Thunderstorms.

THERE WAS A THUNDERSTORM TODAY IN PROVO. I am so happy. I feel at home.
This blog will probably be somewhat spiritual so sorry to all you who may not find this as exciting as me..

So. I don't know where to begin. I'm just happy. Really happy. I don't know how long this will last but I hope for a long long time. I have made some really good friends with the girls in my hall and I am loving getting to know them and doing fun things with them. We are our own little family. I am starting to feel like RM 1109 in Hinckley hall is my home. (At least for the Summer..) :) And I'm not caring about me not going on dates like a lot of other girls. In due time. I'm in no rush. Seriously.

I was in Book of Mormon (my religion class) and I was just loving everything he was saying. We read 2 Nephi Chapter 4 and I got a whole new outlook on the Atonement and this gospel. In a good way. Verses 15-35 are my new favorite in the whole Book of Mormon. We see Nephi in a whole new way. He shares with us his struggles, he becomes more of a human. He tells us how he struggles with sin and is tempted in every direction all the time. Just like me. Just like all of us. But then in verse 19 he turns it around to say NEVERTHELESS "I know in whom I have trusted." (talking about God)

Then he goes on to list all this blessings, all the wonderful things God has done for him despite all his shortcomings and mistakes. Then he asks all these questions like "Why should my heart weep and my soul linger in...sorrow?" He is saying how can I feel all this sadness when I have so many blessings? He is realizing that he shouldn't feel that way, he is so blessed in so many ways that there is no need to feel that way.

Then he has a new determination to press on and be the best he can be. He says "Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin!" He recommits to live the way the Lord would have him. He pleads for forgiveness for his sins and then bears testimony of what he knows as a why to show his confidence in God.

This is so applicable to me! And to everyone! There have been so many times in my life when i think, "Wo is me, my life is so hard..blah blah blah." I can't think that. I need to realize how greatly I've been blessed and press on in faith knowing that God is good. Which He is. God is so good. He has blessed me in so many ways it is too much to handle.

Then in 2 Nephi 5:27 is says, "And it came to pass that we lived after a manner of happiness." HAPPINESS. That is what I am striving to do! Live my life after the manner of happiness. How beautiful.

Then we talked about the Atonement and how infinitely amazing it is. Our teacher Bro. Griffin (love him so much.) defined these 3 words so simply and perfectly:
We are saved by Christ's:
Merits- His Perfect Life
Mercy- to NOT get what one deserves
Grace- to get what one DOESN'T deserve

Christ lived a perfect life so that we could be saved. We are not getting what we deserve in the sense that we deserve to pay for our sins, right? Justice. But Christ already did that for us. He made it so we don't have to. Then if that wasn't enough we get mansions on high. We don't deserve that. We don't deserve anything that grand or anymore blessings. Paying for our sins was enough. Christ saves us by His merits, His mercy, and His grace. We can't waste His grace.


That was really Mormonie for all you non-Mormons. haha Sorry! You may want to kind of expect that sometimes from me though. I'm a hardcore Mormon, what can I say. :)



Anyways so after all that wonderful religious stuff I walk outside and it's the time right before a storm when the wind is blowing and it's sprinkling and it is that wonderful smell of rain? Yea. I love that. I was so happy I could not hold back my grin on my face. I'm sure all the little camp kids were like "Look at that weird girl! hahaha" But I don't care. I'm not very good at hiding my happiness. That's why the first thing I did when I got back to my dorm was scream and tell MaKenzie, my roommate, how happy I was and write this blog. haha

God is so good. Too good.