Be Happy Today

How often do we wish that a trial would just end. That a period in our lives would just be over.

That we can skip the time in our lives where we are in debt, living paycheck to paycheck, and when our days are so stressful with balancing school, work and a family that we dread waking up in the morning. 

How often do we find ourselves not satisfied with the life we are living or the path we are on.

 

How often do we compare our live to others that have more than us or seem happier than us.

Happiness is a choice!

We choose to view our circumstance as a blessing or a trial.

Instead of listing everything that is going wrong in our lives why not count our blessings?!

Depression, sorrow, and anger are avoidable!

If we focus on the things that we don’t have, or the trials that we are facing, how can we not be depressed, or sad or angry with our situation??

However, if we live each day like it’s a blessing, and it is, how much happier would we be??

"Day by day, minute by minute, second by second we went from where we were to where we are now. The lives of all of us, of course, go through similar alterations and changes. The difference between the changes in my life and the changes in yours is only in the details. Time never stands still; it must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes.

This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now." - Thomas S. Monson

We can make Resolutions to be happy now!

Some I advise you to make are:

1. Be Grateful for your knowledge of The Plan of Salvation. You have knowledge that many people spend their entire lives searching for. Don't belittle the greatest gift of all, Eternal love and family.

2.Enjoy your children now, Although it seems like they will be children forever,  one day they will leave and start a family of their own.

3. Enjoy your time in school, learning is the easy part. Once you start your career you don’t get summer and winter break, and you may not get 3 day weekends for holidays. Your education is a blessing for you and your family now and in the future.

4. In regards to undesirable financial or health situations or hard personal trials whether it be resulting from bad choices you made or just unfortunate events...I advise you to never to don't forget them!

Why?? Because you are learning humility, you are learning what it really means to use the atonement. You are learning to have compassion and empathy…So that when you overcome these trials, you can help someone else through them!

5. (THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY TO BE HAPPY TODAY) If you need to repent, REPENT! Heavenly Father knew we would sin, he knew we would need a Savior and that is why Christ died for us. Don’t let his sacrifice be in vain due to pride.

Always remember

 There is no shame in using the atonement there is only shame in judging someone for using it.

 

These are the thoughts I shared in my talk in sacrament meeting last week and I have been trying to apply it into my life during this week. Trying to see the brighter side of things really helps makes a difference! 

Finally...

Thursday, March 22nd 2012 was one of the happiest days of my life. On that day the my wonderful fiance proposed to me in the most unimaginable and amazing way. I completely under estimated him. After what seemed like forever I have finally found my eternal companion. I feel so fortunate that Heavenly Father would bless me with such an amazing man in my life. My patriarchial blessing had indicated that when I find my eternal companion I would know by the way he acts and the way he treats me that he is the one for me. I knew from the very beginning that he was different from other guys. He treated me with respect and we seemed to have fun no matter what we did. Our first date ended up being a complete spontaneous adventure due to the fact that all his plans fell through haha but we still ended up having such a great time. We talked about our goals and views on life and everything seemed to parallel. He is the one person that can put a smile on my face when I feel like crying and makes me laugh more than I ever have before. I am so greatful for him and all that he does for me. I'm sure he probably thinks I dont notice every little thing he does for me but I do.
It's hard to believe that I will be married in 2 months. Sometimes I feel like I'm still a teen and that life has just passed me by so fast I barely even noticed the years go by. The funniest thing is that about a month before I met Nape, I had been the main project for most of my friends and cousins considering that I was "getting old" at the ripe age of 23 haha. They all seemed to have "the perfect guy" in mind to set me up with. When I had told them my criteria for a guy they told me that person didnt exist.

