A few nights ago as I was getting ready for bed, my friend texted me and asked if I was going to help out with a service babysitting opportunity. Without a second thought, I replied that I wasn't planning on it. I'd helped out in this sort of service experience before, and I didn't want to do it again. But somehow she ended up talking me into helping her, and so I reluctantly agreed.
She reminded me the day of, and so when it was time I headed over to where we were supposed to be and got ready to help out. I started off with the wrong attitude. At first all that I would do was finish eating my dinner and sing along to the songs we were playing. Then the two kids we were watching started playing tag. They were so cute and fun, it was hard not to get involved in the game. Within moments, we were all laughing and chasing each other, running around, and having a great time.
As we wound the energy down, we all settled in a circle to tell stories. It was fun with a lot of input from the listeners, and that made the story take funny twists and turns. Soon we were all laughing really hard. I was surprised to find myself disappointed when the whole thing was over.
If I hadn't thought about how uninvolved I was being and decided to change my attitude, I would have been a huge negative for those little kids we were watching. Life is this way a lot. If we start thinking about something in a certain way, it's hard to change perspective. But if we don't think about it first, nothing good is ever going to come of our bad attitude. It just doesn't work that way. I know from experience that once your mind is set on things being one way instead of another, it is very difficult to realize things are really different. That night, I learned that it is important to assess our thoughts so that when we finally act on them, we can do positive things.
God knows that we make mistakes, but He gave us the opportunity to think about our actions and make changes. I am so thankful for that! He sent His son to atone for our mistakes, so that we can turn our bad choices around and repent. This I know for certain. I love my Heavenly Father will all my heart.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Hard Work Pays Off
I spent the weekend with a close friend of mine. We were goofing off, having a great time together when we decided to move her bed. (We didn't just decide randomly that she should have a new bed, it had been a topic of discussion throughout the night with her parents.) We went down to the basement to where her new bed was and took it apart so we could move it. Then we went back to her room and took apart her old bed. We moved her old bed out of her room and down the hall to where it needed to be, then we went back down to the basement. It was hard work, but somehow we got the headboard of her new bed up two split-level flights of stairs. Then we moved the metal frame, followed by the box spring, and then the mattress. Two teenage girls pushing beds up steep staircases is no easy feat. But afterwards, we felt really good. We had done something that benefited not only her, but the rest of her family. And on top of it all, we now had a bigger bed to sit and laugh on in her room.
Hard work pays off! Have you ever noticed how wonderful you feel after you finish a huge homework assignment? Or when you finally clean your room and you can find things? How about when you compete in a sports event and finish strong? The rush of accomplishment and pride is refreshing. Plus, the positive consequences always make it worth it in the end. I know that God made hard work have those positive consequences because we were meant to do hard things. That doesn't make it easy, but it sure makes it worth it every time.
Hard work pays off! Have you ever noticed how wonderful you feel after you finish a huge homework assignment? Or when you finally clean your room and you can find things? How about when you compete in a sports event and finish strong? The rush of accomplishment and pride is refreshing. Plus, the positive consequences always make it worth it in the end. I know that God made hard work have those positive consequences because we were meant to do hard things. That doesn't make it easy, but it sure makes it worth it every time.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Smile! It's a Wednesday
Today was just another day. It's smack dab in the middle of the week, so nothing important ever seems to happen on Wednesdays. Wednesdays are just the basic humdrum of life. Now, let's face one very important fact: I would have been driven mad by all the Wednesdays in the world if it weren't for friends.
No matter what day it is, there's always someone who needs a little pick-me-up. Sometimes it's you, sometimes it's me, and sometimes it's that kid you see in the hall on your way to math. But no matter who it is, we are all here to help each other. If people weren't important, God would have probably given us all our own planets. But that's not the way life works. People are very important, so God put us on this earth with lots of people who would help us learn and grow.
I'll admit that I'm not the most social person. In fact, some days I feel like reading all day instead of talking to people. However, I know the importance of friends. Not too long ago, I was having a really down day. It was just a day where nothing was going right. And then, when school was over, I had to stay after school for a few hours. When I was waiting for my mom to come and get me, I got a text from a friend telling me that I had something waiting for me at home. I got home and saw what my friend had taken the time to make for me, and it just made me feel so much better. It was seriously exactly what I needed at that moment.
