How to make cool canvas quotes

I'm home for Chrsitmas!! :D

A couple days before leaving campus to come home, I took a study break to make this beauty: 

It's kind of hard to read, but you can probably figure out that it says "I will go and do the things with the Lord hath commanded." I'm quite excited that I had the opportunity to do this :) 

Guest Post by Mikayla: A Conversion Story

Hey guys, so I don't remember if I mentioned this, but a while back I had a reader contact me wanting to talk about the church. She had been attending church for like 6 months, but due to the lack of a ride and her job she had to quit going. She had questions about some things, like the Word of Wisdom, but she was pretty sure the church was mostly true. We sent emails back and forth a lot, and eventually added each other on Facebook and exchanged phone numbers. She just got baptized last Saturday the 13th, and I am SO happy for her. I asked her to write a guest post, and here it is :)

<3 Marie-Rose

Pioneers

D'you know how, in the scriptures, they're always like "remember how the Lord brought our fathers out of captivity," "remember the captivity of our fathers," etc?

I was reading Alma 29 the other night, and came across these verses:

11 Yea, and I also remember the captivity of my fathers; for I surely do know that the Lord did deliver them out of bondage, and by this did establish his church; yea, the Lord God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did deliver them out of bondage.
12 Yea, I have always remembered the captivity of my fathers; and that same God who delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians did deliver them out of bondage.

I found a cool website!

I have no idea how I found this website. It may have been while I was procrastinating and hanging out on Twitter, or it coulda been from a blog I was reading. But I really like this website.

What's in my nightstand: where do my scriptures live?

Shout-out to Sometimes Sweet for the post idea! (Again!)

My nightstand is where I keep all most of my church stuff. And some other random things. So today I thought I'd give you a tour :)

On top

On top:

Alarm clock: self-explanatory, I think :) except I bought mine for $20 from a coworker, and now I can hook my iPod up to it cuz my old one I couldn't do that :D

Water bottle: I would die if I didn't have water with me at all times.

Lotion: also self explanatory, I think :) especially cuz it's winter!

Lamp: very useful for late at night when I'm reading scriptures and don't wanna get up to turn the light off when I'm done.

Bandana: my hair drives me crazy when it's down, but at night I don't wanna leave a ponytail in it cuz that's bad for my hair, plus I lose the ponytail. So I use a bandana :)

Picture frame: a picture of me with Keesha, Gramsie's dog. I loved that dog so much. She was born literally four days after me, and even tho I only saw her twice a year, she was my favorite. Unfortunately she was put down a couple years ago due to painful medical problems.

Top Drawer:

Top drawer

Scriptures: at the moment, I've got a Livre De Mormon in French and a Book of Mormon in English in the top drawer. I read em both at the same time so I can practice my French but still know what's going on :) (thanks to Whitney from The Life of a Mormon Teen for the idea!)

Scripture journal: my notes for all things BOM (and LDM, my French abbreviation) live in this journal.

Gratitude journal: it's been years since I've used it, but it's there just in case I feel the need to pick up the habit again!

Twist-up colored pencils and a mechanical normal pencil: gotta have some way to mark verses and take notes :) (also, in the picture, that is a regular pencil with zebra print duct tape on the eraser)

Diary: it's also been forever since I've used this. A few years back, I would only write in it when I had a bad day, which caused me to think even more negatively. So I quit writing in it. For some people, writing about the bad days helps, but not for me. I could probably pick it up again now, tho, cuz I've worked out some issues since then :)

Lots of random notes to myself: for example, one is a list of songs I need to go buy. A couple have people's phone numbers. Another is from back before I decided maybe Catholicism wasn't right for me, and I had plans to define for myself the difference between knowing and believing. Mormons often say "I know this Church is true," while the Creed said during Catholic mass says "I believe in one God...."

MagnaBloc thinger: a headband with magnets in it that's supposed to help get rid of headaches. I don't know if it works, but I get headaches waay too much, so it's worth a try sometimes.

