come, follow me part two: the good news!

 Is this post late? Yes, extremely. But it’s going up because I feel that no matter what I have to share, even if it isn’t very eloquent, is what you all need to hear.

I’m pretty new to this whole “sharing the gospel” thing. It sounds a little daunting- at least to me. When I adopted the goal to share my thoughts weekly, I was overwhelmed with images of missionaries dressed in church clothes, me smiling and expertly teaching a lesson fit for Sunday School, and scriptures that have been perfectly annotated and marked, like I am some sort of scripture scholar.

If I’m being honest, I couldn’t see myself in any of those scenarios.

Because I do believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I study His scriptures. I teach when I can. But it felt to me like all of this didn’t fit the stereotype of a girl sharing the gospel. I was imagining a perfect teacher, and then there was me with just a notebook full of silly little thoughts. Surely that wasn’t what God intended me to share, right?

Suffice it to say, I’ve spent a lot of time staring blankly into space, wondering how on Earth I could share the gospel in a format that would touch people. So, I have a blog. Okay, what do I do with that? My strange, vivid thoughts and interpretations of the scriptures couldn’t possibly help anyone, could they?

Yesterday, my perspective changed.

It was Sunday- the day of rest, the day of the Lord. I was cleaning the kitchen and listening to the hymn “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”. The arrangement I was listening to (I’ll link it at the end) especially feels joyous to me, and helps me praise my Savior in such a sacred way. I felt happy as I reflected on my Savior- “incarnate Deity” and yet my loving Friend (words in quotes are copied from the hymn). I wished that everyone could feel the joy I felt as I praised Him, and know Him as I do.

That’s when it hit me- that is what I am meant to share.

In all my worrying about not sharing the Gospel correctly, I had forgotten what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is. The word “gospel” can actually translate into a word that means “good news”.

And what is the good news? That Jesus Christ lives! He is our Savior and our Redeemer! He is alive and real, He has the power to move mountains, and He can move the mountains within us.

And not only that- because He is real, we have someone to talk to whenever we have a hard day, or a good day, or a day that just kind of feels meh. And He will listen to us as we talk to Him, better than anyone else on this earth can.

Because Jesus Christ suffered for all of our sins, pains, and afflictions in the Garden of Gethsemane, He knows exactly what we are going through at any given time on an individual level. If you are stressed out over a test, He feels that. If you’re so sick you can’t get out of bed, He feels that. If you don’t know how on Earth you could believe any of these things I’m typing are true- guess what?- He feels that, too.

Isn’t that incredible?

This is the best news I could ever share. As I draw closer to Jesus Christ, I feel happier than I do anywhere else.

Some may say that the standards I follow are “restricting” or “weird” or “confusing”, but to me they are the exact opposite. Those standards are what keep me with my Savior! Those standards open me up to the endless blessings He is pouring down. In the very same moment I am doubting my worth as I stand in the House of God, it all melts away as I act in faith- choosing to read my scriptures, or choosing to do a little more family history work, or simply choosing to be still. The truth of the matter is, we always belong in the arms of our loving Older Brother, no matter who we are. Satan is the one who will tell you that you aren’t welcome here. I promise you, you are welcome.

So, I am not a perfect “scripture scholar”. I’m certainly not your ideal missionary. I’m just a girl with a blog and a whole lot of joy in her heart- and that’s okay.

God might be perfect, and His gospel might be perfect, but people aren’t. People mess up on a daily basis. He isn’t oblivious to that fact. He just wants us to try again- and again, and again.

This is how I share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I share what brings me joy! Following Jesus and living as He would have me live brings me so much joy, and I want everyone to feel that joyful as well.

So. Here’s to being courageous, and here’s to many more of these posts to come!

Blissfully yours,

-Emma

EDIT: The link to the arrangement of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" I mentioned won't come into the blog post in a way that will work! I will share it with those I know personally if you desire to hear it :)

thankful tuesday: reflections + a trade

 Is it possible to be thankful for our trials?

It’s a thought that stirred up within me during my makeshift scripture study today. I’ve packed away all my journals and my big paper scriptures, so my study comes from whatever I can pull up on my phone. It’s different, yes, but I am so grateful I have the Gospel Library app that gives me access to all the books of scripture and other gospel-related media at my fingertips.

As I prayed before I began my study, I felt the Spirit swell up within me, filling me with gratitude for these divinely appointed resources. You see, I am a creature of routine, better known as a girl with Asperger’s Syndrome. While this diagnosis certainly isn’t my excuse for my trials, it does make things like switching up my usual routine difficult- my brain literally struggles to comprehend change. But, as I allow myself to experiment with change, the peace I feel is overwhelming. I’ve been finding such joy in finding new, unfamiliar ways to partake of the Spirit, such as podcasts, videos, and blog posts- like this one I’m typing up now!

