Scriptures Continued...

Day 32:
D&C 29:39
"And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet—"
Especially the phrase: "for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet." Everything happens for a reason, and always ends up benefiting us. U am thankful for trials and hard things in my life so that I can have a taste of sweetness! LYLAS! :)
Day 33:
D&C 31:13
"Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you. These words are not of man nor of men, but of me, even Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, by the will of the Father. Amen."
Just like in a race for swimming, or something you need to follow through on ,we are asked to be faithful til the end. It might be hard, but the reward is going to be worth it! LYLAS! :)
Day 34:
D&C 68:6:
"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come."
I am thankful to know someone will always stand near me, but I hope I can always be one to stand by Him, because I know he wouldn't ever let me down. :) So stand as a witness with me! LYLAS! :)

Day 31: Ether 12;34 (Moroni 7:45.. A good cross referance)

Day 31:
Ether 12:34:
"And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father."
Moroni 7:45:
"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
"We should always remember to have charity in our lives. :) But an important part of that verse, is that the Lord has charity on us, that's why it's so important to have it for others. LYLAS! :)"
~Hannah Hatch

The Comforting Gift That I Received Every Night and Strenghthened My Testimony

I

am very blessed to have cute and comforting friends. My friends always have carried me through life with comfort and will never stop. On December 1, 2010, I had a 4 1/2 hour surgery I had scoliosis. I had a metal rod put in my back. It was scary and painful, but my cute friend Hannah comforted me by sending a scripture to me every night with a message below. I would look forward to this nightly text with a smile on my face even if I was in pain. I knew for sure that she was sure a true friend, and I would never lose her. Here are the nightly scriptures that I received with a comforting message.

Day 1: I received a message saying this: "So over the course of the next little while, I will send you scriptures at night that I LOVE that I know can help get you through this process. :) Heavenly Father loves you and wants the best for you, I can tell. So here's the first one :) p.s. You probably have heard these before, but they can always be a good reminder. :)"

John 14: 27:"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid."

Be Strong! LYLAS :)

Day 2:

1 Timothy 4:12:"Be an example of the believers in word, in charity, in spirit, in faith , and in purity."

We have a light given to us and we can share it by the way we live. :) Keep doing what's right and we can't lose the light! LYLAS! :)

Day 3: Day Before the Surgery.... My most favorite so far! :)

D&C 58:4:

"For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand."

Okay so we do have to go through a lot in this life.... A LOT! But only what we can handle. :) we are princesses that will be crowned in heaven if we choose the right and endure well. Heavenly Father knows you can endure this and will do everything he can to be strong! I am praying for you!! Know that you are loved. LYLAS! :)

Day 4: First Night in the Hospital, and My second favorite so far! :)

D&C 29:5:

"Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom."

I heard about the surgery and I'm glad it went well :) Dana said she came to visit you and you were smiling!! Love Ya!! LYLAS!!! :)

Day 5:

2 Nephi 26:24:

"He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of [Lizzie];for he loveth [Lizzie], even that he layeth down his life that he may draw all men to him. Wherefore he commandeth none that they shall partake of his salvation."

I know he loves you and will be with you every second throughout this experience. It was so great to see you tonight and you are so strong and brave! love you to pieces! LYLAS! :)

Day 6:

Ether 12:6:

"And now Moroni would speak somewhat concerning these things. I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen. Wherefore dispute not because we see not for we receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

I just like this one a lot :) Hope all is well! Love Ya! :) LYLAS!! :)

Day 7:

Proverbs 3: 5-6:

"Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths."

How comforting it is to know that the Lord knows what is going on even though sometimes we just want something then and there. He knows how to help us. All we have to do is trust in his power and believe his words because then we are able to be guided by the spirit and helped in ways we may not understand. I am thankful for this in my life. :) LYLAS!

Day 8:
D&C 84:88:

"And whoso receiveth you there will I be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you to bear you up."

My mom gave me this scripture one time, when I was really down, and felt a little bit lost. I know this is so true because I have felt the Lord guide me in times where i really needed help. And our loved ones who have passed on are definitely helping us and cheering us on as we go through hard times, a well as the Holy Ghost to help us choose the right and be comforted! How comforting is that?! :) LYLAS!!

Day 9:

Matthew 11:28-30:

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I am so thankful that he can help us with our shortcomings. We have so much to accomplish and do, and sometimes we need help, and we have things we have to go through that are super hard, but as long as we put our faith and trust in him, he helps us do those things we feel we aren't capable of. Love Ya! LYLAS!! :)

Day 10:

D&C 6:34:

"Therefore, fear not little flock, do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail."

