Little People Living Out BIG Love

What I'm going to be doing in 21 days is everything he just said. "It's one person filled with love. And they just have to live it out. And they have to do something awesome! And then that person is filled with love! And they do something awesome! And it just goes on and on and on and on..." Showing love is not just part of the LDS church. Showing love IS the LDS church. Showing love is awesome! And being awesome can be buying someone's food, babysitting for free, paying a compliment, listening with an open heart, and just being down right loving towards EVERYONE! I have never known why, but for some people, it is extremely hard to show love. And sometimes those kinds of people are very hard to love. But, those who are hard to love need love the most. Us humans get in the habit way too much of just showing love to those who show it back... THAT IS NOT THE CASE. How on earth are we supposed to change the world if we are just showing love and being awesome to a fraction of the world? Changing the entire world means being and treating everyone the same EVERYWHERE you go. Have you ever noticed Christ spent most of His time around people who were never shown love? Just to name a few: the lepers, the adulterers, the poor, the dumb, the sickly, the blind, the beggars, the unrighteous, the sinners. He spent time with everyone, including people who didn't think it could get better. People who were judged and shunned everywhere they went. He showed them a way out by showing them love. I try to live up to his example. I never will because I am human and never will be perfect. But, there is a reason I try to be friends with EVERYONE in the area EVERYWHERE I go. You have no idea what struggles they are having to trek along with. And I KNOW giving some of the love you have been given will truly, not lift some of the weight, but give them more strength to bear their struggles. The only kind of love that can lift burdens is the Atonement. But, the kind of love we as Children of God are capable of showing has the power to give others strength. You have been given some of your own personal sunshine from your Heavenly Father. And you have been given agency to use it as you may. But, Heavenly Father wouldn't have you put it in your pocket and save it for a rainy day. Nor would he have you bury it so that it may remain untouched from the world. Our Father in Heaven would have you give out EVERY single bit of sunshine you have in you to others. Because when you see the light you've given them show in their faces, you receive more sunshine through the Holy Spirit. SPREAD THE SUNSHINE YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN. Be the bestest friend everywhere you go. Let's change the world by spreading our sunshine!!! 

Love, Sister Vande Merwe

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." -Dumbledore

There is nothing better than knowing Heavenly Father cares. Even little tiny things like locking your keys in your car or big things like doubting your ability to be a missionary; no matter how small they may seem on our list of "Woe is me," they are important to Heavenly Father because it's important to us. It's like the Transitive Property. Doing well on a test is important to us; we are important to Heavenly Father. Ergo, us doing well on the test is important to Heavenly Father.
Everything that matters to us matter to Him because WE matter to Him.
I have been feeling Satan so much in my life. Not temptation wise, but in a way of making me feel I won't be a very good missionary. And it stinks when you're 38 days from a mission and the little meanie is making you feel like you can't do it.
Heavenly Father knows I am trying to prepare for a mission and He knows I've been having a hard time. Jacob 3:1-2 - "But, behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction.
O, all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon His love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever."
Praying to my Heavenly Father is instant therapy and comfort. He knows what I'm having trouble with and He will plead for me when I am in need. He will plead for all of you, He knows all of you, He will never leave any of you.
Whenever you feel discouraged or let down, please know Satan is trying to make you feel less than yourself. When you can feel Satan's interference in your life, tell him to GO AWAY. He has no business trying to veer you off of the path.
Satan doesn't know who you are. He doesn't know your most righteous desires and your dreams and goals. He knows your weaknesses, guilt, pain, and trials. He knows EVERYTHING negative about you. If he knew any more than that, he would be as powerful as Heavenly Father; He's not. He can't even compare to Heavenly Father.
You can rise above Satan and overcome his temptations. But, you can't do any of this without Christ in your heart and the temple in your sight. 

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

You can find happiness even when everything is dark; you just need to remember to turn on the light of Heavenly Father in your life so that He may answer your plea for courage. 

He will never leave you. He will always love you. 

I challenge you to always keep Him in your heart and the temple in your sight. 

I can testify is will always be with us if we just remember to keep Him with us.

Love Always,

Sister Vande Merwe