My criteria was...
1. He must honor his priesthood
2. Be a return missionary
3. Be able to take me to the temple
4. Knows what he wants in life, have set goals and strive to achieve them
5. He must love my family and have my family love him
6. He must be smarter than me
7. He must make me laugh
8. Preferably Polynesian (Samoan)
9. He must be bigger than me (tall and not skinny)
10. Lastly, he must push me to achieve my goals and love me enough to not hold me back

My friends had told me that first of all I am too smart for a guy to be smarter than me, that all the good guys are either married or related to me, that my dad and my brother probably wouldnt like anyone I brought home and that most RMs my age would probably not be set on their life goals yet. Just when I was about to give up on my search for my "dream guy" my cousin decided to set me up on a blind date. After meantioning about 5 different names that I knew and refused he finally mentioned a name I didn't recognize, Nape. Finally I just gave in and told him he can hook me up with him not knowing who he was. Little did I know, I DID know Nape. I had met him 5 years prior at my cousin Joe's farewell and actually had a little crush on him but never thought I would see him again. After Nape and I got into contact and had our first conversations via internet and phone, I learned quit alot about him. He was an RM, temple worthy, had great goals for the future to get his Masters and Law degree in Accounting, that he had such good grades he had a full ride scholarship for all of his schooling and he definitely had a good sense of humor. By the conclusion of our first date I knew that he had fit 9 of the 10 criteria I had for my ideal guy. Last thing was to meet my family, needless to say after the first day everyone loved him. So pretty much he is everything I wanted in my future husband. I never really thought he existed. I have realized now that there really was a reason I moved to Utah. Although I had almost decided not to come here about 20 times, something told me that I needed to be here. Not only did I grow up more being on my own, I was blessed with meeting my future husband. It amazes me how many small decisions that I had made that could have prevented us from ever meeting if I had chosen their alternatives. All in all I am excited and ready to start a new chapter in my life with him. I finally will achieve my number one goal to be sealed to someone for time and all eternity. I will finally get my chance for an eternal family. That in it's self is something to be thankful for.

What Really Matters?

Never Let A Problem To Be Solved Become More Important Than A Person To Be Loved.

What matters most? It is easy to become so indulged in school and work that we forget what really matters most. Why do we work so hard? Why go to school?...Is it for the money? The ability to boast about our accomplishments? Or to be able get a good job to buy a big house and all the toys we can think of? Many of us will say its so we can take care of our family and to serve the Lord through our talents that we will acquire. However, is that really at the top of our priority list? It is easy to forget what really matters when we are struggling in school or having to work long hours to pay the bills, but why let the stress of it all cause us to lose site of what really matters. Things go wrong. Trials take a toll on us but we must remember why we are here. It is not to get the most degrees that we can get, although getting an education is essential for our progression in this life. It is not how much money we can make, although in this society money is essential to take care of our physical needs and is directly related to our ability to provide for our families. We must make time for others. There is always someone who needs us. Heavenly Father couldn't be here physically to help his children through life's challenges. So he answers prayers through us. We are his tools in mending broken hearts, lifting up spirits and leading a lost soul back to the light. If we lose ourselves in service, the stresses of the world will take a back seat to what really matters. Listen to the spirits promptings to be a friend and lend a hand. Even if its just saying hello, we can answer the prayers of those around us. The worth of souls is great in the sight of God. We matter to him. What matters to you?

Dose of Reality

Moving to Utah on my own seemed to be entirely thought out. I was anticipating a full schedule with school and work. Balancing my finances and completion of schoolwork seemed completely feasible. However, working 40 hours a week while completing weekly homework and quizzes in all my classes started taking a toll on me. I always considered myself to be contentedly independent, but living alone in a city where I know no one, with no time for a social life has only made me miss home. As much as I want to just give up and run home to where I have many friends and no bills to pay…I have worked to hard and come too far to give up. With so many obstacles in my way and so many people saying that I’m getting too old, that my grades aren’t good enough, or that the wait is too long and to just get married already…I can’t just succumb and surrender leaving all my hard work to become stripped of its significance and meaning. Living alone so far from my friends and family has caused me to ponder on my life a great deal. In my Human Developmental Psychology class we are studying the transition from adolescence to adulthood, which occurs anywhere between the ages of 18 and 25. I recognized that this moved has forced me to “grow up”. I see a difference in the way I view the world around me, how I deal with new people and how I respond to tough situations. These past couple years have caused me to prioritize the things I focus on and worry about especially now that I am on my own. Before I moved out here I spent too much time worrying about things that didn’t matter and in turn missed opportunities and lost site on what really mattered. Wasting time worrying about guys that I already knew were jerks, gossip about people that inevitably ended up not being true, or comparing my progress in school or life with those who seem to have everything I wanted already, did nothing but created roadblocks in my progress towards my eternal and righteous temporal goals. These last few years of rigorous schoolwork and inevitable disappointment are but stepping-stones on the path that leads to the achievement of the goals I have set for myself. During this time, relationships will form and may eventually end, friendships will be strengthened or wither and I will discover who my true friends are and I will discover who I really am compared to who I want to be. I have learned that it is only by my choices and aspiration vs. my ability to implement that I will become who I want to be.

