Letters

Dear Heavenly Father, Maybe you misunderstood me the other day when I prayed for you to give me opportunities to help and lift others, because it seems to be happening the other way around. Others seem to be the ones helping and lifting me. This is especially nonsensical of You because I've been acting rather selfish and downhearted lately and really deserve none of the kindness others are giving me. But still, you prompt them to give it, and they do. Thank you so much for filling my life with extraordinary people who are good enough to be sensitive to those promptings and to follow them, even when they might not recognize that they are doing so. I love you very much.

Dear Joe Badal, Thanks for talking with me and helping me see things clearer. I don't know what our apartment is going to do without your free psychiatric consolations next year. Whitney is a very lucky girl.


Dear Pister, Thanks for always talking and for always waving through your window when I walk by and for wearing awesome hats and for doing your homework outside when it's snowing. Sometimes, I just need to talk to reassure myself that someone is willing to listen. You always listen. Reason number one why I have awesome home teachers.

Dear Michael Millard, Thanks for knowing how to play along with my sarcastic sense of humor and for being silly enough to make me laugh. I like laughing and being sarcastic. It makes me feel happy. Therefore, you make me happy. Reason number two why I have awesome home teachers.

Dear Kara Bury, I've decided that I like you. A lot. I'm excited to get to know you more.

Dear Me, Thanks for being silly enough to walk around on campus wearing barefoot running shoes, capris, and a giraffe hat while it's snowing. I think your outfit might have been ridiculous enough to qualify you as the next victim on "What Not to Wear". That thought, and the thought of what might be going through other people's heads when they pass you, makes me laugh.

Letters

My Roommate, Amelia, made this MabLib on Saturday Night when we were  being goofy

Dear Roommates and Friends, Watching "The King's Speech" (edited version, of course), playing games with you, and having pillow fights, all while laying (or jumping) on the mattresses on the floor of our living room was just what I needed Saturday night. I hope you'll forgive me for my silliness!

Dear Stake Conference, Thanks for the spiritual boost (and the laughs)! It's especially fun hearing stories from President Monson about the President Monson (his dad). Nice to know that he's 'normal'.

Dear Ryan Porritt, Thanks for the AWESOME planetarium show that you did for us Sunday night!

Dear Ward Family, I'm liking this Mafia thing. And talking thing. And hanging out thing. Let's keep it up?

We changed S106's "Daniel Fridge Collage" slightly Sunday night

Deal Daniel Bodily, The girls from S102 and I thought we'd take down the 5,729+ pictures of you on your apartment's fridge and replace them with pictures of us. Whatcha' think?

Dear Eng 292, I love the class. I don't love the textbook. People frequently ask me if I'm trying to work on strengthening my biceps. I reply by saying, "No, I'm just lucky enough to get to carry around a five ton book all day everywhere I go three days a week." As much as I appreciate the conversation starter, I'd rather live without it.

Dear Meisha Slight, I agree--we should sit by each other in the library. My table's always open!

Letters

The boys in my ward are very talented ballet dancers!

Dear Ward, The Variety Show (aka: talent show) was so much fun! Thanks for all the good food and more the entertaining night!

Dear Charlotte Becker and Emily Marsh, Zuppas was yummy, but eating Zuppas with you was even better. Thanks; it was fun!

Dear Homework, I'm determined to buckle down, discipline myself, and get you done today! Ready or not, HERE I COME!

Slow Down

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the everyday things of life,

Letting our thanks and happiness be replaced by grief and strife.

Our list of “to-do” seems endless, and nothing seems to go right,

We lose track of the important and blind becomes our spiritual sight.

Dare to take a moment, and remember Christ’s great love.

Our trials become more doable when aided with help from above.

Wonderful will be the peace He brings for with Him we need not roam.

Nearer to God we can become; by His help we can make it home.

You Can Do it!

