Power of a Smile

(Copyright Intellectual Reserve and lds.org)

Today was kinda a blah day. Rain. I wish I could dance in the rain. 

I heard this story once about a guy who went everyday to this bridge. He would smile and wave at every car that would pass by. In the beginning, people would sometimes wave back. But for a while nobody smiled back at him. This really hurt him, and one day he wrote a note and left it in his apartment saying that if nobody smiled at him that day he would jump the bridge into the river. He had no family or friends, and so those smiles people gave him was his world. When that stopped, his world stopped. That day no one smiled at him. :(

I hope your smile never needs to be a factor into a life or death situation, but the point is, you never know what struggle or pain is going on in a person's life. So you should try to brighten everyone's day. Smile at people you pass in the hall. Give a compliment to someone you barely know. 

There was a girl I knew once. She was a little overweight, and bullied a lot. She was quiet and barely looked into peoples faces because she was afraid that she would get hurt. 

I kept feeling like I should do something nice for her. I would smile and talk to her sometimes, but I knew I could do better. So for valentines day, I decided to give her a valentine. Now you must understand, back then, Fundip was gold and if you got it for a valentine you were forever in their debt. 

When I gave her that Fundip, her face lit up so much. She looked at me and tentatively asked, " for me?"  She probably hadn't gotten any valentines day cards or candy yet, and watched on the side as others received gifts galore. 

She moved away a week later. I was so grateful to have shown her that small kindness, to let her know that someone cared about her. I hope she is doing better where she lives now. I hope she knows how much her Father in heaven loves her. 

I would feel so guilty if I hadn't been kind to her before she moved away. So don't procrastinate your kindness. You don't know what effect you can make on people. :)

Go make someone smile for me ;)

Come Unto Christ 2014

(Copyright Intellectual Reserve and lds.org)

Come Unto Christ is the youth theme for 2014! I love it!

We've had some great themes the past couple years. Keep arising and shining and standing and be not moved! But I think this years is amazing! Truly an inspired theme!

Moroni 10:32 says:

32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. (Moroni 10:32)

I have personally felt the effects of coming to Christ. Truly, after being cleansed and forgiven and made perfect through Christ, there is no way I can now deny my testimony. I know that God lives and loves us, for he sent his son. I know for a fact that God is real and is watching over us, for he has changed things in my life I could not have changed by myself. Attitudes have been improved, thoughts have been purified, despair has been vanquished, and hope has replaced all the darkness of the world. There is no earthly or humanly possible way I could have done that on my own, for I had already tried. Only when I humbled myself and truly asked for God's help was I able to feel that peace.

To come unto Christ means to leave behind our doubt, fear, and sin, and humble ourselves. Let him heal you.

One of my other favorite parts of this verse is "his grace is sufficient." No matter how many mistakes you've made, no matter how many times you've stumbled or doubted or feared or rebelled, no matter how short you may fall of the glory of God, Christ's grace is sufficient for YOU. He loves  Helen, Mady, Rachel, Marie rose, Katie, Nicole, Sherri, Valerie, Caroline, mark, John, Amanda, Eliza, James, Seth, jack, Madison, Dylan, McKenna, Mckenzie, Gerdy, Mary, Alice, Tyler, Makayla, Adam, Stacy, Victoria, Brandon, Matthew, Max, Elizabeth, Samantha, Whitney, Brittany, Stephanie, Sarah, Gwen, Bryan, Brad, Gabby, Emily, Louiza, Lissa, Molly, Megan, Bailey, Parker, Brock, Austin, Jake, Lindsey, and: You. If I missed your name leave it in a comment and I'll add it on here, because Christ loves you.

Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him.