A New State, A New School, A New Home, A New Me

I never thought I would leave California let alone move to Utah. Once I graduated in May I felt like there was nothing left for me in California. Out of state seemed to be the only option in order to continue with my education on the path on which I desired to travel. Moving up here seemed so easy until I had to say goodbye to my best friends and family. I feel like I'm going to miss out on so much now that I am hundreds of miles away. I always liked being by myself and having my alone time...But in a city that is unfamiliar and without anyone I know close by the thought of calling this my home seems illogical. My emotions are a jumbled mess entangled with fear, excitement, anxiety, happiness, relief and sorrow. The endless possibilities that are presented now will lead my life in so many different paths towards the direction I want to go. Now it is time for me to pick the best. I feel like I have much growing up to do and this is the perfect way to do it.

Life Goes On

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

GRUDGES ARE A WASTE OF PERFECT HAPPINESS

LAUGH WHEN YOU CAN

APOLOGIZE WHEN YOU SHOULD

LET GO OF WHAT YOU CANT CHANGE

LOVE DEEPLY AND FORGIVE QUICKLY

TAKE CHANCES

GIVE EVERYTHING AND REGRET NOTHING

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BE UNHAPPY

TAKE THE GOOD WITH THE BAD

SMILE WHEN YOU'RE SAD

YOU CANT FIGHT FATE

LEARN TO ACCEPT WHAT HAPPENS

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

LOVE WHAT YOU HAVE AND ALWAYS REMEMBER WHAT YOU HAD

THIS LIFE IS A GIFT, CHERISH IT

FORGIVE BUT DONT FORGET

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES

ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT LIFE GOES ON

We all face trials in our lives. Some we feel will break us. Some we think we can't handle. It is not until it is over that we see the blessing it truly was for us. I remember in 2007 I went to 6 or 7 funerals of people that I knew. I may not have been very close with them but I knew what great people they were. In 2008, one of my friends died from Lupus. Her and I were not the best of friends but we still hung out together in the same group of friends. On Christmas 2008 my best friend was rushed to the hospital where he was put on life support until Jan. 10 2009, when his long 2 year fight with his disease finally came to an end. I looked back on the many losses I had witnessed and experienced in the previous years, when he had been there for me, but this time he wasn't there to comfort me or for me to talk to. I looked back on the past couple years and saw how the Lord had slowly prepared me for the greatest trial I had yet to experience. Knowing ahead of time that my best friend was dying made things hard because there was no way to prepare for the loss of someone you love. I thought that his death was the end my lesson to cherish my loved ones and draw nearer to the Lord. Yet again it was just another experience to strengthen me for future events. Two years later one of my best friends was diagnosed with cancer. None of our other friends had experienced the heartache and helplessness that you feel knowing that there is nothing you can do to help your best friend with a life threatening disease. I again looked back on the previous years and thanked the Lord for his patience with me and the constant preparation for this event in my life. I was able to be the "strong one" to help them all through the hopeless tears that they would witness and the helplessness that they could not avoid. I have realized that I can never be "done" preparing for what life throws at me. However, I have faith that the Lord will prepare a way and strengthen me to be able to make it through any trial he sees fit for me. We are never able to see the big picture when going through the hard times in life. And many times we forget about the eternal perspective. There is always a reason why we experience the hardships we each face. However, we will never know why until we have experienced the pain to the fullest. Even then, we may never know why we had to experience certain pain and suffering, in this life, but one day, when we return, we will be able to see and know the reason WHY.

