Memorial day

Arlington National Cemetery

 With today as Memorial Day, I would like to write and remember the great men and women who serve our country every day. We live in a country that is free. That concept seems simple to us, but that is truly a luxury most in the world do not have. The concept of liberty and of inalienable rights is one that we are truly blessed to have. It is also constantly under attack by those throughout the world who wish to destroy the freedom we enjoy.

There are millions in the world who live every day in fear, fear of punishment for actions we in America take for granted. We are allowed to speak our minds, attend college, and worship as we choose. Women can vote, own their own homes, and compete with men in the workplace. Children are protected and the law is administered justly. These blessings are not found in much of the world today. And though the system we have does not run perfectly and the law is not always kept, we should feel blessed to live in this country and enjoy the rights that are protected within our Constitution.

My Grandpa, John R. Helms.

 Throughout the course of our nations history, there have been men and women who have fought valiantly to protect our God-given rights as human beings. From the the Founding Fathers to those serving now, we owe the life of this country. And not only do they protect us, they also fight every day to bring the same security to everyone.

I honor them for their sacrifice and will remember them always from their strength, courage, and love. How thankful and how blessed we are for those who fight every day to bring peace into this world.

Peace

 Sharing time! So, here's an experience I had last night that I wanted to share. I won't go into anything personal but I just wanted to share what I learned(or rather, re-learned). It's a beautiful doctrine that sometimes I need help remembering.

So, last night I was very sad about some things and didn't understand why I was struggling again when I had worked so hard to move past certain trials. Anyways, I took out my scriptures and read Mark 4:38-40, which takes place when the disciples were on the ship in the storm and Christ was asleep. It says,

"Master, carest thou not that we perish?" And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them,"Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?"

Well, I read this and began to cry because it was exactly what I needed to hear. You see, I was sitting there asking,"Why am I alone and sad? I've worked so hard to do what I've been asked to do and I am still scared and lost. Carest thou not?" And the answer was the same as it's always been,"Trust me, have faith in me. Peace, be still."

There are times in our lives when we feel like the trials are too large, the sadness is too much, our burden is too heavy to bear. But we are not alone in our trials. The Savior is always there to calm the storms in our lives. He is there to lift us up, comfort us, and bring peace in times when it seems like there is none to be found. And all He asks is, "Do you trust me?"

Looking back on my life I have seen the guiding hand of the Lord and it amazes me how very perfect His plan is. I am happier now than ever before and that is because I know I am being lead to something much better. I know that the Savior is there for us at all times. We have no reason to be afraid because He stands with us. Don't lose your faith and don't give up. He will bring you peace.

An End

Well, the end of another semester draws near. As I look back on the past 9 months I can't help but be overwhelmed by how much I have grown and how much I have been blessed. 9 months ago I was in a sad place and so scared about the future. Though my circumstances are still practically the same, I have changed. It's amazing how trials can do that.

So, in commemoration of this year I decided to compile a list of the things I have learned.

1. We are never alone. No matter how dark the path seems we are never walking it alone.
2. School is important. Learn all you can. Not only does it help you see the world differently, but it also helps you to know yourself better(and as you can tell I am not an English major.)
3. Laughter really is the best medicine. Laugh about anything and everything. 
4. There can be joy found no matter the circumstances of life. Remember happiness is everywhere, you just have to find it.
5. To love someone means to accept them for who they are and seeing them as they may become. To love is to look past their flaws and see their potential. However, it does not mean you need to submit yourself to being used, or carrying heavy burdens that are not yours to bear. 
6. It's okay to be sad as long as you pick yourself up and start again.
7. Ice cream helps you not be so sad.
8. Friends and family can be your biggest support, even if you don't realize it at first.
9. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. It is real, it is true, and it creates miracles. 
10. Prayer is powerful. 
11. Though bad things happen, there are good and beautiful things in this world.
12. Running is the cure for stress, sadness, annoyance, anger, frustration, sorrow, loneliness,etc. Also, chocolate. That works too.
13. Music is heavenly. It has a power that nothing else on this earth has. 
14. There is strength found in scripture.
15. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the one true church on the earth today. 