Fake drawer space but it's really just a shelf underneath

Fake drawer space but it's really just a shelf underneath:

Magazines: lots and lots of church magazines. Abby gave me a subscription to New Era for my birthday last year, plus Francesca was giving me all of her family's old Ensigns for a while there :)

New Testament scripture mastery cards: I'm not sure why this is where they live, but there they are. I never finished scripture mastery last year... Nor have I started this year...

Scripture journals: some of them are from doing New Testament home study last year. One hasn't been used yet but it's waiting for when I finally find something to do with it (or finish another journal).

Individual worth project: yup, my little quote-a-day calendar lives here :)

So there you have it, folks. A little tour of one of the best parts of my room: where all most of my church stuff lives :)

< 3 Marie-Rose

Fear

This post is a little different. In this post, I am vulnerable. I don't have anything to teach you. I don't have anything that I'm persuading you to do.

I'm just scared. 

Ether 12:27

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

I have this weakness. I am deathly afraid of shots or immunizations or whatever you want to call them. I'm terribly needlephobic (unless I'm sewing, in which case I'm perfectly fine). 

A couple years ago, my mom took me in to get the flu mist. My sisters also got the mist. My mom got the flu shot. I passed out. 

You're probably thinking, Wait. What? 

Yes. Yes I did. I was wearing my heavy winter coat, I may not have had enough food in me, there was a terrible antiseptic-hospital-smell, I was terrified that someone might change their mind and give me the shot instead of the mist, and the mist itself for some reason made me slightly nauseous. And then they gave my mom the shot. I don't remember if I watched that or not. All I remember is trying to breathe more deeply, saying "I don't feel so good," trying to sit down....and then waking up on the floor. Laughing hysterically because I couldn't believe I had actually passed out. 

Since then, they always make me lay down for shots. Apparently it's impossible to pass out that way.

In health class two years ago, they showed us first aid videos. Really cheesy, poor quality actors, vey fake-looking.... But I couldn't handle it. There was a woman who was supposed to have a piece of glass in her arm, and they walked us through what to do in that situation (leading up to this clip, there had been several other, similar clips). I couldn't watch the screen. I tried to breathe deeper. I felt nauseous. My friends tell me I looked absolutely awful. I went up to the teacher and told him I needed to sit out in the hall. I laid on the floor with my knees up for quite a while. Got a drink. Etc. 

When I went in for an appointment with the oral surgeon, the pre-wisdom-teeth-removal-appointment when they go through all the legal stuff, the guy explained what dry socket is and how it can happen, and what happens in your mouth. I wouldn't let him finish, instead laying on the floor and, nearly hysterically, rambling in my head about the tree outside the window. 

My point is, I don't do medical-y things. There's more stories, about hospitals and clinics and that one time when I was approximately 4 and tensed my muscles right before they gave me a shot in the leg and I still get phantom pains to this day even though I can't remember which leg it was. 

So guess what. I have the last round of two different immunizations tomorrow. Thank goodness they're the last ones of these two series. BUT. I'm pretty much going to be FREAKING OUT until tomorrow afternoon. The previous round of these particular shots, I prayed. At least, I think I did. I asked for comfort and for Him to help me to calm down and things like that. I know that most of my fear is probably just the mental part. How I focus on it and freak out and make myself even more terrified just by thinking about it so much. If He could just help me to not worry so much, to just deal with the actual physical pain (or sometimes the lack thereof...?) when I get to that point, and not worry myself sick in the hours and minutes beforehand. 

Guys, I am probably never going to reread this post. 

I know I'm majorly overreacting. I wish I wouldn't do that. But I don't know how to prevent it. Cuz while I could find ways to distract myself tonight, or tomorrow morning before we leave, and pretend it won't happen....I don't have that ability anymore as soon as we sit down in the waiting room. Even sitting in the car is a struggle. 

How can this weak thing become strong? I know He could do it somehow. He could "cure" me of my fear right this instant. I'm not asking for that. I just want to be a little less nervous, to be a little less tense, to be a lot less stressed out, and preferably not cry at the clinic.