Christ's rock is always the surest! You can always share the gospel and share his word and not have to really worry about all the world is doing and saying because they won't have an impact if we are built on his foundation! Love Ya! LYLAS! :)

Day 11:
Ether 12:27:"And if men come unto me I will show unto 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; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

This is a really neat one! We all have our shortcomings and christ is the only one who has made it possible for us to gain salvation if we do our part. This scripture is such great and comforting one! I hope all is well! LYLAS! :)

Day 12:
D&C 6:36:

"Look unto me in every thought doubt not, fear not."

This is so simple yet profound. When we turn to our savior for help, and look positively, he will help us. Missing You! LYLAS!! :)

Day 13:

3 Nephi 13:33 (also Matthew 6:33)

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

As we put Christ first in everything we do, we can be blessed beyond measure. There are lots of distractions... many good... that can keep us from looking to the truly best of the best things like scriptures, family,prayer, etc. but if we find time for them, those other things will find their place. :) I hope you are doing well! Let me know how you are doing! LYLAS :)

Day 14:

Alma 37:34-37

"Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.
O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.
Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. "

It is such a comfort to know he wants to hear from us! All the time! And is willing to help us!:) He is a counselor .... and always has amazing advice! LYLAS! :)

Day 15:

2 Nephi 9:21:

" And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam."

This scripture (and some of the surrounding ones)are so comforting. Christ suffered for everyone of us so he can know how to help carry our burdens. He loves you and me! And did it so we can return to heaven and have him say "Well done my good and faithful Lizzie... or Hannah....etc." And I can only imagine what it will be like! LYLAS! :)

Day 16:

Alma 37:35:

"O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God."

We are so lucky to have teachers in our life, because as we learn the important things in life, we are prepared to return to live with our father in heaven. LYLAS!! :)

Day 17:

Alma 38:5

"And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day."

I am amazed every day how the scriptures can help guide us. They are so special to me! I hope all is going well! LYLAS! :)

Day 18:

She gave me a quote instead of a scripture:

"When you keep the commandments, and follow that savior's example, it is like holding up a light. Your good example helps others to find their way in a darkening world."~Ardeth Kapp.

I love this quote.This is a perfect way to lead out and be an example. Keeping the commandments and being like Christ is exact formula for gaining light. I am thankful we are given these things to help us in our lives.LYLAS! :)

Day 19:

2 Nephi 12:2:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it."

It's neat to see that nothing can stop the work of the Lord. Everything happens for a reason and he loves us so much! Love Ya! LYLAS! :)

Day 20:

2 Nephi 26:33:

"For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile."

The Lord will always be accepting, loving, and kind. He is there to help and provide and comfort :) It was so good to see you today! Thanks for the sweet note! LYLAS! :)

Day 21:

2 Nephi 22 (especially verse 2)

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation."

This reminds me of what a testimony can be worked on and nourished. We always have to work on them and as we go through life, as we draw unto the savior, our testimonies will grow! Fun to be with you girls today! LYLAS! :)

Day 22:

She sent me a quote again:

"Be Loyal to the Royal within you."

We are princesses and sometimes, we may forget, but if we always remember who we are, we won't make mistakes. LYLAS! :)

Day 23:

Mosiah 2:31:

"And now, my brethren, I would that ye should do as ye have hitherto done. As ye have kept my commandments, and also the commandments of my father, and have prospered, and have been kept from falling into the hands of your enemies, even so if ye shall keep the commandments of my son, or the commandments of God which shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you."

As we keep the commandments, those who are working against us can't do anything! When we are strong, we cannot be knocked down! :D What a wonderful thought. I love the words the scriptures have for us. LYLAS! :)

Day 24:

I read Luke 2 tonight, and it really just put me right into that Christmas mood. :) I'm so glad we have the scriptures to help us LEARN OF CHRIST! It's so wonderful! I hope you have a Merry Christmas! LYLAS! :)

Day 25:

Luke 10:37

"And he said, he that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, go, and do thou likewise."

So this is the story of the good samaritan and I love this response. You may need to read the verse before as well, But basically the Lord is saying that each of us have been shown mercy in our lives. Once we feel this, we can go and help others that are in need of help and mercy. I love the example Christ showed us by the way he lived. LYLAS! :)

Day 26:

D&C 25:15:

"Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive. And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come."

So when you keep the commandments and follow the savior, we can make it to heaven. :) The steps are simple, yet sometimes hard to do. So keep going along being the wonderful young woman you are and it will become easier. LYLAS! :)

Day 27:

D&C 24:18

"And thou shalt take no purse nor scrip, neither staves, neither two coats, for the church shall give unto thee in the very hour what thou needest for food and for raiment, and for shoes and for money, and for scrip."

