DAUGHTER OF A KING

"Heavenly Father offers to you the greatest gift of all—eternal life—and the opportunity and infinite blessing of your own “happily ever after.” "

https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/general-young-women-meeting/2010/03/your-happily-ever-after?lang=eng

- President Dieter F Uchdtdorf

 " 10 ¶Who can find a ^avirtuous ^bwoman? for her price is far above rubies.

 11 The heart of her husband doth safely ^atrust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."

-Proverbs 31:10-12

  The way the world is now days to be virtuous is considered a thing of the past, to have standards is mocked. But in reality it is our virtue and our divine attributes of womanhood that should be most cherished. To be selective of whom we give our hearts is what the Lord desires. To find men worthy of our love is important. The more I am out on my mission the more I realize the eternal perspective of marriage. It's not a matter of how much fun we have, if He plays guitar, if he sings well, is He attractive, all though all of those are major bonus points, what I am beginning to realize is important is does he honor his priesthood? Does he realize the worth of a daughter of god? Does he love his family? and how will He be as a future father.

  To be virtuous goes so much deeper than virtuous actions. I have learned that it goes farther than the way I act into the way I think, and speak. Thoughts lead to words, words lead to action. To have clean language, and clean thoughts has become soooo important to me. I want to reflect my savior Jesus Christ in all that I do and say.

  So many girls will do anything it takes to have the man of her dreams love her, they forget to stop and think of their worth to God. They are seeking to find love in all the wrong places. We lose track of our divine worth and our importance in the Kingdom of God. Girls, it is soooo important to know of your divinity, your worth to God. We as women are one of his most precious creations. DO NOT SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS. BE SURE THAT HE IS WORTHY OF YOUR HEART. 

  Trials come, the waves toss our ship, the wolves ascend and we forget who we are at times, we set our sites low and we become trapped in a place that we don't know how we got their. In a world less than happy. We seek to find happiness through falling in love. When I was fourteen a very good family friend of mine took me aside one day and he asked me "Ashley. Do you love yourself?" being a 14 year old girl my response was confused He then replied "Before you can give your heart to a man, before you can love any man, you must first LOVE YOURSELF" and that has stuck with me for the last 7 years... Before I give of my heart fully to anyone I must first know the worth of my own soul, I must first give of my heart to my Savior Jesus Christ. To be refined, to learn of pure love, trust, and faith. When we find who we are in Christ we will find others who have also found them selves in Him. We will have the holy ghost with us to show us of men who are worthy.

  I have only been on my mission for 4 months and I have already learned so much about who I am and who the lord wants for me to become. My faith in My Father in Heaven is growing each and every day.

" 4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with ^asurety ^bhope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which ^chope cometh of ^dfaith, maketh an ^eanchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in ^fgood works, being led to ^gglorify God."

Ether 12:4 (book of Mormon)

  My heart desires to have Christ anchoring my soul. I want for my roots to be planted so firmly that I wont shake when temptations come. When the whirlwinds of life come toward me I want to know that I love my father in heaven so much that I will do my best to not let him down, to not disappoint him.

  "12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the ^arock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your ^bfoundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty ^cstorm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

  Heleman 5:12 (book of Mormon)

  Don't give up, don't settle, your prince charming will come. Set your eyes for the highest, reach for the kingdom of god and he will direct you there. Follow the path back to the feet of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Know of your worth, your divine beauty, and set goals for the highest ways possible. Times get hard, smooth talkers come and go, heart breakers may come, BUT don't stop searching, don't lose hope, he is out there.

 Self respect is key, if you respect yourself he will respect you. If you don't know of your beauty neither will he. Know your worth. You are a daughter of a king, our father in heaven created you. You are beautiful, inside and out. Keep pushing through.