<3 Marie-Rose

How to read scriptures daily

First off, a shout out to Sometimes Sweet for the post idea. I'm not a DIY blogger, and this isn't technically a DIY post, but I decided to mix things up a little :)

Have you ever felt like it's super difficult to be consistent with reading your scriptures daily? Sometimes you forget, or you just don't have time.

Well. I've read my scriptures 140 days in a row, as of last night :) I have some friends who have done much more than that, too. How is that even possible?

First off, I have a daily reading calendar. My seminary teacher handed them out at the beginning of the year; I don't know if they're standard issue or if she went out and found them herself. It looks like this:

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I've used this thing daily since I got it. It's my scriptures bookmark, so I never forget to mark a day when I read. I like to use abbreviations for the book of scripture I'm reading (D&C, BOM, OT, NT) instead of just X's, so I know when the last time I read the Bible or BOM was. It's kind of rewarding to mark a day after you read, and to see the calendar fill up with all the days you've read :)

I started out accidentally skipping days here and there (we were on vacation, I was sick, stayed up too late doing homework, etc). And it's totally okay to miss days sometimes. But as you make a commitment to read EVERY day, and you do everything you can to read EVERY day, it gets easier.

If you take notes and date your notes, that's also a good way to track days. Having a scripture journal is awesome. I record questions, verses I absolutely love, new ways to think about a verse that I never thought of before, etc. Also, personal revelation can come through reading the scriptures. If you're already taking notes, it'll be easy to record personal revelation, too :)

Sometimes, you really don't wanna read scriptures. So pull out a church magazine or a conference talk. Those count too, so long as they're not the only "scriptures" you ever read!

My second bit of advice is maybe less of a good idea. I don't let myself go to bed until I've read at least a verse or two. Even if it's midnight, I gotta read scriptures before I can sleep. I really don't get enough sleep as it is, so maybe this isn't the best idea - I really should make more time for scriptures during the day - but this way, even if I have a jam-packed day, I still read before I go to sleep.

A note about what I consider to be "a day"- does reading after midnight count for the "previous" day, since you technically switch over to the next day? Yup. Anytime from when I wake up in the morning to when I wake up the next morning is fair game. If I fall asleep doing something and wake up at 3am and remember I haven't read scriptures yet, I quick read a few verses and go back to sleep. See, it's okay, cuz I went back to sleep :)

People say it takes 21 days to form a habit. It took me much longer than that. Now, I simply remember scriptures every night. I don't have to leave myself notes or set alarms on my phone anymore. But it took quite a while to get to that point. So don't feel bad if you're not there yet :) you'll get there :)

<3 Marie-Rose

Knowledge

I'm not sure what else I can say about knowledge that you haven't heard already. We are to seek both temporal and spiritual knowledge. So that means you should go to college and read your scriptures. And knowledge is the only thing that stays with you after you die; all your worldly possessions stay behind.

When I think of "temporal knowledge," I cringe at the thought of school. Of studying. Quizzes and tests and projects. Especially because I have a very low opinion of the public school system. But then I have to think of how blessed I am. Many people don't have half the chance that I do. I have the educational resources to guarantee myself a reasonable job and income. I just have to put forth a little effort.

D'you know what makes me sad? The people who treat high school as a joke. They sleep through all their classes, don't do any homework, and generally don't care. They think they're "cool." You know the type. And some of them get it figured out. They realize that there's this thing called a transcript and a GPA, and once you screw those up, you can't fix it. And some never get it figured out. 

I highly recommend the book Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. It's by twin brothers, teenagers, who believe that because people expect very little of young adults, the young adults don't do very much. If your mother didn't expect you to do the dishes, would you do them? Well, the school system doesn't expect much of us teens, either. So the mentality is, why should we do more than expected of us?

Image source

Well, to gain knowledge, because Heavenly Father expects us to. Just because your teachers or your parents don't expect you to do something, doesn't mean your Father in Heaven doesn't expect you to do it. Oh boy, that was a messy sentence. 

