Charity is a Pure Love of Christ 

    Almost a year ago, I got into the habit of writing in my journal. I always heard the influential stories about how journals made them a better person by looking back at what they wrote down whether they were spiritual, happy, sad, or inspirational. So, sitting there and listening to their spiritual moments, I wanted that same feeling. The feeling of the spirit, too much of the spirit is felt that you need to write it down. In order for me to have that, I needed to act upon it. When you desire spiritual knowledge, you need to act upon it to nourish your garden of faith. 

       For our LDS Young Women's girls camp, our camp coordinator had given us plain journals bought from the stores. I was a Youth Camp Leader and my fellow YCL's took the color purple. Our theme for camp were "Two Feet on the Boat" referring to the talk given by Thomas S. Monson. So we had a bunch of sailor decorations and paper based on the theme to Mod Podge on to the covers of our journals. After the creation and magical happenings for this journal to look like my journal, we were challenged to write in them and keep a record of the things huge in our lives. As the months passed I dared not bother to write in that thing. Than came January 1st, 2018 where I vowed to write the big happenings and the smallest occurrences in my life so that one day I am able to look back at it. 

       That one day, was a day like today. I have been struggling inside with thinking about what other people think about me, or thinking about the feelings people think of me negatively. It was a night like tonight where I decided to look in my journal. Let me just inform, yes... I cried, and am emotionally in tears writing this. As  a teenager there are road blocks, but you always have a map to help you and ways to instruct you to go over them and achieve to your greatest abilities. I began to loose gratitude and be ashamed that I do not look skinny, or have healthy arm skin. I began to be ashamed that I was FAT, curly haired, and that I did not have that high quality brand clothing everyone had. I was lost in the phase of being ashamed of myself and began to be ungrateful, so I turned to my journal to read my spiritual moments and one day in particular stood out to me. I wrote: 

"Saturday January 3. 2018 

Gratitude as an Attitude 

I have been thinking lately and I had some troubling times this week and I do not understand why, but I can barely write essays now and it is killing me tenderly. Today, I got up and organized my room besides the fact I have loads of laundry left to do, ya lazy Ali! Please do not procrastinate when you live on your own, I will be disappointed in you future me. I sat on my bed and looked through a couple e-mails and magically appeared on Youtube. I watched a couple of youtube videos of females around the world who do not have enough money or do not have the feminine hygiene products they need. They do not have the things I am able to get, so they miss out of school for about 60 days because they have to stay home. I learned that some girls are even ashamed to use the public restrooms in fear that they will be picked on. It is heartbreaking to know that the miss out on an education many people desire because they are going through growth and female problems that they cannot control. With this I want to set a goal to help those more often in need. Whether its providing feminine hygiene or a simple sit down and hang out. I want to be more Christ-like and be more charitable to those I love and those I see are struggling..." 

       After I read this, I looked back as if I was able to accomplish something good this past month. Thinking of the goodness and positive doings, made me lift up my Spirit. Including people when I was in Seattle on a choir trip, shooting gratitude messages to those I love, and cherishing moments, also.. giving out the best hugs. One of my favorite moments was this past couple days, we as youth in Seminary (Mormon bible class in the morning from 6 a.m to 6:50 a.m) were challenged by our missionaries to write our testimonies about the Book of Mormon on the first page and give it to someone we think should have it. I gave mine to a friend who I have recently met, and knew it would make a huge impact on her. She enjoys it and is actually already a member but rarely understands how to release herself out of bondage from temptations. A simple act like that makes a greater impact on someone. 

      From all of this, I was able to be appreciative of who I am, what I have, the family I have inside of school and out. I began to appreciate the talents I have and the the fact that I can give back to my community. Most importantly, I am very grateful for the gospel and the light is has shown in my life. I am grateful for religious people in my life who have lifted me up through the spirit and has a strong testimony in Christ, I know that we can make a difference and be more Christ like if we just smile and  show someone that they are loved. 

Love, 

Aliana Fisi 

Challenge: Start a journal... start it now. Okurrt. 

P.S I will try my absolute best to continue this weekly post! School is getting to me, and finals are creeping its way up! 

Blessings leads to Blessings

               With everything being all crazy busy for the holidays, I never really realized that it wasn't busy like rushing around or what not, it was more like busy having the greatest times of my life. Reading my scriptures, singing primary songs with the little kids, or even talking about the great memories that have happened.
         
           I spend most of my days with my family. Mainly the babies than the older kids. The babies bring a lot of joy in my opinion. The way they learn and then act upon it. They have such a bright soul, I've spent most of my life with having little ones around. I watched them grow to be teens and be such a valiant young woman to the Lord. My oldest niece and I are two years apart, we have done mostly everything together. Being older and being able to experience things and than share it towards her is like being able to let her know what to avoid and what not to. It is her first year in high school, and her first year in seminary. She was feeling a little worried, but I made it clear to her that there is surely nothing to be worried about. I could not share my experience about seminary towards her because my freshman year, I went to seminary for like two months, and then I stopped. I just didn't have the courage nor the mindset to go and I was very furious about loosing my sleep. I was not able to meet the requirements listed for that year. Sophomore year rolled in and I had a mind set to go to Seminary and meet the requirements that year and try to make-up for my freshman year. The thing was, I didn't try like I said I would. I set a goal, but I just did not know how to achieve that goal. When I was entering my Junior year, I made sure I knew what I wanted. I made sure I knew what I really wanted to achieve and I made sure I attended seminary. Attending seminary daily, almost daily I learned that I am lucky to be able to attend Seminary before I go to school. School is filled with worldly temptations, and I want to avoid that, so when I go to Seminary, I am able to feel the spirit and carry that feeling throughout the day. 

       With the great blessing of attending seminary this year, the requirement is to read the Book of Mormon. The first reaction I had was, oh no. I have always tried to read the Book of Mormon and never seemed to pass 1 Nephi 3. I just stopped and never went back, but I made a goal and I needed to achieve it. I did, I read the Book of Mormon and got so enriched I started reading more than a chapter a day. Half of it was mainly because I finished my personal progress value projects but I needed to finish the Book of Mormon. So it was both a challenge for me I needed to achieve, so I did. I read a chapter for Seminary and three chapters for Personal Progress and write in my spiritual journal. Long story short, I finished my personal progress and received my medallion. Back to seminary, I am still reading in Alma, the longest book in the Book of Mormon. I am carefully reading it to clearly make sure I understand it. 

        My point with blessings leading to blessings is, my two best friends have been the greatest example in my life, along with my loving parents. My two best friends received their medallions together and they finished their personal progress together. I attended their recognition later that Sunday night, and was inspired to finish mine before the new year rang, so I set my mind to it and finally finished. The blessings of having people like that to set examples for you is amazing. I never take these for granted, I appreciate it more and more as my life gets blessed with much of these impacts. Look back on the blessings in life, see how it has made you the person you are today. 

Love, Aliana