Tender Mercies

It never ceases to amaze me how aware my Heavenly Father is of me. He always knows what quote I need to read or what verse I need to study in the scriptures or what will make my burdens light. I can feel his love for me so strongly tonight as I reflect on my day today (and yesterday) and his obvious hand in the way things played out.

I feel like I am supposed share this personal experience with you all, so here we go…

Lately I have been reflecting a lot on the tender mercies of the Lord, so when I saw this yesterday I saved it onto my computer:

Love this quote!

Well because of my recent reflection (I can see now), today during my scripture study I felt inspired to start the Book of Mormon from the beginning, rather than study specific topics like I have been recently. As I was reading I came across this verse, which made a strong impression on me:

[…] But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. –1 Nephi 1:20

I took time to ponder that verse then listed out several tender mercies I have been given this school year in my scripture journal, finished my scripture study, and moved onto my homework. However, I quickly became stressed and distracted due to my impossible workload and forgot about that verse for a while. Thank goodness the Lord sent me a reminder : )

As I was working I became completely overwhelmed with the sheer amount of homework I had been assigned to be turned in tomorrow, not to mention the hard difficulty level. It would be literally impossible to complete it all and actually get some much needed sleep. Thankfully it was time for dinner about then… I really needed to take a break. Later, when I got back onto the computer to continue working on one of my assignments (one of the largest, most time consuming ones) I noticed a message from my friend was waiting for me. When I opened it she told me that the assignment I was about to keep working on was no longer due tomorrow and that my teacher had extended the deadline five days.

It doesn’t seem like much to most people but as soon as I read that message I KNEW without a doubt that it was a tender mercy from the Lord. I couldn’t help but kneel down right there and say a prayer of thanks, haha. My teacher who gave that assignment isn’t always the most reasonable about our workload so him moving a due date is definitely a miracle and the Lord definitely had a hand in it. I felt (and still feel) so much peace and comfort because I know he is looking out for me (Related post here). He delivered me from an insane amount of homework just like Nephi said he would : )

I have to get back to my homework now but felt I needed to write that down. I want to expand on this topic some more though because it has been weighing heavily on my mind as of late. Look forward for that in upcoming posts and keep your eyes out for tender mercies of the Lord! They aren’t hard to find.

// Sara //

God is on Your Side

I absolutely love this quote and think of it often whenever I feel sad or lonely. I am never alone and neither are you. God is always on your side if you are trying to do what is right.

What a great thing to always remember…

This quote is great too and sooo true:

Stay on the Lord’s side, and you will win every time. -Elder Richard G. Scott

Have a great day and remember that you aren’t alone!

// Sara //

We Are Children of God

If you grew up LDS then you have undoubtedly heard that phrase countless times. If you are anything like me, than you sang the Hymn, “I Am a Child of God” so many times that you often find yourself humming it from time to time.

But what does it really mean to be a child of God? What does it entail? I love the way President Gordon. B. Hinkely explained it to the children here:

You have an earthly father. He is your mother’s dear companion. I hope you love him and that you are obedient to him. But you have another father. That is your Father in Heaven. He is the Father of your spirit, just as your earthly father is the father of your body. And it is just as important to love and to obey your Father in Heaven as it is to love and obey your earthly father […] If you really know that you are a child of God, you will also know that He expects much of you, His child. He will expect you to follow His teachings and the teachings of His dear Son, Jesus. He will expect you to be generous and kind to others. He will be offended if you swear or use foul language. He will be offended if you are dishonest in any way, if you should cheat or steal in the slightest. He will be happy if you remember the less fortunate in your prayers to Him. He will watch over you and guide you and protect you. He will bless you in your schoolwork and in your [church classes]. He will bless you in your home, and you will be a better boy or girl, obedient to your parents, quarreling less with your brothers and sisters, helping about the home.

