I'm Better With HIM

Hello, friends!!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, considering I haven't blogged since before then (yikes, sorry).

Anyways, I wanted to share this music video since it is the CUTEST thing I have ever seen! I can't stop listening to this song!




I love, love, love this video and the message that accompanies it.

Everyone goes through periods of time where they feel discouraged or unworthy. Sometimes we feel like we aren't worth anything or like our efforts aren't enough.

We do sometimes feel broken, empty, and lonely. But it is okay, because Jesus Christ knows that and He is constantly waiting for you to turn to Him so He can heal you, fill you up, and be your friend.

I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world! Everything that we do when we are actively practicing our religion points to Him. Everything!

He is the all-powerful King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is graceful and merciful and unchanging. He is mighty to save. He is loving and compassionate and feels so deeply for every one of us.

I am so, so grateful for His presence in my life. I can definitely notice the times when I am close to Him and the times when I am more distant. Let me tell you, it is so much better to choose Christ! Choose to learn of Him and follow Him and think of Him. Always.

I so very humbled and filled with love and praise whenever I think of the beautiful gift of redemption and peace that He has offered me. I will worship Him always because He "floods me with mercies in the morning and drowns me with grace in the night" (here). 

Thank you, Lord, for making me a better and more complete person. Thank you for offering peace and renewal when I ask for it.

And thank you, readers for sticking with me and supporting me even when I am inconsistent with posting. It is so hard to find the words to express adequate praise and gratitude to the Lord, but I hope that He knows - and that you know - that I love Him.


I hope that you never forget that you are not alone, you are not unworthy of Christ's love, and you can always find truth and light if you look for it. I know that Christ will always be there to pick you up when you feel broken. His arms are always outstretched and He's never failed anyone. Ever. We just have to choose to focus on Him more than all of the other crazy things that are always going on in our lives.


Choose Jesus and make this one a great day!
xo, Haley

choose GOD

Sometimes it is hard to feel worthy.
A lot of times, actually.

We go through the motions, we try to do the right thing, we feel guilt over our mistakes, we repent. And yet, we never feel good enough. We always are stuck wondering, "is it enough??" "Am I on good terms with God?" "If I died now, would I go to the Celestial Kingdom?"

"In the end, after all the mistakes I've made, would God really choose me?"

This, my friends, is where we go wrong in our reasoning. Understand this: God will always choose you. Always. In reality, it is He who is hoping to be chosen by us.

It is He who is hoping that we will choose to be close to Him and choose to desire heaven. He wants you in heaven! And if you show Him that you desire heaven, that, in the end, you are willing to choose Him, Celestial glory will be yours one day! Even in spite of your mistakes!



I'll let Brad Wilcox explain:
"In the past I had a picture in my mind of what the final judgment would be like, and it went something like this: Jesus standing there with a clipboard and Brad standing on the other side of the room nervously looking at Jesus.

Jesus checks His clipboard and says, "Oh, shoot, Brad. You missed it by two points."

Brad begs Jesus, "Please check the essay question one more time! There have to be two points you can squeeze out of that essay." That's how I always saw it.

But the older I get, and the more I understand this wonderful plan of redemption, the more I realize that in the final judgment it will not be the unrepentant sinner begging Jesus, "Let me stay." No, he will probably just be saying, "Get me out of here!" Knowing Christ's character, I believe that if anyone is going to be begging on that occasion, it would probably be Jesus begging the unrepentant sinner, "Please, choose to stay. Please, use my Atonement - not just to be cleansed but to be changed so that you WANT to stay."

You guys, Christ's grace is sufficient. We are never going to be perfect, we won't even be close. But heaven is not just something you spend your life trying to earn. It is something you spend your life preparing for.

Choose God. Choose Him in everything you do. Draw close to Him, stay by Him. Work to please Him, and understand that when you let Him down (because you will, we all do), you can be saved by grace. You can be changed by grace, and the changes you undergo when you strive to be close to God are ones that prepare you for heaven better than anything else.

