Ships are safe in the Harbor

So my motorcycle broke down about 2 days ago.. So frustrating as this is my only way of transportation. Trying to stay positive, I told myself that it's fine. I'll just take the time and fix it, can't be that big of a deal. I start and everything is going great, things are flowing smoothly and its all good. It's just a matter of patience for things to work out. As I wait and hope that the things I fixed would be all that needed to be fix, I come to find that there's more to be done. Instantly I become frustrated, two days work for nothing. I feel like I hadn't gone anywhere. With frustration and anger I tell myself that I need to just sleep it off and see what I can do in the morning. As I laid in bed, thoughts began to build up in my head, all the times that I failed at anything that I put any effort in.

 All these thoughts of doubt and insecurity began to fill my mind. Sadness, frustration, and anger began to overcome me like never before. I couldn't think of a
single positive thought and you know what? I didn't like this. So I did what I knew to do best, pray.

 I got on my knees and asked God to bring me peace and comfort, that I know at times I am selfish but is it too much for me to ask for things to work out for once in my life? As I lay back in bed all the memories of the times that things fell apart, all the times that I failed came back to me. Anything I put my whole heart, time and devotion into never worked out for me. Wether it was fixing my bike, girls, lacrosse, dance, anything. I swear that the second I devoted my life to something, it fell apart. Things would start to go wrong one after another, and this really made me think, really made me begin to question things. Was I setting my heart on the things that I should? Was I devoting my life to God or to the world? Then it made me realize I was not sent to this Earth to merely have a good time or to satisfy urges, passions or desires. I was not sent to have "fun". I was sent to Earth to begin as a human infant and to grow to unbelievable proportions in wisdom, judgement, knowledge and power. I think its so funny that our society is so wrapped around being in comfort, in having life made easy, staying in our comfort zone. But that's not what life is about its about having faith and taking those risks knowing that things will turn out for the better. That no matter how hard things get and how uncomfortable we maybe feel we will keep pushing its about make our life worth it. Now the only problem is we usually become selfish and push out the savior and we begin to live a selfish life so that we may satisfy urges, passions or desires. It dawned on me that I needed to be living a life that was worth the life of the living savior. That is worth the death and suffering of a selfless, loving and perfect being. I began to ask how, began to think of habits that I could change, habits that I could create in order to live my life in such a matter. Which brought me to my next conclusion. Only out of our comfort zone do we have life changing experiences. Sometimes i think to myself how many people have been left out, how many have not had the opportunity to feel loved? To feel important, how many have been waiting for me in times of need, but yet I have robbed them of their blessings because of my selfishness... Its funny because these last few weeks, I've had a lot of time alone and a lot of time to think things out and looking back I see so many instances where I put myself first and didn't help other or I saw the times when I put the needs of others before mine and mine own needs were met with a greater capacity then I would have been able to manage on my own. Sometimes I have the habit to turn back into old habits because it feels safe,  its what I know best. The future is scary but we can't just run back to the past because it's familiar. Yes it's tempting but it's a mistake.  Life is meant to be lived with faith, hope and certainty that things will work out for the better. If we knew exactly how its going to be where would the growth be?

Ships are safe in the harbor but that's now what ships are for.

I'm safe keeping the gospel to myself, I'm safe not loving people whole heartedly, I'm safe keeping to myself, I'm safe making sure that for these couple of months I prepare by myself and not help those around us. But I came to the Earth to love others, to help those around me, to put their needs before mine. A lot of times we ask ourselves why things are happening but something that I learned is that we will understand the why when we are in service. When we begin to become selfless and charitable towards all those around us then we start to put Christ before ourselves then we see the big picture and understand why.

I have often pondered, Why is it that the Son of God and His holy prophets and all the faithful Saints have trials and tribulations, even when they are trying to do Heavenly Father’s will? Why is it so hard, especially for them?


Though my trials may be difficult, there's always some one who has it harder...


The purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences.


What, then, does it mean to wait upon the Lord? In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end.

To wait upon the Lord means planting the seed of faith and nourishing it “with great diligence, and … patience.”

