give it to GOD.

I had an interesting experience a couple weeks ago. I got to meet a woman that my dad knew while he was on his mission in Virginia.
We spent a while catching up with her and she mentioned how her daughter had had a baby unexpectedly a few years ago. No one knew she was pregnant, not even the daughter (how does this happen?!?!?).
Anyways, she said something that I really loved. Her daughter had just had a baby! Meaning she had had sexual relations with some man before she was married, something that our church frowns upon quite a lot.
So what did the mother do?
This was basically what she told me:
"I gave it to God. I didn't have to beat her upside the head for her decisions! It was too heavy of a burden for me to carry, so I gave it to God. He handled the whole thing for me. He's still handling it for me, I don't have to worry about it. I never had to worry about it."


I was so impressed. I was so impressed and am still impressed at her faith in God. She was willing to trust completely that God was over all. She explained that if she kept worrying and asking about her troubles, she was showing God that she didn't trust Him to handle it.

My friends, when you have troubles, give them to God! Give them to God and then let go of them. God can handle it. Christ already carried your burdens. He suffered for you already, so you don't have to keep carrying around regrets and burdens, worrying about whether or not they're taken care of.

Let go. Let go of the heartache, of the regret, of the guilt. Let go and let God take care of it.
TRUST that He can take care of it. He doesn't need you to keep reminding Him about troubles that you should have already let go of.
Don't let your past weigh you down. Surrender completely to God and His grace and trust that things are taken care of, that you can proceed with your life with a light heart and a bright smile.

Show God that you are willing to move on with your life and that you are thankful for the bright future He has given you.


She was such a neat lady and I really learned a lot from her. Join with me as I lay my trials before God and then let them go completely. Join with me and show God that you trust Him enough to let Him carry your burdens. Join with me in giving it to God and forgetting about it.

Haley

Trek 2014: A Gospel Worth Sacrificing For

Hello my dearest readers! It's been a few weeks since I last posted, but it's not because I've been neglectful, I've just been out of town like the whole time! But I'm back now! Yay! 

So a few weeks ago, I went on trek. I mentioned in a post that I was going, but I never blogged about it, so first thing's first. Let me tell you a little about trek! 

This was the youth in our ward right before we left. Trek ended up being postponed a day due to several inches of snow. I was super bummed at the time, but we still had a great experience.

But here's the thing about having a shorter trek: we were worked to the bone! We had to make up the miles, and it was incredibly taxing physically.

I was so so sore every night and I got so tired after walking for so many hours. It was brutal! Seriously though, so brutal!

But I'm so glad it was hard, and here's why:

It was hard for the pioneers. It was so much harder for the pioneers than it was for me. They walked for months at a time, and often in bad weather. They got sick. They got hungry. These were all things I didn't have to deal with.
And even despite the luxuries I had, like good hiking shoes and a good coat and as much water as I needed, it was still really hard for me. I was so spent that at times I doubted whether or not I could continue.
BUT I did. I continued. I made it the whole way. The women's pull was also really long and difficult, and at moments I wondered how we could ever do it. But guess what? We did.

Here's what I learned on trek: I can do hard things. We all can do hard things.

Even though I doubted myself sometimes, I somehow always made it from Point A to Point B.

This is such an important lesson to learn! Do you know why?
Sometimes we will be called upon to carry burdens that feel too heavy. Life is hard, and sometimes it feels like we can't carry on, like we can't endure. But we can. With the Lord's help, we always can.

If you aren't familiar with trek or with the women's pull, here's briefly what it is. All of the men and boys in all of the families get called away on missions, and the women have to stay behind and pull the handcarts alone, usually up a big hill. At the end, the men are able to walk beside us, watching for a few minutes, before stepping in to help with the handcarts.
This was such a neat experience and taught me so much. Again, about burdens. The men were called upon to leave and serve the Lord, and had to carry the burden of leaving their family behind. The women, then, were left with no choice but to continue to press forward, pulling the handcart.

In life, sometimes we are called upon to spend extensive time serving the Lord by fulfilling our callings. Sometimes other things come up in life, and we find that we have to change our plans. No one can get through life without carrying some burdens, is what I'm trying to say.

But what do we do? We press on. We move forward with the knowledge that God is over all and can make weak things become strong.

So that was the first lesson I learned on trek. I can do hard things. Whenever the Lord calls upon me to carry a burden, I can do it in His name and with His help.


Here's another lesson I learned on trek: the gospel is ALWAYS worth sacrificing for. I mean, why do you think the pioneers were able to keep moving every day? Why were they able to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when they were freezing or filled with sorrow because loved ones were dying? How did they do it?

It's because they had something worth walking for. They were going to Zion. They were following the prophet, and in doing so were following God's commandments and gracefully working through this burden. They knew it would be worth it. They knew it would be worth it for their posterity who could live in peace, away from persecution. They knew it would be worth it to leave a heritage of hope and sacrifice, one that their descendants could be proud of. One that GOD could be proud of.