I think this scripture is so cool to see how the Church works. We help missionaries and those in need! Although missionaries do need money and items from home, they rely on members of the church for help. Random, I know,but I thought that was cool. LYLAS! :)

Day 28:

John 17:3

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

We are here to learn of the savior,father and Christ, we are better prepared to live the lives we should. LYLAS! :)

Day 29:

D&C 25:2

"A revelation I give unto you concerning my will; and if thou art faithful and walk in the paths of virtue before me, I will preserve thy life, and thou shalt receive an inheritance in Zion."It's so simple. Every time the Lord makes a promise, he asks that we keep his commandments and in this case, WALK IN VIRTUE!!! Such simple things to do if we work hard and turn to him. :) Love Ya! LYLAS! :)

Day 30:

3 Nephi 27:27

"And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.

We hve been given a perfect example, all we need to do is FOLLOW! Love Ya! LYLAS! :)

These Scriptures, have helped me have faith in my Heavenly Father that I will heal. Before the sugery, I hadn't been reading my scriptures that often. But now after the surgery, I have read my scriptures everynight and it has helped me in my everyday life. I have enjoyed receiving these scriptures every night. Hannah made it something to look forward to. I am so very grateful to have her in my life, and I am so grateful to have a family that has supported me through this hard time. This challenge or trial that Heavenly Father is testing me on, has made me realize that I am loved by friends and family, He has also taught me that to rely on my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I have felt Heaven very close this past month. I am grateful to have so many people that love me.

20 Highlights of My Summer...

This Summer has been so fun!! I have enjoyed it, and have learned more things that I never knew. I had a fun summer, and I would like to tell the whole world about it. Here is my Top 20 fun things that I did this Summer.

20: I started out my summer, up at BYU. I did a swim camp, where I learned a lot about nutrition, the secrets of swimming, more fun workout sets that I have never done before, and more great tips about my strokes. I also enjoyed eating at the Cannon Center. They had the yummiest food. Between Eggs and Pasta. That week was a little slice of Heaven for me.

19: I enjoyed waking up a 6:30 five days a week. I swam all summer, and worked really hard, so that I could go to conference, and show everybody who I was made of. I loved carpooling with Hannah, and still got new tips on all of my strokes. I loved swimming at the Tennis Club.

18: I also enjoyed a week at Beehive Camp. There were a lot of spiritual experiences, I memorized a new scripture. It is 1 John 4:19: It reads: "We Loved Him, Because He First Loved Us." That scripture has now stayed close to me, and I have learned to love him even more than ever. <3


17: I also got glitter toes. Twice this time!!! :) How can a summer be without getting glitter toes!!! I know that I am a little obsessed with them, but honestly, I just am in love with them. I got Purple again with my cousin Abby in Las Vegas, and then I got an Orange with my darling friend Gabby. I love Gabby, she is so chill, and mellow. I feel I can talk to her about anything, because she can let me trust her with the things that I have to tell her. Thanks Gabby!! :)

16: I did two triathlons this summer, Echo and Women of Steel. I did both of them with my mom. The Women of Steel, was a disaster. They cancelled the swim, so they had me do a mile run, but we did pretty well, we got 5th in our age division. But when we did Echo, I swam in a freezing cold lake, but we got 2nd place out of our age division. I have a goal that maybe next year or the year after that, I will get to do one all by myself.

15: We went to California this past week, and I loved it. The ocean was nice and cold, and the waves were nice and cool, I got a lot of great things there, like a pair of new sunglasses, a pair of Vans, and a pair of Toms. We went and got Tutti Frutti, you've gotta love that!!! I got Cookies and Cream and Chocolate, and then I put Oreo bites and Cookie Dough bites on it. It was Heaven.

14: Speaking of yogurt, we found so many new places, We basically went out three times a week. I loved it. I think that it tasted the best when we had it after meets. We went to Fresh Twist, Top It, Yogurt Stop, and Tutti Frutti. I loved going and getting yogurts with my family. It was a big highlight for me.

13: I made it to conference!!! I made it in the I.M., Backstroke, and Breastroke. I place really well. I was 10th in the Breastroke out of the whole league, I was 13th in the I.M. out of the whole league, and then I was 7th in the whole league in the Backstorke. I made the I.M. and the Breastroke in the Prelims. and then I made the Finals in the Backstroke, so I got to swim in the top 8 with all of the harder girls.

12: I went and spent a weekend up at a YW leaders cabin with all of the YW. I enjoyed talking and catching up with my friends, swinging on a hammock, making dinner, and so much more.

11: I got a phone!!!! I love texting my friends, I can catch up with my cousin in Vegas, I can talk to my friends for fun, or just again catch up.

