Make The Most of Yourself

"Emerson once made this meaningful statement: ‘Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is to you.’ How true! What wise counsel! We cannot get away from ourselves. We must continue to live with ourselves, and what we do every day and how we respond to life determines the kind of YOU we are going to be and live with and how successful and happy we will be with the YOU we are.”
~N. Eldon Tanner, Ensign, Feb. 1976

Naturally as human beings, we can't be perfect. We can, however, be the best we can be. Emerson and Tanner said it SO clearly! There is only so much we are able to accomplish and become in this life. If we be the best we can be, do the best we can do, and follow Christ to constantly become closer to Him, He will provide the rest. Everyone naturally wants the best in life, or wants to get the most out of it that they can. The only true way to do that is to give our best. Some might say that instead they'll give only the minimum required and/or cheat their way through the rest. That can only go so far and will end up far from the desired destination.

Make the most of yourself. Make the most of your life. Be all that you can be. You are a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father who loves you now, always will, and is always ready and willing to help you if you will ask with a sincere heart and real intent. Always.

Things I wish I Had Known Before I Was 21

These are thoughts and reflections a man of full, ripe years gives to the younger generation:

I wish I had known what I was going to do for a living, and what my life work would be.

I wish I had known that my health after thirty was largely dependant on how I treated my body before I was twenty-one

I wish I had known how to take care of my money

I wish I had known that a man's habits are mighty hard to change after twenty-one

I wish I had known that the harvest depends so much on the seeds sown

I wish I had known the world will give me just about what I deserved

I wish I had known you cannont get something for nothing

I wish I had known the folly of not taking the advise of older and wiser people

I wish I had known that Dad wasn't such an old fogey after all

I wish I had known that everything Mother wanted me to do was right.

I wish I had known the value of serving a fellowman

I wish I had known that there is no better excercise for the heart than reaching down and helping people up

I wish I had known that the "sweat of my brow" would earn my bread

I wish I had known that a thorough education brings the best of everything else

I wish I had known that honesty is the only policy, not in dealing with my neighbors, but also with myself and God

I wish I had known the value of truthfulness in all things

Remember, life is a mirror which will reflect back to you what you think into it.

Good Things to Come

All that's needed to be said is said in this.

Friends are PRICELESS

This wonderful note wasn't writting by me. It was written by a very good friend of mine who's taught me--or helped me see--changes and improvements I can make in becoming a better friend.

"I discovered a new constant in life. Every time I try to do better and work harder at doing what is right, there are 2 forces in play. There is the encouraging force that makes me feel happy for what I have done and what I am actively doing to become the best that I can be. Then there is that discouraging force that just bombards me with the what if's and why not's that are not good for me in the least bit. Tonight discouragement came in the form of loneliness, an old companion of mine. I am so grateful for a friend who saw this and came to my rescue. :) There is no better force for encouragement than a good friend. I am working on doing something to get me where i need to be in life, and find all of the evil's of "pandora's box" coming at me. So when i get that one last bit of hope or encouragement there is no greater feeling in the world.

I have also discovered that I can't make somebody be my friend, I can't make people like me, and i can't make everybody happy all of the time. However, I can like other people for who they are no matter what. I can be a friend to everybody, through encouragement, service, love, and even a smile. Most of all I can choose to be happy all of the time no matter what. So for whoever might read this let me encourage you to seek out those who might need a lift, who might be alone, or lack a smile. Lift them, be a friend, give them a reason to smile. You never know what kind of a difference it might make in their life. It could be the one last thing that will help push them into a positive direction. It might bring them to do a 180 from the negative direction they were heading. Everybody has had a hard time in their life, whether they felt alone, bombarded with pressure pushing them in a direction they didn't want to go, suffering from loss, or just lacking direction. Be a source for good and bring all to come unto Christ.

Life is a war and every day a battle. A battle for the souls of men, women, and children. It is time we all pick our side and get into the action. Nobody can win alone. It is time that we put forth more effort than we are. "
~Brett

Mosiah 2:17; "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

God Bless America

We believe that the Constitution was brought about by God to ensure a nation where liberty could abound and where his gospel could flourish. Joseph Smith said, “The Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard—it is founded in the wisdom of God—it is a heavenly banner.” (Petersen, Prologue, p. 75.)No constitution on earth has endured longer than this one. We seek, and usually find, the answers to today’s questions in this document of yesterday. It was and is a miracle. Both Washington and Madison referred to it as such. It is an inspired document written under the guidance of the Lord. James Madison, commonly called the father of the Constitution, recognized this inspiration and gave the credit to “the guardianship and guidance of the Almighty Being whose power regulates the destiny of nations, whose blessings have been so conspicuously dispensed to this rising republic.” (Petersen, Prologue, p. 95.)[N. Eldon Tanner, “If They Will But Serve the God of the Land,” New Era, Jul 1977, 36]

Today was another celebration of America's, our country's, gift of freedom. Such a miracle that we are able to enjoy the freedoms and rights we have. Especially the freedom of religion. When the Founding Fathers put the Constitution together, it was deffinately under the influence of Christ. I am so thankful for the opportunities I've been given in this life, to live in this beautiful place with my Amazing family, and have the comfort of knowing I will be able to spend all eternity with them. Because of the freedom of religion, coming from the Constitution, which came from the hands of our Fathers who were inspired and guided by God.