The Afterlife isn't about scorekeeping. It isn't about guilt or punishment.
It's about choosing God and being happy with your choice. Brad Wilcox also said, "Heaven will not be heaven for those who have not chosen to be heavenly."

Do you think the unrepentant sinners will want to dwell with God after they die? No! They would feel more comfortable and more happy elsewhere.

If heaven is what you want - if God is whom you choose - then heaven is what you will get.



God will always choose you. He will always want you near Him.
Choose the same. Choose heaven. Choose GOD.


Haley


P.S. Read this article about our liberal (what - liberal??) theology. I really enjoyed it. Salvation is for everyone!

Because of Him

Because of Christ, I can find peace.

Because of Christ, I can look forward and know that my future is bright.

Because of Christ, I don't have to let sorrow overcome me. Ever.

Because of Christ, I know who to turn to in my times of greatest need.

Because of Christ, I know that I will never be alone.

Because of Christ, I live.

And because of Christ, I will live again.


What does Easter mean to you? I am reminded every Easter that there is One who was willing to suffer all things, not just for a world of sinners, but for each sinner individually.
And He didn't just atone to redeem us from sin, He atoned to feel what we have to feel. He atoned so we would never have to be alone.
And He atoned to be obedient to the Father.

There are so many things we can do to take advantage of His sacrifice. We can look to Him. Repent. Allow His peace to fill our lives.
But most simply, is it too much to ask that we all at least remember what He did for us?

Commit today to remember Christ and His sacrifice. Let His light fill your life. Let His truth touch your heart.

Follow His example and be obedient in all things. Show that you are grateful for His infinite atonement.


Happy Easter. This holiday brings the greatest message of all. We celebrate not just that He was born, not just that He lived, but that He lived again. 


Haley.

better than a hallelujah

This is at the same time the saddest and the most beautiful music video I have ever seen.

I just love this song though...



We pour out our miseries... God just hears a melody.
Beautiful, the mess we are...
The honest cries of breaking hearts..

Are better than a hallelujah.


It makes me think about how God loves when we turn to Him for help.

He knows we aren't perfect and only wants to help us and lift us up.


He asks for a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

(Contrite means repentant or remorseful basically... you probably already knew that, but just in case...)


I wonder what a beautiful thing it is to Him to hear us ask for help...


Because He offers relief... if you just ask.


Happy Sunday.

fulfillment.

Okay so we have been talking about the Sermon on the Mount in seminary this week...

And we've talked about some pretty cool stuff.





Harold B. Lee said that the beatitudes are the constitution for a perfect life.

So be meek. Thirst after righteousness. Be merciful, pure in heart, and a peacemaker.

Actually, watch that video again and write down all of the beatitudes and the blessings you will receive if you live this... constitution. 

I will start you off. If you are poor in spirit... the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.

And that's just the beginning.


Something interesting that my seminary teacher talked about yesterday was fulfillment.

He talked about how when Christ was ministering to the people... he made the Sadducees and the Pharisees nervous and upset. The people followed the Law of Moses. They worried that they would lose their authority and power to this Savior.

Well... I guess that theirs is another story, but understand that Christ didn't come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.  

Matthew 5:17- Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Okay so I know that this is really hard to see. It is a worksheet that explains how the Law of Moses was fulfilled, not destroyed. 
Instead of just not killing, you also aren't supposed to get angry or (get this) mean. (crazy, right?)
Instead of saying don't commit adultery, he adds more. Keep your thoughts clean, too.
Don't just love your neighbor, love your enemy.
(etc, etc...)

See what I mean?


The same applies to the Gospel as a whole. Often times people will explain to you that they don't need religion. They are happy the way they are. 

I've had this happen to me...

And they are right. People can still be happy without being Mormons... that is important to remember.

The Gospel fulfills.

Living the teachings of and believing in your Savior simply makes things more... what's the word... hmmm... peaceful. 

It removes doubt.

Take people of other Christian faiths, for example. From their church they are building a solid foundation and learning to have faith in Christ. Sharing the Gospel with a friend helps build upon the foundation that they already have.

Don't look to change the person... look to maybe... complete them?

