He is the Gift

It has been a long time.

I am sooooooooo grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I love him so much.

We are coming up to a very exciting time of the year. Tinsel will shimmer (I've never actually seen what tinsel looks like, have you?), Santa will come, and people will be hopefully filled with holiday cheer.

But behind all the ribbons and wrapping paper, I hope we can remember the real gift. The greatest gift that our Heavenly Father has ever given us.

I love Jesus Christ.

One time I wrote a journal entry. I wanted to put it in here.

Jesus Christ

Is my Savior. He died for me so that I can have peace in this life and happiness with my family in the life to come. I know that this is true. 

He is my redeemer, my brother, my friend. It doesn't matter what lies people tell, I will never give up on him. He is my best friend. He has strengthened me and comforted me through good times and horrendous times. He helped me change my very  nature. There is no way to deny that. 

It saddens me that so many people blaspheme and mock him even today. JESUS CHRIST IS MY SAVIOR. He rescued me from sin, he loves me so much. And he knows exactly how I feel. I just ran across anti-christ material and it hurt my spirit because HE IS MY SAVIOR. he has done so much for me and everyone that we don't even know, yet they scorn him. I guess the first manifestation of true love is truly loyalty. 

I know these things to be true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

I think for the rest of December I will try to post about ways Christ has helped me through days. 

<3 Eliza

Aw I love Christmas!!!

Ruminating on Summer

Yes I know Summer is long gone. But this summer was incredible and now that it is getting colder, I realize that I need to thank summer for all the fun I had. 

Journal I made

Go marching band!!!

Taking a pic of a friend taking a pic of me. 

Haha guess who I am!? And I won too!!! Bowling is so much fun!!!

Sunrise of first week of school. 

Beautiful Utah. 

Provo temple

I absolutely LOVE this airplane view!!!

My April 2014 conference meme (who loved October conference?!)

Efy meme

Joseph Smith Farm

Palmyra Temple

Silver lining at EFY (it totally fits with the song Silver Lining by Stephanie M)

Efy selfie!!

Pic with Brother Rose at EFY!!! Love him!!!

I made those butterflies!!! Aren't they so cute?!

Aw I just loved this year as a whole. I guess another reason I am remembering is because I turn sixteen in two days!!!! I'm so excited and also slightly nervous--not ready to say goodbye to 15. 

<3Eliza

Change

We've all been there: you run into a friend you used to know, and your mind sparks all the old memories you've shared. Even though you've moved on without them, there is a slight longing for used-to-bes, remember-whens, and just-for-fun. Maybe the friend changed, maybe you changed, but all you know is you can't have the same thing you had before.

Some change can be hard, like moving or heartbreak.

Some change can be good, like finally getting around to updating the look of your blog :)

Change, while uncomfortable at first, can be an amazing thing. That is, once you get comfortable.

It has been a whole year since I moved, and starting sophomore year I am LOVING IT! Change is all around, and there is beauty in it.

Um...

I was asked to write an introductory letter to a teacher about myself, and I ended up writing more than this. Wow, I need to get back in the habit.

Well, short and sweet. 

Today I am going to love the present.

<3 Eliza

P.S. Oh and I think I will end every post with a "Today I will" so that i can tie together the title of my blog. Finally

Peculiar People

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.



Many may wonder what makes us tick: we are happy joyful people who love to laugh (but only at certain things). Many have mentioned a "Mormon Glow" that surrounds us, that reaches out and touches people, makes their lives brighter. Many have pondered at what in the world would make teenage boys give up two years of girls and fun and freedom, and girls give up a year and a half.

What are some other things that make us a peculiar people? Most certainly, in the world, we are the weird ones. Have you ever wondered:

