True Beauty

Hi everyone! Normally I would probably talk about General Conference and my thoughts on it from this past weekend, but today I want to talk about something different. I want to discuss true beauty.
     Being in high school can be a pretty challenging time for teenagers, especially teenage girls. You want to fit in, have a lot of friends, and have boys like you and ask you out on dates. The truth is, most of this doesn't happen for a lot of people. It's taken me until my senior year to figure out that those things aren't all that important to me and in the long run. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we are supposed to stand out from the rest of the world and be different, not fit in. And the number of dates you have or friends you gain don't determine your worth. And that is where I want to start today: our TRUE worth in the world we live in.
     In today's society, there is a twisted conception of what beauty is. Magazines portray it as the skinny, tall, exotic girls that are flawless. In reality, nobody is like that. Many times, the people on the front of those magazines don't even exist! They take the eyes of one person, the nose from another, etc. to create the "perfect" person. But that's not how it works. Heavenly Father has a much more correct way of viewing beauty than any person in this world can imagine. He doesn't look on the outward appearances, but on the heart. He cares about how we treat people, what we say, and our personalities.
     I don't know if this is just a Montana thing, but most seniors in high school get senior portraits. My twin sister and I recently had ours done and we just saw the results. All of the pictures were un-edited and showed our true beauty and personalities. I, like the majority of women in the world, know every single one of my faults and imperfections, and it was interesting for me to take a step back and try and see those pictures how my parents and others see me. We all have a natural beauty about us that doesn't come from makeup, or clothes, or social status. It comes from our spirits and personalities-the things that make us US.
   Sorry that that was a really long post, but I thought it was a worthy topic to discuss. I hope you found something in there that can help you, and remember that you are a child of God and you are created the way that He wants you to be. You are already perfectly beautiful to him. And His opinion is the only one that truly matters. 

Gaining More Understanding

Hi again! It's been a few weeks since my stake had its crazy boundary changes and all that, and I have learned a couple of things from that experience. 

1) I always need to support church leaders. They are acting on the impressions of the Spirit and have the church's interests in mind. Supporting leaders makes changes easier and more can be accomplished. They new out support.

2) At first, I was mad about the changes that were happening because I loved the ward young women group. I did t want to go back to having a small group of girls. And then we had the changes. That made the group go from 20 young women to 5. It's taken me a while, but I realize now that this just gives us the opportunity to do missionary work. We have a goal now to double the size of our young women's group by the end of the year. 

Those are the 2 big things that I have gotten out of this experience. I hope I might have said something to help you in your own life! 

I Love Babies

I love babies. I love to babysit. I just love kids and holding happy little babies in my arms. Tonight, though, I really really love babies!!! Let me explain...

      My parents went to dinner with another couple tonight to talk about business, and Katie and I were asked to babysit 3 of their kids- one of which was a 10 month old baby boy. Throughout most of the night he was good, until it hit about 8:00. He then started crying and fussing; I could tell he was tired and needed to go to bed. He just kept crying and didn't like anything I was trying, from a warm bottle to rocking. I was getting pretty frustrated at this point, so I decided that I would go to another room and play some church music to try and calm him down in complete darkness. I prayed to Heavenly Father that He would help me to be able to get him to go to sleep, or at least help him to calm down enough to not be upset. Within a few minutes of rocking him to quiet music, he was asleep. I held him for a few minutes more to make sure he was asleep. During this time I watched him sleep. He was so peaceful and calm and beautiful. I know that Heavenly Father has a special place in his heart for babies. :) I do too.

Change=Growth

So today was the realignment of ward boundaries for the Billings stake. There were three new wards created, which means that every original ward is considerably smaller. For example, my ward, Blue Creek, had 15 young women, and now we have 5. It's sad that I won't get to spend a couple of days during my week with some of the most amazing girls I have ever met. But, I know that this change will give us young women more missionary opportunities and chances to invite friends to activities. This is a huge change to the stake and it will take some getting used to, but I am going to do my best with the arrangements:)

Status Update: Overwhelmed!!

I feel so overwhelmed tonight! I have so much going on right now and so much to think about. Tonight my parents started asking questions about college next year, and it is so much to try and think about right now. I feel like just not doing any of my summer school projects, not worrying about scholarships, and not trying to figure out how I am going to get everything done that I need to this month. a break sounds great right now... And a nap... I guess a few hours of shut eye will help me think straight tomorrow. Tomorrow! Yes. Almost forgot! Tomorrow there is a special sacrament meeting for almost all of the wards in the Billings Montana Stake- there are going to be major boundary changes. There has been such an influx of new members into our stake that they are having to create more wards and rearrange how the wards are laid out! I am having mixed feelings about this. My ward covers a huge part of billings, just because where I live there aren't a lot of members. Tomorrow, our ward is probably  going to be downsized considerable, which makes me very sad. I have a lot of great friends in that young women group, and most of them are probably going to be moved to another ward. At least I will see them fairly often, with seminary and such. I'm very curious to see what will happen tomorrow! 