Friends, the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It was worth walking for. It's always worth sacrificing for. That's the only way the pioneers could have pressed forward every day. They knew they were sacrificing for a worthy cause.

How was I able to press forward every day? I remembered them. I remembered the pioneers and I thought of how much I love the gospel and how I am willing to do anything to keep it in my life and in the lives of my children and posterity. I leaned on their strength. I followed their examples. And I continued to have faith that the Lord would help me carry my burdens.


I know the gospel is true. I love it with all my heart, and I want everyone to know it. I want to be all in, willing to sacrifice and carry burdens to help the gospel to move forward. I know that following the commandments is always, always worth it.
Hard things come our way. They always will. I know that God is over all and that if He felt it was right, He would take my burdens. But sometimes He sees, in all His wisdom, that I need to endure certain trials.
Ours is not to wonder why. Ours is simply to trust and have faith and remember that things always work out.


I'm so grateful that I was able to go on trek and learn these truths, even if it was hard while I was enduring it. I truly never could possibly appreciate the pioneers as much as I do now if I hadn't carried that burden.
If you ever get the chance to go on trek, go go go!!


"We came through that experience with the absolute knowledge that God lives, for we became acquainted with Him in our extremities! 
"The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay."-Francis Webster of the Martin Company

Haley

observe and learn from others!

Hey guys! Sorry I didn't blog last week!
Hopefully all your summers are going great… I'm leaving for pioneer trek TOMORROW and I am really excited! Anxious too, but mostly excited! :) I will be sure to post about that when I get back home.

I saw this quote on Pinterest the other day and thought it was interesting. You could definitely interpret it multiple ways, but in the moment it made me wonder how many people around me have things to teach me - to teach everyone - and yet they never open their mouths.

I know so many quiet people; people that I didn't really expect much from but have really surprised me once I've gotten to know them.

The people around you have more to teach you than you might ever believe. You can learn so much about love and compassion and hard work and true joy and sacrifice just by watching others. Can you think of someone in your life whom you have learned something from, even if they never used words to teach you?

Pay attention to others. Be perceptive. You have no idea what lessons you might learn if you watch others and ask people about their lives, especially people you don't usually talk to.

What else could be accomplished by reaching out and paying attention to people, do you think? In a regional stake conference we had a couple months ago, I heard the following quote:
"Some ask in silence because their arms are too tired to be lifted up."
Could there be people around you who need - even desperately need - help but don't ask for it?
Certainly!

I feel like I'm jumping around a bit, but I think the message I'm trying to get across is pay attention to people. Don't just go through life with your blinders on, only thinking about yourself.

There are people to help. There are people to learn from. There are people who have needs and don't make them known. There are people who could bless your life greatly if you just reached out to them and got to know them.

One thing I know about people is that they can surprise you. So be aware of the people around you. We need others to help us be our best selves. And others need YOU!

People hold their tongues. They don't always tell others what they are really thinking. In fact, they rarely do. Learn to be perceptive and understanding of others. Their life will be blessed and surely yours will be as well!



Have a great week! I'll just be trekking away!

Haley

cheer up others

One thing I've learned in my life is that service heals!
It heals the server, it heals the person being served. It heals society!

When I serve others I grow closer to God. I learn how to care for and minister to others, and I also learn about myself.

There is nothing more humbling than reaching out to others, and in the process realizing that my own life isn't too bad. I always get a better perspective on my life when I stop to cheer up a friend.

Remember that nobody can go through life on their own. Some of society's greatest problems could honestly be solved if everyone felt that they had a friend who loved them unconditionally.
I mean, how great is it to know that others love you, care about you, and are rooting for you to succeed?

How great is it to know that God loves you. That even the God of the universe is hoping you will realize your dreams!

Help others to feel loved. Help them to feel not only loved, but also appreciated and needed by others and by God.
Help others to feel joy and be cheerful.

I promise your life will be so much more fulfilling and happy if you do!

Haley


P.S. I'm definitely rethinking the Monday-Thursday blogging schedule. Don't count on that.
It's just that recently I've been frustrated because I don't really always have great ideas at the top of my head to blog about. So when Monday/Thursday rolls around, I often end up settling for a post I don't really like because that's the best I can do at the moment.
Like today. I've been sick and exhausted all day and really didn't feel like blogging. But I thought this little picture and quote was cute, so that was what I went with. Haha.
But regardless of the days I choose to post, I promise I will continue to try to be good about posting often. :)
Have a lovely evening!

He GIVES and TAKES AWAY.

Job 1:21: "...the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."


So the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
But wait. Does God ever really take away?
True, to us it would sometimes appear that He does.