What drives us to love our siblings (that's crazy, right?) ?
How we are willing to give up tea and coffee, and (gasp) all alcohol as adults (even adults?!)?
What reason does a fourteen year old boy have for stating up til midnight studying the words of dead people in books with hundreds of pages? (It's called the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in case you were wondering)
Why that girl decided to wear a modest swimsuit when it was obviously not the "cool" thing to do?
Why an eight year old all of a sudden feels the need to visit an elderly member of the community?
How we have the courage to stand in front of a history class and simply and clearly speak about our beliefs?
Why we smile so much?
Why we all love Star Wars and the Princess Bride?
How we convince our boys to give up their Saturday to do yard work for people who can't do it themselves?
How we keep our hope in any trial that besets us? And how we continue doing all these things even though we are going through something really hard?
What we bribe the high schoolers with in order to (now listen to this one) get them to wake up an HOUR AND A HALF early to attend a class at church BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS EVERY DAY?
What prompts a 12 year old girl to walk up to the pulpit once a month to share her feelings with the whole congregation?
Why we decide to fast for 24 hours (that's right, no food or water) once a month?
How our teenagers find fun in clean humor?
What is so much fun about churchy summer camps? (Wahoooo EFY!!!!!!!!!)
Why a girl keeps a journal?
What makes it enjoyable for us to do family history work and then take names to the temple?
Why we look so happy when we come out of the temple?
Why our ancestors have up everything they had to cross the plains to go to Utah? (Of all places ;) just kidding)
How our young men all decide to be ordained to the Priesthood as Deacons (age 12),Teachers (age 14), and Priests (age 16)? Yes, that is true. We do that.
What we do to get the whole family together to sit and watch general conference for ten hours in a weekend twice a year? In which we listen to the Prophet and other church leaders, men and women alike?
How our mothers are so good at making our homes a place where we can feel the Spirit every day?
Why our fathers give us blessings when we need comfort or healing?

There are many other things we do that definitely count as peculiar. My head hurts right now so I can't think of all of them.

What is the answer to all these questions? (Well, maybe not the Star Wars and Princess Bride one, but..)

We believe.

We believe in Jesus Christ. We want to follow his example. We know his commandments, and we want to do his will. We know these things to be true, and we want to live them. We are not ashamed of this gospel, and we will do whatever it takes to help others feel God's love. The world may see that as weird, peculiar, and confusing, but The Lord doesn't.

I'm so grateful for this gospel. 

And I'm proud to be peculiar. 

<3 Eliza

Best Friends--Forever

At EFY this week I learned so many amazing things!! Those personal stories and lessons I'm sure will appear here, but for now I want to tell you about what I learned coming home.


At EFY I made so many new friends and grew old friendships, but when it came to the end of the week, there were only five friends that stayed with me. They were my family. When my dad came to pick me up to drive the four hours home, I hugged him. I don't remember the last time that I hugged him when it wasn't me crying. And I was so happy to see my brother. He is almost my height now, and I forgot how old he was. But when I saw him after a week away I felt such loyalty and love. I think that's part of how the Spirit works: how it brings greater love for our family and friends.

Then when we got home my sisters were so excited to see me. And I was so happy to see my mom. She is one of my best friends. My mom and sisters had made one of those "candy grams" for me when you use the candies to spell out sentences. It was so cute, and I felt so loved to see that they put the thought into getting my favorite candy and making something meaningful.

I'm so glad that my family--my best friends--can be together forever. Our party doesn't need to last one night, our spiritual growth doesn't halt at the end of a week, our friendships don't dwindle over the years. I love my family.

And though I miss EFY, I am so glad to be home.

<3 Eliza

Kicking myself in the shins

I really have got to get on top of this blogging thing. How was I able to keep it up during school but not after?!

On a completely unrelated note, I received an email today that touched me.  I found a little gold dust in the sand today.

A couple years ago I signed up for this "Daily Message" on lds.org. It's pretty cool, and if you don't get it you totally should. Every day I get a quote from general conference and once in a while the quote lines up exactly with what I am dealing with that day. Sadly, the fact that these messages are so common leads a girl to take them for granted. (I guess that's kind of how the Spirit speaks to us too.)

Anyway, this was today's quote:

"Being grateful in our circumstances is an act of faith in God. It requires that we trust God and hope for things we may not see but which are true. By being grateful, we follow the example of our beloved Savior, who said, “Not my will, but thine, be done.” True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony. It comes from acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trusting that one day we will."~Uchtdorf

The ending was the gold for me. Gratitude comes from "acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trusting that one day we will."

Yeah I really liked that. 

Alright, so let's just complete this little chord here and start a somewhat-unrelated note. I'm going to Efy next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That deserves 101 exclamation points, but I'm too lazy. I had girls camp last week and Efy this week, and I just can't wait! 

Yeah that's all. I will report back on the many adventures of EFY in a week. 

Signing off (or singing off? ;)
<3Eliza

Happy!