During my new study, I watched a video that I will link at the end of this post, an older “Mormon Message” from the 2010s. (Remember when they were still called those? I still call them that in my head.) The video I watched was titled “My New Life,” and told the story of a woman named Stephanie Nielsen who was a survivor of a horrific plane crash that left her scarred- physically and emotionally- yet miraculously alive. While she did acknowledge how difficult everything had been during and post-recovery, she said at one point that she was grateful for her trials.

What? I was left in awe. How much faith this woman had to have, to say she was thankful for such a terrible trial! I was left with joy filling my soul, as her gratitude was infectious.

It also got me thinking, propelling my mind toward a change in perspective. If Sister Nielsen could be so grateful throughout her trial of a plane crash and everything that came after it…how much did I have to be grateful for, when all I’m doing is moving to another house?

Oh, wow, you guys. I have so much to be grateful for.

I have a house to move into! And it’s in the same ward area that I love so much!

I have a house to stay in now! And a bed to sleep in!

I have THINGS to pack- imagine, I could have nothing!

I have a family that loves me, and whom I am learning to love!

I have the sun! And brighter, cooler days! I have grass under my bare feet and sweet scents to breathe in!

And there is so much more I haven’t listed here. What a blessing!

Gratitude is spoken of in the Scriptures I read this morning. In Psalm 49 verses 6-7 we read: “They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.” I interpreted this to warn against setting our hearts upon wealth and the things of this world. I’ve set my heart upon the things of this world before, and I’ve just felt muddled, confused, and yucky. But turning my heart heavenward, and seeing how much I have to be grateful for fills me with clarity and joy.

Thanksgiving is a joyous thing. No, not the holiday, but the attitude. Thanksgiving is sweeter than pumpkin and brighter than sunlight. I have a testimony of it, and I’m so grateful I’ve spent the time reflecting on it here and sharing it with all of you.

I hope you will join me on this Thankful Tuesday- something I’ve come up with for the first time today!- and reflect on what you are thankful for. Make a list. Let it fill up your heart and cause you to smile. See the sunlight, or the rain if it isn’t sunny where you are, and know that better days are coming. Today might not have been a good day, but there can still be good somewhere in it.

To close, I’d like to offer a memory of my experience I had this morning, that I will offer as a trade for any bad memories you might have.

Any bad memory, you can let it go. I offer you this one instead:

It has been an unusually cool morning- in the 60s rather than the humid 70s or 80s. Though I start off later than I would have liked, I take a walk. I could see how foggy it had been all morning, the mist casting an early-morning haze across my suburban neighborhood.

And yet, Nature is alive. Can’t you see? See the clouds, so fluffy and white. See the blue sky, just barely making wisps of visible azure hues. See the dew hanging onto the grass, the ivy over a neighbor’s mailbox, the flowers growing in the shade of a house.

And then-

We round the corner. All along the sidewalk and the road that separates us from more houses, the sun is finally making its appearance. As its golden rays shine, the fog melts away, and suddenly the world has gone from mysterious, cool early morning, to bright, exuberant noonday. Everything is exciting and warm and the air thrums with a million possibilities.

Can you see it?

There, you have made the trade. You can go back to that bad memory anytime you like, but you do not need to let it weigh on your chest. Feel the warmth of the sun, see the golden light.

I offer you this because this morning made me very grateful, and people’s encouragement through writing also buoys me up. I hope I can do the same for you.

Thank you for reading! Have a blessed day!

oxoxo,

Blissfully yours,

-Emma

EDIT: I forgot to add the link to the video I mentioned!! I don't know if it will work, but here it is:

My New Life (churchofjesuschrist.org)

come, follow me, part one: tender mercies

 What makes you happy?

It’s such a simple question, isn’t it? And yet it is a question that’s so easy to get hung up on.

I believe part of the reason is because the world’s definition of happiness is so skewed. Happiness in the world’s eyes comes from a plethora of material things: social media posts, clothes, expensive trips, cars, jewelry, concerts- the list goes on and on.

With all of these tempting voices vying for our attention, it’s very easy to feel lost in darkness. I certainly felt this way as I struggled to keep up my Come, Follow Me study this week.

I have a goal to start sharing the gospel more, and I thought that this blog would be a really great way to do so. But, as you saw from my post TWO MONTHS AGO- I haven’t been the greatest at keeping up that goal.

And so, as I thought again and again about what I wanted to share here, I felt increasingly nervous and inadequate. Would my words be good enough? Powerful enough? Would I really seem like a missionary, or just an inexperienced writer?