Sometimes it feels like there is more bad than good in our lives.
Sometimes we are bombarded with trial after trial, and it can be hard to praise God when your life feels like it's falling apart.

But God's ways are higher than ours. God has a different perspective than we do. Is a loss to us always a loss in the grand scheme of things?

No. It isn't.

Many wonder, "how can there be a God if bad things happen to good people?"
Friends, God does everything for a reason. We can't always see what the reason is, but I promise that we become better people through our trials.
One day, after our earth life is long over and we have a much better perspective, we will understand why God does what He does.

I praise a God who GIVES me so many amazing things. My family and my heart and my emotions. I praise a God who gives beauty and love so freely. I praise a God who gives life.

And still, I will praise a God who TAKES AWAY. A God who is omnipotent and a God who sees all. I will praise Him when times get hard, because I know that He is mighty to save. I know that He knows what He is doing.


So can we worship a God who would let bad things happen? A God who would let people be taken from the earth early, a God who would let us feel sorrow sometimes?
Absolutely.

I will praise Him, my friend and my teacher. He always knows best.
He understands things that I never could.


Praise You in This Storm by Casting Crowns



Remember that all things will eventually work together for our good.

So join with me in lifting my hands always to the God who gives and takes away.


Haley.

priorities

It was the last day of school for us, as some of you in my area may already know. And can I just tell you that I am so so sooo relieved to have finished my junior year. I have no idea how I managed to survive! Or maintain my GPA, for that matter! 

Anyways, I've been puzzling a lot on what to do about my classes next year. I've been taking classes at the college and working towards an Associate's degree and an accompanying scholarship. But if I continue next year with what I've been doing, I'll also end up sacrificing a lot. I won't be able to take some of the classes at the high school that I really care about, instead I'll be taking whatever classes at the college fit into my schedule, most of which I have no desire to take anymore. I've also been incredibly busy this year and haven't had a lot of time for the things that I really want to do, including being involved much at school. So in many ways, changing my course and focusing only on high school could be a good thing. BUT I've come so far, how can I go back on earning the degree/scholarship now? 

I don't know what I'm going to choose yet! But I do know what I have to do to make my decision. You see, sometimes in life we have to figure out what is worth sacrificing and what is worth fighting for. 

What are your ultimate goals? Are the things you are doing now going to help you to achieve those goals? Or are you so caught up in things that don't matter that you've lost sight of the big picture? 

Sometimes, like in my case, we don't have the big picture. I'm not exactly sure what I desire for my future. But I know that I won't get anywhere or achieve anything in my life if I'm not focused on the right things. Sometimes we have so much going on in our lives that we ignore the important tasks and focus on unimportant ones. 

Is there anything in your life that isn't doing you good, that isn't helping you to progress toward your goals? Cut it out of your schedule!  

Learn to distinguish between the good and the bad in your life and work to prioritize only the activities that are doing you good. 

Life is forever changing! We have a lot of decisions to make! But I know that if we consider each decision and how it will affect us in the long run, we will always make the correct choice. I would invite you all to consider the activities you choose to fill your day with and ponder whether or not each of those activities is something that needs to be prioritized. 

I know that if we work to keep only the good in our lives and rid ourselves of unnecessary tasks, we will see ourselves progressing far faster than we ever would have otherwise. 

This was a hastily written post, as I've had a busy day and I'm now trying to get this so it will still post on Thursday. :) But hopefully my thoughts made a bit of sense. I will continue to consider my options and let you know what I decide! :) 

Until then, keep a good perspective and consider the things that are really worth fighting for. 

Have a lovely weekend, and yay for summer! 

Haley

P.S. You've likely noticed that I've been posting more often, but you perhaps haven't noticed my Monday-Thursday pattern. I've been trying to do a new post every Monday and Thursday, so now you know when to expect them, and I now feel a bit of an obligation so I can get myself to blog more often! I will likely be posting at night every time, but at least you now know to check in on Monday or Tuesday for a new post. Yay!
Also! don't forget about my new URL! Find me at www.whatmattersmostblog.com.

real beauty

Are you beautiful as a person?
I'm not referring to makeup or nice clothes or the way you appear.
But as a person. Are you a lovely person?

Do you appreciate God's creations? Do you pay attention to the little things and take pleasure in simplicity? Do you make others feel good when they are around you?
Today is Memorial Day, and today we celebrate all of the amazing people who have gone before us and the sacrifices they made for us. Are you doing good things with the life you have?

Your life is a gift. You have so much potential to do good things and leave the world better than you found it. Take the opportunity today to consider the legacy you will leave when you die.

How will people remember you? Will they remember you as someone who loved God, someone with a beautiful personality, and someone who taught others to appreciate the world around them?

Sometimes we forget what beauty truly is. We get caught up in our daily lives, and we don't often stop to smell the roses.
We won't live forever. Memorial Day reminds me that I have a finite amount of time on this earth, and I want to spend it appreciating beautiful things and making the world better for those around me.