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”   -Philippians 4:13

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”   -1 Nephi 3:7

“For you, my dear friends, the sky is the limit. You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you . . . Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities, and forever and always be loyal to the Church. Never forget that you came to earth as a child of the divine Father, with something of divinity in your very makeup. The Lord did not send you here to fail. He did not give you life to waste it. He bestowed upon you the gift of mortality that you might gain experience—positive, wonderful, purposeful experience—that will lead to life eternal.”   -Gordon B. Hinckley, “How Can I Become the Women of Whom I Dream?”, April 2001 General Young Women Meeting

It's midterms, winter time, and we just watched the last day we had off from school for the rest of the semester transition from that place called "the future" into that place called "the past". Most of us are carrying heavy loads. We have school and work and church and service activities and artistic endeavors and friends and sleep and eating and scripture reading and family and a seemingly endless list of other things all demanding our attention, time, talents, and efforts. We're tired. At times we feel like there's no point in finishing the next load of laundry or the next homework assignment because we know there's just going to be more after it. We feel inadequate. We feel like we're doomed. We just want to give up.

In a nutshell: life 'aint all pretty roses and sunshine.

If this is how you feel, then pretty much what I have to say is this: it's going to be okay. Seriously. It will be. I promise. As President Hinckley says: "The Lord did not send you here to fail". He sent you here to be magnificent. He sent you here to thrive. To grow. To learn. To serve. To laugh. To work. To play. To enjoy. Of course, along with all this He also sent us here to struggle, suffer, and stumble; but only so that we could grow closer to Him. 

Ultimately, Heavenly Father sent you here to be awesome. Because you are. And awesome people do awesome things. Like finishing the homework assignment they have due the next day even though they don't feel like doing. Like reading their scriptures even though it's really late. Like helping someone out in need even though the timing is inconvenient. And the most awesome thing about being an awesome person is that when you do awesome things magic happens. I have no clue how it works. Even Harry Potter couldn't explain this kind of magic. The magic is that when you diligently do the things you know to be right, everything turns out okay in the end. No actually, it's not in the end that everything will be okay. It's the "here and now" that it will be okay.  Things will be okay because you will have the peace of knowing that you are doing as the Lord would have you do.  Things will be okay because you will have more determination to face the tasks in front of you.  Things will be okay because you will have confidence in yourself and your abilities because you know you are a child of God and that He loves you.

Don't doubt yourself and the Lord's ability and willingness to help you. Trust Him, and everything will be okay in both the end and the "here and now". Quoting Gordon B. Hinckley again: “Keep trying. Be believing. Be happy. Don’t get discouraged. Things will work out." 

They really will.

Letters

Dear Brad Horman, Thanks for inviting me to play soccer in the underground parking lot of the JFSB! It was SUPER fun!

Dear Team Giraffe, As a future teacher, I give our team double A's for having Awesome Attitudes! (I know, it's cheesy, get over it). I'm pretty sure we're the bestest soccer team the JFSB underground parking lot has ever seen!

Dear Other Team, You all played beautifully, but don't let the fact that we let you win settle down too comfortably in your heads. There will be a next time, and who's to say Team Giraffe will be feeling as charitable then.

Dear Giraffe Hat, Once again, you are like the John Powell on my iPod, the peanut butter on my sandwich, and the "3 day" in my weekend: you never fail to let me down. Thanks for guarding our goal post tonight while we played soccer. Our team came to the conclusion that without your help, we would have lost worser. Our team is pretty smart.

Dear Merrick Johnson, Your post on Marissa's blog made my day (http://totesthebestblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/feature-post-with-merrick.html). I read it at work and it was really hard not to laugh out loud. You're a pretty cool kid.


Dear Eliza Wilson, Thanks for laughing at my joke today in the library. It makes people feel good when others laugh at their jokes, especially the not very funny ones.

Dear Mr. "I think you giving me a title implies that I'm a superior", How many pieces does this mastermind puzzle have? I'm super busy and only have so much time to devote to puzzle solving. Plus, does it really change a little every time I guess wrong? Isn't that called multiple personality disorder or something?