Just What We Needed

He Bled in the garden

Then rose from the tomb

He did it to save us

From what we would do

We needed a Savior

A perfect soul

To pave us a path

That could lead us home

He's felt all our pain

He's cried all our tears

So when times get hard

He'll always be near

Amazing Weekend!

This past weekend was by far a weekend I will never forget. I was blessed with the chance to spend time with my little brother and other family that I have missed. I felt the spirit exceedingly strong this weekend, as I was humbled to the realization that my plan is not the Lord's plan. As I premeditated plans I desired to occur each day, it seemed as if nothing was working in my favor and frustration consumed me. However, as my plans failed, greater opportunities arose where which incredible incidents would have never been experienced.

We were blessed to meet some great new people whom we would have never met if our plans worked out the way we desired them to and as a result blessing us with the amazing opportunity to visit my little brother before we left. I'm so thankful for the Lord's patience with me and this weekend was evidently the answer to my prayers. I have doubted whether I should move away from my family in order to go to Utah for school. I had prayed and fasted about this decision and yet I had done everything I could to try and talk myself out of leaving my home, but this weekend was just what I needed to know that everything would be okay. It seems like this week at school was so much easier and everything seems to be falling into place as doors and windows keep opening for classes, work and housing in Utah. As someone who likes to plan things and what, when, and how everything will happen, it has been a humbling experience for me to just let things happen. Even though these situations have been just a small spec of color in within the big picture, I am still grateful for the opportunities and experiences Dwina and I had this weekend.

Thought of the Day: Don’t put limitations on God. He will provide no matter how impossible it may seem. It the Lord wants it to happen it will. “The lessons we learn from patience will cultivate our character, lift our lives, and heighten our happiness. Patience is the ability to put our desire on hold for a time- is a precious and rare virtue. We want what we want, and we want it now. Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at times, bitter. Nevertheless, without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace.”- Dieter F Uchtdorf

People

God doesn't put people in your life that you want, instead he puts people in your life that you need. Some you wont remember and some you will never forget. Some are there to teach you, some to hurt you, some to love you, but they are all there to make you who you are. I have realized that the people that God has taken from me are the ones that I took for granted. As a result, I cherish the ones I still have left and never hesitate to show them how much I love them. As for those that have hurt me, I know that no matter how many guys play me and break my heart, that when I find the right one that I can trust with my heart, that I will never take him for granted. I've always been the second best, the back up plan, and the bff but one day I will be the one and someone will finally choose me. People will deceive you till you cant trust anymore. People will put you down, until you don't want to go on. But then there are those that you are blessed to call friends that will make you laugh when you want to cry. And make you change your mind when you wan to die. Those who will love you despite your faults. And the one who will make it all worth while.

The Room- I Love This Story

The Room – Story about what Jesus does with our Sins

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features save for one wall covered with small index card files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings.

As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read “People I Have Liked.” I opened it and began flipping cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.

And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn’t match.

A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named “Friends” was next to one marked “Friends I have Betrayed.”

The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. “Books I Have Read,” “Lies I Have Told,” “Comfort I Have Given,” “Jokes I Have Laughed At.” Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: “Things I’ve Yelled at My Brothers.” Others I couldn’t laugh at: “Things I Have Done in My Anger,” “Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.” I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my short life to write each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my own signature.

When I came to a file marked “Lustful Thoughts,” I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.

An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them! In an insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn’t matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards.

But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore “People I Have Shared the Gospel With.” The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than 3 inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key.

But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn’t bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one?

Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn’t anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn’t say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.

“No!” I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was “No, no,” as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn’t be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.

He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, “It is finished.”

I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.