My Next Chapter

Here it goes. I start my first semester of college TOMORROW! So many emotions are running through me. I am scared, excited, nervous, anxious, stressed, crazy, calm, blessed, peaceful, EVERY EMOTION you can think of I have going on! I can't even express what I am feeling because there are so many things to express. But the underling emotion I am feeling is stress. I have so much going on, so much change, I don't even know where to start. I am scared. I don't know how I can deal with all of these change, but I have too. 

     Today though, was a much needed day of reminders. I had the opportunity to go to a close friends Mission Farewell. He talked about the power of the atonement. How Christ not only suffered for our sins but also for the hard times we would go through. How the atonement changed him and how it can change all of us. We shouldn't just think about the atonement one day a week, we should think about His great sacrifice everyday. Christ knows each of us personally, He bled and died for ME. for YOU. He has felt every feeling I have felt and understands me COMPLETELY.  I am so grateful for my friend Elder Johnson, and his great reminder of the atonement. 

 I also had a great lesson in Relief Society, based on the talk Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease by Elder David A. Bednar. It talks about the burdens we carry, and the load we have to bear. there's a qoute saying 

" Each of us also carries a load. Our individual load is comprised of demands and opportunities, obligations and privileges, afflictions and blessings, and options and constraints."

 I was thinking a lot about my load to carry, My demands, opportunities, obligations, privileges, afflictions, blessings, options, and constraints. We mad a list of each of those. Than we were asked the questions " Is the load I am carrying producing the spiritual traction that will enable me to press forward with faith in Christ on the strait and narrow path and avoid getting stuck?, is the load I am carrying creating sufficient spiritual traction so I ultimately can return home to Heavenly Father?"

 I reviewed everything on my list and realized that not everything is helping me obtain my Spiritual goals. I am not doing everything I can to get closer to my Father in Heaven. I spend to much time on my phone, FaceBook, Instagram, Pinterest. ETC. I need more time growing closer to my Father in heaven. After reviewing my list more I realized all the things that I am stressing about are things that I can lay at the lords feet. He can help me with my load. My favorite quote from this talk is 

" There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice (see Alma 34:14), He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power. Indeed, His yoke is easy and His burden is light."

He understands me, my yoke is made easy by him. I am so grateful for all those people who have made my burden light. who have loved me for everything. I am mostly grateful for my Savior and His sacrifice for ME. His love for Me. and for helping me carry my yoke. I am ready to start this new chapter, with Christ on my side.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.