Sunday, September 1, 2013

Brown Sugar confidance

Whew! Twice in two days! I'm on a roll! (or trying to play catchup for the whole week I missed. Which ever you prefer.)


So I just decided I am going to do Blogtember. I think it will be fun. Only, I think I'll skip the whole 'coffee thing' since you know, I'm Mormon, and we kinda don't do that. (Maybe I'll make myself some hot chocolate or something.)

Right now I'm sitting at the sunny yellow computer desk (Just for your information, it's more fun to blog when the desk you are sitting at is yellow. It just is. I kinda love yellow right now and I hope you all go buy yellow desks because they are just that great.) So I'm sitting at the yellow desk and realizing just how truly blessed I am. I have great friends, a great family, and am loving life right now. How much better can it get? Also, this greatness is playing in the background--------> click here! or here! or here! or here! or even here! (seriously, what happened to this greatness? I mean, their new stuff is so not virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy. And that stinks because this stuff is prime. #Jobrolife #Jonas)

I just got back to a 16th birthday party for one of my best friends named Marissa. I love you Marissa! Happy Birthday! You rock my socks!

So this post is going to be short because it's midnight and my bed is calling me. But I just wanted to share this awesome video with you, because I think it's great.





 I don't know how many of you know this about me, but when I was little I was the SHYEST person on the face of the planet. Like, people would ask me what my name was and I would just stare at the ground and not answer. I know this is hard to believe because it's almost the opposite of who I am now, but I just remember being so shy and hating it.

I've come a long way since then, and my confidence didn't start to come until I began to realize who I was. In the words of Sister Dalton, I began to know who I was, and whose I was. And that made all the difference.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to go to girls camp. On Thursday night at girls camp we had planned to have this awesome spiritual night with this awesome motivational speaker. Unfortunately, our speaker had a flat tire on the way up and had to cancel due to the fact that there was no way he would be able to get there.

As soon as I heard the news I had the feeling that that meant I was supposed to teach, and that I was supposed to teach brown sugar. (I will explain what that is in a second) I went to my friend Reagan and told her about the situation and asked her if she would teach it with me. (She went to EFY with me and new Brown Sugar.) She agreed and we started to freak out.

We had an impromptu meeting with the YCLs, Bishop, and Young Women's Leaders about what we should do. I volunteered and my heart pounded. As I started to volunteer I remember thinking "what the heck are you doing? You are supposed to be shy." But the funny thing was, there was no shyness, just excitement.

A few minutes before we were supposed to teach we walked outside to have a peptalk and to say a prayer since we had had no preparation on this whatsoever.

We walked in and sat down just in time for the opening song. "How firm a foundation" I remember singing the words of the third verse and having them hit me hard.

 Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,

Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

I was going to be just fine. We stood up in front of two whole wards and we taught and everything went perfect. It was awesome to know that even though we hadn't had time to prepare, we were prepared to teach when the time came.

This experience helped strengthen my testimony that God will make weak things strong.

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
                              -Ether 12:27 #humblebees! 


Now I said I would tell you about brown sugar, so here it is. This was a method of scripture reading that we learned at EFY so here it is.

Brown Sugar

So imagine your mom puts a big bowl of plain oatmeal in front of you. How would react? (eh...ewww!) Now what do you do to make the oatmeal taste better? (BROWN SUGAR!) Now say your mom pours lots of brown sugar over your oatmeal, now how would you react? (YUM!!)

The Scriptures are sometimes like oatmeal. If you are just reading they can be a little bland, but if you add brown sugar, they become sweet.

How to add Brown Sugar to your scripture study.

1. Say a prayer that the Holy Ghost will be with you.
2. Read the verse.
3. Pick a word or phrase that sticks out to you.
4. clarify the message.
5. How does that relate to you?
6. What is a measurable goal that can help you apply it to your life?


I am obsessed with brown sugar and I challenge all of you to try it. It has brought me so much more knowledge and love for the scriptures and It is awesome. I have a testimony of brown sugar. I also have a testimony of the scriptures. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.



Feel my Sunlight



p.s. life is so great. How can you not love it?
p.s.s. eh, so the whole "I'll keep this short" thing didn't work out, but you know, YOLO!
p.s.s. please enjoy this picture of me buckling milk into the car. #theyseemerollintheybucklemeintothecar #clickitorspillit #nousetocryovermilkthatcantspill

 

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