Thank You!

Laura, for listening to me when I am just being weird. Thank you for clearing off my car this week. Thank you for being my friend and not casting judgement.

Dallin, for helping me to become a better person but at the same time accepting me for me.

Uncle Tony, for just calling to check up on me and see how I am doing. Thank you for being that wonderful example of what a priesthood holder can do for a family.

Savannah, for wanting to talk to me on Skype and being so excited to do so.

Mom, for always being there for me and caring about me so much. Words really can't describe how much I am thankful for you.

Dad, for showing me that people can change. Thank you for constantly loving me and looking out for me.

Irina, Brenda, Jordynn, thank you for showing me the love of God and how much the Gospel and the gift of the Atonement can change lives.  

Lately I have been feeling very grateful for the people that God put into my path. I know that I don't always express my gratitude as well as I should and I feel awful about that. There is so much for me to be thankful for. Mostly I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and my loving Heavenly Father. They help me become that person that I am meant to be. They help me change, they help me stay strong, they help me feel important. They make it possible for me to be with all those that I love for eternity. One way to give back to them it to show my gratitude.

This week I am starting a new goal. My goal is to make sure that I express my gratitude more frequently. I am not going to be stingy with the words "thank you". I really feel that by simply doing that, by expressing my thanks, I will feel even more blessed.

I encourage all those who are down or just need a pick me up to start this challenge with me as well. I think it will be just what we need. 

Change

I have a new pet peeve. This is something that I have been told a lot recently and it really bothers me. Ok are you ready? I have been told many times that I can't change, that there are just qualities that I have, that aren't good, that are so imbedded in me that I can't change them.

Have you ever been told that you can't change? That there is no hope for you? Well I am here to tell you that it isn't true. Everyone can change, everyone has the ability to change. Through Jesus Christ we can take our weaknesses and turn them into strengths. Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

If that isn't change I don't know what is? Now I am not saying that change is easy or that it will happen overnight. But I do strongly believe that anyone can take a bad trait, a weakness, and make it into a strength, you just have to have enough faith. With Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ anything is possible. This is truth and don't let anyone tell you that it isn't.

Confusão

Oh hey! Você não vai entender isso, porque você não fala em portugues. Lembre-se que Deus te ama e se preocupa com você.

Uh... what? Have you ever had a time that you had someone speak to you in another language, or even sometimes in your native language, and you just have no idea what they are saying? I sure have. May last few companions have been waiting for their visa to go down to Brazil. Sometimes they will speak portugues out loud and then look at me like I should understand. I just give them a blank stare back because I don't speak Portuguese.

Have you ever felt that perhaps God speaks to us in a different language? That perhaps He is speaking to us in Portuguese? That maybe He isn't even speaking at all? Well I can testify that He does speak to us. He is there. He is reaching out to us and all we have to do is listen.

Listening to God though is different than listening to someone next to us talking. To listen to God we don't just listen with our ears but we listen with our hearts and with our minds."Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart." Doctrin and Covenants 8:2  We have to really be focused. One of the main ways we can hear God by praying and actually talking with Him not just to Him. When we really seek out to have a conversation with our Heavenly Father and really let Him know how we are doing He will answer us.

So the next time you feel that maybe God is speaking in Portuguese have a conversation with Him and you will find out that you can understand Him perfectly.