I would be insane without other people in my life! That goes without saying, of course, but it's true. Friends are truly a huge link to sanity, and I am so thankful for that.
No matter whose bad day it is, there is always something that you can do. Smiling is the most wonderful thing to give someone down in the dumps. We are surrounded by so many people daily, moods and attitudes tend to rub off. Smiling is simple, but highly contagious. It doesn't matter where you are or who you're with, just smile and brighten someone's day.
Wednesdays or Mondays or Fridays we are all here to smile at each other and give each other little pick-me-ups. We are the links to sanity in some other person's life, so live up to that standard.
I know Heavenly Father gives us friends for a reason. We meet the people that we meet because God intends for us to. He sees the bigger picture while we only see glimpses at a time. I know that as we trust in God, all things will be made possible.
No matter what day it is, there's always someone who needs a little pick-me-up. Sometimes it's you, sometimes it's me, and sometimes it's that kid you see in the hall on your way to math. But no matter who it is, we are all here to help each other. If people weren't important, God would have probably given us all our own planets. But that's not the way life works. People are very important, so God put us on this earth with lots of people who would help us learn and grow.
I'll admit that I'm not the most social person. In fact, some days I feel like reading all day instead of talking to people. However, I know the importance of friends. Not too long ago, I was having a really down day. It was just a day where nothing was going right. And then, when school was over, I had to stay after school for a few hours. When I was waiting for my mom to come and get me, I got a text from a friend telling me that I had something waiting for me at home. I got home and saw what my friend had taken the time to make for me, and it just made me feel so much better. It was seriously exactly what I needed at that moment.
I would be insane without other people in my life! That goes without saying, of course, but it's true. Friends are truly a huge link to sanity, and I am so thankful for that.
No matter whose bad day it is, there is always something that you can do. Smiling is the most wonderful thing to give someone down in the dumps. We are surrounded by so many people daily, moods and attitudes tend to rub off. Smiling is simple, but highly contagious. It doesn't matter where you are or who you're with, just smile and brighten someone's day.
Wednesdays or Mondays or Fridays we are all here to smile at each other and give each other little pick-me-ups. We are the links to sanity in some other person's life, so live up to that standard.
I know Heavenly Father gives us friends for a reason. We meet the people that we meet because God intends for us to. He sees the bigger picture while we only see glimpses at a time. I know that as we trust in God, all things will be made possible.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Giving Thanksgiving
Tonight as a group, the youth in my neighborhood all gathered Thanksgiving food for other people who might be in need of it. We never think much of it. It's a neat thing to do for others, but we never know who gets the food we gather, so we just do it and don't think twice.
After this youth activity, I was complimented by a few people for things I had done in the past that I had, quite frankly, forgotten all about. It made me feel really good and happy. It's always wonderful to know that someone recognizes you, and cares about you enough to reach out to you.
I was thinking about that and connected that to the activity tonight. The same sort of feeling I had when I got those compliments will be what is felt by the families we reached out to. When you give to others, that is giving them reason to be thankful. You're giving thanksgiving! I didn't really understand that until tonight.
I still don't know who I've been able to help with the Thanksgiving food drive, but I now know what their reaction will be. It will be my reaction to the compliments times ten. Thanksgiving time isn't just a time for you yourself to be thankful for everything you have, it is also a time to give others a reason to be thankful as well. God has given us all so much. We can thank Him for it all, but we can also do more. We can ultimately give someone else a reason for thanksgiving. The way to serve God is by serving others.
Tonight, that just hit me strong and true. I'd never made the connection. But now I understand, and I want to do more. I love the gospel, and how everything just connects together so perfectly! I know God understands each one of us, and that He is there for us. I feel His love daily. I am so thankful for that love, and the knowledge that God will be beside me to the end.
After this youth activity, I was complimented by a few people for things I had done in the past that I had, quite frankly, forgotten all about. It made me feel really good and happy. It's always wonderful to know that someone recognizes you, and cares about you enough to reach out to you.
I was thinking about that and connected that to the activity tonight. The same sort of feeling I had when I got those compliments will be what is felt by the families we reached out to. When you give to others, that is giving them reason to be thankful. You're giving thanksgiving! I didn't really understand that until tonight.