Letters

Dear Pister, Thanks for inviting my apartment to the barbecue last minute! The food was fantastic and so was the company. I couldn't ask for a better home teacher!

Dear Tennyson, I know I should have taken The Lady of Shalott more seriously, but all I could think of when I read it was a girl with carrot-colored hair "fishing for lake trout". It couldn't be helped.


Dear Three Day Weekend, "Awesome": the best two-syllable summary that I can think of to describe you.

Letters

"Tea Time" with a bunch of awesome ward members!

Dear Aunt Martha, Uncle David, and family; Thank you SO MUCH for the yummy lasagna and for sending home leftovers! I'm so lucky to have family close by.

Dear Jordan and Corina, As always--thanks for driving me!

Dear Ward Family, I can't say enough "thank you"s to you all for including me in tonight's fun! Playing mafia, laughing, talking, and drinking herbal tea was fantastic. All night I was half expecting you guys to rip of your shirts and fly away in spandex because you're just that super awesome. Not that I was thinking about how you all would look in spandex.

Dear Everyone Who Noticed, You weren't supposed to notice my small act of kindness, but because you're so amazing you did. Thanks for going out of your way to compliment me about it. Your guys' kind words are just as meaningful to me as my small act might have been to someone else.


Dear Monday, Are you ready to be awesome? Good.  Me too. Let's do this.

Letters

Dear Dad, Mom, Emily, Jessica, Abby, and Kate; Thank you for the awesome Presidents Day (aka: late Valentines Day) package! It made my day.

Dear N107 & S106, Thanks so super much for inviting me over to watch movies with you guys! I would've been stuck at home all by my lonesome if you hadn't invited me over.

Dear Weatherman, Why is it snowing again? I thought we had resolved this issue.

Dear Sis. Virgin, Thanks for making awesome quote handouts every week when you were my beehive adviser. I still have lots of them and they help me remember the important stuff.

Letters

Dance party!

Dear Amelia Theobald, I like you too. Dido to everything you said on facebook.

Dear Three Day Weekend, If I was wearing socks right now, you'd be rockin' them. Yea for time to sleep, do homework, and have fun!

Dear Denis (the repair man), Thanks SO MUCH for cleaning our carpet, clearing our drain, and giving us a new toilet seat! It's nice not worrying about falling on the ground every time I have to pee (Our old toilet seat was only attached with one hinge. Dangerous? Yes.)

Dear Emily, Congrats on getting into both BYUs! It was no surprise ('cause you're pretty much the coolest ever!)

Dear Roommates, Roommate parties are the best (mostly 'cause you guys are the best). Thank you for dancing like crazy with the front door open for everyone passing by to see and for watching the movie Chocolat with me. You turned my yucky day around.

Hot Chocolate!

Dear Lauren Wilkins, Thanks for making amazing yummy homemade hot chocolate (the best hot chocolate I've ever had) to drink while we watched our movie. It was delicious (just like I suspect you are!)

Dear Heavenly Father, Thanks for helping me change my bad day into an awesome one. You always know how to make me feel better.

Letters

Sorry for any jealousy the hat in this picture may cause

Dear Aunt Janet, Thanks for my super-awesome giraffe hat. When I wear it people tell me I'm the coolest kid on the bock. Really though, I just have the coolest Aunt on the block who gives me awesome hats.

Dear Mr. William Farnbach, I felt pretty pathetic when it took extra effort to lift a bowl of corn into the microwave tonight. I don't know if I've ever felt so awesome for feeling so pathetic. Weight-lifting with you is the best!

Just one example of how Morgan is awesome--she  surprised me with this when I got my new job last semester!

Dear Morgan Kitchen, When was the last time I told you you were awesome? Well, you are. Thanks for being one of the best examples I know of someone who never complains when given the opportunity to serve. I want to grow-up to be as amazing as you one day.

Dear Hard Work, Thanks for helping me feel good about myself. When I make you a part of my day, I always end up getting the happies on the inside, and the happies pretty much rock.