10: I went to Dick's and Dairy Keen for dinner a few times. I love there shakes, and their burgers. I enjoyed them.

9: I played the Piano a lot, in YW, and a ton at home. I love playing the piano, I love being able to go and sit down and play. I enjoy it so much. Thanks to my great teachers.

8: I enjoyed reading some good books, Forest Born, Hunger Games, and Fablehaven, and of course sop much more.

7: I enjoyed going to Las Vegas, and seeing my cousin come home from the Hawaii Honolulu Mission. I enjoyed hearing his thoughts and testimony about the gospel. I loved seeing my cousin Abby a lot this summer too. I enjoy spending time with her. She is a doll. We text and go in the ocean together. She is my ocean buddy. I love ya Abby!!!

6: I enjoyed reading the New Testament a lot this summer. I enjoyed being able to follow Christ's footsteps,

5: I enjoyed being able to go to the Temple a lot and to go and do Baptisms with my friends. I love love love it. It brings a special feeling to my heart. I love it.

4: I loved listening to music this summer. I listened to Mindy Gledhill more, and James Taylor and Carole King.

3: I enjoyed swinging out on my swing out in front, or walking down to Sno Shack with family or friends.

2: I enjoyed playing with Ruby. She is so funny and mellow sometimes. I love it. She does the funniest things. She learned how to catch, and other things. She is so smart.

1: Probably the best thing that I did this summer, was spend time with my family. I loved being able to laugh and talk with my family. It was the best.

Even though Summer is over, These memories will always be in my heart. I loved enjoyed doing these things. This Summer, was a blast.

Soaking It All Up.

Summer! Summer! Summer! Summer! My favorite time of year. You have NO Stress, you feel that all the big projects have flown off your shoulders. You say hello to flip flops, my favorite kind of shoe. Bright Pink...Purple...Black....Brown... So many flip flop colors to choose from.

Lots and Lots of camps and trips.....Beehive Camp....BYU Swim Camps....Beach Trips.... Hiking Trips... Doesn't Get any better than that!

Oh do I love Summer!!

But you can't forget the soft cold creamy ice cream or frozen yogurt, topped with a little bit of cold frozen hard Chocolate Chips, or crunchy Oreo cookies, maybe even little bits of Cookie Dough!

The blond hair shines off of your arms. You are no longer pale anymore, you are tan.

Playing the piano all day. Getting better and better and better. I love it!

Going to the pool every week, jumping off of the diving boards, feeling like you are flying.

Having sunburned shoulders and ears.

This is what summer is all about.

You wait for it all winter; This quote even says it

"In the depth of winter I finally learned that

there was in me an invincible summer."

~Albert Camus

This is what I have been waiting for, showing off your fancy bright colored toes, eating frozen yogurt, having sunburned shoulders and ears, having a cute tan, playing the piano all day,feeling the sand in my toes, and soaking and sitting in a good book. This is my dream summer!!

It will never get any better than that.

The Dashing Lighning Fast School Year...

7th Grade...
It has gone by so fast! This year is a memory, It has just felt like that I was walking into Wasatch Junior High School.

I have had a lot of great memories with friends, academics, and other things. I took a great variety of classes, and have loved experiencing each and everyone of them.

I have also loved the friends that I have made... Zoe, Katie, Charlotte, and so much more.

To me when I walked into 7th Grade, and saw all of the different variety of people, I thought it was like a big jar full of names and there were little slips of papers and I had to draw a few,

This year has made my world spin round and round!

Cheers to a great year!!!

December

This Christmas has been great for my family and I. We spent lots of time with our family, visiting our puppy, helping lots of Eritrean people, listening to music with my cousin Abby, playing the piano, sleeping in, and slowing the days down.

Tomorrow night on New Years Eve, I am going to run a 5K with my cool dad, the race starts at 11:30, and we try to beat the New Year. My goal is to be in by 11:50. My dad and I are very excited to run together.

As a family, we saw lots of fun movies. We saw Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Princess and the Frog. They were both good.My sisters and I saw them both with cousins.

Lots of fun parties at Gams. The soup was great, the program was great, and the gift exchange was fun.

YW Mutual. Going to a Live Nativity. Seeing live animals, drinking warm Hot Chocolate, laughing with friends. Doesn't get any better than that!

Meeting new people, helping them, loving them, making them smile, Watching them light up the world with their coffee creamed skin and brown eyes. Meeting Jimati and her four girls, Meeting Rahawa, Arsema, and Divora. Delivering Christmas Trees to 9 Families 36 people.

December has been so much fun. I can't wait to get our puppy in January. I am looking forward to Girls Camp, Hikes with friends and family, and so much more.