Ok. School is out. I'm done.

Problem is, just because you're done with school doesn't mean I'm done with busy-ness. Work. And camp. And preparing for camp. And worrying about camp. And hanging out with friends--so tiring! ;)

But I learned you just need to be happy now. Now. Not tomorrow, or when your hair looks good, or when you turn 16. Now.



I liked Uchtdorf's talk in general conference about gratitude. He said that we should be grateful for rainy days too, because without rain there would be no rainbow. I also like the idea of being grateful no matter how MANY blessings you have.

Gratitude is a big part of happiness.

Be happy!!!

<3 Eliza

Last Post (until summer!!!)

Alright I'm gonna make this quick because I need to get back to studying.

Summer is three weeks away for me. Some people are already off. Okay--that's not fair. But I will get through these last few weeks. These last few tests. These last hours of squeezing my brain to get the last drop of intelligence out of it. Yep, this summer is going to be really fun.

How do you stay motivated through the end?!

Endurance. Endurance is about keeping the end goal in mind, but not forgetting to have joy in the journey. Summer is coming, but I can enjoy time spent with family or the little victories of getting a good test grade.

Okay now I gotta get back to endurance. See you in three weeks!!!

Ten things I have learned from Seminary!

Seminary is over. I'm really sad. I loved reading the Book of Mormon. Next year is church history/D+C, then Old Testament, and in my senior year I get to study the New Testament!!!! That will be a great way to end high school.

But I'm sad to be done with the Book of Mormon. Sure, I read and (try to) study it every night, but there is nothing quite like starting every morning being immersed in it's pages. I get to start the day off feeling the Holy Ghost, and I never want to trade that for extra sleep.

Well, I've learned a lot from seminary this year, about myself and others, and God's plan for his children. Here's some things I've learned:

1. "Early to rise" without "early to bed" makes a girl angry and sick in the head.

I love nine I clock! If you go to bed much later, I guarantee you will fall asleep in math class. If you are going to seminary, make sure you go to bed early so that you can be happy all day! ;)

2. Daylight Savings saves me

Or atleast in the fall when we move the clocks backward. Because you get tired earlier, it feels like you wake up later, and the sun is actually shining when I look out my window!!!

3. Myth: waking up early makes kids grumpy
Fact: waking up early to read the scriptures and feel the Spirit keeps you happy the whole day!

Starting off the day with seminary gets you focused on what's truly important. It makes it easier to deal kindly with annoyances, be kind to those who are not-so-nice, and keep a clear head through disappointments.

4. Taking notes will actually make it easier to recieve instruction

Somebody somewhere said something (if any of you people know what I'm talking about, could you help me find it) about how as we record spiritual promptings it makes it easier to recieve further revelation. It is true! (Ooh actually I wrote that quote down in my seminary journal, I'll try to find it)

5. Inspiration can come through a variety of sources

One time, this guy in class whom I didn't know very well (I thought he was annoying and uncaring about anything spiritual) bore his testimony. It made me cry. I really felt the Spirit bearing witness that, yes, I could keep going (I was going through the difficulty of the move and I needed Heavenly Father's help. Well, answers to prayers can come from the most unlikely of places).

6. Obedience brings blessings

Consistent obedience is hard. Going to seminary everyday, reading the scriptures everyday, praying everyday, trying to follow Jesus Christ everyday...it's hard. It's hard because, while there are some amazing times when something touches you or you feel on fire like nothing can get in your way, it doesn't always happen. I'll admit, not every morning going to seminary made me feel like I was floating on clouds the rest of the day. Sometimes I was unhappy because I could've used that hour doing homework. But those times when you do feel the Spirit, when you feel Christ's love and strength, when you have that knowledge-- it's those times that make it worth it. Trust in His promises--blessings will come.

7. Invitations are not too scary

Well, actually they scare me to death. But we had an invite-a-friend-to-seminary week. Scariest thing ever. Who in their right mind would go to some church at 6 am to read a book they've never heard of?! But I prayed about inviting someone, and felt like it was the right thing to do. And guess what? My first invitation--rejected. Second--rejected. Eighth--maybe. After following up with #8 she finally said yes!!! But what this taught me is that I shouldn't be afraid of rejection because it doesn't kill you, those friends don't leave you, and it feels great when someone says yes! Don't be afraid of inviting!

