An Apology A Thank You and An Understanding.

Side notes to understand my crazy brain waves tonight:

First off: I have Parents who have taught me one of the most valuable lesson I have ever learned in my life, that life is not about what you have and other lacks, but a true and genuine love for others and their achievements, happiness, and success. In other words,  My parents are a wonderful example in the simple lesson of being Happy when others succeed.

and I will openly admit I have really struggled with this, being as competitive as I am. But I have prayed for help and I can honestly feel God's hands in my life as I have been able to push past my insecurities and pride and been able to celebrate with the wonderful people around me what life has given them and what the Lord has blessed them with. What an eye opener it has been to see the Lord in all these sweet peoples lives, and how he truly loves each of us individually.  It has really blessed my testimony and my life as I get to know and love the people I have been around and my heart is full as I feel a portion of God's love for them.

Second: I have been thinking about all the things I have learned in the last few years about my interaction with those around me. I could probably go on for hours and hours about each and every individual and how I said something stupid or they did and life moved on and those relationships never flourished because of human inadequacies and my inability to truly forgive those who have hurt me. So to those I have hurt, I am truly sorry for my insecurities, immaturity and plain old stupidity. I hope that as your lives go on that you you live them to the fullest and someday we can forgive each other. Know that I am forgiving as the Savior taught and working to always become more like Christ even if I was wrong once upon a time{thank goodness for the atonement}  Also, thank you for the chance to grow as a person. I know I needed your influence.

Third: My life is changing for the better and I am grateful for the people who I have in my life who have said the right things at the right time and have helped with the change, even with the smallest words or unknowingly said something at the right time. You all have been instruments in the Lords hands and I thank you for being worthy to have the spirit with you.


So to explain,
I have been thinking about my college relationships and have not really loved some of the outcomes but none the less, its been a ride and I haven't loved it all but I would do it all over again. Especially to end up where I am now, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I am so excited to be getting married, I haven't come out and say this to anyone so here it all goes.

I can not believe its really happening and I have loved every minute. I am so relieved to have found Kade and know that our life together may not be perfect but its ours and it will always be just that, ours.
Its going to be an adventure, and its one I can't even explain, because we are just starting and its an incredible feeling of gratitude for the new adventure.

Everyone asks me, " are you nervous?" My response has been "I haven't had time to be nervous." But the truth is I am not nervous, I am anxious that the time will never come that I get to be with him, yes a little cynical I know but I love him so much I could not live without the man, I depend on him and it scares me to death that the wedding day wont come fast enough.

The other question is " are you ready?" I am never too sure what this question actually means, but to give my best answer,  I am ready to be his wife, to take care of him,  to love him, to laugh with him, to do whatever comes our way, and to face life's hardest battles by his side. Now, if your referring to the temple part, God has put me through a refiners fire for almost three years now, and its been rough, and difficult and I have cried my self to sleep and learned the weight of life's heartaches. But if this is what it takes to enter his house and to understand and comprehend his many great and glorious blessing then yes I am ready.


I wish I could adequately explain the rest of thoughts in my head but sometimes words can't describe emotions that run deep and thoughts that are years long in developing and may take many more years in explaining.

so for now thats an apology a thank you and an understanding.

obsessed with christmas

love the music
 the spirit
the happiness
 the lights
 the joy
 the giving
 the receiving
 the CHRIST part of Christmas
 the first presidency's message
 and the EGGNOG!!!!!
 happy christmas!
 p.s. if we were married? first christmas card~!

Another great message

His message I think is just as important to remember with the post from yesterday, Good things will come to those who believe in Jesus Christ. 

I love to see the temple!

Okay, people if you were ever questioning how much you love temples,

 Look up the BYU-I devotional from yesterday, 

Brother Thomas E. Coburn spoke, and the spirit was so strong! I truly loved every minute of it! It was so great to hear of all the work the church is doing to promote the temples and build them.

Here are a few facts. 

80% percent of the church members are with in 200 miles of a temple.

135 active temples

12 under construction

13 announced 

Hayley Sheppard is planning on saving enough money to attend the Rome temple open house

Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God.

He is also a great man. 

The prophet has announced a new temple almost every month and a half since becoming prophet. 

The best part, I did not know this until yesterday, 

there is a general temple patron fund you can donate to to help families go to the temple to receive their saving ordinances.

Am I just really slow to find out about this?

 Either way it doesn't matter, let's get people to the temple! What a great and hopeful mission to

have in life to simply help others get to the temple! There are so many of us that are so privileged to have

many temples with in hours, minutes, a walk across the street from us, I encourage everyone to up 


your temple attendance. Show your gratefulness, exercise your faith and go.

How to donate?

On your tithing slip, under {other} simply write "General Temple Patron Fund"( you'll have to write small)

Let us remember all of our brothers sisters around the world, and help them to better understand who

they are and where they come from!

I am a child of God! So are you! 

p.s. watch the whole thing its great!

I am sure you have guessed, but I have a testimony of the temple. I know the things that happen here are ordained by God. That families can be sealed together for all eternity through the restored priesthood of God. I know the saving ordinances performed here are not only for those of this life, but those that have passed on before us and we can continue to bring them unto to the truth by attending the temple, and acting as proxies for them. I know without the restoration of the Gospel we would not have temples and I am grateful for the saints before me, for their testimonies and sacrifices to bring the church into the latter-days. I know Jesus Christ atoned for our sins, and with out him we could not return to live with our heavenly father again. I know that God lives and loves us and cares about us all individually. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he restored the Church today. I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. I know Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God and receives revelation for his church Daily. I love the gospel and all it has to offer. 




if you want to learn more about about my church and why it is so great go to this website or this one.


Until next time,
Hayley




p.p.s If you love the church as much as I do, please share your testimony with those around you, post this somewhere else, and add your testimony to it!

Adventures of a College Student: Stay Changed

Stay Changed

A few weeks ago I got home was sorting through my things to get an idea of exactly how much stuff  I have keep over the years and the scrap book projects I have ahead of me.  Lets just say its days worth. In that mess of all of the things I have collected I found a letter from a dear friend with whom I attended EFY or Especially for the youth. For those of you reading who don't know what that is; it is a camp which is a week long put on for youth ages 14-18. It focuses on the Young men and Young Women themes for the year, and it is focused on spiritually learning and building a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. Well, this friend and I had attended a class offered from a Local Saint who had simply said, " the key to becoming anything, is that you stay changed." In her letter she wrote to me, "stay changed in the way of the gospel. It will only benefit you to stay changed." As I am thinking about that this morning before I go to partake of the sacrament I am reminded that of my strong testimony in the church and my desire to stay changed for the better. Its hard, I have not put enough effort sadly into this simple statement. I have been working really hard on my things to change for a hundred days and not so hard on the things that pertain to my salvation and happiness. So I am dropping a few of those things and adding to my list. I am grateful for the chance to change. Not because its offered just to me but to everyone, to change and become different people our whole lives. To become the people we always hoped we can be and all that effort we put into changing forgiving and becoming better is all possible because of the Atonement. With out our Savior it would be impossible to change to grow and to forgive ourselves and others. So as you go through this week pick one thing that is important to be changed in your life, do it. Everyday, all day, day in and day out. Hold your self accountable, tell someone close to you and have them hold you accountable. then Stay Changed, and continue the pattern pick a new challenge change. And remember like I have posted before, if you fail..." Free recovery, Await rescue." the Lord will help, you just have to ask.

-hayley


p.s. something that made me smile and get all warm and fuzzy.
moments that matter/