Often, when someone is talking about a not-so-active church goer, they refer to that person as going "on Easter and Christmas."
Those holidays are special. They both celebrate something pretty dang important.
Jesus Christ. Our Savior, Redeemer, and brother. He lived for us, died for us, and lives again. Because of that feat, we all get to live again and have to opportunity to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.
I am so grateful for my Savior. I know this sounds cliche, and maybe it is, but it's still TRUE.
Because of him, I get to live with my family forever, continue in eternal progression, find joy during hardships, forgive, be forgiven, be cleaner, be stronger, be better, and become my fullest self.
I rely on him for so much. Some say religion is a crutch for weak people. I say: we're ALL weak. We all need someone to lean on. Those who have a religion are the people who've figured that out.
I'm so happy to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that the gospel is on the earth in its fullness and it can help anyone. No matter what your problem, trial, weakness, pain, or tribulation, Christ's Atonement covered it. We don't have to pay for something that's already been paid for. Don't carry stones of guilt, sadness, or anger on your back. Take upon the yoke of Christ for "[His] yoke is easy, and [his] burden is light." That's the only way life can feel easy; if you get your support from the Son.
I love my Savior. I can never say it enough times or in strong enough language. He gave up everything for me and I hope I never take it for granted. Please remember what's most important and keep that in the forefront of your desires.
Happy Easter, everyone.
Well, this is it.
This is The End.
Not of my blog.
It's the end of this semester.
I learned a lot of important things this semester. About life, the universe, and everything.
That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but even though I'm not in school, this was a study of...living.
I had my first full time job.
I learned how to deal with 40 hours of doing the exact same thing, standing in one spot. I learned that if you let them, your co-workers can be a kind of second family. I met a lot of people I never thought I would learn to like but now, I'm sad to leave. I learned that multi-tasking is possible, but NOT good customer service. I learned that I love to make people laugh, and it is possible to flirt with someone in a 2 minute conversation. I saw people of every walk of life--homeless, students, rich, middle class, beautiful, homely, happy, sad, black, white, brown...I connected with people from each of these classes. I love to make a connection--a smile, a joke, a shared feeling about something random like periods or going to the gym. I learned that people love being remembered, especially their name. Names are powerful. Listen to your boss, be helpful, be PROACTIVE, and be happy. No one likes a grumpy cashier.
I learned that age is really not that important. My ward was, on average, 7 years older than me. I loved them, though. They had a lot more life experience and wisdom than I did but I never felt excluded because of the difference. One of my favorite people in the ward was 9 years older than me but we got along fantastically. People are people are people. Never discount someone because of their age--old or young.
I learned that family is the best (but I kinda already knew this one).
A hard week could be turned into the best week if I spent a little time with one of my siblings, or maybe even saw my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Never forget how important your family is.
I learned that being happy is a choice. Sometimes I'd feel very alone, bored, unexcited, and just over it. Going to the gym, reading a book, talking to friends, or just listening to music could help everything feel better. But I had to WANT to feel better.
I learned the value of a good night's sleep. In the fall, I'd stay up til at least 1 o'clock every night. I couldn't do that these last few months, because I often had to wake up at 6:30am. Working 8 hours on 4 hours of sleep is NOT fun. I went to bed before midnight almost every night. THAT was a good thing to learn.
I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I'm not a partier. And that's ok. I learned that I'm way more of a people person than I thought I was. I'm not really an introvert anymore. I love making Ceasar Salad. I don't like dogs, unless they're shorter than 15 inches. I flirt with too many people. I'm overly fearless. I have a sugar addiction--legitimately. I learned how to spend money and how to tip my server.
Last of all, I learned this: Mom was right. About everything. I love you, Mom. <3