8. Teenagers are surprisingly insightful

Surprisingly is the key. Kids can be stupid, but we are feeling this hastening of the work and we are doing whatever it takes to come closer to Christ.

9. Conducting music is great!

Throughout the year, I served as seminary president for a couple months. Let me tell you, that was rough. So when I was released, I did everything I could to help the new president. That usually meant leading the music. And I found that I love it!!

10. I love the Book of Mormon!

I have prayed many times asking God if this book is true. And I know that if anyone else does the same they can know for themselves. Read it, study it, and then pray. That's what I did. But it took a lot of patience. Now I can say that the Book of Mormon is my favorite book, because when I read it I know I am coming closer to my Heavenly Father. It really is an amazing thing and I am sad to stop spending time with it every morning.

I've learned a lot from my first year in seminary and I hope next year is as good. I've learned to never give up, trust Heaenly Father, and be patient because when you search ye shall find.

<3 Eliza

Faith is like a little seed

Image source

Faith is often compared to a little seed.

First a little story.

Once there was a girl named...uh, let's call her Grace. I've always liked the name Grace.  Grace is born into a faithful family with lots of older brothers and sisters who are wonderful examples. Her parents love her, and have raised her in the church. She has always been active, raises her hand in Sunday School, and has never dated anyone. 

On the outside, she is a perfect Mormon-mold. But even though her life looks pretty perfect on the outside, she has some troubles on the inside. Her older brother always makes fun of her for her being the only non-special person in their family. Her younger sister, whom she was so close with, died of cancer.  She has had some unpleasant friendships over the years, and maybe she has had a sip of coffee once or twice. But no matter what she is going through, what mistakes she has made, she knows that if she could keep her testimony strong, she would be able to get through everything with God's help. 

The problem is, she isn't even sure God exists. And the paradox of all the lessons in church come down to one thing: how can Grace expect God to answer her prayers when she doesn't even believe? How would she be able to recognize the Holy Ghost testifying to her if she doesn't know what it feels like? Why would she deserve to have a testimony anyway?

Satan has put doubts in her mind. No matter what Grace does, they don't seem to be going away. 

But wait! Didn't I just say faith is like a little seed?!

When you plant a seed, you don't actually know if it will sprout, if it is a good seed. You have to have that smallest bit of desire to have a tree, enough to say "ya know, I'll see if this seed, this little seed, is the one! Today I will find out if this tree will give me good fruit!"

Alma 32:21 "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

The problem is,  (scanning memory for my favorite fruit...) a peach doesn't grow in one day. You have to keep nourishing it, feeding it, just in case that slight possibility of THIS SEED being the RIGHT SEED is true. 

When we plant the seed of faith, or begin to try out what God says and see if it works, we are taking the first step.  

Alma 32:27 "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can NO MORE THAN DESIRE to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. "

Even if you feel like you have zero faith whatsoever, but you still want to believe (whether it be about Heavenly Father, or the church, or you are praying about the Book of Mormon, etc) follow that desire, try it out. By experiencing it for yourself you will find out if it is true. 

So if the missionaries told Grace to read the Book of Mormon, and then pray if it was true, and then they PROMISED her that the Holy Ghost would answer, then what should Grace do? Well, she still doesn't know if The Book of Mormon or Bible is true, so why should she listen to these people anyways? Well, if she tries it out, then she will be able to find out if it is true. If it is not true, no harm done. 

If, while she's reading, it tells her to ____________ (fill in the blank with follow the prophet, or honor parents, or love people) then she should try it out. She should act on it to see if it is true and good, if it makes her life better. 

As it grows and a person feels the Holy Ghost, the small seed of faith will grow a little. Finally, after a lot of work and in the Lord's time, she will be able to taste the fruit of the tree. She will have a full knowledge that these things are true. 

Now, know that these things take time. But take it from someone who has been through it, GOD WILL ANSWER. I know because I have tried it. I have planted this seed of faith in my heart and then studied and studied and prayed and worked and tried and finally was able to say "Yes. I have felt the Spirit testify to me that these things are true"

I know that Heavenly Father loves us and will answer our prayers. 

<3. Eliza

P.S. See some other awesome testimony posts here:

Marie-Rose at Hope Always and Pray Constantly

Whitney at The Life of a Mormon Teen

Whitney at  Sprinkles on My Icecream

Spring!