 We all make choices at times that make us feel like we aren't special or that we aren't worthy to be in the presence of God, we are human, and we give into the natural man. This is why our father in heaven sent his Son so that we could repent, we could change these actions, we can pray and ask for forgiveness and we can move forward in faith and hope. Repentance is here, forgiveness is obtainable. Just because you've wandered from the path never means that you should lose hope. Jesus Christ is waiting to receive you in his arms of mercy, to forgive you, to mend your broken heart, to heal your spirit and to make you whole. Finding Christ is finding yourself. When you find Christ lose yourself in His infinite love and find who he needs you to become. No person is ever to far gone to be forgiven. His atonement is infinite. Not only does is cover our sins. But it heals the wounds caused by sin. It heals the wounds caused by others actions. I know that each and every one of us can be healed through the Savior. He has healed my heart, and he has mended my soul. I am finding who I am and who I need to be through him. I know that this is possible for all who will take His name upon them. I know that we are all children of God and we can inherit his kingdom. We are children of a king.

 

  "16 ¶For ^aGod so ^bloved the ^cworld, that he ^dgave his ^eonly begotten ^fSon, that whosoever ^gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have ^heverlasting ⁱlife."

  -John 3:16

Your are almost to your Happily Ever After. Fight for it. It is your right. Push through and never lose hope. <3

 

The Atonement

 One of the BEST things about working at the visitor centers is being able to read talks online every day when we don't have tours. I read this one by Elder Bednar that opened my eyes to a whole new view on the Atonement and what it does for us.

 http://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/04/the-atonement-and-the-journey-of-mortality?lang=eng

 Something that I loved is that if we truly understand and use the atonement that it will change my very nature. I will become a while new creature.

" 24 For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.

 25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;

 26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."

            -Mosiah 27

 I like 26 and thus they became new creatures. When we truly repent and choose to change and to follow Christ by keeping his commandments and repent of our short comings and work to become better our very personalities change and we become better. 

  Something that changes my view on things is when Elder Bednar speaks about Nephi being bound he doesn't pray to be removed from his situation or to have the situation become easier but he asks in faith to over come his situation. I know that in my life when things get hard I tend to plea with the Lord first asking him to remove my burdens and to make the things which are troubling me to be removed, and this is because I don't understand the Atonement fully. After pleading with the lord i realize how irrational I am being and when I finally ask the right question and I ask for strength to over come, to be strong enough to pull through, that is when Jesus Christ rescues me. 

  Life is not always easy. We have trials and they can either make us or break us. Since I have been on my mission I have been struggling with my health. My kidneys want to be a stone factory and produce rocks all day every day. In the MTC i had to get surgery to remove some of them(i had 13) The pain was excruciating and I was getting discouraged with not being able to be in my classes learning Spanish and how to teach the gospel to those who know nothing about it. I felt like I wasn't full filling my purpose as a missionary. I was getting cranky and my faith was stretching thin. It wasn't until i ended up in the emergency room a week before I was scheduled to fly to New York that I realized what a negative Nancy i was becoming. My parents came to visit me at the ER and I was inches from coming home. I told my mom I couldn't do it anymore. I told her my faith was stretching thin and I wasn't sure what more I could take.  The time came to head back to the MTC and I knew that if I was to tell my mom I wanted to return home she would have allowed it and thought no less of me. But i boarded the Mtc shuttle and stared my journey back to The Missionary Training Center.

  

  Sunday morning came and I was in excruciating pain. I didn't know what to do or how I could over come it. I had been praying and praying for it to stop. Begging heavenly father to take it from me. That is when I realized how pathetic I had been, I re directed my train of thought and began to ask the Lord how I could remain faithful, strong and endure this problem. My very nature was beginning to change from the temper tantrum to the how can I over come this. Day by day I grow a step closer to over coming these problems with my health. Each day I am in severe pain but each morning I start with a prayer asking God for help to get through. 

  

  The atonement doesn't only cover out sins. But it covers our afflictions, our short comings, the moments we try our best but we still feel like nothing is pulling through. When we put our trust in god and tell him "Heavenly Father I have been given this situation, help me become a better person because of this, what am I to learn, and how can I grow closer to thee through these burdens" Trials are not meant to break us, but to define and to reform us. I find comfort also in knowing that when I am giving my best pushing my hardest every single day that when I come up short of my destination that my Savior Jesus Christ is the to push me up the rest of the way. Its a matter of trust. Letting go and letting him take over, guiding me to where he needs me to be. Letting go of my natural woman and striving to be more like Him. 