Dear Bowl of M&Ms, One question: how did you end up in my tummy?

Media

"But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not."   -Mosiah 4:30

"We should avoid 'adult' entertainment. These are certainly some sobering thoughts for you men: I agree with the wife who said, 'You men must put for adult only movies out of your life. You men must put adults only magazines out of your life. You must put adult humor only out of your life. These three things alone will destroy you. Remember what the Lord said, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart . . . and with all they strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself' (Luke 10:27)."   -President Harold B. Lee, "Teachings of Harold B. Lee", p. 232

I really don't think there's much I can say which hasn't already been said by church leaders on the matter of today's media. Because the church doesn't publish a list every year of acceptable movies and unacceptable ones, it's sometimes hard to judge what is okay to watch (or read or listen to) and what isn't. Pondering on this, I have come to realize that the lack of solid "okays" and "not okays" is a sign of Heavenly Father's trust in us. He has given us the tools and resources we need to know what is acceptable and what isn't. He has given us the Holy Ghost who can act as the ultimate source to turn to when determining if something is okay or not. Ultimately though, God trusts us to make the right choice. He believes in us and our ability to make the right choice. When we are faced with temptation to watch media we know is inappropriate we should remember that He will help us resist the temptation because He believes in us, and that we should believe in ourselves too.

Happy Valentine's Day!

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." -John 14:15

"We manifest our love for Heavenly Father by keeping His commandments and serving His children." -True to the Faith

Send Heavenly Father a Valentine. Be super awesome, choose the right, and make someone else happy today!

Following the Promptings of the Spirit

“And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.” -D&C 11:12

“Running the full length of the corridor on the fourth floor of the hospital, the young bishop saw a flurry of activity outside the designated room. A nurse stopped him and said, ‘Are you Bishop Monson?’

‘Yes,’ was the anxious reply.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘The patient was calling your name just before he passed away.’

Fighting back the tears, Thomas S. Monson turned and walked back into the night. He vowed then and there that he would never again fail to act upon a prompting from the Lord. He would acknowledge the impressions of the Spirit when they came, and he would follow wherever they led him, ever to be ‘on the Lord’s errand.’” -Jeffrey R. Holland, “President Thomas S. Monson: Man of Action, Man of Faith, Always “on the Lord’s Errand”, 1986

Today I received a spiritual prompting and didn't follow it. I knew I should have followed it, I knew that Heavenly Father knew better than I did, yet, I still ignored it. I was stubborn. I didn't want to do things His way because I didn't understand why I was receiving the prompting I was. I liked the way I wanted to do things. So I did them that way.

Six hours later I feel like a fool. In that short six hours I have come to understand things and see things as Heavenly Father knew they were. Like President Monson in this story, I regret the choice I made to rebel against the prompting He sent me.

Luckily, unlike President Monson, my choice wasn't so drastically hurtful. But really, when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter how big or small of a thing the Spirit was telling me to do; what matters is that I chose not to follow Him.

Today, right now, I am resolving to do as President Monson resolved to do decades ago: I want to never ignore a spiritual prompting. No matter how hard, no matter how confusing, I want the Lord to be able to count on me as someone who will follow His instructions. I want Him to know that if He needs something done that He can trust me to do it. Doing this is going to be really hard, but it's worth it because it's a way for me to show Heavenly Father that I love and trust Him.

The best part of this all is that if I mess up, He has the patience to forgive me and let me try again. I love the gospel. It's just awesome.

Letters

My Roommates Speed Dating

Dear Elder Hardy, Thanks for passing on the amusing piece of advise your mission president gave to you ("Women are not to be understood, just loved"). I'm pretty sure I saw it posted on at least three people's Facebook status'.

Dear Sleep, I miss you. We need to hang out sometimes soon.

Dear Midterms, I hope you guys have a first aid kit lying around somewhere, 'cause I'm gonna' kick your booties!

