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.
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
