12 Years and 1 Week Ago

^^^ That's when I was baptized.  Cool, huh?  April 8, 2000.  What an amazing day that was.  My grandparents were there and my grandma was taking tons of pictures on her camera.  Then a week and a day later my youngest brother was born and she was taking tons of pictures as well.  She goes to develop those pictures only to find out that.......there was no film in her camera the whole time.  Pretty funny if you ask me.  But that's besides the point.  Today was such a good day.  I went to church, all 3 hours of it, in my own ward.  I got to meet with my bishop today.  I had dinner with Kate and Ky and then went to the devotional ward prayer afterwards.  I was kinda nervous to go to the devotional because the topic was abuse.  But it turned out really good.  The lady that spoke was pretty funny, but she said this and I love it:

"If you don't have the right tools, all you can do is stand around and look at the problem."

It's so true.  She also brought up the fact that we should be using the atonement everyday of our lives.  I think we've always known these things, but how often do we actually think of that....better yet, how often do we do that?  All in all, I'm striving to be a better person.  I should be paying it forward.  I have great people in my life for a reason.  I'm so grateful for that.  Life is a roller coaster, but we can get through it with His help.  Our Heavenly Father loves each and everyone us; He knows us; He wants us to return to live with Him.  He has given us trials because He knows that we are strong enough to get through them.  It's up to us how we handle and deal with those though.  What we do with those trials defines who we are.  We should be striving to do everything He wants for us, because that is where our eternal happiness will be.

Quotes that I liked/helped me today/this week:

"Sometimes we are depressed because we are not repentant."

"Where much is given, much is required.  Now reverse that.  Where much is required, much will be given."

"While salvation is an individual matter, exaltation is a family matter."

"There will always be dreams grander or humbler than your own, but there will never be a dream exactly like your own for you are unique and more wondrous than you know." -Linda Staten

"Believe, obey, and endure." -President Monson