Oh my goodness it has been a while. Gotta get back ontop of it!

I have no idea what this post will be about :).

Don't you just love springtime? It is new beginnings, Easter, growing, beauty, love joy and peace. I love all the flowers and birds and no snow. After a whole crazy winter, with -25 degrees and more inches of snow than I could count, I am grateful for the warmth. The sun on my face. The short sleeves. I love it!!!

Imagesource

Imagesource

Isn't it just beautiful!?

Take time outside today to enjoy the sun and watch butterflies and sit under cherry blossom trees. Life is so beautiful.

Can you believe that with all of God's incredible creations, we are the greatest? Don't believe me? Watch this:

<3 Eliza

Because of Him

This is the greatest video ever!!! What has changed in YOUR life because of Jesus Christ?

As we celebrate Easter, I hope we remember all the things Jesus Christ has done for us.

Don't forget to share on social media with the #becauseofhim!!!

This song is just amazing. I'm gonna share my favorite lines:

He's the one who healed the leper, and who brought the dead to life,

He's the one who fed the hungry, and gave the blind their site.

He's the one who walked on water, and who brought them safe to shore,

And whenever you may need him, he's the one you're looking for. 

So let him in: and he will take away the pain, 

Through his love, you'll never be the same,

Come unto Christ, come unto him. 

And by his grace be made holy again. 

He's calling your name, he's waiting for you:

With arms open wide...come unto Christ. 

It seriously is an amazing video and song. Please don't let the words fool you: THIS WILL TOUCH YOUR HEART. 

And even though this post is getting kinda long, I would like to bear my testimony of Jesus Christ, my Savior. 

I love Jesus Christ. He is my best friend. If you ever feel hopeless, he can heal you. If you ever feel alone, he will stand by you and comfort you. If you are ever doubting you left worth, he will open your eyes to the value of your life. He performed miracles in his life, and can do it for you right now. Jesus Christ died for you and for me. He knows every pain and sorrow, he has felt it. Your Savior willingly suffered the weight of your sins so that you could become clean. He makes it possible for us to have eternal life. 

Because of Him, I can be forgiven, and I can forgive.

Because of Him, we will be reunited with our families. 

Because of Him, we can have hope. There is always sunshine after the rain. 

Because of him, I can be a better person. 

Because of Him, I don't need to be afraid. 

because of him, I can be happy. Because of Him, well, all that I have become and will become is because of him. 

I love my Savior. 

<3 eliza

Refiner's Fire

In seminary yesterday, we learned about the refiners fire. They told this story that I really liked.

This lady was in a scripture study group when they came across how the days before Christ's second coming will be like a refiner's fire. She wanted to find out exactly what a silver smith does to "refine" the silver, so she went and talked to one.

When asked how he purifies silver, the smith said (oh my goodness! Coincidence that Joseph SMITH was the prophet that restored the church? ;) the smith said that he heats the metal up to temperatures extremely high, and he has to hold the metal over the center of the fire where it is the highest. This will soften the hard metal, causing impurities to rise to the top to be taken out.

She asked him if he sits and watches. The smith said he had to watch extremely carefully, because if the metal was left in the heat even a little bit overtime, then it would be damaged. Then she asked him when he knew it was done being purified. This man didn't know that she was doing this in a spiritual study, but check out what he said:

"Oh that's easy! The silver is done being purified when I can see my image in it!"

Wow!

God gives us the heat turned up way way high, to the point we are melting. But those trials soften our hard hearts and purify us. And when are we done? When his image is reflected in us.

It kinda reminds me of "have you received his image in your countenance?"  idea. (Alma 5)

Well, I just thought that was super cool. Gives us a new way to look at our trying and fiery times.


Love ya guys!

<3 Eliza

Conference!!

I'm so excited for general conference!

For those who do not know, us Mormons have a special broadcast twice a year where we listen to living prophets speak to us. Today we had two two-hour sessions and they were GREAT! If you wanna listen in tomorrow, you can on LDS.org, byutv, mormon channel. You should totally join in on the conversation at #LDSconf (btw guys it's trending right now on google+, how awesome is that?!?!). Anyway, yeah, at 12-2 and 4-6 eastern time or 10-12 and 2-4 mountain time. Prophets lead the church and they recieve revelation from God on how to guide the church. It's super inspirational and you can feel the Spirit a ton.