And that's just a few things. All I know is that I have so much faith and so much happiness. Through trials we learn things we couldn't have any other way. We become something better than we are. Looking back on this year I know I have been blessed beyond anything I deserve, and for that I am grateful. And as this school year comes to an end I am so thankful for the new beginnings! Time for more learning and more growing. This is going to be a good year, I can tell. 

Good

 Tonight I just listened to a video on youtube, "Mormon Tabernacle Choir Flash-mob". (Yeah, that's right. MoTab has it going on!). They sang a fight song from the Revolutionary War at a memorial event. It filled me with so much peace and hope and thankfulness to those who fought, and continue to fight, for our freedom.

Yesterday were the horrible events at the Boston Marathon. I was appalled. Whenever I hear stories like that I am filled with such a deep sadness. I just don't understand how there can be such evil in the world. It pains me to think of the horrors that occur every day throughout the world. And yet I know there a good people in the world. When people come together to lift each other up, when they love and support each other, when you see people comfort those they don't even know, that gives me hope.

Though dark and scary things exist, the world is a good place with good people. There is beauty found everyday if we're willing to see it. Darkness cannot exist if there is light. And guess what? There is always light as long as there is love. That may sound cheesy but it's true. Love is the ultimate conqueror. It replaces despair with hope, sadness with joy, darkness with light.

I'll leave again today with another quote(this is another of my favorites. Get ready)

There was never a night or problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.-Bern Williams

There's good in the world, remember that.

Swimming Lessons

 Let me tell you a story.


Years ago, I was a swimmer. Not to brag, but for a little 12 year old kid I was pretty good. No Michael Phelps, but I was decent enough for coaches to push me harder than the others and tell me to join the swim team. It was pretty big deal back then, don't judge. Also, I beat all the boys. (Seeing the most popular guy in school punch the sand after getting second place is still one of the sweetest moments of my life.) My coach wanted me to keep going, but I was scared. Moving to a new swim team and while only knowing freestyle, how could I possibly do that? What if no one liked me? What if I was actually a bad swimmer and embarrassed myself in front of everyone?

All those thoughts now seem so dumb. You only know one stroke? Well, I'm sure they'll teach you the other ones. No one will like you? I'm sure at least one person will befriend the new girl. But you know, that didn't logically make sense in my head. Nope, those thoughts were the most terrifying possibilities that could ever happen. So what did I do? I quit.

My dad spent months/ years trying to get me back into the water and I wouldn't go. I still haven't  jumped in the pool other than for recreation since then. And that makes me so sad. I let all those 'what if's' turn into the biggest, what if I had kept going? I probably/most likely/most definitely wouldn't be an Olympic gold medalist or record setter, but I do sometimes think of all those people I didn't meet and the experiences I never had.

Now, I'm not one of those people who believes in continually beating yourself up over the past. There's nothing I can do about it now. And because I didn't swim, I was able to focus on piano, which has become one of the greatest joys in my life. I can think of nothing more peaceful than sitting down at the bench and letting those keys make music.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I allowed myself to miss out on an opportunity because I was scared. And that is no reason to quit. You can be nervous, scared, downright terrified. But don't let that stop you. You never know what could happen. Maybe you'll become the next great athlete, or the next rockstar. But at the very least you tried and you learned. Failure is a verb, it requires action. When people say to me, "Well, that did not turn out how I was expecting," I think to myself, "Good for you. You failed-you tried." Don't let fear of failure keep you from taking those steps.

To end, let me leave you with one of my favorite sayings:

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." - Les Brown

Go out, be happy, have fun, and don't be afraid to fail. You never know what could happen.

Thoughts on a Mountain #1

As mentioned in my last post, I went to Zion's National Park a couple weeks ago. Our first day in Snow Canyon, we spent the hour before sunset on top of a mountain reflecting on the things we learned. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it was probably the highlight of my trip.