Dear Ward FHE Activity, I've never been speed dating before. Thanks for culturing me and letting me have time to get away from everything and just talk with friends. And no, Lauren: they do not count as ice cream scoops.

Letters

Dear Mr. John Campbell, Thanks for the fantastic lunch date yesterday! From camping to fighting off bad guys to reading David Eddings, it was fun talking and getting to know you more! (PS-Geek confession number 2: I sometimes listen to Mo-Tab when I work out)

Dear Weatherman, I LOVED the sunny weather yesterday! I even dug out my shorts and sunglasses to celebrate. But perhaps your confused? It's snowing this morning. Maybe you forgot that bi-polar weather is not allowed until April. No worries; I forgive you. Just bring the sun back.

Dear Brad Pitt, "Moneyball" was wonderful. Very well done. However, I'll be sending you a bar of soap and a toothbrush in the mail very soon. Just thought you should know.

Dear Roommates, Staying up until 2am doing some deep talk was the best. If I were a boy I would date you.

Dear Single Boys of Provo, UT, I have four AWESOME roommates. They are on the market. Interested? Good. You should be. Stop by my place anytime and I'll set you up with one (or all four) of them.

Dear Sunday, You make the whole rest of the week worth it. Thanks.

Letters

Dear Treadmill, Thanks for being super awesome and for letting me run barefoot on you yesterday. I enjoyed receiving strange looks from the other girls in the gym.

Dear BYU Experience, Thanks for giving me one of the funnest nights I've had at BYU yet! Watching science expiments, listening to Noteworthy sing, doing kareeoke, being silly, and dancing the night away is pretty much the best. Especially thanks to Devin, Randy, and Shey for being my buddies for the night. You guys ROCK!

Dear Roommates, You guys are better than finding out that my 30 page reading assignment is written by Jane Austen. Keep being awesome!

God's Work and Glory

“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” -Moses 1:39

“But even though man is nothing, it fills me with wonder and awe to think that “the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” And while we may look at the vast expanse of the universe and say, “What is man in comparison to the glory of creation?” God Himself said we are the reason He created the universe! His work and glory—the purpose for this magnificent universe—is to save and exalt mankind. In other words, the vast expanse of eternity, the glories and mysteries of infinite space and time are all built for the benefit of ordinary mortals like you and me. Our Heavenly Father created the universe that we might reach our potential as His sons and daughters.

This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God. While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation—worlds without end—within our grasp. And it is God’s great desire to help us reach it.” -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “You Matter to Him”, October 2011 General Conference

A Paradox of Man

Ironic, isn’t it?

That we, the incomplete

He will never mistreat.

That we, who can feel sad

Get to call Him our Dad.

That we, who greatly lack

He helps through each set-back.

That we, who often fall

He esteems above all.

That we, who are broken,

Are His greatest token.

That we, the deficient

Are loved by Omniscient.

Wonderful, isn't it?

Charity

“And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily drovoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail— But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.” -Moroni 7:45-47

“Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn’t handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other.” -Marvin J. Ashton, “The Tongue Can be a Sharp Sword”, April 1992 General Conference

Charity is not an action. It is an attitude--a state of heart. Charity is only associated with doing good works because these actions help develop this state of heart. I think that the best way to have charity is to try to see and treat everyone the way our Father in Heaven sees and would treat them. When we "borrow" Heavenly Father's lens our view becomes purer. Seeing people the way Heavenly Father sees them allows us to look past sins, bad habits, annoying tendencies, and other imperfections and allows us to truly love someone.

Some of the most precious experiences I've ever had have come because I felt the love Heavenly Father had for the people I was working with. Feeling the love Heavenly Father has for one of His children will stop every unkind word, reverse every unkind thought, and change every belittling action. It will enable you to unconditionally give them the benefit of the doubt. It will give you the desire to help that person succeed. It will enable you to give them the best. It will help you see Heavenly Father's children as important, smart, talented, and amazing individuals because you come to realize that they really are. The best part of doing all this is that you begin to realize that Heavenly Father loves you just as much too. Doing these things will lead to true happiness.