  I know with all of my heart that The Savior Jesus  Christ did in fact Atone for us, our salvation has been paid for by him, our lives can be eternal because of him. and all he says in return is "If you love me keep my commandments" We are forever in debt to our Savior. We could never repay Him for what he did for us. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. Try our best to repent, to change the very creatures we are and to come a step closer to our heavenly father each and every day.  

  

 I know that he knows us all by name, that he saw each and every one of our faces in Gethsemane as he suffered for us. He knew what we would have to suffer in this life and so that it wouldn't be so painful he took the burden upon him and over came the struggles and trials for us. What comfort I find in knowing that he know EXACTLY what I am feeling, when I feel like I am alone in the world I am not. He KNOWS EVERY DESIRE EVERY PAIN EVERY FEELING OF MY HEART. He is my best friend. He will never leave you or me. But at times the choices we make lead to us leaving him, BUT he is always waiting with his arms stretched for to wrap up up in his forgiveness and his atonement and everything can be made whole once again. I love my Savior so much. He is my best friend. And I know that he knows us all by name and he loves us infinitely. 

Mission Adventures!

        And some days we meet really cool people like Brandon Flowers and his family Torey and Josh. scariest tour my comp and I have ever taken!! But their spirits were sooo strong. Such an awesome mish. It's cool to see that these sacred sites are special even to a celebrity

FRIENDS FROM HOME AT THE MTC!

                                     READY FOR BED. IGNORE THE LACK OF GETTING READY
                             I CANT FIND OUR CUTE ONE WHERE WE ACTUALLY WERE READY! ;)

                                                         NERD GLASSES TIME!! :)

                                                      ALL OVER THE WORLD!

MOTHERS DAAAY.

When I was growing up each mothers day we would make my mom breakfast, my dad always made it clear that mothers day was a special day to honor my mommy. Years passed and My brothers went on missions and the highlight of mothers day was that those brothers would get to call home and talk to us! WELL, the tables have turned and I am now the missionary and they are all awaiting that mommas day call. It's more than just a phone call, it's more than being able to speak with my family, it's about telling my mom that she is special to me.

 It wasn't until being away from home, only being able to contact my family once a week through emails and letters that I truly realized more fully what mothers do for us. Warm home cooked meals on the table, clean kitchens and the constant sound of a running vacuum in my house, a home of love, a home of peace, a home of warm smiles and comfort.. Always a place where peace could be found. I now find myself in a semi scattered missionaries apartment, microwave meals traveling from the freezer to my stomach, and the anxiously awaited emails of encouragement from mom. The apartment is cozy the spirit is there, but just one thing is missing, and that is my mom.

 My mom was always such an amazing example to me growing up of what a woman should be. A woman of virtue, and woman of patience, a women of integrity and a woman I could trust. I didn't have a lot of friends growing up, but there was always one that I knew that I could count on and that was my mom. Returning home after a hard day at school my moms loving arms were always there reassuring me of my worth, building my confidence and a foundation of trust, love and hope. I was different than other kids growing up, hyper active, rambunctious, and the imagination that could go for days. All because my mom taught me to be who I am, that god created me and he wanted me to be this way for a reason, that I am no less or more than anyone else, but that I am me and that's all that matters.

 My mom and dad were and still are always amazing examples or hard work and faith. Trial after trial and they never give up, they never lose hope, and they always wear a smile. My mom always made a strong impact on the importance of prayer. We always prayed together as a family before each meal, each morning, and each night before bed. At a young age because of my loving parents I ALWAYS knew I could rely on prayer, when life wasn't making sense, when I lost my favorite toy, when I had a test, or just because I wanted to talk to my Heavenly Father I knew that he would hear me. I am so thankful for her example in faith and patience. I wasn't always easy, I am quite hard headed and stubborn at times but my mom would always talk it out with me and we could find ways to compromise. She taught me the importance of love with out end. I would push her to her limits more so in my young adult years that I am in now, and no matter what she would do her best to guide me in the ways she knew would benefit my future most.

