Week 2!

Wow. Busy is an understatement. This past week has flown by and there are just not enough hours in the day! 

I feel like I have actually done nothing interesting this week to put in this post. Besides school related things, I went to I-jump Monday night, which was a lot of fun! And last night I saw the Avengers, but considering I've never seen any of the Marvel movies besides Iron Man, I had no idea what was going on the entire movie.  

Homework has taken over my life.  I mean, I'm in college so I guess its supposed to, but still. I would say I do an average of 5-6 hours of homework a day, plus my 3-7 hours of classes per day.  I am exhausted.  I do enjoy my classes, though, so I guess it could be worse. 

BUT OH MY GOODNESS FRIDAY NIGHT I FELT LIKE A PRISONER.  So my apartment complex had a "parking lot party" with a D.J, and bounce houses, and loads of junk food, and a mechanical bull. I had been looking forward to this party allllllll week long! I was so excited to ride that mechanical bull. And then Friday rolls around, I get home from school, start on my homework, and find out that half of the homework is really hard, the other half is super time consuming. But the party didn't start until 9, it was only 6, so I had plenty of time....or so I thought. Yeah, 9 came and went, then 10, then 11, and then I realized I wasn't going to make it to the party. So meanwhile I sat at my desk working on homework all night long while I listened to the music blaring outside, the people screaming on the mechanical bull, smelled the food through my window, and tried to stable my pencil against the bass of the music which was shaking my desk. It was like torture. My grades better be fantastic!

On a brighter note, today was Sunday and it was Fast and Testimony meeting, so of course it was fabulous. That is my favorite Sunday of the month because its so uplifting! We were challenged in my Missionary Preparation class on Thursday to share our testimonies of the Atonement via social media, and being that its testimony Sunday, I suppose right now would be a good time!

I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. I know that it can take us from our lowest point to our highest.  I know first hand the change that can happen when we use the Atonement to overcome our trials and shortcomings.  I also know that Heavenly Father wants nothing but the best for us, his children, and all we have to do is ask. Its that simple. Just ask. It might feel uncomfortable or you might feel like you've gone too far, but I can promise you that you are NEVER too far. Without the healing power of the atonement, there is no telling where I might be right now. I know I wouldn't be here at BYU-Idaho where I am surrounded by the gospel and its teachings. 

To put things in perspective...

***disclaimer, I"m not referring to self-harm when I mention "acting out" or a "bad choice." It's a trial and you shouldn't feel guilty about it.*** 

Heavenly Father is infinitely better at helping us through our hard times than the world. That's something that I had to learn the hard way, but if I could say anything to you, it would be that the things that the world says will help, might only make things worse. Know what you're getting into before you get into it. Its hard to get out. I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back I realize that the only reason I began making bad choices was because I desperately wanted someone to notice I wasn't okay. I thought that by acting out, someone would notice. What I should have realized from the beginning is that Heavenly Father already knew. He was waiting for me to ask for comfort and guidance, but instead I sought out those things in the world, and what I found only brought me down farther. Lucky for me, Heavenly Father intervened, and the people who noticed did nothing but encourage me to let go of the worldly things and turn back to the gospel. I went down a bumpy, curvy, obstacle filled path when I could have bypassed all of that had I just turned to the Lord. 

If you're struggling, ask for help. One thing I've learned is that we shouldn't be ashamed of our shortcomings, because we all have them. Learning to let myself open up, both to Heavenly Father and to those who wanted the best for me, I began to implement the atonement in my life and I couldn't be happier that I did. I love this gospel. I know the church is true. I know God loves each and every one of us and that He sent His Son to make the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free from our sins. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

P.S. I know I'm young, but I've seen a lot; I'm always open to talk and listen if anyone is struggling! 

Here is a giant compilation of some of the quotes I keep on my phone that keep me going!

XOXO, Anna!