God Thinks You're Wonderful!

It's been a while since I've written. And lately I've been feeling overwhelmingly grateful for all of my blessings. Especially special people that God has given to me. I've been trying to figure out the best way to express what has been on my mind. While doing so, I came across a book that I received while I was in Texas. This book expresses perfectly the way that I feel. It's as if the book was written specifically for me. I want to share with you the words of that book.

God Thinks You're Wonderful! by Max Lucado

God is fond of you... If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. If He had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. He sends you flowers every spring, and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart. Face it, Friend. He's crazy about you!

By the way, it may be difficult for you to believe that God knows your name... But He does. Written on His hand. Spoken by His mouth. Whispered by His lips. Your name. Our hearts are not large enough to contain the blessings that God wants to give. So try this. The next time a sunrise steals your breath... Or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless... remain that way. Say nothing and listen as heaven whispers, "Do you like it? I did it just for you." If we give gifts to show our love, how much more would He? He could have left the world flat and gray... but He didn't. He splashed orange in the sunrise... and cast the sky in blue. And if you love to see geese as they gather, chances are that you'll see that too. Did He have to make the squirrel's tail furry? Was He obliged to make the birds sing? And the funny way that chickens scurry... Or the majesty of thunder when it rings? Why give flower fragrance? Why give food it's taste? Could it be He loves to see that look upon your face? 

So promise me you'll never forget... that you aren't an accident or an incident... You are a gift to the world, a divine work of art signed by God. You were knit together. You weren't mass produced. You aren't an assembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on this earth... by the Master Craftsman. He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite a while. Turn to the sidelines; that's God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that's God applauding your steps. God is for you. Had He a calendar, your birthday, your birthday would be circled. If He drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there's a tree in heaven, He's carved your name in the bark. 

Maybe you don't want to trouble God with your hurts, but... "He cares about you" [1 Peter 5:7]. He is waiting for you, to embrace you whether you succeed or fail. Your Heavenly Father is very fond of you and only wants to share His love with you. Unteathered by time, God sees us all. Vagabonds and ragamuffins all, He saw us before we were born. And he loves what he sees. Flooded by emotion, overcome by pride, the Star Maker turns to us, one by one, and says, "You are my child. I love you dearly. I'm aware that someday you'll turn from me and walk away. But I want you to know I've already provided a way back." You have captured the heart of God. He cannot bear to live without you. God's dream is to make you right with Him. And the path to the cross tells us exactly how far God will go to call us back. "Can anything make me stop loving you?" God asks. "You wonder how long my love will last. Watch me speak you language, sleep on your earth, and feel your hurts. Find your answer on a splintered cross on a craggy hill. That's how much I love you." 

God does more than forgive our mistakes; He removes them. We simply have to take them to Him. You can talk to God, because God listens. Let a tear appear on your cheek, and He is there to wipe it. He has sent His angels to care for you, His holy spirit to dwell in you... His church to encourage you, and His word to guide you. As much as you want to see Him, He wants to see you more. If you want to touch God's heart, use the name He loves to hear. Call Him "Father." He thinks you're wonderful!

My Divine Identity

Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: ~KJV

I had a realization last night when I was visiting with and introducing myself to my new bishopric member and his wife. I realized that I am pretty dang awesome. I don’t say this to sound arrogant, but more as positive reinforcement so that I can look back on it to remind myself that it is true.

But really… I am actually a pretty exceptional human being. I am pretty well rounded, I have high moral standards (compared to the rest of the world), I have a super solid testimony and a fairly good working knowledge of the gospel. I am intelligent and ambitious. And I even have a decent personality to mesh all those things together.

I might not currently be a sports fanatic, but I was at one point. That has given me the ability to appreciate a good sporting event here and there, especially attending live events. I also know how to work hard and get dirt under my fingernails. Don’t mistake me for a complete Tom-boy though. I also love to cook. That is a talent that I hope to develop more in the future. I am also passionate about the piano. I don’t pretend to be an amazing concert pianist, and I don’t need to. I’m perfectly happy playing for my own pleasure and sharing with others when the occasion calls for it. I love to dance. I’ve learned nine different dance genres before. Again, I don’t pretend to be a professional performer, but I won’t lie; I’m a pretty decent dancer. And most importantly, I enjoy it. I like to relax and watch all sorts of movies. But I have learned my lesson before and do not enjoy watching sleazy reality TV shows, or even crude sitcoms. I do have some standards, and I like to keep that trash out of my brain. But don’t worry; I’m not a couch potato whose life revolves around movies. I LOVE school and can’t get enough knowledge. I have high hopes and want to gain as much education as I possibly can. I spend a disgusting amount of time at the library studying and doing my best to earn good grades. I’m not a complete book worm though. I thrive on positive personal relationships. I love to be around friends. I love to listen when they need to talk. I love throwing parties and playing games. I’m not shy about making new friends.

I served a full time mission for my church. The list of skills and character traits that I developed from that experience is endless. I’ll let you fill in the blanks. But the most important thing is that I have a firm testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that because of him I never have to walk my path alone. He makes it possible for me to leave my sins and mistakes in the past and become better from them. I know that He restored his church to the earth through a young man named Joseph Smith. I know that part of that restoration was restoring precious truths and guidelines to help us through the trials of life and prepare us to live with God forever someday. I know that God has more in store for me than I can even imagine all because I am a child of God. I am the daughter of a divine King.

I know that I am in no way, shape, or form perfect. I have just as many flaws and weaknesses as the next guy. I could write a whole blog post about them (although that would a depressingly stupid idea). I’ve always seen those flaws as carrying more weight in my character make-up than they really do. I’ve always seen myself as exceptionally average. And in some ways I am. But last night I had a stroke of insight where God allowed me to see in myself all of the great things that he sees in me. It was a very empowering moment, but also a very humbling moment. I know that the life events that define me were divinely orchestrated by a loving Heavenly Father. I am who he wants me to be right now, and I am becoming the person he wants me to be in the future.