ft. laudy temple trip

so we are getting another temple here, in florida, and soon! the dedications is may 4th! and the open house is going on now!
i feel so very blessed and privileged that i was able to attend the open house, with such amazing friends. i truly do have the best of friends. i don't know what i would do without them.
even though the temple wasn't dedicated yet, the spirit was still extremely strong. it hit me like a ton of bricks. it is just so beautiful and perfect.
it really is heaven on earth. there is no other way to describe it. it was amazing and wonderful. it is so great that we have these temples here on earth. we have 142, soon to be 143, operating temples. and so many more under construction! it is so amazing to see how much the church is growing.
to learn more about temples, click here.

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#ldsconf

oh my goodness! where do i even start?
conference is always amazing and truly speaks to us all in different ways! it is crazy how it seems like they are speaking only to me, specifically, at times.
if you have no clue what i'm talking about, i suggest you click here. i promise, you won't be disappointed.
the prophet, apostles, and other general authorities are so wonderful. it is amazing how each and every talk is different; yet, somehow, they all come together! i am happy to say i watched every single session. women's, priesthood, and of course the regular saturday and sunday sessions.
just because you aren't a women or a priesthood holder, absolutely does not mean you can't get something out of every session. there is always something that applies to us all.

President Uchtdorf's talk was spot on. it was everything i needed to hear and then some. it answered every question i had and is something i really needed help with.
gratefulness. that word is sometimes hard to understand, and sometimes seems impossible. it seems like the biggest word in the world at times.
but i know it is a simple thing that everyone could really work on.
each and everyday has some sort of challenge within it that we must overcome. sometimes it is so small, we don't even realize it. other times, it seems like our world could come crashing down at any time.

lately, my life has been more on the side of crashing down around me..
so many things are going on. there is so much i need to do. i feel like the bad news just never stops coming. i get insecure with my decisions. family problems seem to just be getting worse. i just feel sad all the time. my mom is putting so much pressure on me. i feel like i'm failing my parents. i'm always everyone else's shoulder to cry on. why can't someone be mine?

despite all those things, there are always things to be grateful for..
i'm healthy. i have a loving Heavenly Father. bad news and trials will make me stronger. there is always rain before a rainbow. blessings come from being faithful through trials. these things will make me stronger. my family is close enough that we can all be there for each other. being sad is a choice - choose happiness. my mom putting pressure on me means she is trusting me. my parents will always love me. people trust me enough to be their shoulder to cry on. i am a beautiful daughter of a King whose love will never fail me.

life is about perspective. if we have a negative attitude and just an all around bad attitude, we really won't get anywhere.
but if we are able to understand that God doesn't give us anything we can't handle, than we will be able to make it through anything. we have to be grateful for our trials and heartaches. without those things, we wouldn't be able to get stronger, we would be able to progress.
this life is about progression, without it, where would we be? where would we be going? would we be the people we are now?
i highly doubt it.

we have to try and remember that we are His sheep. He will always leave the 99 to find just one. we are that important to Him. He is the most loving and perfect and wonderful Father we could ever ask for. Matthew 18: 12-13. read it.

just a few of my favorite quotes from conference (they are not all word for word)
>> is it worth it to take a stand? yes, it is. -Holland
>> flow true righteousness. -Holland
>> act on your beliefs. -Amado
>> change our wants and desires - and be humble enough to ask for help! -Reeves
>> God expects us to follow His commandments no matter what the world says. -Anderson
>> sometimes you must stand alone. -Anderson
>> our duties may be difficult, but that's because we are aiming for eternity. -Eyring
>> faith is the antidote of fear. -Nelson
>> live your religion - be securely tied to God. -Nelson
>> one thing to make life even sweeter - even joyful - is being grateful. -Uchtdorf
>> gratitude is a way of life. -Uchtdorf
>> we resist endings because we are eternal beings. -Uchtdorf
>> the gospel is not weights - it is wings - it carries us through. -Sister Stevens
>> the atonement makes up for our mistakes, but don't abuse it. -Stevenson
>> make your faith so strong that you won't hesitate to drop everything in service. -Walker
>> recognize when you have enough - you don't need the newest and latest. -Teh
>> don't have hard feelings toward God. -Teh

i missed the last talk and President Monson's talk. but i am so excited to watch them!

it is really important for us all to remember the words of our past and present prophets. they are here to help us. they are our source for knowledge and goodness.
they may be quite a bit older, but they understand the trouble and temptation we are faced with. they love us and want us to do our best in this life.

i encourage everyone - member or not- to listen to just one of these talks. they are beautifully worded, and i can guarantee that you will get something out of it.


xoxo,

jacquelyn 

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life lately

things seem to be going so fast and slow at the same time.
my mission is coming up so soon, but i still have so much to do!
i'm trying to sublease my apartment and i think i finally found someone who can take it! i'm extremely relieved about that!
this month seems crazy, so much traveling and driving and to-do's.

and then there's sonny. i don't even know where to start.
i've been getting these little nudges from the Holy Spirit that i need to talk to him about our relationship status. i ignored it for a little while, then i got the prompting to reread my Patriarchal Blessing, and if that wasn't a slap from God then i don't know what is.
it specifically talks about my dating life saying, and i knew the moment i read it that i wasn't supposed to be with him. i need to date other people and do whatever it is that i need to do. i'm not sure if we'll be together again or not, it is so hard going from planning my whole life with someone, to only being friends. but i know that's what i need to do.
then i went to the temple, with the question of 'what in the world am i supposed to do?!'
and i received my answer, loud and clear. 
it isn't our time. it's my time. i'll be leaving for my mission soon and i need to focus on that and maybe go on a few dates here and there. 
who knows what's going to happen, i moved to orlando for some reason and maybe i just don't know that reason yet. it's so hard to really even say these things but i know that these decisions are so much easier when i have the Lord on my side. 
i am so thankful for the temple and being able to receive personal revelation. whatever happens, i know that i will be so happy and blessed. and i know that even though this is hard for both of us, sonny will be so happy also. Heavenly Father won't make it so we are miserable or unhappy, this decision came from the Spirit so i know it's what's best.


xoxo,

jacquelyn

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