 My mom is a beautiful example of charity. Her desires to serve others, to lift others up and to love with out judgement is amazing. Our home was a home of refuge for all people from every walk of life. my mom taught me the importance to look within ones heart not upon ones appearance.

 My mom is the reason I am serving a mission, she taught me the importance of always following God no matter how difficult the choice may be, she taught me to pray and to act of what ever the answer may be. She is my best support and my number one fan, there cheering for me each step of the way, pushing me through times that I want to give up, standing at my finish line she is always there for me waiting for me to make it through. 

 I hope that one day I can be half the mommy that she is. She is one of a kind, and such a grand example to me of how I want to be some day.

My mommy is wise, my mommmy is patient, my mom is kind, she is loving, my mom is the best.

 I am so grateful for my mom. She has been my best friend when all others sources left me, the one to make me laugh when my world seemed shattered, the one to never keep a secret, to never harm, and to always protect me. As i have gotten older i see why i chose her to be my mom, God placed me in her arms for a very great reason and I know that she was supposed to be my mom. In this life, and the next. I am grateful for this gospel in knowing that families are forever.

I LOVE YOU MAAA! happy mothers day :)

GIFTS.

  
THIS TALK CHANGED MY LIFE:
 http://www.lds.org/ensign/2002/02/gifts-of-the-spirit?lang=eng

 "The world needs people who can keep their word, who have a code of honor, and who can finish a task and endure to the end.
As Latter-day Saints, we need not look like the world. We need not entertain like the world. Our personal habits should be different. Our recreation should be different. Our concern for family will be different. As we establish this distinctiveness firmly in our life’s pattern, the blessings of heaven await to assist us."

-Elder Robert D Hales

 We all have gifts, not wordly gifts, but spiritual gifts, talents from the heart and soul. When I was younger I had friends who could dance, who could play piano, who could sing, draw, read, write, work with numbers, all things that I struggled with that I didn't feel that I was good at. As a young girl this would get me discouraged I would often ask my mom why I couldn't do those things or why I didn't have any talents. But my mom would always reassure me with "you are a good friend to people, that is a talent, you are kind, you make people smile, you are genuine, you are you" and As a kid those all seemed like funny things to be considered a talent. I was always discouraged about not having something to show for what I was good at, I couldn't put in hours of musical practice and recite beautiful songs, I hated to read, and numbers made my head spin, Rhythm... I am lacking. I wanted a talent I could share and show people. As all talents are unique and special, we all have them, musical, intellectual, and my newly found spiritual.  ALL OF WHICH CHANGE THE WORLD. 

 BUT the one I want to expand on is those which are spiritual. God gave us ALL spiritual gifts, each are unique to who we are. Each soul has great worth to God. He desires for each of us to strive to become like him, so he gives us these gifts. For some it is natural to have the gift of charity, others it is knowing right from wrong, or having unshakeable faith in knowing that Jesus is the Lord and the Redeemer of the world. All people are diverse and each gift is needed. How do we know which gifts we hold in our hearts? how do we know how to develop these gifts? It is the same as any other talent or gift. We must study it out, ask god, and practice, you want to have the gift of charity, pray with whole heart and in sincere intent then act. 

 Spiritual talents like any other talent will fade if we dont use them. God gives us talents and gifts so that we can benefit man kind, to enlighten the world. It is so important that we share these divine christ like attriubutes and qualities to help uplift and brighten the day of others. To assist in bringing others to christ and simply making the world a better place, when we hide our talents when we don't use them, they fade. These talents are a gift from God that he expects us to use and develop each day, when we don't do so we lose those abilities. 
Let your light shine, don't be afraid of who you are. 