He wants our righteousness and happiness, just like any good father would. He loves you more than you can imagine. And having knowledge of that can make a huge impact on your life. It changes your perspective. It helps you realize you have someone in heaven who you can turn to and receive guidance, help, and comfort from, just like you could turn to your earthly father. It helps you come to understand your divine destiny and infinite worth.

This talk by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf is on of the BEST talks I have ever heard on the subject. Here is an excerpt:

Its fills me with awe and wonder every time I hear it, especially this part:

The most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love. […] He wants you to know that you matter to him.

“Who are we? We are children of God” as Elder Russel M. Nelson said here in another wonderful talk.

It fills me with such peace, joy and happiness to know that I have a father in Heaven who knows me by name, loves me, cares for me, wants what is best for me, and sees me as I may become, even when I can’t see it myself.

I hope that everyone can come to the knowledge that they, too, are a child of God.

// Sara //

I Dare You

And so it begins. Post numero one.

I just wanted to do a quick little post about why I choose the title/subtitle of this blog. (Don’t forget to check the about and information pages!)

I don’t know who that is by, but when I saw that short little poem it inspired me more than you know.

Dare to stand alone:
In todays world it is not uncommon to be the only one who holds the high standards that members of the Latter-Day Saint (LDS) church have. (Learn about these standards here.) It is so easy to just give into peer pressure. The world is constantly telling you “It’s okay that your shorts don’t go to your knees. It’s cute! Plus nobody will notice. A few inches isn’t a big deal.” or “Marriage isn’t all that important because it will probably end in divorce anyways, etc.” I know that sounds harsh, but that is what popular culture is telling everyone. According to the world, you can do whatever you want because #yolo (you only live once).
But that isn’t true. We are all held accountable to the Lord, and his standards are much higher than the world’s. Yes, it is hard to keep the standards. But it is worth it. I promise.
Never be afraid to stand up for what you know is right. As it says in Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” I dare you to stand alone.

Dare to have a purpose firm:
We are all here on this earth for two reasons: 1/ To gain a body and 2/ To be tested and to try to become like Jesus Christ.
That is your purpose. Never forget it. You can check #1 off the list because if you are reading this, you obviously have a body. On the other hand, #2 is a continuous, life long process. You are going to have trials that you think are unbearable. I know I have. But I’ve gotten through them and have become a better person for them. We don’t struggle in vain. Every trial is given for a reason. It will help you grow and learn in ways that you couldn’t other wise. I like to look at trials as “blessons” or “lessons that bring blessings.” Just looking at trials in that light completely changes my perspective and helps me better handle what I am dealt. Stand firm in your purpose to grow and become more like the Savior. I dare you.

Dare to make it known:
Never be afraid to let others known you are a Mormon or any other type of Christian. Let them see you and want to learn more about Christ just because they know you, as this quote (one of my favorites) suggests: Don’t shine so that others will see you. Shine so that through you, others will see him.”
Share the gospel with others! You won’t regret it. I find that the more I open my mouth to let others know about the joy I find in the gospel, the happier I feel and, oftentimes, the happier they feel as well.
I remember, on my first day of high school, my chemistry teacher had us go around the room and introduce ourselves by saying our name and something interesting about ourselves. My friends asked what I wanted to say and I told them I was going to let everyone know I am LDS. They loved the idea. There were four of us and we all said: “Hi, I’m _____, and I’m a Mormon.” The reactions of everyone were pretty funny and we definitely got a lot of questions about it the rest of the year. I am so glad I wasn’t afraid to let them know who I am.
Moral of the story: proclaim, “I’m a Mormon/Christian!” Not only verbally, but through your actions. You probably have a bigger influence on people than you realize, so make the fact that you follow Christ known. I dare you.

I absolutely love this little poem and it has become a motto for me, even though I didn’t see it until recently. I hope you can appreciate it as much as I do and allow it to help you in your life. I am a Mormon and I don’t take that lightly. It is a huge part of me and of my life and I can’t wait to share that with you.

// Sara //