I Believe in Christ

This Christmas I'm focused on Christ. All my presents are focused on bringing the receiver closer to Christ and his love. It is such an outstanding project and so worth it. The compassion I feel for everyone and most importantly my Savior is overwhelming. I'm so grateful I'm the youngest in my family and Santa no longer exists, Christmas is about Jesus Christ as it should be. I love this time of year when I get to take time away from the busy world and focus on what matters most. All my SayGoBeDos are focused on making Christ more pronounced in CHRISTmas. Through little acts of service, extra time spent on those in need, making all my gifts encourage the light of Christ, spending my free time bettering myself  and making all my decorations Christ centered I'm really able to make this time of year special. 

"Joy to the world, the Lord has come!"

 I challenge you to really ask yourself how you would like your Christmas to be this year and to listen to those SayGoBeDos to make it worth remembering. He came for a purpose and lived a perfect, magnificent life, it is the least we can do to make one month all about him.

“There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus the Christ.”

—President Thomas S. Monson

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" -John 14:27

Simple Sets the Path

I've taken alot of time to ponder as to what to write and I hope to be able to say what I need to say. My Thanksgiving turned out much different than I had expected and things continued to go dowwnnn. I really wanted to invite people for dinner because it was going to be so fancy and my family definitely don't care all that much. By the day before I realized I wouldn't be able to invite a homeless person or a elderly person and got pretty bummed out. But I still persisted in inviting people who might be alone on Thanksgiving. Even on Thanksgiving day we continued to invite people. Not a single person could come. My spirits were so low and any hope I had of making Thanksgiving great was gone. There was alot of tension in our home and an hour before dinner was ready I gave up and went crying to my room. The food I was most excited for I didn't make, the stuffing I spend hours on got ruined and I just didn't care anymore. I spent the afternoon in my room talking to an inspiring friend on the phone, reading my scriptures and I sung every hymn out of the hymn book that I knew. Of course the feelings were alot deeper than about a ruined dinner and not being able to have someone over but none the less I got through it. My dad finished dinner and we all sat down to eat, then everyone discovered the notes I had written the day before on the name tags at the table. My goal of writing thank you notes I had accomplished and it ended up being a Thanksgiving miracle. I had written everyone in my family a thank you note and then in return, while sitting at the table, they all passed around my blank name card and wrote a note to me. As I sat there reading the notes from my parents and brothers tears rolled down my cheek. I had been brought so low that this tiny act brought me so far back up. I suppose that if things are as fantastic as we always plan, we can become ungrateful for the little things and the reminders that really matter. Although my Thanksgiving was far from fantastic, it was meaningful. And by being so simple, it really set me off on a good path for Christmas. This Christmas is already different from all the others and I'm really taking the time to become close to my Savior. SayGoBeDos are coming back again. For the sake of not overwelming you with really long posts I will post my recent Saygobedos on a new post. But the moral of this is to say that:

Having fantastic SayGoBeDos are great some times and give up opportunities to be great; but sometimes we must go back to the basics. To as simple as saying thank you or holding on to those close to us. We need to be able to do the things that are easy in order to make room enough for those that are hard to accomplish. If any of you are like me, you need reminded on how simple things really are. And that those simple things are so important in the long run.

By looking simply, I can now look on to a compassionate, calming, joyful and light Christmas. Join me in my journey?

Friends!

Something that has really struck me lately is the SayGoBeDo's that I've received concerning my friends!  For reasons I don't know, I have received a lot more of these lately, and each SayGoBeDo I have followed has brought me closer to my friends in ways that otherwise wouldn't be possible.  I challenge all of you to really listen when you are with your friends or even when you are just thinking of your friends.  If you have a thought such as "I bet that person would really like a phone call, a visit, a hug, some encouragement etc." then follow it, because chances are, that person really DOES need that!  If you follow the SayGoBeDo's you receive about friends, your friendships will grow to new levels and you will better understand each other.  The feeling it creates is undescribable when you cultivate true relationships and have long lasting friends :)

God works in mysterious ways

Lately, I have been searching for a job.  I haven't had one since October, and not having any money to spend is so frustrating!  I've been relying on my parents a lot, and I feel too dependent and not interdependent enough.  I've been applying to all sorts of places, praying a TON and just hoping a job would show up.  About a month ago I applied to Noodles & Company and honestly thought I was going to get the job.  I waited, and waited, and waited.  I knew I was following a SayGoBeDo by applying there, so I was wondering why I wasn't getting a call back.  Then, I got really sick and was in bed for about two weeks.  I realized that it was a good thing I didn't get a job then.  Then after I was better, a friend who works at the movies was saying that the movie theatre was hiring.  Right then I had a SayGoBeDo to apply, so I went home and applied! I asked this friend to put in a good word for me, and called the theatre to make sure they got my application.  It's been a few days and sure enough, I got a call tonight and I have an interview set up!  This is SUCH an answer to my prayers and I am so thankful to myself that I listened to my SayGoBeDo!  I know that sometimes when we follow SayGoBeDo's, they won't turn out, as with my first attempt, but there are always lessons that will be learned when you follow a SayGoBeDo.  Although it may seem like things aren't going your way at the time, in the end things WILL turn out when you choose to follow a SayGoBeDo!!