Great things never come from comfort zones.

To those who are struggling, who are lost or lonely, who don't feel good enough, those who are my friends, my neighbors, my family, even to myself. I'm writing this to all of us.

There are so many things in this world that say you're not pretty enough, strong enough, smart enough, no one can love you, you can't, you never will… I would love to use some colorful words to those thoughts, to tell them to go away.

Every single one of us has dreams, has a goal, has someone we love, has a hope for a better day. but there seems to always be this voice saying you could never accomplish that, they could never love you back, tomorrow will not be better, you have too many things in your way holding you back. 

For those of you who are struggling, for those of you who feel that you do not measure up. I want to tell you that YOU are AMAZING. I want to remind you that you have 100% success rate for getting through bad days... you have not only survived, but you have LIVED and pushed through...

I hope that you have people by your side telling you that you can achieve anything you put your mind too. I hope you know your worth and the amazing gifts and talents you bring to this world.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."


There are so many things in this life that will tell you no, don't do it, you can't, you're not good enough, it won't work out. There are also so many things in this life that will tell you; yes, you can, you will, you are, you're good enough, it will work out, try it, have faith in it, trust it, fall in love with it, smile about it.....

Which one are you going to listen too? Which one matters more to you, living in fear or living in faith?

If you're reading this, if you're struggling... know that I Love You, and Our Father in Heaven loves you, and KNOWS you by name. He is aware of every thing that matters to your heart, the big and the small. Sometimes during stages in our lives all we can do is move forward with faith, and trust God enough that everything will work out the way it supposed too.

"Never, never, never Give up!" 

It's never too late...

"It's never too late to realize what's important in your life, and to fight for it."

So many of us are living scared. We're too scared to go for the job we really want, we're too scared to trust ourselves and take a leap of faith, we're too scared to fall in love, too scared to follow our dreams, too scared to stand up for ourselves.

We tend to go around saying we have faith, we believe in God, we believe in true love, we act one way, but say we act another. 

And when it comes down to it, we lose the faith we said we had, we don't trust the God that has always been there for us, we sabotage relationships that could of been something extraordinary, we show everyone that we are this person that loves this and likes that, but we actually hate this and dislike that... 

We are scared... We're scared to show face, we're scared to get hurt yet again, we're scared that no one will approve. So we go on through out our lives miserable and unhappy, because we keep wanting these amazing things that are scary, but we never do anything about it. We never take a leap of faith and hope that when we land, there will be solid ground to catch our feet. 

Everyone talks about dreams, and following ours hearts; whether it's on tv, in books, magazines in the movies, our best friends, random strangers... They preach that all it takes is courage and faith... Which it does, but it's so much more than that. If we would stop holding our own selves back, we could be anything and do anything. 

I think many of us forget it's okay to be scared... It's okay to be terrified that your putting your heart on the line, that your quitting a good paying job to follow your dreams, that your standing up for what you believe in, that your going back to school. 

It's okay to be scared...

If we never had fear in our lives and hearts, we would never grow, we would never become the people we were meant to become. We would simple stay the same, be the same, act the same, never grow, never love deeper, never laugh harder.... We would simply, be... Be nothing that really mattered, because there would be no growth, no pain to learn from, no tears to be cleansed from, no broken heart to heal from... We wouldn't have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes, to grow, to love better, to have more faith, to believe in ourselves....

I hope that through out our lives when we are scared, when we are unsure, when we don't want to have that pain again….  May we have courage, courage to trust our hearts, courage to trust others with our hearts, courage to love again, courage to follow our dreams, courage to be something!

At the end of the day remember these great words..

"It's never too late to realize what's important in your life, and to fight for it."

"Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow."  ~Dan Rather

"In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make." -unknown

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." ~Ambrose Redmoon

…One last thing. So you've been hurt, you've been kicked to the ground, your heart has been shattered in to pieces.... So what... That's old news... And don't let it control your life anymore! Don't you see life's too short for us to give in, it's too short to be content with being miserable, and thinking we don't deserve anything better. So fight. You fight for what's yours and what you deserve, because. You. Are. Amazing!!

All My Love,
                        Megs

The Joy of a Snowflake

Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of the year, but as the season came I felt as though pieces of myself were missing. In the search to find those pieces again… I noticed miracles happening all around me, some were small and seemingly insignificant, but they mattered and others were grand and beautiful.