It means praying as the Savior did—to God, our Heavenly Father—saying: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done.”It is a prayer we offer with our whole souls in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Waiting upon the Lord means pondering in our hearts and “receiv[ing] the Holy Ghost” so that we can know “all things what [we] should do.”

As we follow the promptings of the Spirit, we discover that “tribulation worketh patience”and we learn to “continue in patience until [we] are perfected.”

Waiting upon the Lord means to “stand fast” and “press forward” in faith, “having a perfect brightness of hope.”

It means “relying alone upon the merits of Christ” and “with [His] grace assisting [us, saying]: Thy will be done, O Lord, and not ours.”

As we wait upon the Lord, we are “immovable in keeping the commandments,” knowing that we will “one day rest from all [our] afflictions.”

And we “cast not away … [our] confidence” that “all things wherewith [we] have been afflicted shall work together for [our] good.”

Those afflictions will come in all shapes and sizes. Job’s experience reminds us what we may be called upon to endure. Job lost all his possessions, including his land, house, and animals; his family members; his reputation; his physical health; and even his mental well-being. Yet he waited upon the Lord and bore a powerful personal testimony. He said:

“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

“And though … worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.”

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”

Who am I to complain? Who am I to sit here and be selfish, when there's people out there who need me? Who am I to try to make my life easier, when I already have it so easy? Who am I to tell the lord, No? 


"Let us not give up on the Lord. His blessings are eternal" - Elder Hales

Y.O.L.O.

Y.O.L.O.

You Only Live Once. I've been hearing this phrase quite a bit lately, especially from friends. It's funny all these people around me, using the phrase "You only live once" as an excuse to do dumb or crazy things. As an excuse to live a

 SELFISH LIFE


I hate to put it that way but I don't know how else to say it. I see people about to leave on missions or going to college moving away and before they leave they want to do all these things... I take a look at the list and its a bunch of things for themselves.. Get with chicks. Go to an awesome party. Songs talk about living like you're dying. Go skydiving, go places do all these things to build memories.. but memories for yourself.

Even though I know they don't mean it that way, it's crazy to think that SUBCONSCIOUSLY we are all selfish.

I'm sick of living a selfish life. Yes I am gonna live my life like I'm dying, because you do only live once. So are you gonna waste that life on yourself? or are you gonna give it to others. I only have once chance to make an impact in people's life. I only have on chance to help out a friend, I only have one life to show those around them I love them, I only have one life to serve my fellow men. I only have one life to give myself to God. Because we only live once doesn't mean we can do whatever we want but because we only live once, everything we do is far more important than we can imagine.

Dear world,

 I hope you're ready for this new Arthur, because I'm giving it my all

Sincerely, I'm gonna kick your trash

Love.

This isn't like my usual posts but i dunno its been running through my thoughts a lot.. 

This girl's been making me crazy ha

There are some people who meet that somebody that they can never stop loving, no matter how hard they try.

No matter how much you wish you could just stop and move on.

Sometimes we love someone so much that... it makes us crazy.

But we should all be blessed enough to end up with someone that has a little of that insanity

Someone who never lets go.

Someone who cherishes us forever.

Just Beginning

I hate how I feel like I'm so old. I'm still so young with so much ahead of me and so much to learn.

Come on Arty. Do not give up, the beginning is the hardest.

Patience is a Virtue

It always rains the hardest on the people who deserve the sun...

It's gonna be worth it. Just ride it out Arty ha

Where words fail, music speaks

Abide with me; 'tis eventide.The day is past and gone;The shadows of the evening fall;The night is coming on.Within my heart a welcome guest,Within my home abide.
O Savior, stay this night with me;Behold, 'tis eventide.O Savior, stay this night with me;Behold, 'tis eventide.
Abide with me; 'tis eventide.Thy walk today with meHas made my heart within me burn,As I communed with thee.Thy earnest words have filled my soulAnd kept me near thy side.
Abide with me; 'tis eventide,And lone will be the nightIf I cannot commune with theeNor find in thee my light.The darkness of the world, I fear,Would in my home abide.