(I hope this all makes sense... I'm kinda thinking aloud here... Well... at least thinking through my fingers, haha.)


Everyone should understand that God loves them. No matter who they are. No matter what they believe. No matter the choices that they make.

Never think that God isn't proud of you. Not for one second.

Don't think that He won't be happy to receive you.

The heavens will cheer when you return.


Your mistakes do not define you. The past is past, so leave it there.

And start with just little changes.

Something else we talked about in seminary was Christ calling his very first apostles.


They were mending their fishing nets when the Savior asked them to follow Him.

And they immediately left.

They left behind their livelihood... their careers... their families...

Because they were committed. They were willing to give up all they had for the Savior.

They knew they would be blessed for doing so.


So what are you being asked to give up? What is the Savior asking you to leave behind?

Probably smaller things than Peter, James, John, and Andrew left behind.



Remember that God is on your side. He wants what is best for you.

He wants you to turn to Him.


I think that you are always, always worthy enough to pray.


So learn what His will is for you.

And start learning the constitution for a perfect life.


And the Kingdom of Heaven will be yours.

An Easter Message

     I decided one Easter, while swinging on the swings, that it was officially going to be my favorite holiday.
     It's perfect. Great weather, the Easter Bunny comes, new church dresses, egg hunts, yummy food, and last but not least, jello eggs.
     I love me some jello eggs.

     Of course, once the 4th of July rolled around, I decided that it would be my favorite holiday. After that, Halloween.

     I like holidays. All of them.

     Easter and Christmas however, hold their own special and sacred meanings to members of our Church as well as people all around the world.
     And as fun as Halloween is, it could never come close to Christmas or Easter.

     Tomorrow... Easter... is a day that we should spend feeling grateful. Grateful for all that Christ did for us, and grateful that we can repent and overcome hard things because of Him. No matter how hard things get - and things could get really hard - just remember the following:

To every thing there is a season.
A time to every purpose.
A time to be born - a time to die...
A time to break down - a time to build up.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh...
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to get... a time to lose.
A time to keep - a time to cast away...
[See Ecclesiastes 3: 1-6]


AND... remember that trials aren't permanent. If you are faithful and trusting, they will go away eventually... even if it isn't until your earthly life is over. Always remember that "This too, shall pass."
(Phrase stolen from following poem!)

When some great sorrow, like a mighty river,
Flows through your life with peace-destroying power
And dearest things are swept from sight forever,
Say to your heart each trying hour:
"This, too, shall pass away."

When ceaseless toil has hushed your song of gladness,
And you have grown almost too tired to pray,
Let this truth banish from your heat its sadness,
And ease the burdens of each trying day:
"This, too, shall pass away."

When fortune smiles, and, full of mirth and pleasure,
The days are flitting by without a care,
Lest you should rest with only earthly treasure,
Let these few words their fullest import bear:
"This, too, shall pass away."

When earnest labor brings you fame and glory,
And all earth's noblest ones upon you smile,
Remember that life's longest, grandest story
Fills but a moment in earth's little while:
"This, too, shall pass away."

(This, Too, Shall Pass Away - Lanta Wilson Smith)

    And that leads us into the following quote:


Joseph B. Wirthlin, speaking of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, said in a talk once,
     "I think of all the days since the beginning of this world's history, that Friday was the darkest. But the doom of that day did not endure because on Sunday the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death, ascended from the grave, and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind."

He later went on to say,
     "Each of us will have our own Fridays -- those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our worldly life littered upon us in pieces. We will all experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. But I testify in the name of the One who conquered death -- Sunday will come.

(See a video about that talk here.)








Isaiah 53
3- He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4- Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5- But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Christ suffered more terrible pains than we could ever imagine. He did it for me. And you. He gave us the atonement, so that if we did our part and repented, we would never feel of those pains.

And then, on the third day, He rose again. He conquered death.
He rose above death... so that we could too.
And He succeeded... even though He went through great adversity. Following His example, WE can succeed amid great adversity too.