And now some of my favorite quotes from today and past general conference:

When Life is Dragging

So my mom shared this with me a couple weeks ago. I really like it. I think it's self explanatory ;)

Our True Identity

Today you readers are going to do a little activity with me. Yay! (I know, you love it!)

If you want to leave your answers in the comments, that would be great! I know you will help others with your testimony! But if they are too personal to share, then by all means, it had better go in a journal or something. I won't be offended :)

Fill this out in your head or on a piece of paper (or in my comments. That's great too!)

(Alright people, don't quit! I promise this is an uplifting exercise! I'm not trying to be gloomy)

Wait wait! But this post isn't supposed to be gloomy!

Soooo..... What I like/don't like about myself______________________________________________

Names I have called myself in the mirror (keep it PG, kids) _____________________________

What I wish I could be like______________________________________________________

What I would do if I weren't scared_______________________________________________

Now do this part honestly:

Times I have complemented myself today (hard to remember?) ______________________________

Times I have thought negatively about my situation, appearance, skills, gifts, etc today _______________

If you are anything like me (and the rest of the world) then there are a ton of things you would change about yourself, tons of opportunities you hold yourself back from because of fear, little good about you that you see, lots you wish you could have, and there are more negative thoughts about your life than there are positive.

Why is this? It's sad really.

There is so many more uplifting things you can do than point out the wrong in your life. But we do it all the time, self-consciously. When you look in the mirror, give yourself a break! Nobody is perfect!

So, now, wipe all those negative thoughts about yourself away. (Thanks Eliza. You just made me unhappy. Now what am I supposed to do?!) It might take a little work. Need some help? Watch this video: (Please, it is only like 3 minutes long, and I promise it will help change those negative feelings to positive ones)

Okay, that was a tear-jerker. But it is so true! Who has ever felt like the ugly duckling? Like no one loves him/her, like they are unusually large (I am SO there with you, bro) or ugly or untalented. The world taunts you because of your imperfections. But that is because they don't know who we will be.

Heavenly Father sees us as we truly are and who we can become. When you look into the mirror next time, I hope you can see beyond imperfections, and see the true beauty that lies within you.

So try this again:

What I like about myself_____________________________________________________________

What I can do to remind myself of my true worth (like putting a sticky note on the mirror to remind you to not let those criticizing thoughts creep up on you, but that you are a child of God) __________________

What I will do now_________________________________________________________________

Things I am grateful for, reasons I am grateful for being me____________________________________

If I were to meet Uchtdorf, what I would say to him :) ________________________________________

How I can help others realize they are swans________________________________________________


I feel like I use this topic a lot, but I think it is really important. Remember that God made you who you are, that all trials will work together for your good, and that you are a swan. Even if you feel like an ugly duckling, you truly are a swan!!

<3 Eliza

Lessons from the Principals Office

So today during the last ten minutes of school, I find myself sitting uncomfortably in Mr. Fidelibus's office (isn't that an AWESOME name for a vice principal? Anyway...). This morning started out kinda stormy, I felt sick, seminary wasn't too great (I hate it when that happens), I had a quiz later that I hadn't studied enough for, yadda yadda yadda. The end of the day was the only part that was actually fun for me, hanging out with friends during activity period, and now I was missing it.

He was dealing with another student, so it gives the next victim (me) time to have the wheels in my head turning about what I did wrong. Frantically, I grasped about what I could've possibly done. I hadn't skipped fourth period lately (or ever), I didn't cus at a girl or punch a boy. But still, being in that office scares me. It felt like the walls were going to close down and tell me all the mistakes I had done and that I would have to stay after school for the forsaken detention. Scary, right? (I think I've actually had nightmares about the principals office)

Well, nothing was wrong! I was only being asked to stand as a witness in an act that I had seen happen. I had thought I was innocent, but to hear him tell me "you're not in trouble" was so nice.

I was thinking about that. Life is like this. It starts out a little troublesome maybe, there's some mistakes and trials we need to go through, but by the end we should be all clean and joyful, with a strong family and testimony and joy and peace because we've repented. Then all of a sudden, we are summoned away (however, it will probably be joyful, not "bummer I don't get to talk with my friends." Although... I guess we will miss our family members for a short while...). Anyway, we die. We go to the spiritual "waiting room" and then we finally get called into God's office. I don't know about you, but I think it would be the most amazing thing to hear "you're not in trouble" from my Father in a Heaven. I want to stand as a witness for Jesus Christ.

