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!

no. excuses.

No, this isn't a post on chastity. :)

And I love the music they use in the backgrounds of these videos. :)

Okay.

Elder Holland kinda calls out all the young men in this video... but of course, this can apply to many, many people. Not just young men who hold the Priesthood. :)

In the beginning when I first watched it, I felt all guilty and thought of what a terrible person I am... haha. But it ends happy and has a very good message.


"This is a life and death contest we're in, young men."

When I watch this video, it hits home what an important battle I am fighting... the outcome of this battle doesn't just affect my life. It affects my eternity. It affects the eternities of those around me.

And the straight path... it truly is narrow. And you really have to work if you want to achieve your eternal goals. They won't just be handed to you... of this, I am certain.

We talked a little about lame excuses in seminary today...

----------

Luke 14

 15 - And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

 16 - Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

 17 - And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

 18 - And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

 19 - And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

 20 - And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

24 - For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

----------

So... we decided that "I have married a wife" was the lamest of the three excuses for why the men couldn't come to supper. :)


You know, I try really hard not to be too blunt when blogging. But I like how Elder Holland... well, he really is pretty blunt sometimes.

Because, as he said, nothing else seems to work.


To be honest, there are a lot of things I don't know.
I don't know what my future holds - or what yours holds.

But I know that my God doesn't want excuses.


He wants no more Oh I'll go to church every week and I believe everything I hear... but that's enough spirituality until next Sunday.

No more Oh I'll tell my kids the scriptures are true, but I don't need to read them. 

No more then I'll repent or I'll start praying tomorrow.

He isn't in need of hearers only.

Our God needs DOERS!!!


Think of the Conference talks we have heard just recently.

We have sheep to feed.

Lives to bless.

People to save.


We have work to do! And now is the time to be fully converted!

No more excuses.

No more hypocrisy.

(Not saying you are a hypocrite and of course I am not exempt!)

There are people out there who need you.

They need the Gospel and you are the one meant to bring this Good News to them.



So do good.

Be good.


And show your gratitude for God - and for all that He has given you.

And do whatever it takes to become truly converted so you can fight this battle.


no. more. excuses.



Because I have chosen to fight for what is right.

And I need you on my side.

see yourself as worthy!

Sometimes I get down on myself.

And I don't feel worthy.

I don't feel good enough.


I wonder if I'm doing enough...

serving enough...

being kind enough...

being righteous enough...


And I wonder if God is proud of me or not.



And I have to stop myself in my tracks.

And I think:

Haley, do you love God?

Do you desire to do good?

Do you try?

If these thoughts are coming to you, it is obviously important to you that you are being a good, obedient child, right?

Doesn't that count for something?


I will never feel worthy of the Atonement.

I could never repay my Savior enough.

I may never feel like I am doing enough.

And I have to remind myself that even though I am not perfect, or even close, nobody is.


God is still proud of me, proud of my efforts... even if I am always falling short.

I am bad at journal keeping.

And I forget to pray some mornings.

I don't always manage my time responsibly.

I don't always think nice thoughts about myself or others.

And i am terrible at forgiving myself.



But I like to think that I am good at forgiving others.

That I am a good friend...

And good at recognizing mercies.



And I know I have a long way to go.

But I am learning how to keep my thoughts positive.


And I have found this self-reassuring technique to be good for a lot.

It comes in handy when I feel like I'm alone or I am not good enough and it also helps when I doubt.


I just have to remind myself that I already know the gospel is true. I already know God loves me. I already know that perfection is not possible in this life. I already know that there is more to the plan.

And these things will always be true. No matter what.

So I snap out of my feeling down-ness!!




God is good. The Savior forgives perfectly. It is not the Savior's job to judge, it is his job to be my advocate.

God loves everyone. Always and no matter what.

These things I know, and they never change.