AND, perhaps the most significant knowledge that we gain from Easter... is that we can and will be resurrected someday... with a perfect body. Families... are FOREVER. 
That means so much to me... and I'm sure it does to you if you have lost loved ones.



Matthew 28
6- He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.


"Our Savior lived again. The most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history had taken place—the victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary had been wiped away. The salvation of mankind had been secured. The Fall of Adam had been reclaimed. The empty tomb that first Easter morning was the answer to Job’s question, 'If a man die, shall he live again?' To all within the sound of my voice, I declare, If a man die, he shall live again. We know, for we have the light of revealed truth."
- Thomas S. Monson

And with that, Happy Easter!

Forgiving Ourselves

NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PAST HAS BEEN, YOU
HAVE A SPOTLESS FUTURE.

This lesson helped me a lot with the following post...


D&C 58:42 - Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.

     Let's say that you commit a sin - any sin - and you feel bad and repent. Pretty straightforward right? If you honestly feel sorry, and you've done all that you can to repent... you are forgiven. It is promised in the scriptures.

But what happens when you can't forgive yourself?


     Here's a good story that I found, told by Elder Sterling W. Sill...
----------
     
     “Sometime ago I talked with a woman 53 years of age who had committed a moral transgression at age 18. She understood that her sin was very serious, but because she had repented a thousand times we can depend on the Lord’s promise that he had forgiven her. But she had never forgiven herself. Because she felt unclean and inferior, she withdrew from her friends, refused to marry, and became a kind of social and spiritual recluse. For 35 years she downgraded herself with bitter regrets and accusations. Her life of looking back upon her sin has turned her into something far below the wonderful person that God intended her to be. Her sin at age 18 was very serious. But for 35 years she has been adding to her sin by wasting the most valuable thing in the world, which is a splendid human life” 


----------


     This is sad, and happens to people too often. Maybe not in such a large way, but still... too often.
     
     Why is it that we can't let go? There are many different reasons... but if you have done all that you can... try to have faith and trust that everything will be okay. 


D&C 88:33 - For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.


     If you repent, God forgives you. Rejoice in that gift. 
This has been a pretty short post, but just a couple of quotes to end... and then a song... (For those of you who read my last post, this is NOT an entire post about a song. It just happened to contribute a lot to this message...)


“God’s forgiveness is often nullified because the sinner does not forgive himself. What good does it do for God to blot our evil from his mind, if we continue to let it dominate our thinking by rerunning it in our own?” 
- Sterling W. Sill


“Sometimes a guilt consciousness overpowers a person with such a heaviness that when a repentant one looks back and sees the ugliness, the loathsomeness of the transgression, he is almost overwhelmed and wonders, ‘Can the Lord ever forgive me? Can I ever forgive myself?’ But when one reaches the depths of despondency and feels the hopelessness of his position, and when he cries out to God for mercy in helplessness but in faith, there comes a still, small, but penetrating voice whispering to his soul, ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee’”
- President Spencer W. Kimball


     Okay. This may have been a very boring post, since very little of it has been my actual words, but I think that this is a really good topic that may not often be brought up. I just want you to know that it has been addressed, and you can click the link at the very top of this post if you are interested in more stories and quotes...
     I think that forgiving yourself is a talent. If it is easy for you, that is great. I know that it isn't easy for me. The following song is not supposed to have anything to do with the gospel. It is by Rob Thomas... not exactly known as a gospel singer... :) The following song however, is very inspirational. I have had times in my own life when I've felt bad about decisions I've made. I'm not perfect, and I tend to be a little hard on myself sometimes.
     When I listen to this song, it reminds me that I need to give myself a break. Sometimes I just need to let things go...

(I actually shared this same exact song in this post. Remember?)

Okay... you ready to hear it?



Little Wonders - Rob Thomas

     Like I said, forgiving myself has been a huge problem for me in the past. I've known about and listened to this song for a long time, but on one occasion, when I was unnecessarily beating myself up about some things, I heard it again. I just soaked the words in, and they meant a lot to me this time. I realized that I just needed to move on. I just needed to put it behind me, because it didn't matter anymore.

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