Miracles Happen

Do you believe in miracles?? Well if you don't, let me tell you about one that happened to me....
If you didn't already notice... facebook has been blowing up with a lot of stuff lately, primarily focused on same-sex marriage. Well, it was hard for me. I have very strong opinions about the subject because I went through a difficult process to get my mind where it is today. That process, however, does not need to be explained. Suffice it to say that I believe in God, and while I respect and love any person with same-sex attractions and think it CRITICAL that we accept and reach out to people who have these feelings. Not to "change" them, because that may well be their trial in this life and it might not change, but to explain to them that God has a plan and that they can have those feelings, but not act upon them, and still live a happy life. I do not believe in same-sex marriage, I would not vote for it because God has stated his opinion, he has already told us how this should be, and I will choose his side because I love him, and I want him on my side when I need help!
Needless to say, all the facebook junk was driving me crazy. I wanted to explain to people who I didn't even know, things about the gospel. I wanted them to fully understand the position that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold about the issue. Some people are misinformed, and I was so sad. I was feeling so confused. My roommates and I felt discouraged because of the wickedness of the world. We were wishing it could stop being this way. We wanted the confusion to end, but we couldn't do anything about it.
I was feeling angry inside, and I was mad at myself for feeling this way. I soon realized that I had ignored many promptings to read my scriptures.
I sat down at my desk, I opened my scriptures to where I was in my reading (I personally like to read cover to cover, because any other way freaks me out, I'm slightly OCD.) Heleman 7. That's where I was. I only read the first nine verses that night, because nine verses was enough. It was my miracle, it was everything that I needed to hear packed in nine short verses. I would suggest you look it up (Heleman 7:1-9) But I will try to summarize...
Nephi, Heleman's son preaches the gospel among the land of Zarahemla, and "they did reject all his words". He watched as the people grew more and more wicked, "having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men." Twice in verse five it mentions doing things according to their own wills, this people had put aside God completely. Nephi wishes he could have lived in the time when the older Nephi had come out of Jerusalem and into the promised land, when the people were righteous. Then verse nine, this is what really hit me.
"But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren."
It was a miracle to me, it was exactly what I needed to hear at that exact time. It just 'happened' to be that I was in Heleman 7 right when this was occurring. No, things don't just happen. This was personal revelation from God, because he knew I needed comfort and help.
I testify to you that these are our days brothers and sisters! God saved  you for right here, right now. This world is wicked, but you are strong, and that is why you are here! STAND UP! STAND OUT! Be a child of God and don't be afraid to SHOW THE WORLD! You have God on your side, you cannot lose.

"Oh! The Places You'll Go!"

     It's hard, you know: life. Honestly. How many times have you listened to people... "Well if it was easy, you wouldn't learn anything.(insert cheesy grin here)" Do you ever just want to shake them and say, "I KNOW! But I just want you to agree with me! I just want it to be a little bit easier!" All the time, and yet, all the time I am humbled by a father who only wants the best for me. It's not until after any trial that I can say, "Thank you Mr. Gardener, thank you for loving me enough to cut me down." (D. Todd Christofferson "As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten")
     It's hard when you only see the pains of life which, mind you, are everywhere(IF you look for them). Want to know something? If you are looking with the right eyes you will find that the world is full of greatness!! That greatness starts in YOU! Do you believe me?? You might not, but you should. Because it's true. Just as you can find the bad in just about anything, believe it or not, there's good there too! There are flowers everywhere, and (I don't care if people use this way to much....'cause I like it) the flowers are SO MUCH BIGGER than the thorns! Find them, find the flowers and love them!
     Where do you even start? Where else but yourself?! When you love yourself you can love everything! If you can't love yourself, how will you love anything else? I know it can be hard, but the reward is so much greater than what it takes to get there. The hardest part is looking yourself in the mirror and not only finding all that greatness, but telling yourself: "Self. You are amazing! Look at your body, look how it works, what a miracle, I am a MIRACLE!"
     This isn't being boastful, promise, you can do it. You are God's creation! Imagine that....."...the most powerful being in the universe is the father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love." (President Uchtdorf, You Matter To Him)
     There is nothing wrong with loving yourself, there is nothing wrong with knowing that you are a child of a God who loves you, a God who wants you to know that "You matter to him!" If you don't love yourself how can you ever grow to become who God sees you as!?
     You can do it, I can do it! Let me tell you why.... because you've got fans on earth!!! If you think you don't(even though you really do! I'm your fan!) you have way more fans in heaven, and they are AWESOME! They want you to succeed!! God wants you to succeed!!!! How comforting is that to know "...the most powerful being in the universe..." wants you to succeed. :D

"You're off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!"

Waiting On Someday

     Have you ever been in a position where you had no control? That's how I feel right now. I'm waiting for this date that is going to determine the next year and a half of my life, but until I figure that out, I have absolutely no control. I was going crazy until about a week ago. I'm still very anxious, this is something that is constantly on my mind. However, I developed a plan, a plan to stay busy.

     Service.

It's a nice word. :)

It's also a very nice distraction. 

     There are some people who are just phenomenal at this, they are so aware of everyone around them. They are always ready to serve the next person that walks into their life. I admire people like this.

     True story: I was trying to donate plasma yesterday, March 4th, and I was in my own little world. I was just sitting in the lobby, almost completely full of eager doners, playing a game on my phone. (Nerd alert: I'm obsessed with Mahjong tiles, it's bad.) A young woman sat down next to me, I didn't really pay attention. A few minutes later a man behind me piped up. "Miss, would you want me to switch you seats so that you two can sit by each other?" What? I hadn't even noticed! She had walked in with a man, and she sat down by me, because there weren't any places with two seats. "Are you sure?! Oh my goodness, thank you so much!" Ha! She was SO happy! Look at that. The young man sitting behind me got up and moved to the seat next to me, and continued studying his anatomy(I love anatomy!). He was so aware, they didn't say anything, they were just going to spend the long wait sitting apart from each other. As they sat next to each other behind me I listened to them help each other study. I was just witnessing service all over the place, it was fantastic! Seriously people, you're amazing.

     It makes me sad when people say that our world is full of bad people, because it isn't. There is good everywhere you turn! It's amazing. I love this place.

     Look, you forgot what I was talking about in the first place didn't you? Well good! Because that's the point, service makes you forget  yourself, forget the bad things, and it makes you focus on JOY! It makes you focus on God, because we know that "when [we] are in the service of [our] fellow beings, [we] are only in the service of [our] God." (Mosiah 2:17) Fantastic.

     So my plan, my plan was to serve the people that I have a hard time getting along with. My roommate Kenzie reminded me the other day, whilst I was complaining about something, "Sam, the best way to love someone is to serve them." I have been placed in the way of so many wise and wonderful people. For that I am grateful.

     This world is incredible, indeed God has filled it with his finest children! Until my "someday" comes, I will continue to look for service, to better myself for the people who I will serve with my whole heart the next year and a half. Now I will patiently wait, and I will fill my time with love, the love that God wishes to send to his children.