The magic of Christmas is truly shown all around, all we have to do is look for it. I have been blessed with so many things this christmas season, but today I was blessed with snowflakes…

Yes, I understand that these tiny little particles of dirt and frozen water can lead to icy roads and ruined shoes. But there is something so magical when you are able to slow the pace of the holiday season, and take a closer look at one single snowflake… They exist! They aren't just flurries falling from the sky, they truly are snowflakes with perfectly cut edges, and every single one is different and beautiful in its own way. 

It made me think of each one of us, and how we were created in the image of our father in heaven. Each one of us is different and beautiful in our own way.

 Some are small, and some are tall, some are round and some don't feel like they have been found. Some spread joy, and some try to find it. Some are so busy that they don't take a moment to look closely at others. Some do take those precious moments to slow down and really look upon others in a different way. Maybe if we all got our noses out of the ground and actually looked up, we would find that there is a whole world waiting for us. Maybe we would find that what we have been looking for is already around us. 

It just made me think of how slowing down and really looking at these tiny snowflakes made me feel like our father in heaven, our creator is making all of us and shaping all of us in different, and beautiful ways… and making these perfect Snowflakes for us to enjoy.

I felt like a kid again, I was yelling in to my parents house saying "They are real! Snowflakes are real!" they all of course laughed. I have always known that snow flakes were real… haha , but it was so cool to see them up close and actually being able to see there shapes… The Spirit of Christmas is real. 

Life is funny sometimes

Whether you are 19 or 46; Many of us are at that age, where the decisions we make can change the course of where our lives are going. 

Sometimes I miss the days where all you would worry about was to make sure your mom got your favorite cereal/snack at the grocery store, or making sure you get home from school in time to watch your favorite show, or even when our biggest worries were making sure you had enough "good markers" that weren't dried up...

 Now I'm sure there are many of us, who still have a favorite show to make it home too, or favorite cereal we want... But those aren't our only worries any more. Some have lost a loved one, some are living paycheck to paycheck, some are dealing with crippling health issues, and others may be searching for a friend, a companion,  or a better life. 

There this word that people use called "growing up", but I call it "living". It's this amazing thing that throws you through loops and makes you smile bigger and cry harder than you ever have. You know, it's kind of a beautiful thing when something happens so out of left field, that almost breaks your heart; and all you can do is laugh. Those moment when you are so caught off guard and have no idea how to react, that you just laugh. After so much anguish, and heart ache, the light starts to appear.

There is a quote that says " The darkest hour is just before the dawn breaks." That quote has helped me through many things in my life, it has helped me to hang on a little longer, to have faith a little brighter. I will tell you, the light comes, it always comes. Sometimes it comes soon an sometimes it comes late. Always know that in order for us to grow and become who we were meant to become, we must know sorrow to know happiness. It is by this that we will be able to appreciate the good, because we will have known the bad. 

Life is interesting to me, it seems that just when we think we figured things out, we get thrown a curveball. So, we improvise. We find happiness in unexpected places. We find ourselves understanding what matters the most. Life is funny that way. Sometimes it just has a way of making sure we wind up exactly where we belong... I like to call it The Lords plan. 

Sometimes the Best time is Now...

I have had a little Dove Chocolate wrapper in my car for about 2 years, that says "sometimes the best time is now."  Today as I was driving it got me thinking about life and how so many of us are always waiting... We are all waiting for the storm to pass, waiting for the right time, waiting to be happy when we graduate, make millions, get married, have babies, be retired... So many of us spend our lives waiting to be happy, when it is now that we must act. If you want to start your own business, do it!! If you love someone you tell them, you don't waste any of those moments. Those moments that could be gone in an instant. Those moments that just might change your life. If you want to change your life, do it! Because a year from now you will wish you did something today! 

Life can be scary, it is scary... But it is the most amazing ride we will ever have. Our Heavenly Father has given us life, a life that we should not waste. Sometimes in the mist of getting things done, and trying to take day by day; life happens. 

If it scares you, do it! If you want it with all your heart, go after it. You will be guided in all that you do, if you do it with a sincere heart... 

3rd Nephi 27:29

"Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened."

I'm not saying if you ask you will win the lottery. But by praying to our Father in heaven for guidance and answers, you will receive them in The Lords own time and own way. Answers aren't always what we want them to be, but when the Lords will is lined up with ours there is no greater feeling of happiness. Now those times when the answer we hoped for is the answer that is right; those are the sweet and special moments that touch our hearts and strengthen our testimonies.

