living higher

What does it mean to live higher?

To me, it's about progress. It's about perspective and purpose. It's about getting outside yourself and serving God and your fellow man.

But wait - when I have so much going on in my own life, how can I possibly worry about purpose?! I'm barely able to even keep up on my homework every day!

It can be hard to make time for meaningful service and devotion to God. But here is what I have learned: you will find the time if you look for it. I definitely believe that God will help you make the time you need to serve Him if you are willing to make the effort.

I really admire the fact that this woman spends so much time working on a project that isn't easy - but one that helps so many people. She sacrifices her time and energy working on these dresses not because she gets recognition from man, but because she knows it is the right thing to do and it gives her purpose.

What a wonderful thing it is to live higher, to live for more. 

My very favorite scripture of ALL TIME can be found in the Doctrine and Covenants and this is how it reads:
D&C 25:10 - And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better.

Friends, there is a better world out there. There is a better world that we should be preparing for. When I die and meet God, I want to be comfortable where He is. I want to live my life in a way that prepares me to dwell with God. It is my belief that I can do that by living a life full of service and purpose. I want to spend my entire life reaching higher and striving to be better than I was yesterday. 

It isn't easy. It takes work. But I know that the more I work hard to improve, the more I serve God's children, the more purposeful my life becomes, the closer I will be to God and the more prepared I will be to stand in His presence. I know that I am already blessed for my efforts now, but how much more will I be blessed when I choose to mold myself into something more, something worthy of a kingdom higher than this one?

My prayer is that we can all strive to carve for ourselves lives of purpose, and it is my sincerest hope that God feels like I am reaching higher. 

Have a great Sunday,
Haley

P.S. Totally got a kick out of the "I'm certainly ready to go anytime He wants me."

we'll all get there, eventually.

I think it's human nature to constantly compare ourselves to others.
Often times seeing how great everyone else's lives are is disheartening, even annoying.

We see all the incredible accomplishments of others and sometimes it is hard to feel happy for those people, because really we just feel jealous or want that person to know that we achieve things too.
Am I making sense?

Why does it annoy us so much that people brag about their lives sometimes? Why do we even feel the need to brag?

The truth is, nobody's life is perfect. Maybe someone feels the need to brag about their kid's good grades or something like that because it's the only happy thing that they can cling to right now.

In any case, we are all going through different things in life, and we need to learn to feel happy for others!


In the words of Jeffrey R. Holland:

"Brothers and sisters, there are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt—and certainly not to feel envious—when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who is the wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful or even the most blessed. The race we are really in is the race against sin, and surely envy is one of the most universal of those."


Surely we also look at our neighbors and see how well they are living the gospel - how they seem to have everything together. 
Don't short-change yourself and the good things you are doing!

I'll bet you've totally mastered a part of your life that your neighbor really has no idea how to handle yet. 
We all have our own talents, our own experiences that have made us strong in different ways.
Don't forget that in the end, we are all in this together. We are a team. 

And we'll all get there, eventually. 

One day we will all be perfected in Christ. You will see that all along, your best really was good enough. 

In the meantime, let's learn to be happy for others, try our hardest, and accept that others are doing the same. 

You've got this.

so much beauty

There is a lot going on in the world right now, a lot of negative things. And it's true, society looks not so pretty sometimes. 

Every person gets to choose what to make of their life. And some choose to do really bad things. 

Probably most people, though, are just mediocre. We all have selfish tendencies, we are all rude sometimes, maybe more than we realize, and we've all been on the receiving side of rude comments. Sometimes it just feels like the world is feeding us crap. 

But there is so much good. So much to be cheerful about. 

There are the exceptional people, the inspiring news stories, and there is always a silver lining in even the worst of situations. 

Society is still overwhelmingly good! The world is not against you!

For every rude, seemingly uncompassionate person, there are two people who are kind, happy and trying to do what's right. 

The world is full of intense beauty if you seek it out. 

There are marriages that make it. There are young people who will do incredible things with their life. There are good, honest politicians. 

When you change the way you look at the world, it becomes a whole new place to you. 

When you rise above, as you look at the big picture and have a joyful outlook on life, your life begins to change.

It takes practice to see even the bad things in life as brilliant learning opportunities.

It takes practice to see the good in people the rest of the world sees as bad.

But, like most things, practice makes perfect!


I know I've shared this video before, but I just love it. It makes you feel so happy for the world and the incredible things people are achieving here.



When we look at things from a worldly, narrow-minded perspective, it seems like there is a lot wrong with the world.
And... there is, I guess. But don't let the negative outweigh the positive.

When you notice all the good things, like the things shown in the above video, it is easy to see how God's hand is in everything.

This is His world, we are His people. And His hand is always around us, and if you notice God's hand, your life will be touched in incredible ways, and you will begin to always see the world as a beautiful place.

Many say they have no hope for humanity. But when you stop to remember the purpose of life, stop to remember your potential, stop to remember that God is always looking out for His children, and that his children are good people, it's hard not to have faith in humanity.

Rise above. Seek for the good in the world. Be the good in someone else's world.

Your life will be so much more happy and fulfilling.
When you think you have it all, do you not truly have it all?



I hope you all had a great Sunday and continue to have a great week!
Before I finish up here, here's a great Sunday song for you!

Never Alone by Lady Antebellum


Goodnight!

overcoming

All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.