So basically, you should gain knowledge. And balance your time spent gaining knowledge between your schoolwork and your scriptures. Both contain important lessons that one day you'll be glad to have learned. 

<3 Marie-Rose

PS you really should read Do Hard Things. The authors are Alex and Brett Harris. It's one of the most inspiring books I've ever read.

SMILE!

This is a happy post. This is an "I hope you're happy" post. This is an "I want you to be happy" post.

I've had days and weeks and occasionally months where happy is the last thing I want to be. I know how that goes. And honestly, I have no foolproof way to turn that frown upside down. I've frequently wondered if there's some works-every-time path-to-happiness out there. Guess what! There's not. 

But Marie-Rose! That sounds super depressing! I thought this post was gonna make me smile, like the title says! 

Well. First I'm gonna tell the story behind SMILE. It's in all caps, in case you hadn't noticed. 

BatMoose, one of my bestest friends, has had a rough few months. One day a long time ago, we were texting and she had to leave for work. She didn't wanna go, cuz her job is super boring. So I told her to SMILE! :D mostly cuz it's good customer service to smile. But also cuz I wanted (and still want) her to be happy. And since then, it's been our thing. 

Unfortunately, we've barely been able to talk to each other in a long time. Long story short, her parents won't let her talk to me cuz I'm Mormon. 

So how does this turn into a happy post? Because I want YOU to be happy. Because Heavenly Father wants you to be happy. Because, as BatMoose once told me, remember 2 Corinthians 4:

"Mortal trials are nothing as contrasted with eternal glory...we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed, we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not destroyed."

Because "men are that they might have joy" (someone please tell me what scripture that is because I don't know and I really should!). (Update: thank you to WhitneySue for finding it! 2 Nephi 2:25)

Because "every storm runs / runs outta rain / just like every dark night / turns into day / every heartache / will fade away / just like every storm runs / runs outta rain" :) (Gary Allan, "Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)")

Because I promise things will look better eventually. Because D&C 121:7-9

"7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

9 Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands."

I love when the scriptures speak of peace. Feeling peace is how I know the BOM is true. Life is hectic. Even just the idea of peace brings me comfort. I may have said this before, but I was once told that peace is the only emotion that Satan can't duplicate. 

So SMILE :D happy is good. Be happy, and you're good :)

<3 Marie-Rose

PS I drew that smiley face in my scripture journal. Partially because I didn't want to have to cite an image source (it's super difficult to do from my iPod), but mostly because I wanted to draw a smiley face just for my awesome followers :) 

Growth

Yes, another "thoughts from mass" post :)

Advent starts today. That's like the four Sundays leading up to Christmas or something like that. I like Advent. Have you ever seen those wreaths with three purple candles and one pink one? Those are for Advent. They count down the weeks till Christmas. The priest gets to wear purple robes for mass! We're all pretty sick of the green ones by now. Green robes are for "ordinary time," when nothing special is happening. It lasts forever. 

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Anywho. Growth. That's what today's homily was about. A homily is like when the priest gives a talk, after he reads part of one of the gospels. 

All of us are always growing. Not physically, but spiritually. And sometimes (usually), growth is slow and painful. But we need to keep growing. That's what He sent us here to do! 

Some scriptures about growing:

D&C 50:40 Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.

Alma 32, about planting the seed of faith and allowing it to grow by nourishing it, and then you can see that it is good. 

Matthew 13

31 Another parable put he forth unto tvhem, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

D&C 82:14 For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.

Quotes from various talks:

"Developing spirituality and attuning ourselves to the highest influences of godliness is not an easy matter. It takes time and frequently involves a struggle. It will not happen by chance, but is accomplished only through deliberate effort and by calling upon God and keeping his commandments........The place to begin is here. The time to start is now. The length of our stride need be but one step at a time. God, who has, 'designed our happiness,' will lead us along even as little children, and we will by that process approach perfection."