 My biggest struggle as a missionary is being a visitor center sister. I am terrified of speaking infront of large groups, at the centers we often get tours that are pretty large in size. My first few weeks here The thought of giving a tour made me want to throw up. I would be in a tizzy, sweaty palms, shakey knees and a loss for words. I would pass on all opportunities telling other sisters they could take it, but when it finally came down to just me I had to go, I gave it to heavenly father. I told him of the anxieties of my heart, i told him my fears, and i asked him for help. God call me to a visitor center for a reason and I was NOT living up to what i expected. So I went for it. I have my tour and I know that when I did so, when I stepped out of my comfort zone my father in heaven was proud of me. He helped me through each step. At times our spiritual gifts might be hidden beneath fears, because satan wants to distract us, he wants to keep us from reaching our greatest potential, he wants those talents to be hidden so we wont be able to reach others. In those moments it's important to just push through. Fight for what we deserve and don't let him win. Rely on god and he will show you what He expects, ask, receive, and act. You never know who's life you will impact :)

"14 Ye are the ^alight of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

 15 Neither do men light a ^acandle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

 16 Let your ^alight so shine before men, that they may see your good ^bworks, and ^cglorify your Father which is in heaven. "

Matthew 5:14-16                                                        

MISSIONARY FUN :)

 

                                                     SO BLESSED TO SERVE HERE!

                                                                 MORMON.ORG
                                                                   REPRESENT!

                                                          NASTIEST BUG EVER.

                                                                  BOB! AND ME.

 

  

LIVING IN LIMITS

Serving in the Rochester New York Mission is incredible, I feel so blessed to be at the historical church sites here in Palmyra New York area. How many get to walk these sacred ground each day? Or to spend so much time in the sacred grove!! We also get to meet so many wonderful people working here at the sites.
 A friendship I will cherish forever after my mission is with the grove keeper Bob. Hes is amazing. A group of us had the privilege of going on a tour of the grove with him a few days ago and he showed us some amazing things. But one of my most favorite things we did during the tour was learning how to save plants. :) These little plants grow on the floor of the grove but the grove floor is also covered in dead leaves, which causes some problems for these new growths, at times these new plants will grow up through a dead leaf and it causes the new plant to not be able to blossom, mean while all the surrounding plants are opening and blooming into beautiful creations

 Bob pointed out how frustrating it must be to be confined like this, what Bob does with these is he find these and he breaks the dead leaves off so the new one can bloom, he likened that to our work as missionaries, we find people who haven't yet found the truth and we help break them free of their past lives and help them find direction so that the can further find happiness and live up to their potential in life, often times we find people who are so restricted by their pasts they don't know how to be happy or how much they are capable of in their lives. He said that we have to search hard to find these people as we also had to do to find these leaves. often times one would be right under us and we wouldn't see it until Bob would point it out. How often we go through our lives hoping to make a change, to better another life, and to make an impact on the world, we search so hard for these opportunities expecting to find something huge, but it is right under us something so simple that will bring forth great results and we over look them unknowingly.. As he was talking about this I also realized that in times in my life I have been this leaf. I have set limitations on myself and i stop my self from progressing because of fears, self doubts, and my own self created weaknesses. a scripture i love from the book of mormon is ether 12:27  27 

 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their^aweakness. I ^bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my ^cgrace is sufficient for all men that ^dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make ^eweak things become strong unto them.

The only one who truly knows our weaknesses is our Savior Jesus Christ, and the only time we will know what those are is if we go to him in humility and ask him how we can make them strengths, after doing so the savior will help us through, he will help change those weaknesses into strengths.
 Through the saviors atonement, grace and mercy we are able to break through the bonds of weakness we put upon our selves, he will show us our potential and then we are truly able to live, to open up and to become who we are truly meant to be. I am so thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ, for his sacrifice so that I can truly live and grow to become my best self. with out him I would be nothing but through him I can become everything. I know that he lives, I know that he loves us, I know with all that I am that he will break us free of our bonds, whether it be from sin, temptation, heart ache, fears, doubts... no matter what our bonds may be through the savior jesus christ they can be broken, we can stretch out at last, we can grow, and we can become the women and men he needs/intended for us to be.