- Helen Keller

Is life hard sometimes, or what?! Have you ever heard stories of those people who seem to just have the worst life ever? Maybe you are that person - that person who has simply come across a lot of heartache. 

Life's pretty much tough by definition. But your life story should not be one of sadness! You have such an incredible future ahead of you! 

I recently read Anthem by Ayn Rand. Basically it is one of those futuristic dystopia type books where the government controls everything and people are not allowed to think for themselves. *Spoiler alert: In the end, the main character recognizes society's flaw and runs away into the forest to live a life of his own... alone. 

Yeah. The end. 

So I was asked the question today in English, "why is this a story of hope and liberation instead of one of despair?"

Well, let me tell you. A blank slate - a future that is yours for the taking - is such a beautiful thing. Whatever is behind you, whatever you have learned, can only help you from here on out. 

You could start a brand new life tomorrow, you know! Wake up and decide "today I am going to be someone important." 

Our God is a God of second chances. He offers peace. He offers a new perspective. 

You can make your life a beautiful one of service, love, and happiness. You have a blank canvas in front of you, it is up to you what colors to paint it with. 

Be optimistic. Life comes with trials, bumps in the road. But life keeps moving forward, and if you do your best to move along with it, you will see amazing things you could never see before. 

Thomas S. Monson said that often "We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone.”

Having a negative attitude always makes things seem worse than they really are. When we have hope and look for bright days ahead, even the days we are living now will feel more glorious. 

I've been so so blessed with school this year. I have always been one to stress a lot about school. Even though I keep excellent grades, I've always stressed often about all the homework I have to do, all the tests to study for, etc. etc. 

I was so scared for this year because not only is it junior year in high school - in my opinion one of the hardest and most important - I am also taking 10 credits at the college a half hour away so that I can get a couple years of college in before I graduate. Anyways, over the summer I was so scared I was going to be overwhelmed and had a knot in my stomach every time I thought about all that I was trying to take on. 

Then something crazy happened. School started, and I really do have quite a lot of homework. But I am not stressed. I really don't even know how that happened. I have just gotten into a routine where every day I look at my planner, I make sure I am prepared for the next day, maybe I do some homework due in the future, and I call it a night. 

I'm not sure what changed that I have been so much more chill about schoolwork this year. I work just as hard. But I don't let myself worry so much. 

The days will pass. I could spend all day stressing about a test, but whether I spend the day stressing or not, the next day will come. The test will pass. It will all work out, and in a week I will have forgotten about being worried in the first place. 

Things are never as bad as they seem. Life is full of tender mercies and happy surprises. Be happy. Don't worry so much, and you will be more satisfied with your life. YOU can overcome. And you can help others overcome. 

I thank God for bright futures.

leave a mark

Whew!! Is it July 28th already? I have been gone sooo much and have been so busy!

Sorry for the blog negligence! :)

So first of all, I left for FIJI on July 2nd and it was the Most. Amazing. Trip. Ever. It was so fun and I was so sad to have to leave! The people there have so little and yet are the most content, happy people ever! And the ward there was awesome! So many fun people!

I am away from home (yet again) in California at the moment, so I won't share too many pictures. It is just a pain to upload the pictures because my internet is reeeeally slow right now! :)

Chilling on the beautiful beaches



 

Baptisms at the Suva temple

 Me with Harrilea and Junior

 

Me with village kids

 

Some of us with a bunch of the ward's youth

 

At a school in the village

 

Working on the bathroom

 

Finished toilet and septic tank!

 

Me with David

 

We had so much fun serving the people, playing with the kids, learning about the culture, swimming in the ocean, making new friends, participating in church activities, and doing other fun things like seeing a movie and going to McDonalds! Tell your kids to save/fundraise for a HEFY (link) trip!! It is the most incredible organization ever!

 

It was so neat to see such a different part of the world. It helped me to be a more rounded person and gave me new perspectives. You guys, be grateful for what you have!!!

I was also reminded how much God loves everyone.

People! YOU. MATTER!!! And if you are ever feeling down on yourself, try serving others. Be a light to other people and make their lives better. I promise you, it will make you feel important when you spend your time being an instrument in the Lord's hands.

I heard something interesting when we were at the temple doing baptisms for the dead. The temple president came to give us a little thought before we got started, and I love what he said. He read off a few of the names of people we would be getting baptized for and shared their birth dates and where they were born. He reminded us that they were real people who lived and breathed and until now probably thought they had been forgotten. He got a little emotional and pointed out that these people are probably never thought of anymore, never mentioned. Who knows - their names being spoken in the font may be the first time they've been mentioned in years and years.

I don't want to leave people forgotten. I want to feed Christ's lambs. I want to serve Him forever and ever. I want my friends to feel like I love them. I want to make sure that I leave this life having given everything I could possibly give.

I want to rescue people. I want to strengthen Christ's army. I want to leave a mark on the world - leave a mark in heaven.

This is my purpose, and this I will do.

I truly could never share enough about my experience in Fiji. But it didn't end in Fiji.

There are people here who need me. And most definitely people here who need you.

“Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great purpose in heart.”  - Gordon B. Hinckley

You guys are awesome. I'm really stoked to start blogging a lot again. I'm just spending time with family here in California, but when I get home the summer should start winding down and I can get myself back into a good blogging routine!

Have a lovely day!

Haley