-Howard W Hunter, April 1979

"An infant's body is tiny, and its spiritual capacities are undeveloped. While the body may reach the peak of its maturation in a few years, the development of the spirit may never reach the limit of its capacity, because there is no end to progression."

-Russell M Nelson, October 1997

"Growing up spiritually requires faith, great diligence, and patience.......Growing up spiritually requires us to see beyond our own desires and to enlarge our way of seeing things. We not only have to let go of our selfishness but sometimes let go of things we want very badly to come to understand our Heavenly Father's point of view."

-Janette C Hales, April 1994

We are always growing. I think that's awesome. There is no "point of perfection" that one can reach and suddenly know all there is to know and no longer need to grow spiritually. Nope, there's always something else beyond where we are. And sometimes that's a discouraging thought. But since there isn't an Earthly destination, we can enjoy the journey that much more :) we just need to grow and endure! 

<3 Marie-Rose

D&C 93:40

This is gonna sound really weird. But as a convert, I wasn't sure if I wanted to teach my future children the Mormon faith.

My reasoning? I don't want to force them into believing something. I want them to know that they can make a choice, like I did. I felt forced to be Catholic, like that's all my parents wanted me to do. Granted, after talking to them, I realize it wasn't like that, but I don't want my kids to feel that way.

But then I read D&C 93:40

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And then I found this blog post. Jeremy, the author of What I Believe  A Mormon Perspective, says that some people (like me, apparently), don't want to "force religion on their kids," so they can "exercise their agency."

But then he says

If they don't learn it from you, who are they going to learn it from before the world fills their heads with other meaningless, degrading, and harmful things?

 Very good point, Mr. Jeremy. Very good point.

I want my future kids to have the same amazing opportunity that I have, to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And if I don't teach them, the world will. And if the world (and Satan) teaches them, they won't learn the same things that I have learned: that Heavenly Father loves me, and I can one day return to live with Him, and He asks that I keep His commandments. (John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments)

And d'you know what? I know that Heavenly Father led me to find these things. He knew I was struggling with this dilemma, and He sent me an answer. I don't recall having ever prayed about it, but sometime in the future I would have. And that makes me feel so very loved and protected.

<3 Marie-Rose

Sometimes you feel worthless

I know how that goes. I've been kinda down for the past week or so. So I'm gonna give you some advice, and hopefully I'll follow it too :)

Always remember that you are loved. Heavenly Father loves you more than you could ever imagine.

2 Nephi 2:25 "...and men are, that they might have joy"

Remember that one other post? "Hope Always," where I talked about the "depression verses"? Those are especially appropriate when you're in a self-pity mood that you can't shake.

Ya know what else? I read this quote once, I forget who said it, but "talk to yourself as you would to someone you love." That means don't tear yourself apart. Don't beat yourself up. If your friend felt like you do now, how would you cheer them up? Do yourself a favor and treat yourself like a dear friend. You gotta love yourself, cuz you gotta deal with yourself for quite a while :)

Another quote: "Don't give up... Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead... You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come." -Jeffrey R Holland

And one last quote, cuz I super like quotes "Never let weakness convince you that you lack strength" -Unknown

<3 Marie-Rose

Hope Always

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The following verses are very special to me.
-2 Nephi 1:13 "O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe"
-> those chains? I see those as the chains of "misery and woe," of depression, of sadness in general. And while it's perfectly normal (healthy, even) to be sad from time to time, it's not okay to dwell on it. So if you find yourself having a pity party and dwelling on your chains of awfulness, "awake from a deep sleep"!! Heavenly Father wants you to be happy :)

-2 Nephi 1:15 "...I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love"
-> now isn't that just an amazing thought? Think of that. ETERNALLY. Heavenly Father loves YOU!