I'm just going to end with one thought: I will definitely be relying on my Heavenly Father a lot this next year. I just don't think I will be able to handle all of the things happening in my life without His guidance, support, and comfort. I'll talk to you soon!

Heavenly Father's Watchful Care

     Until this summer, I don't think I've ever know just how much Heavenly Father watches out for each of us. That all changed a little over a month ago, on the first day of my summer vacation (June 4th). Now, for you to truly understand this story, you need to know a little bit about where I live. My family and I live on a 2.5 mile long dirt road a few minutes outside of Billings, and one part of it is winding across the top of hills, meaning there are drop offs on both sides of the road for a quarter mile. These have never scared me when I've driven since I see them every day. And now, for the story...

     It's the week before girl's camp for the Billings stake, and my two sisters and I are on the way to help our ward leader get ready for camp. After a crazy morning filled with excitement, chores, and getting ready, we are finally ready to go. But we are 1/2 hour late! In reality, this wasn't a big deal, but we wanted to get there as soon as possible. We rushed out of the house, hopped into our '96 Subaru Outback, and took of down the road about 5 mph faster than we souls have been going. I was driving. I didn't really think about my speed because Katie and I have driven fast on the dirt road before, and nothing has ever happened. When we reached the last 1/4 mile of the dirt road, we met the s turns, going a little faster than we should have. As I started to turn, I knew I was going too fast, and I could feel the car start to slide to the right. I tried to correct the slide, and ended up sliding the other direction! Both times we were so close to going off one of the drop offs that lined the road! As I tried to come out of the second slide, I over corrected, and we started to roll!!!! All I could think about was that We were going to die, and it was all my fault. Then the car came to a stop. Upright. Facing the road. I got out of the car to see the damage, and noticed that we had landed on the one part of the side of the road that we could land and survive. This was a miracle! We were about a yard from one drop off, and a few feet from another. And as my sisters got out of the car, we checked for injuries. The worst was an inch long scratch that was bleeding slightly. 

    Now, when people roll a car, most don't walk away, let alone with just scratches. And it wasn't by chance that we landed where we did. Heavenly Father was watching out for us that day. Now here's my final thought: Heavenly Father ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS answers our prayers. Not alway when we want. Not always with the answer we want. And not always in the way we think he will. But he will answer them. :)

~Emmalee

Missionary Work Advice

       I was on Youth.lds.org today and I saw a few great articles and a video that talk about missionary work. The first one is about advice from past missionaries that I found very insightful. Here are a few comments that I really liked from the section on Scripture Study:

• “Read and love the Book of Mormon as much as possible before you leave. It will bring you closer to the Savior than you could imagine!” — Jaxon Peterson, Texas McAllen Mission, 2008–2010

• “Become converted to the Lord long before you leave. Be a Christlike missionary months before you enter the MTC.” — Jeremy Davis

• “Seminary is important!” — Mamie Schultz Coffey

• “Study the scriptures inside and out. And if you’re still in seminary, memorize the scripture mastery scriptures. They also happen to be the missionary scriptures.” — Kim Siever

• “Know the Bible. A lot of people know the Bible and will understand the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon through it.” — James Fraser, Ohio Cincinnati Mission, 2006–2008

     Another article that I liked was directed more towards young men, but a lot of it can be applied to Young Women as well. It was more informational about what to do when preparing for a mission, when you should serve, and other information that I found to be very helpful. 
Now, here are my two favorite articles on missionary work! I thought they were awesome! The first one was for Young Women preparing to serve a mission called Preparing to Serve: Suggestions for Young Women. I love that it was directed towards the girls! This is one of two that I would recommend you read before anything else! The second one is calledDear Future Missionaries. This is also fantastic! I love these two articles because they give advice to future missionaries, especially girls. 
     And finally, here is a great missionary video called Worthy to Be a Voice for God. Watch it! It's really cool, I think. It talks about being worthy to share the gospel to the best of your abilities.

I hope these different links and videos will help you prepare for a mission or learn more about missionary work. Have a great day!:)

P.S.-If you look at my pages, I have a page with all of the links to these articles on one page, and another page with videos for easy access. 

Footprints in the Sand

Here's that poem I was talking about! It has really helped me and I love it!

Trials

This quote has helped me so much this week! Besides actually taking some tests, like the ACT, I've had lots of situations this  week that have been challenging. I know Heavenly Father is aware of me, though, and that he cares. He wants me to learn from my experiences and the only way I can do that is for him to step back a little and let me struggle. I will post a poem that I absolutely love that has also been great for me this week. 

One of My "Currant" Favorite Stories

I found this great talk by Hugh B. Brown in my email this afternoon! The Red Headed Hostess shared it on her blog, but it's also on LDS.org. I know this is a very very very short post, but I know you will get a lot out of this story without any help from me! Enjoy, and tell me what you think!

Picture That!

