle of Gettysburg: At a time when it looked like our fledgling democracy was actually going to fail, God answered Lincoln’s desperate prayer for a victory at Gettysburg – an event that literally changed the future of the world.
-  The Battle of Midway: The incredibly unlikely scenario that played out in this famous World War II battle, paving the way for the Allies to win the war.
-  Half an inch: How an assassin’s bullet barely missed President Ronald Reagan’s heart, sparing his life and allowing him to go on and play a key role in defeating communism, smashing the Iron Curtain, and “tear[ing] down this wall.” 




There have no doubt been many more miracles...

• 
  
  
  

And also... thank you to all of those valiant men and women who risk their lives to defend our freedom. I know that we sometimes take it for granted... I promise that I'm trying not to.

There She Stands - Michael W. Smith