-2 Nephi 2:27 "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself"
-> remember how I said Heavenly Father wants you to be happy? Well, the devil "seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." Rude! Don't give the devil the satisfaction of seeing you hurt and sad and all that not-fun stuff. It says right here that you have the power to choose between them. Now, I understand that some people legitimately have a chemical imbalance in their brains that makes that choice nearly impossible. And the original intent of this verse is to motivate you to keep His commandments, not to motivate you to let yourself be happy. But you understand my point, right? I like to think of this verse both ways. I need to choose the right, and I need to let myself be happy. Cuz sometimes I have problems letting myself be happy.

-2 Nephi 4:20-21 "My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh"
-> happy happy happy :) Heavenly Father is always there for you :)

-2 Nephi 4:26-28 "...why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions? And why should I yield to win, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace, and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy? Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul"
-> when I read these verses, I wrote in my journal, "why should I be depressed? Not why AM I, why SHOULD I? Big difference." Think about that difference in context of those verses.

I call these the "depression verses," because even tho the original intent was to warn against sin, they're great motivation to stop a pity party. I know they helped me a lot in times of trial.

As I said earlier, motivation doesn't work for some people. Not everyone can simply make the choice to be happy and have it work. If that's you, don't beat yourself up about it! I've been there. And I know you've heard this before, but d'you know what you can do to find happiness again? Get help! There are people out there who can help you! It's not a sign of weakness. Admitting that you can't do something on your own is a sign of great strength. Trust me.

<3 Marie-Rose

Seminary

You might think I'm crazy. And maybe I am. But today I got to go to seminary and I was SUPER excited.

I rarely get to go to seminary. My parents aren't Mormon. I wasn't raised Mormon (convert, remember?). So at my house, sleep and homework comes before seminary. Always. Except today! One of my best friends is moving out of state soon. She asked me if I could come to seminary one more time before she goes. With my work schedule and my sleep schedule and my school schedule, today was the best day for me. So I went!! :D

I absolutely love our teacher. She's so full of energy. She's decided to focus on the scriptures majorly this year, to prepare us for missions. So we talked about the plates that the Book of Mormon came from. She showed a cheesy little video that really explained it well. There's a bunch of different plates, most of them abridged by Mormon and Moroni.

Anywho.

After class, I stuck around to chat with her a little bit, cuz I can't come to class every day. She told me how much she loves it when I can come, and how the class loves it too. She actually remembers that one time when I was 14 or so, when my Catholic religion teacher was doing a unit on other religions and got the Mormonism bit wrong and I corrected her! I've been asking questions about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints since I was in 7th grade. In 9th grade is when my Catholic religion teacher gave us incorrect information. So my current seminary teacher was pretty impressed that I'd actually stood up for the church, before I'd even decided to become a member.

So seminary kinda made my day :) not only cuz of chatting with my teacher after, but cuz I felt the Spirit during the lesson. We spent much time pointing out why it's obvious that Joseph Smith didn't write the Book of Mormon, he HAD to have translated it, and he HAD to have had help from the Spirit.

I know, deep in my heart, that this church is true.

And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen :)

Scripture Discussion

Today I'm gonna talk about my favorite scripture ever. Matthew 10:29-31.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
"Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."

I like this scripture because it reminds me that Heavenly Father cares for me. And d'you know what? He cares for you, too! More than you could ever imagine. It specifically says, "ye are of more value than many sparrows" (v31). Wow. Granted, we don't think of sparrows of having much value, but you are of MORE value than MANY sparrows. Now that's pretty awesome :)

Also in this scripture is the reminder that He knows each of us individually. If "[a sparrow] shall not fall on the ground without your Father," and "ye are of more value than many sparrows," then doesn't this scripture tell you that Heavenly Father is always with you? He's better at this than Santa Claus, who "sees you when you're sleeping / he knows when you're awake / he knows if you've been bad or good / so be good for goodness' sake!"(PS how do you spell Claus? or is it Clause?)

Another scripture that I really like is D&C 18:10

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God"

You're worth so much more than you give yourself credit for :) One of the Young Women values is Individual Worth. Why would that be included as one of only 8 values if it wasn't important?

<3 Marie-Rose

PS this post is for you, BatMoose! :)