This life is a beautiful one, now go out there and live it, I mean Really live and love. 

A Sunday Thought

"True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long—we can write notes or poems that proclaim it, sing songs that praise it, and preach sermons that encourage it—but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it each day of His life. He did not remove Himself from the crowd. Being amidst the people, Jesus reached out to the one. He rescued the lost. He didn’t just teach a class about reaching out in love and then delegate the actual work to others. He not only taught but also showed us how to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” 

Love is what inspired our Heavenly Father to create our spirits; it is what led our Savior to the Garden of Gethsemane to make Himself a ransom for our sins. Love is the grand motive of the plan of salvation; it is the source of happiness, the ever-renewing spring of healing, the precious fountain of hope.

As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit."

Love for others, Love for something, or Love for someone; Love is what drives us to become better than we are, it's what helps us become who we are meant to become. 

- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

Bitter Sweet Goodbye: Farewell to a Mission

I should've been getting ready to leave tomorrow, I should've been packing right now... I should of had two suitcases full of things for my mission... I should've gotten my missionary haircut, and had my ugly Missionary shoes... But I didn't get the haircut, I'm not packing, and I don't own those ugly shoes... 

I wonder why we cling to our expectations in life, like the way a balloon clings to static electricity; because the expected is just what keeps us steady. Standing still, comforted, its a path that won't change, it's a path we had planned on.  Still, the expected is just the beginning, the expected is what prepares us... The unexpected is what changes our lives... 

On April 6th of this year, I knew I needed to prepare for a mission.

On April 26th I sent my papers in.

On May 18th my mission call came in the mail the day before my Triathlon

On May 24th- I opened my call, and was called to Little Rock, Arkansas.

On June 15th- Something Changed... My Mission wasn't feeling right... But I kept moving forward. 

On July 3rd, I had the Opportunity to go through the Draper Temple. I will be forever Grateful for that amazing experience. 

On July 12th, I went to the Dallas Temple with my grandmother, and as I entered those sacred walls I knew I wasn't supposed to go on a mission. I knew there was something else in store... Something amazing. 

Through this entire process I have grown more in the past 3 months, than I have in almost 23 years. 

I had lived In Saint George, Utah for about 5 years... I had a great job, great friends and family, and I had a plan; But then came in the Lords plan. I know I wouldn't of moved up to Northern Salt Lake if it wasn't for my mission, but as I have lived up here, I know this is where I am supposed to be. 

There is no question that is has been a hard process, but no matter how hard the process is of letting go of my mission I know that what I am doing is right. Sometimes The Lord calms the storm, sometimes The Lord calms his child, and sometimes he lets his child swim; to help his child grow and become what his child was meant to become. 

The Will of God Video

"This is how the real world goes, first you spend your life dreaming about how great things are gonna be one day. Then that one day finally arrives, and its thrilling, and scary, and its everything and nothing like you thought it would be. you thank Father in Heaven for the amazing new things he's doing; the new adventure, and the way he put all the pieces in place, and you pray that you will be able to handle it, like you thought you could.

This is how life goes, one minute its bright and hopeful, and then next, something seemly and unexplainable happens, but the Lord is there. One day you think you have it all figured out, and then you realize that there was something even better, because the Lord is there. One day follows the next; good times and bad times, time where your dreams are on hold, and times where they come true, times where you feel alone, and times where you feel love over whelming, times where you make sacrifices, and times where you are overwhelmed by blessings; because you're obedient and the Lord is there, he takes all these times,  and he works at you, he works through you... give it all to him, this is his time and I promise all will be well."

A woman once said that often she would watch her daughter and husband go out on saturday bike rides, and she would stay in the office and work, because she wanted a nice house, and a nice garden with no beetles. But as she got older her husband passed away, and she did have a nice house, an empty house, and she did have a nice garden, but it had beetles.. She often said that she wished she could get back those saturdays. She wished she hadn't taken forgranted the thing that truly mattered the most... Family... Sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives, so caught up in our "dreams" that we forget we are living them, and they have come true, but our noses are so stuck to the ground, that we never look up to see that we have had everything we could ever of dreamed of having right in front of us. Sometimes in the midst of uncertainty we forget to look up, we forget to look up and finally see that what we have been looking for, has been right in front of us all along.

Someday everything will make perfect sense. so for now, I will laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, and remember that everything happens for a reason. Here is to the unknown of life; I'm taking it by the reigns and I'm going to enjoy this ride. :)