Prayer

“As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7–11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but they are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.” -Bible Dictionary, “Prayer”

"Prayer is a supernal gift of our Father in Heaven to every soul. Think of it: the absolute Supreme Being, the most all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful personage, encourages you and me, as insignificant as we are, to converse with Him as our Father. Actually, because He knows how desperately we need His guidance, He commands, “Thou shalt pray vocally as well as in thy heart; yea, before the world as well as in secret, in public as well as in private.

It matters not our circumstance, be we humble or arrogant, poor or rich, free or enslaved, learned or ignorant, loved or forsaken, we can address Him. We need no appointment. Our supplication can be brief or can occupy all the time needed. It can be an extended expression of love and gratitude or an urgent plea for help. He has created numberless cosmos and populated them with worlds, yet you and I can talk with Him personally, and He will ever answer . . .

Don’t worry about your clumsily expressed feelings. Just talk to your compassionate, understanding Father. You are His precious child whom He loves perfectly and wants to help. As you pray, recognize that Father in Heaven is near and He is listening.

A key to improved prayer is to learn to ask the right questions. Consider changing from asking for the things you want to honestly seeking what He wants for you. Then as you learn His will, pray that you will be led to have the strength to fulfill it.

Should you ever feel distanced from our Father, it could be for many reasons. Whatever the cause, as you continue to plead for help, He will guide you to do that which will restore your confidence that He is near. Pray even when you have no desire to pray. Sometimes, like a child, you may misbehave and feel you cannot approach your Father with a problem. That is when you most need to pray. Never feel you are too unworthy to pray." -Richard G. Scott, "Using the Supernatural Gift of Prayer", May 2007 Ensign

Prayer is evidence of God's love for us. He does not expect us to do this life on our own. He expects us to come to Him and seek His help. Not only does He command us to do this, but He wants us to because He loves us.

Praying can be intimidating at times because it feels like there are so many rules we have to observe. Of course, we want to be respectful to our Father in Heaven and we should try to follow the patterns of prayer which we have been taught, but when it comes down to it I think the most important thing is doing what Elder Scott counsels us to do: "Don’t worry about your clumsily expressed feelings. Just talk to your compassionate, understanding Father." Sometimes I think it is best to just forget every rule and to talk to Heavenly Father as if He were your Dad, because He is. Say what you feel. Don't just list of things you're grateful for and things you need. Actually talk with Him. Tell Him something funny that happened to you that day. Talk to Him about challenges you are facing. Tell Him the sort of things you would tell any close, dear friend. Does He already know everything which we are going to tell Him? Of course He does. The important part isn't filling Him in; the important part is letting Him know that He's important enough to you that you want to talk to Him and include Him in your life. You want to share things with Him. You want His advise. You want to show your love for Him. Pray to Heavenly Father as if He were a real person, because He is.

He misses us, and whether or not we realize it, we miss Him. Get down, and truly pray. It can make all the difference.

Their Love

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:38-39

“No matter how many balls I had juggled and let fall, no matter how much weight I had gained, how much lack of self-control I demonstrated, and how many regrets I carried from the past, He was bound to love me. Earth life is not merely a way of proving myself to them, but also a way for them to prove their love to me.” -Brad Wilcox, “The Continuous Atonement”, page 133

“As you come to truly know the Lord, you will find an intimate, sacred relationship built on trust. You will come to know He understands your anguish and will, in compassion, always respond to you in love. Receive it. Feel it. It is not enough just to know that God loves you. The gift is to be felt continually day by day. It will then be a divine motivator throughout your life.” -Elder Gene R. Cook, “Charity: Perfect and Everlasting Love”, July 2002 Ensign

How long has it been since you have last felt the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for you? If your answer wasn’t yesterday or today, it’s been too long. Take time to slow down and remember how much they love you. You are never alone. You are never forgotten. And you are never unloved. You can conquer any challenge you face when you keep this in mind.