To make sure we can have that peace in this life and in the next, we need to constantly be reflecting on our actions and faith. Are we on the path God would have us be on? Are we praying? Is there anything we need to repent of?

I want to be ready.

I am so grateful for my Savior, who makes it possible to be forgiven of our sins and to have the peace and feel the Spirit.

<3 Eliza

Ps. Oh! And I finally added pics and memes to the pics and memes page! Thanks for bring patient. :D

Easter Eggs

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Didn't you always love Easter egg hunts as a kid? They were always super exciting and fun to race your friends t find how many sweet treats you can find hidden in tree branches, under rocks, or in the creek. I miss those days. 

It's cool how now Disney and Pixar put a bunch of "Easter eggs" hidden throughout their videos. Whenever there's a boring part, or we've seen the movie too many times, our family searches for these Easter eggs. Whether it's a hidden Mickey or Buzz Lightyear, we always get super excited when we find them. 

Sometimes our life seems dull. Boring. Overdone and routine and going through the motions. How are we supposed to enjoy life when we are in this drought? What if we searched for the hidden Easter eggs?

What are some little things that make life brighter? How have you seen God's hand in your life today?

I think he gives us more blessings than we could ever imagine. As you look throughout the day, maybe make it a goal to find as many hidden Easter eggs and treats as you can. If you feel like nothing is going your way (or the Easter eggs are too high in the tree), then make some Easter eggs for other people. I personally love making little 2 inch "warm fuzzy books" for people with each page having a picture or sticker and a word telling them how much I care about them. It's super sweet and they love it because it looks like it takes effort and it's thoughtful, but it's not too hard to make. Or writing notes and leaving them in special places for people. Or smiling at them in the hallway. 

Believe it or not, as you create Easter eggs for others, you will be doubly creating extra for yourself! Take every opportunity for good! Look for the tender mercies God has placed in your life! You never know how much brighter you could be!

<3 Eliza

I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go

Another day of moving blues. Seriously, if you have the chance to not move, take it.

There are so many times that I desperately wanna go back. Back in time, back to Virginia, back to old friends, back to memories. I hope that when we die, we get to watch all our old memories on a tv screen, or better yet, go into a simulator or something to relive good memories. Oh don't you wish!

I have this little book next to my bed. It's a gospel art book. I absolutely LOVE gospel art. The title of it is "Wherever He Leads Me." I bought it a week before moving.

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How I love this little book! Today, some of my old friends contacted me, and we talked a while. And it was just so sad. Because people keep living without you there. Life goes on. After that kinda ruining my night (it was great to hear from them, but it just made me sad ) I felt like I should listen to the hymn "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go." I knew most of the words, but not all of them. This phrase really stuck out to me:

But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I’ll go where you want me to go.
So trusting my all to thy tender care,
And knowing thou lovest me,
I’ll do thy will with a heart sincere:
I’ll be what you want me to be.

I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and has power to do all things, including letting all things work together for my good. He knows what is best for me, even if I do not. And he will guide me step by step, holding my hand. So I need to submit to his will.

But why is it so hard in the moment?

I'm going to kinda piggy-back off of Marie-Rose's post here from Hope Always And Pray Constantly. I think the reason why life is so hard is because we don't see all the pieces of the puzzle. We feel so small, and we're trying to stretch really high so we can see what the final picture is supposed to look like, but it just isn't working. Our scope is too small, and we can't see all the puzzle pieces, much less envision what the beautiful picture will be.

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This is because we do not have an eternal perspective. But guess what? There is one person who sees all the puzzle pieces, and he knows exactly how they should all fit together and what amazing thing they can make in the end! Heavenly Father has a eternal perspective and knows what will best lead us to that happily ever after that we want. Sadly, it is kind of impossible to reach amazing things without going beyond our comfort zone.

We need to trust Heavenly Father. I need to. Sometimes I wish I was back in Virginia. I think of all the good I could be doing there, and all the comfort and love I would feel. But other times I am so grateful to live here, and thank Him for showing me love and peace and goodness.

I will go where he wants me to go. I will be what he wants me to be.

<3 Eliza

PS whew! That feels so much better, doesn't it?