Funny, how in my very moment of worrying, I became a living testament of what I’ve learned this week in my scripture study.

I’ve tried leaning on worldly things for comfort. My 70+ playlists on Spotify will tell you that. I’ve listened to as many songs as I can, scrolled through social media for an embarrassing number of hours, and browsed through many different “self-help” books, videos, and posts. None of them give me lasting relief. In fact, oftentimes I feel more discouraged and drained after looking at these things!

But you know what does offer me relief?

The scriptures.

I can’t count how many times I was swallowed up in demotivation, depression, and overall yucky feelings that threatened to keep me from doing anything at all- and then I offered a silent prayer. I picked up my scriptures. And I could feel all that yuckiness melt away. It was like an opening had burst inside me, and I was pumping bright power into my soul.

Sometimes that power was strong enough that it would make me cry. Other times, it’s so small that I don’t notice it at first- or at all. But it’s real, and it’s definitely there.

In my studies of the Psalms this week, I’ve learned a lot about my Savior, His grace, and come to realize that He’s touched me more in small ways than I could see originally.

King David, in one of the many Psalms he wrote, summed up this “smaller” feeling of the Spirit beautifully: “thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses” (Psalm 25:6).

Perhaps you have heard the phrase “tender mercy” before, or perhaps you haven’t. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles summed it up this way:

“...I have come to better understand that the Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ.” (David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord, April 2005 General Conference)

I love Elder Bednar’s definition of tender mercies, because nowhere in there does it say a “tender mercy” must be big and dramatic to be valid. No. Blessings, strength, and spiritual gifts- among the many other things Elder Bednar listed- can come in all shapes and sizes.

A tender mercy can be as simple as a quiet moment to say your morning prayer before your little brother barges into your room. Or it could be a friend texting you right after you had a long day. Or a little baby smiling at you for seemingly no reason at all. Tender mercies can be small, but they hold so much of Christ’s love in them.

When I think of tender mercies, I think of my experience at Girls’ Camp this year. I was a YCL (Youth Camp Leader) for the youngest group of girls at the camp. I, along with my other YCLs, arrived at camp a day early and worked tirelessly building tents (or, attempting to build tents), setting up camp, planning devotionals, and laughing with each other as we eagerly learned our girls’ names and prepared to meet them.

Meeting my girls was indeed exciting, and leading them through the activities and teaching them new things filled me with incredible joy.

Nevertheless, our job as YCLs was hard. We had multiple curveballs thrown at us right off the bat, from changing the schedules to fit with the unbearably hot weather more, to making sure our rambunctious eleven-year-olds didn’t wander off (and finding them when they did), to keeping each other sane throughout the whole process. We even had to deal with ending camp a day early due to a nasty thunderstorm. I collapsed like a dead person every night- later than everyone else, of course, so we could attempt to plan the next day.

In the past, I’d looked forward to going to girls’ camp for spiritual experiences. My friends make fun of me because I am notorious for crying like a baby at every single testimony meeting. However, at this year’s testimony meeting, I didn’t cry as hard as I did in past years. I felt the Spirit very strongly, yes, but it was different. I felt confused and a little discouraged, wondering if I’d done something wrong.

This week’s study in Come, Follow Me, however, changed my perspective. I realized I’d been so focused on the big spiritual experiences I could have had at girls’ camp that I missed the small ones.

I missed how peaceful it was when I awoke to the sun the first morning and saw the fog rising up over the field we were camping in.

I missed the overwhelming love I felt for my girls as I learned their names the night before they arrived- and how I felt it again as I bore my testimony to them the final night.

I missed the wonder I felt as my bishop from my old ward gave us a devotional about the majesty of the universe and God’s creations.

I missed how miraculous it was that me and my two friends could stay energetic enough to power through our three busy days of YCLing.

I missed the sweet assurance as I went to bed each night, knowing that even if I was so tired it was hard to feel the Spirit, I was doing the work of the Lord.

Friends, it is so easy to get into the mindset of missing Jesus Christ, when He’s been in the equation all along! We must not miss how His grace is always there to help us, how He is there to hug us and be our friend, how His truth can be found if we will simply turn unto Him.

It’s this truth that keeps me going, even when the world is so chaotic all around me. I know all I need to do is turn unto Christ, and He will come unto me. It may not be in a big, noticeable way, but I know His tender mercies are always there.

As King David said in Psalm 27 verse 1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

The Lord is on our side! We can always turn unto Him! I promise that He will always reach out to us, even if we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4). He is our shepherd and our light.

-Emma

EDIT OF THE EDIT: I'm not sure why there was a link here instead of on Tuesday's post. Oh well😅