A New Beginning

Sunday September 25th, 2011...........

Grateful Thoughts

"When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair, steer your thoughts away from yourself, and direct them in gratitude and love towards God."

We are so very blessed.

Remember How You Felt

As we go about the trials of life it is important that we are able to remember the times our Heavenly Father has blessed us. Remembering these times can help us to make it through some of the sudden temptations or trials that come our way.

After a year of writing this blog I have been through the ultimate roller coaster of emotions. I have felt the deepest pain and some of the greatest joy. Although my trial is not over, I am grateful that I can look to my past and remember the tender mercies the Lord has blessed me with. I still have days where sadness seems to engulf me. I still have days where I don't understand why things are the way they are. I still have days where I feel like peace and happiness cannot be found. I still have days filled with regret and sorrow, wishing that people would know of my sincerity. It is during these times that I look to my Heavenly Father for answers. Many times I find those answers in the experiences of the past year. I can look back on specific times the Lord has helped me and I can know that things will work out and be ok.

Certain parts of my life right now did not turn out how I had hoped. When you put your whole heart into something and it doesn't work out how you had hoped, it is important that you remember to KEEP GOING. You may feel like giving up. You may struggle with understanding. You may feel scared or angry. But we must overcome this and know that if we keep moving forward with faith, we will reap amazing rewards from our Heavenly Father. I know that the Lord has blessed me through this trial because of where I am at today. I am certain that God lives and that Jesus is our Savior. I am so grateful for what I have learned.

I want those who read this blog to know that I am grateful for the support. I continue to hope for the chance to be able to help someone in need. I continue to hope that I might be able to help someone avoid similar mistakes. My life, in our little close knit world, has been on display for all to see. Some of that has been positive, some of it has been negative. But I would not change it now. I will not give up, I will not give in, and I will keep moving forward with hope.

I want my kids to know that I gave it my best effort. I want them to know that we ALL make mistakes and that we ALL can change. I want them to understand the amazing Atonement and how it can and will bless their lives. I want them to know and understand the consequences of making bad choices and how to avoid making serious mistakes. But I also want them to understand the consequences of humility and sincere desire to choose the right. I want them to know that I took this head on, admitted my mistakes, and was able to overcome. I love them so much. I pray that I will be able to be a constant and consistent example in their lives. They have been my angels.

Moving forward I will be able to look at how the Lord has blessed me and find strength. I know that He is waiting to help all of us no matter our circumstances. Never give up in your pursuit to be better and to overcome your trials. It is well worth the FIGHT. God bless you all.

Matt

Support

"For I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."

I am learning more every day that we will be faced with trials and afflictions almost constantly. Large or small, our trials can cause a lot of stress, heartache, worry, and fear. We NEED support in order to make it through, and our most reliable support will come through our faith and belief in a loving Heavenly Father. Life does not always turn out how you may want it to. But I do know that we can be happy with whatever comes our way if we put our trust in God. My life is completely different then it was a year ago. It has been a difficult road. But I KNOW that Heavenly Father and our Savior love all of us and that we can be happy and find peace amidst our trials.

We must not give up in our efforts to follow the commandments of our loving Heavenly Father. Although the road may be rough and challenging, there is no lasting happiness in choosing the way of the world. I love my Heavenly Father for helping me to see this clearly.

Control Your Thoughts

"As you learn to control your thoughts you can overcome habits, even degrading personal habits. You can gain courage, conquer fear, and have a happy life. -Boyd K. Packer

This is true.

Believe in yourself and go conquer.

Sacrifice

"The pain of sacrifice lasts only one moment. It is the fear of the pain of sacrifice that makes you hesitate to do it. When you are compelled to give up something, or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also, that as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better."

The Past

How often do we sit and think about the past? How often do we let events of the past affect our present and future situations? The process of letting go of past mistakes or trials can be very difficult. At times our past can consume our thoughts and emotions. Dwelling on the past can seriously hinder our progress and our happiness.

If we are truly trying to change and be better, we need to learn how to focus on our present and future goals. In my case, this has been an extremely difficult process and it continues to be. Every day I am surrounded by reminders of my past. Hopes and dreams that I have had over the past months have not come to pass which add to the difficulty of letting go. My past has left some serious wounds that have been painful to face. My past has completely changed the path of my life. But no matter the price I have to pay, I will continue to do what is right and push forward.

No matter what has happened in our past, the future is bright for all of us because it is all up to us. We can choose to have the happiness and peace we desire. If we are going to let go of our addictions, our pasts, and our mistakes, we NEED to choose to do it! Once we have sincerely made that choice we can begin to let go of the past and begin seeing how bright our future can be. It will be very hard to do this but it can be done and it is worth it. Choosing to let go of the past and choosing the path of our Savior can be very hard because of the pain that comes with facing our past. This pain is what leads to our happiness. It is necessary for us to truly change. I KNOW that it is so hard to do this. But I know that it is worth it.

We have to believe in ourselves. We can learn from our pasts but we don't have to dwell on them. We need to believe in our ability to change and we need to know that what we have done in the past does not mean that we need to stay that way! I am grateful to be able to share my experiences because I have seen the love of God in my life and I know that he loves all of us. He wants us to let go of the past and move forward with faith. He is patiently waiting for us to make that decision so that He can help us. No matter where you are at in your life, you can decide to let go and start making the right decisions. The pain is worth it because it is always followed by joy when we choose the right. We cannot change our past but we can change how we deal with it and how we live our lives moving forward.