Anyways, we came up with a lot of things we had learned and I'd like to share a few. Especially with today being Good Friday, I've been thinking about the Savior and His Atonement. So, here's the first story.

Some of the mountains we climbed that first day were pretty steep. Me, being a little nervous of heights, decided it was best to scoot down on my butt on some of the more steep things. But as a result, I got a little dusty, and though most of the dust would come off, there was still a mark. My friend laughed at me the whole day because dust shows up pretty well on black pants. But, there's actually a good message there.  So here's thought #1:

Sometimes you fall and get a little dusty. But one day it will all be washed clean.

You see, sometimes we fall. We make mistakes, we mess up, we do things we shouldn't. It is so easy to get angry with ourselves. We tell ourselves that we will never do that again. And then we do it. And then we promise ourselves we're done for good. And then we mess up again. But we need to remember that, though we may fall, we will one day be washed clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

It is not possible to be perfect in this life. But the point of this life is to make the Atonement effective in our lives so we will one day be perfected. Heavenly Father knows that we are not capable of perfection on our own, that is why He sent His son. Christ is the only way we can become like our Father in Heaven, and yet He knows it takes longer than a lifetime to reach that.

That's why we have the Atonement. It is for those times when we make mistakes, when we fall, when we make that decision we probably shouldn't have made, and when we get scared and have to scoot our way through. Through repentance we are able to wash those marks away and become clean once more.

Since we are human we must still deal with the consequences of our actions. That's the faint mark left after the fall. But we know that one day it will be completely washed away. It's a daily process, something we must work at constantly and diligently. But the Savior has given us the way back. He has given us the way to become perfect.  

Taking the Step

I had an experience a couple days ago that has stuck with me and I feel like I need to share.

This weekend I was able to travel to St. George, UT to do some hiking. We spent our first day climbing around in Snow Canyon. One of the places we explored were these lava tubes, which are basically these caves you can climb down to made by lava millions of years ago. Pretty legit.

Well, the third cave we got to was a little difficult to maneuver. In order to get out, you need to get up to this ledge and climb onto another ledge that's about 4-5 feet off the ground, with basically no hand or foot holds. The easiest thing to do is have someone already on the second ledge to pull you up.

We were down in this cave with a group of kids. They were jumping around going crazy so we stuck to ourselves and climbed around the cave. As we were in one of the little tunnels, I heard crying from one of the little girls. I went out to see what was wrong and make sure she was alright.

She was the last one of the kids to get pulled out of the cave. Her dad was on the ledge, reaching out to her and saying, "Just give me your hand and I'll pull you out." But she couldn't do it. She stood there clinging to the wall, crying, wanting to reach her dad but too afraid to let go of the wall. I ran over and picked her up and her dad pulled her up onto the ledge.

I've been thinking a lot about that experience the past few days. The sound of her crying has stayed with me. She just sounded so scared. Then I understood.

You see, we have a Heavenly Father who is reaching out to us. He is saying, "You just need to give me your hand and I will pull you up to me." And we stand there scared.We know what we need to do, but that step seems too much. We can't move or reach out. It feels like there's no way we can get out of that hole. It's during those time that the Savior comes. He hears our cries and comes to us. He will pick us up, He will wipe away our tears, and He will lift us up so we can reach our Father's hand. 

We don't need to be scared of taking that step. We know that we have someone there to support us. And even if we fall or take a wrong step, we can never fall so low that Christ can't lift us up. The darkness that may surround us, the mistakes we may have made, the trials we have that seem to hold us back can never separate us from Christ. He is always there. Always. He will never leave us alone. Though we may feel lost and scared, we can trust that He will come and save us and lift us higher. And with that knowledge we can rejoice and find peace and happiness even during those times when we are walking blindly.

When you are that little girl, crying and feeling alone, remember that you have a Savior who will come and lift you up. Trust in His Atonement, have faith that He can heal and strengthen you. He will hear your cries and He will come.