I am one of those people that loses everything! Usually in a very obvious place... and I find it like the day after I need it. I'm also one of those people that has a little clutter in my room, and I can find everything, but when I pick it up, I forget where everything is:)  I am in a very cool photography class, which focuses on using film, as part of my school classes. There is one assignment that is very difficult, especially for us students that have never used a film camera before this semester. I had to retake my pictures today because not a single one on my original film strip were even usable. So, my friend Kenna and I were in Pioneer Park, a park right behind Senior High School, and were taking pictures. I ran out of film on my roll, so I took that roll out and put a fresh one in. I put the first in my pocket to develop when I returned to class. After taking a few more pictures, Kenna and I returned to the photography class. Upon returning, I tried to take the film out of my pocket, but I couldn't find it!!! So, I   went back outside, hoping to maybe, possibly, find the missing roll of film. I figured it was a hopeless cause, because the park is huge and the film canister isn't that noticeable in the grass. I was looking... and looking.... and more looking.... and couldn't find it anywhere! And then: I saw it! A black thing sitting in the grass a few yards away, and it looked just like my film canister! When I reached it however, disappointment set in when I realized that it wasn't a canister, but a leaf. Yep. I was about to give up, when I decided it would be a good idea to say a quick prayer, asking Heavenly Father if He could help me to find the canister. I wasn't even sure if I would! But, when I looked up a few moments later, I saw it: clear as day, it was 100% my canister!       Moral of the Story: Heavenly Father definitely does hear and answer every single prayer of ours, no matter how silly or dumb the request is. Also, if you try your best, Heavenly Father will help you. Give it a try! I dare you:) 

2 Great Quotes

President Hinkley was so amazing! I absolutely love this quote of his.

This makes you think... Have I REALLY done any good in the world today? Hmmmm.....

Catch the Wave

Today I was thinking about all of the amazing and inspiring talks that we heard on Saturday and Sunday from the great leaders of the Church. In my early, early, early, early morning seminary class (6:00!) the teacher asked what our favorite talks was. Mine was Russell M. Nelson's talk: Catch the Wave. 
   Why, you may ask, is this your favorite talk? It answered one big question I've had about going on a mission, and helped me to see that I can go on a mission! I was wondering if I would serve a mission. I was considering what I would do, because I will have a whole year after I graduate until I can go on a mission. I wasn't sure if I would be able to attend college for a year and go on a mission, and then afterwards come back and still have my spot in the school with all my scholarships. This is really important to me and this question has been on my mind for quite a while. Elder Nelson answered this question almost completely when he said:  "Young men and women, your education is ever important—to us, to you, and to God. Where feasible, if you wish to attend a college or university after your mission, we encourage you to apply to your institution of choice before beginning your mission. Many institutions of higher learning will grant an 18- to 30-month deferral to prospective missionaries. This will enable you elders and sisters to serve without worrying about where you will begin your advanced education." 

I realized how inspired all of the church leaders are, and that if we ever have questions, when we listen to them speak or read a talk by them, we will find something to help answer our questions. Was there a question you had that was answered during conference?

Yep... That's Me

I'm just a regular teenaged girl. I'm 5' 8". I hate drama. I love Basset Hounds and German Shepherds. I want to be an interior designer. I'm crazy. I'm spastic. I love to learn. I could quote you every line from Napoleon Dynamite and Tangled. I try to look at the silver lining, but sometimes I can't find it. I love most music, but not rock or opera. I have mostly straight A's. I smile. I laugh. I'm unique. I'm decent at a good amount of things and okay  at the rest. I can sort of cook. I love the colors green, purple and blue. I love my friends. I text a lot. I've been told the best thing about me is my eyes. I've also been told I'm funny, but I don't try to be. I'm one of those people who will try to sit back and watch others, and only say something when I actually have something to add to a conversation. I am an active LDS member and I love it with every fiber of my being. I. Love. Hugs. (Just sayin'). The best candy on the planet is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I have rock hard abs, if you can find them in there somewhere. This is me!

The Key to Playing Piano

Today was the district music festival in Billings. I was involved in accompaniment for a couple of pieces, and played a duet with my wonderful twin sister, Katie. Before going to perform, though, I was nervous to perform, like always! haha. I decided it might be a good idea to see if I can find a scripture to help me feel relaxed about performing, but I was like 'Yeah right, there will TOTALLY be a scripture on playing the piano-NOT!' But to my great surprise, I opened up to Alma 32:9, which says:                                                                                                                             

  *"But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of the soul."*                                                                            

I guess it's true: If you are having ANY problems or ANY questions, you can always find an answer in the scriptures!:) After finding that scripture, I felt much more comfortable with performing and not so nervous. I challenge you to take any questions you have to the Lord and the scriptures, and I promise that you fill receive answers. 

Ah... New Things!

So, this whole blogging thing is very new to me. I guess I got inspired to start one when I decided that I want to go on a mission. I have no idea what I need to do to prepare to go on a mission, so I figured not many other young girls do either! So... aside from my general posts, I want to add stuff that will be helpful for other young women that want to serve the Lord. This is one of my favorite quotes from Sister Elaine S. Dalton, who was just released as the General Young Women's President yesterday in General Conference. She has made a huge difference in my life with her amazing talks and her love for the gospel.