kindness matters

be happy. be kind. be loving.

growing up means letting go.

it's time to let go of hard feelings, bitterness, and selfishness.

i know, it's hard. especially because doing most of those things means letting go of yourself. it means letting go of certain feelings that you have. it means putting other people's feelings before your own, at times.
sometimes it feels like you just have to hold on to that grudge, or it just seems totally impossible to let go of something that hurt you.

sometimes people say stupid things that they don't mean, and sometimes they do mean things.
we can't take things to heart so much, we need to learn to let go.
everyone has their own battles that they are fighting. we don't know how much someone needs a friend. it's impossible to know what is going through someone's head, until we try talking to them.
i know that when i get in a bad mood, or i start thinking too much, i can be mean and rude. it is something i need to work on. but i know that i'm not the only one.
when i get like that, i really just need to talk to someone.

it's hard for us to put ourselves aside and open our eyes to what's really going on. sometimes we just need to be a friend. and it may be to someone we don't particularly like, but that's okay.

if we are putting God first in our lives, it should be pretty easy to help out others.
if we are continually repenting, it should be easy to let go of bitterness and hard feelings.
if we can set aside just 10 minutes a day to dedicate purely to the Lord, our days would go so much smoother. we would be in such a better mood.
and if we could apply the things we learn, from those 10 minutes a day, to our everyday life, it would be so much easier to love one another, and to be kind and happy.

if we are happy ourselves, it is so much easier to love and be kind to others.
we need to be selfish with our own happiness, but unselfish when it comes to other people's feelings and loving everyone.
let go of things that make you unhappy, and find the things that make you happy.

James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not righteousness of God.

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i have some splainin' to do...

the past few weeks there has been a lot on my mind. i've been trying to get all my mission stuff together, spending time with my family, with my friends, and just trying to do my own thing.
i kept praying and studying my scriptures, obviously, just trying to gain a deeper testimony and more knowledge for myself, and for when i go on my mission. and as i would pray, i would lose myself in my prayers and i would start praying for things that i wasn't even thinking about. like being a mom, having a family, going to college, getting a job.
i started to get a little freaked out. that isn't what i was supposed to be worrying about or focusing on.
so, i continued to just push those thoughts out of my head.
i had the typical, "should i go on a mission?" thoughts. but i figured satan was just getting in my head. i went to the temple and just prayed, harder than i ever had before.
Heavenly Father, what is your plan for me? do i go on a mission? or do i stay home, get an education, and prepare to have a family of my own?

i didn't get my answer that day, but when i opened the scriptures, i opened to two different ones..one was about putting all your trust in The Lord, and the other was Proverbs 31. which just talks about how a woman should be, and what i need to be striving to be.

i kept praying and reading scriptures. then i read my patriarchal blessing...

i got my answer loud and clear. a mission is not in my cards.
i went back to the temple for confirmation of my answer. and i received it.

i had been so excited for my mission! i couldn't wait to go! i wanted to teach the people of australia all about the gospel and show them the joy that i have been able to feel.
but it isn't God's plan for me. and that's okay.

i don't know what His plan is for me, but i will know eventually. i don't need to know right this moment. i just have to trust Him, and i'm trying my best to do that.
i know His plan is going to make me so much happier and that, no matter what anyone thinks, i am doing the right thing.

just because my plan is different, doesn't make me any less of a person. just because i won't be serving a mission, does not mean i "just got cold feet," or that i don't love my Savior. it simply means i have been sensitive to the spirit, and that i am trying to follow the path that is being laid for me.

i know that i am doing the right thing, and i know it will make me so happy. my plan is special, because it is mine.

i am so excited to find out what is in store for me!


xoxo,

jacquelyn

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trust

sometimes, life can get the best of us. it is so hard. i feel like i just can't handle it or do it anymore. it's just so overwhelming.
so much is going on, and it is difficult to even think. i don't know.

all i know is that Heavenly Father will always be there for us. He is the one person who is always listening. it is hard to receive our answer, sometimes, but if we are able to listen closely, it is possible. we have to read our scriptures to get our answers.

even when it feels like my whole world is crashing down around me, i can feel peace and comfort { most of the time }.
it is so important for us to understand that Heavenly Father's plan for us, is not always our plan. but His plan is always better.

trust is the biggest factor in our relationship with Heavenly Father. we have to trust Him 100%. all the time and with every question we ask and decision we make.
recently, i've had to make some really hard, and really large life decisions. it wasn't easy, and it wasn't a quick answer. i had to work to find my answer. i had to put in effort. and i didn't really like the answers i was getting, but i just had to have faith and trust. i know that if it's His will, He will pull me through it.
God doesn't give us anything we can't handle. right now, i feel like i can't handle anymore...but i know that there is always rain before the rainbow. it is hard for me to remember that some { a lot } of the time, but that's okay. i read my scriptures and pray and go to the temple as much as i can. i know that through those things, through my efforts, the Lord will meet me in the middle and give me the answers i am seeking.

Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

xoxo,

jacquelyn

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oh, hey.

i've been so mia lately..there has just been so much going on.

i feel like i've been so busy..yet, somehow, not busy at all. does that make sense? probably not. oh well.

so first things first..sonny and i are officially over. we have been for over a month now. we talked everything out and came to a mutual agreement. we need to respect each other and he needs to focus on his mission, while i focus on what i need to be doing.

we started as best friends so there's no reason to be immature about this. we will probably be friends, but for now, i know it's hard. who knows what will happen.

i've gone on a few dates. but now i'm dating this one guy and he's so great. soooo, that's pretty great!

i've been going back and forth between orlando, bradenton, and key west a lot lately. and it's great, but also kind of hard. it's wayyy too much to explain tonight though.

the temple has become my top priority. i try to go every week, twice a week, if i can. it is such a blessing to live so close and to be able to go whenever i want/need to.

things just seem to be crazy right now. my mind is going in so many different directions. i know it will all work out though. my path isn't too clear right now, but at the same time, it's very clear..kind of confusing..i know.

but there is so much more i have to say. that will have to come later though, after my meeting on sunday..then comes the real update.

(sorry for the picture overload)

so stay posted!

xoxo,

jacquelyn

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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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