Give Thanks

Thanksgiving. A time to share with family and friends what you are thankful for. A time that was a couple weeks ago, but which blog I am only getting to now. But that doesn't matter, because you can be thankful for things all year round. And anyway, it's still the holiday season! And I changed the date on my blog post so it looks like I wrote it right after Thanksgiving. ;)

Instead of re-writing my "Thankful" list, here's a link to it posted on my other blog. :)

Prayers really ARE answered. :)

Another amazing happenstance with prayer that strengthened my testimony that Heavenly Father does hear and answer our prayers:

Thursday after lunch I was driving over to the other high school like I do every day. (I spend half the day and Canyon Ridge and the other half at Twin Falls.) I had been talking a lot during lunch and had lost track of time. I was running about 10 minutes late. All the way across town I was driving about 45 mph, looking for cops every which way. (I didn't run into any thankfully.) Then I got this feeling that I should say a prayer. (I really don't like being late to my 6th period chemistry class because it's really awkward walking in late because I don't know anyone in that class. But I'm late a lot. Usually only by 1 or 2 minutes.) I was thinking "Why should I say a prayer? My teacher doesn't count my tardies, walking in late will just be awkward. And anyway, *I looked down at the clock* class started a full 5 minutes ago. How will saying a prayer magically make me not late?" So I ignored the prompting.

As I was pulling into the parking lot, the thought hit me again to say a prayer. Then I just thought "Fine, whatever. I'll say a prayer. It won't do any good though." So I said a quick prayer. "Heavenly Father, please bless that I won't be late to class. Amen." That was it. Easy enough. But the whole time I was full of doubt. The only reason I said the prayer was so I wouldn't keep having the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I should say a prayer. I had no belief that I actually wouldn't be late for class (cuz it was already 10 minutes after class was supposed to have started).

As I walked into the school, however, the halls were full of people. I was so confused. Why wasn't everyone in class? I found a friend and asked her what was going on. She told me that lunch had started 15 minutes late, and so class was bumped back 15 minutes. ...I was speechless. My mind was blown. Wow. My prayer had been answered. Even with so much doubt in my mind, no belief whatsoever that the prayer would actually work, and Heavenly Father still answered it. Thank you! Prayers do work.

Had I not said the prayer would class still have been bumped 15 minutes back? Yes. But that's not the point. The point is that I felt prompted to pray and did. My prayer was answered, and even though it wasn't a very big deal, I was so thankful that day. Not so much because I wasn't tardy, but because my testimony of prayer was strengthened so much. I had always believed that prayers were answered, but, until this and the $50 bill, I had never experienced it myself. Twice in one month I have been blessed with two great experiences of feeling the Holy Ghost and having prayers answered. I love the Gospel.

Thankful.

A little over a week ago I had State Swim Team and Water Polo. My mom gave me a $50 bill for the two days I'd be there. This was to pay for my food, water polo t-shirt, and for gas for the people driving me back home. ...I lost it. The first night. I walked into Red Robin, and I knew it had been in my pocket. I ordered my food. Ate it. Got my bill. Looked in my pocket. The money was gone. I was so freaking out. I looked and looked and looked. Then I prayed. And looked and looked and looked again. I couldn't find it. I was kinda mad. I mean, honestly! I prayed that I would be able to find the money, and yet it was nowhere to be found. C'mon Heavenly Father! I wasn't being irresponsible with the money, and I needed it! Would helping me find it really ruin anything in the whole scheme of things? Then last Thursday I get a text. Apparently the people who I rode to Red Robin with found a $50 bill in their car! So I got my money back (even if it was a week late). Just goes to show you that God works on his own schedule. :) My prayer was answered eventually. :)

My Moment of Wisdom.

"Go into every task with a positive attitude; the results are always better. Either you succeed and are happy, or you fail and are happy anyway!"

~Me

The Want to Want.

Today in Sunday School my teacher was talking about how before the Savior died he needed to want to die. Apparently, since he was the Son of God, he was immortal and therefore, couldn't die unless he wanted to. Think about it, though... why would he want to die? Even Jesus Christ, being perfect, didn't want to die even when Heavenly Father told him to. But he did want to want to die. Does that make sense? He didn't want to die and leave his home on Earth, but since that was what the Father desired of Him, He wanted to want to. I find the concept a little confusing myself with all these "wants."

Discussing this in Sunday School reminded me of what one of my counselors said one summer at EFY. She was giving a devotional on scripture study, and she told of a personal experience during her early teenage years. She felt guilty because she didn't like reading her scriptures. She never wanted to read them. But she prayed that she would want to read them. Even though she didn't want to them, she wanted to want to read them, and that was enough to get her to read her scriptures. Eventually she learned to enjoy the scriptures, and now she loves reading them.

I know that the desire to want something is always enough to get you started. I've always enjoyed being sarcastic and rude because it's so easy, but I've always wished that I would want more to be kind and friendly. Over the past couple years, I have noticed that I have become for kind and loving. It happened mostly without me realizing it because, even though I didn't necessarily want to become this person, I wanted to want to. And I have changed for the better because of it.

~~~

Tonight my ward had our Young Women Evening of Excellence. I wasn't a big part of it. All I did was read a little introductory paragraph and sing a song with the rest of the Young Women, but apparently I had a big influence on some people. Afterwards three people came up to me and complimented me. First, the grandmother of these new girls in our ward came to me and said that I had a wonderful talent of singing, and with more than just my voice. A few minutes later her daughter (the mother of the three new girls in my ward) came to me and said I had a beautiful voice and spirit. She said she was so thankful for how kind and welcoming I had been to her girls. Then the father of another somewhat new girl in our ward came up to me and said that he could hear my voice very distinguished from everyone else's during the song and that it was gorgeous. He said he wished I would sing a solo in sacrament meeting. I never knew how big an influence I could have on so many people in just a little period of time. It really makes me want to constantly do good and be a good example because people are always watching. I do matter, and I can make a difference.