The natural man is an enemy to God

As humans we are fault finders. It's easier to find fault in something that we choose not to understand or in something we fear.

Alone? I think not

"This is crazy.." 

 I've found myself saying that phrase a couple times this week. It's weird how the times I just need someone there in my life.

 Everyone seems to be gone.. except for one person. 

Maybe I should get knee pads or something because, you could say I've been praying quite a bit lately. Ha If there's one thing that I've learned this past week is that there's one person that's always gonna be there and that's the person that never necessarily "shows up" in your life and you never technically "see him" but he's there. I can vouch for that more than anything. There are so many times I've actually felt his presence with me, so many times I've literally conversed with him, that it has brought me to tears. 

"When you can't sleep, don't count sheep but converse with the shepherd" -unknown

Crazy, how when I think I have things figured out, something happens to tell me that I don't. I find myself learning and growing everyday. Its quite the humbling experience. I love it.

I guess the best way to put it, is that the lord works in mysterious ways.

"God does notice us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs" -Spencer W. Kimball

Crazy how you knew exactly what I needed to hear... Well not really crazy, but you're the last person I expected it from. 

 If your happiness is based on your circumstances, your not going to be a very happy person. Happiness is a choice. -Elder Snowden

I wanna start by saying thanks, for being there for me at times were I truly needed someone to not be judgmental. When I didn't need someone to ask me what was wrong or talk me through it but when I needed someone to just forget the world with, and remember what a true friendship was like... Thank you so much. Thanks for being the person you that other people needed. Thank you for being so selfless. You've taught me so much and for that I love you.

That email helped me to direct my thoughts so much. Life is gonna have its ups and downs no matter what, Sunny days wouldn't be special, if it wasn't for rain, Joy wouldn't feel so good, if it wasn't for pain. There is going to be opposition in all things. Period. Therefore, there's gonna be times of sadness and times of happiness. But if there's one thing that I've learned in my life is that in this whole roller coaster of life there is one thing that will always be there... Peace. We can choose to live our life the way we should, to follow the teaching of Christ and we will be at peace. When we have that faith and that trust that he knows what's better for us, that he loves us, and wants nothing but us to grow in order to have eternal happiness. He would rather hurt us in order for us to have an eternal happiness then just lie to us and give us that temporal happiness. A friend will tell you what you want to hear, but a bro will tell you what you need to hear. Brotip #761. Jesus is the ultimate bro. He won't give you what you want but he'll give you what you need.

The second you truly believe in that and have faith in him. You're life just becomes so much more peaceful. Its hard to do but if it was so easy, it wouldn't be worth it.

Don't Give Up

 He isn't surprised when we fall, stumble, or mess up. He saw it the whole time and


LOVED


us the SAME.

Just keep going, he wants what's best for you.

Judgement

There's no good and bad people...

There's only Imperfect people & Jesus

I finally understand...

The last few days.. have been

THE DARKEST, MOST LONELY DAYS OF MY LIFE.


I've never felt like this.. I've never felt like there was literally no one to look to.
Sometimes I want to tell the Lord, "this plan of happiness of yours. well it's not really working...."


Yet, I've felt,  COMPLETELY AT PEACE


Divine chastening has at least three purposes: (1) to persuade us to repent, (2) to refine and sanctify us, and (3) at times to redirect our course in life to what God knows is a better path.


 I feel at times like these when I am doing everything that the lord wants me to do, when I'm giving it my best to be just like Christ. It feels as if things get worse and worse. It makes sense that things get harder, especially at this point in my life as I prepare to go on a mission, the one thing that the adversity doesn't want me to do. But I just have to say one thing to Satan, "might as well give up bro".

“Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.

“Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people”  -Mosiah 23:21-22

I feel that as soon as I get past this that I'll be able to do anything.  I can't wait till that day that things turn out. That day when things get better. That day when I rejoice and feel so happy that I didn't throw in the towel. That day when I can say 

Thank you Lord, for loving me enough to hurt me.

I just need to have faith that everything is happening for a reason, that its for the best and if there's someone that I should trust with my life, that I should give my life  to, it's the man upstairs..

 HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT'S BEST FOR ME