Appreciate what you have, folks. Take pleasure in the simple things around you. Give love freely, and open up your heart so you can feel joy and love deeply.

Happy last week of school! :)

Haley.

dispelling doubts

Our simple human minds have so many flaws.
One of them is that we doubt. A lot.
Even when God has shown forth many signs and miracles, we still doubt our faith. We doubt our testimonies. We doubt that God is real.

"Did I really feel those feelings?" "Have I really had a witness?"

One of the greatest skills that you can learn is the ability to have faith even in times of doubt.
Because we all have times of doubt! Even those who have always been strong in the gospel, even those who have always had a testimony, everyone has moments where the devil puts doubts in their mind. And sometimes these doubts are hard to dismiss.

But the important thing is that you don't let these doubts into your heart. Remember the love that God has shown unto you throughout your life, and try and keep those grateful thoughts in your heart and in your mind so that your doubts will go away. Don't even give negative thoughts the time of day!

Sometimes we lose that conviction that we once held, usually because we have not nourished our testimonies well enough.
You guys, it happens. And it's okay. We aren't perfect, and God doesn't expect us to be. What's important is that you continue to show faith and trust in God, even if you are struggling to feel Him near you. The more you exercise your faith and do all that you can to believe, the more open you will be to feeling the Spirit, and that is how you can banish doubts from your mind.



Jake's Story from Milestone Creative on Vimeo.


"Even if I have to pretend I believe, maybe that's better than what I've been doing."


Doubts come. They come because Satan doesn't want you to feel loved or feel the joy that comes through the knowledge of Christ's Atonement.
But they can be dispelled. Heed President Uchtdorf's advice and "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." Hold strong to what you know, and exercise belief and hope in the things you aren't sure about.
Remember the counsel given in Doctrine and Covenants section six:

22 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.
23 - Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?
When you doubt, consider the times you have felt the Spirit. Consider the times you have felt God's love. If you once knew for a surety that God exists and loves you, is that not still true now? 

Do all that you can to feel the Spirit close to you.
In the video, he said, "There was no book on Atheism that could make me feel that way. In an instant, I knew I was loved, I knew just how lost I had been, I knew I was saved, and I knew I was home."

The Spirit is really the one who can drive doubts away. Because the feeling you get when you learn of God and of the truthfulness of His gospel is unmistakeable.

Yes, doubts come. But the important thing is that we ignore them and that we continue to exercise hope and faith, even when times are hard. Show God that you are willing to trust that He is there, even if it is hard to believe it sometimes. I promise that as you open up your heart and come unto Christ, you will know through the power of the Spirit of the truthfulness of this gospel.

Have a great weekend, and keep the faith!

Haley.

Alleluia

First thing is first: I am now the proud owner of a lovely new domain name! You can now visit my blog via www.whatmattersmostblog.com. If you enter in the old URL, you will still be redirected, but I think this address will be easier to find me at and easier to share with others. Oh, and I'm still working out the bugs, so make sure you include the "www." I'm trying to fix it so that it isn't necessary, but for now it is.
Domain names are complicated stuff, I tell you. I've already chatted with experts online, and I still can't fix the problem. But everything else is working, so I'll take it! A stubborn www. could be worse. :)

Alma 26:16:
Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.


Make everything you do about praising God.
Make everything you are about praising God.

When you do good for others, make it about God.
When others see your good works, they should be praising God, not you!

God gave us everything. He is the reason you exist, the reason you feel joy. He is the reason for everything that's beautiful in life. Remember to thank Him for it!

Praise Him in all things. Praise Him at morning and at night. During joy or during pain. Show Him that you are grateful for what you have, even if you feel like you don't have much.

I promise that praising God at all times will make you a happier, more grateful, and more lovely person. Praising God will keep you humble and will help you to remember whom to go to when you need help.
Praising God will become a habit, and soon enough, it will be second nature to you. And it will not be hard for you to praise Him when times get tough.

There is a being greater than you. Greater than me. There is a God greater than the whole earth, even greater than any wonderful thing you could ever dream up.
There is a God above, I know it. He is capable of anything. He can help you turn sorrow into joy and regret into peace. He can help you feel fulfilled and loved. He can perform miracles, and He can help you to do the same.

Do not take Him for granted. Do not forget Him. Show Him what He means to you by remembering to praise Him in all things. And try as hard as you can to emulate Him and radiate His love so that others will lift up their praises as well.


I absolutely adore this song, and I love the way it is presented in this video. And it gets even better at 6:45.



Yes, if there are words for Him, I simply don't have them.
I could never say the smallest part of what I feel.

But this I know: He is mine. He is yours. He is omnipotent, and He is perfect.

And I will praise Him in all things.



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!