I still don't know who I've been able to help with the Thanksgiving food drive, but I now know what their reaction will be. It will be my reaction to the compliments times ten. Thanksgiving time isn't just a time for you yourself to be thankful for everything you have, it is also a time to give others a reason to be thankful as well. God has given us all so much. We can thank Him for it all, but we can also do more. We can ultimately give someone else a reason for thanksgiving. The way to serve God is by serving others.
Tonight, that just hit me strong and true. I'd never made the connection. But now I understand, and I want to do more. I love the gospel, and how everything just connects together so perfectly! I know God understands each one of us, and that He is there for us. I feel His love daily. I am so thankful for that love, and the knowledge that God will be beside me to the end.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Talents
Tonight was the closing night of a musical I was in. This was fun, because it was the first musical I actually got a lead role. I was so excited, and the whole experience helped me grow a lot. But now, I've decided to stop pursuing theater. I love acting, but it's not for me.
It was really hard for me to decide not to do theater. I feel like it is a talent that God gave to me. However, I also realized that the other things I wanted and needed to do didn't fit into my life when I was going to rehearsals and performances. Homework and friends got pushed to the back of my mind once school was out, and all I did all day was run around trying to get ready for the play.
This wore me out, and I soon found that I wasn't just forgetting homework and friends, but also God. I would stay up really late doing homework, and then sleep in with barely enough time to get out the door for school. I was forgetting to read my scriptures and say my prayers, and then I would decide I was "too tired" when I remembered.
Heavenly Father helped me out. When I first decided not to do theater, I was worried about what other people would think. Theater was something I'd put a lot of time into, and now I was suddenly just deciding that I wasn't going to do it anymore. While I never felt that I really truly fit right into the acting world, I didn't feel like I could just leave it. I'd been away from other people for so long, I didn't know if I could go back and be completely accepted. But as I made the decision to leave theater behind me, I saw God helping me and assuring me that I was making the right choice through the little things daily. It's usually through the little things that God shows his love and care to us.
I know that God has a plan for me and that He will help me make the choices I need to so that I can achieve that plan. He cares about me and knows me and loves me, and I've really been able to see that love this last week.
Just because you have a talent doesn't mean that you should pursue it as a career. Of course, God gives us our talents for a reason, and they are meant to be used! But you can still use your talents, even if you don't decide to dedicate the rest of your life some of them. I learned that this week, and I am very thankful that I was able to learn that.
It was really hard for me to decide not to do theater. I feel like it is a talent that God gave to me. However, I also realized that the other things I wanted and needed to do didn't fit into my life when I was going to rehearsals and performances. Homework and friends got pushed to the back of my mind once school was out, and all I did all day was run around trying to get ready for the play.
This wore me out, and I soon found that I wasn't just forgetting homework and friends, but also God. I would stay up really late doing homework, and then sleep in with barely enough time to get out the door for school. I was forgetting to read my scriptures and say my prayers, and then I would decide I was "too tired" when I remembered.
Heavenly Father helped me out. When I first decided not to do theater, I was worried about what other people would think. Theater was something I'd put a lot of time into, and now I was suddenly just deciding that I wasn't going to do it anymore. While I never felt that I really truly fit right into the acting world, I didn't feel like I could just leave it. I'd been away from other people for so long, I didn't know if I could go back and be completely accepted. But as I made the decision to leave theater behind me, I saw God helping me and assuring me that I was making the right choice through the little things daily. It's usually through the little things that God shows his love and care to us.
I know that God has a plan for me and that He will help me make the choices I need to so that I can achieve that plan. He cares about me and knows me and loves me, and I've really been able to see that love this last week.
Just because you have a talent doesn't mean that you should pursue it as a career. Of course, God gives us our talents for a reason, and they are meant to be used! But you can still use your talents, even if you don't decide to dedicate the rest of your life some of them. I learned that this week, and I am very thankful that I was able to learn that.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Hello, I'm Beth
Hello, I'm Beth, and I'm an LDS teen. My life is really typical. I like music, I like acting, I like reading, but most of all I really love the gospel. In everything I do, I can see the hand that the gospel has in my life. This blog is about my ordinary, every-day dealings with life and how the gospel ties into them. Some things might be very spiritual, but mostly I'm just posting about the regular things that happen to me. Happy, sad, funny, or serious, this is about my life as a daughter of God.
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