Dear August,

The world is a beautiful place full of beautiful people.

That is the outlook I decide to take.  It starts as a conscious effort to find the beautiful in every place, person, and moment, because there is a beautiful to be found.  That effort eventual grows to just be natural and it makes life so much better and brighter.

I even try to find it when I look at myself, and that is something I'm really proud of.

I say that with some hesitation, but the hesitation should not even be there.

I am a daughter of God.  I was created by Perfect Hands to be and look exactly how I am.  That is nothing to be ashamed of or shy away from.  I have complete confidence in myself because I have complete confidence in where I came from and what that makes me.  I am a daughter of the Almighty.  The same hands that etched the mountains and the beautiful sky, painted me.  Not only that, but He has made me and everyone on this earth His absolute masterpieces.

What hurts me the most is when people shy away from that.  They don't seek the beautiful in themselves.  They recognize God's hand in their creation, but they think to embrace a compliment on their smile, voice, kindheartedness is to be prideful.  That is not the case.  To embrace that compliment is to embrace the fact that God made that part of you that someone is admiring.

To be prideful is to think that you are amazing or beautiful or wonderful because of your own doing.

To be humble is to recognize that all you are and all you have comes from God, but to not put yourself down because of that.  It is to find your beautiful, recognize it's from God, and share that beauty with the world around you, because in sharing that beauty and being confident in it because you know it's from God is to show God to others.

That was a lot of words, but I hope the point comes across.

I know so many beautiful people, men and women alike, who think it's vain to embrace their inner- and outer-beauty.  They fail to understand that it is okay to feel beautiful and incredible if you recognize it's because God made you that way.

Whenever I put myself down or shy away from people's praise, I don't feel like I'm letting God have the glory, I feel like I'm disappointing Him.  I feel like He'll think I don't appreciate all that I am and have because of Him if I'm not embracing it.

Like always, my scripture study aligned with what I have been thinking about lately.

And it came to pass that when Ammon had said these words, his brother Aaron rebuked him, saying: Ammon, I fear that thy joy doth carry thee away unto boasting.

But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

Alma 26:10-12

Maybe it's difficult for some people to be like Ammon and to boast of God without slipping into boasting of ourselves.  Maybe playing the card of shying away from praise is best for some, but for me, it just makes me sad.  For me, I can only imagine how sad it must make our Heavenly Father.

He loves us completely and wishes us to love one another completely, but I'm sure He also wants us to love ourselves.

Love,

Jazmin

Fast Fasts

Since I vowed to write in this blog more this year, I guess I should post a little something.

As an FYI, I did do a post yesterday on my friends' blog.  It'd be super wonderfully nice of you to go check it out:).

Today has been a FANTASTIC Sunday.  It was Fast and Testimony Sunday, which usually means amazingness.  For those of you who don't know, Fast and Testimony Sunday is usually held on the first Sunday of every month in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints community.  It is a day where we fast (no eating or drinking) for two meals and donate that money to the church so that they can help those in need and other things.  The fast is also meant as a way to better strengthen our relationship with our Savior and our Heavenly Father.  Usually people fast for specific things going on in their lives, whether it be trying decide what school to go to or for a family member to have strength to get through a trial.

It's funny how much it strengthens you.  It seems like such a simple thing, but I find myself more happy and edified on Fast Sundays.  The "Testimony" part of Fast and Testimony Sundays has to do with the fact that we -- instead of having our usual first hour of assigned talks -- volunteer to bear our testimonies of the gospel to the congregation.  I've really been trying to do it every month.  I was doing well for awhile, but I stopped for a couple of months.  I started again today and it was wonderful.  I always plan what to say, but I never say it.  The Holy Ghost just fills me so much and brings me words I didn't know I had.  It's such an awesome thing to experience.  I usually end up crying because I can't talk about the gospel or my Savior and Heavenly Father without crying, but it is so worth it.

The day went by too fast, but it was so great.  We now have our meetings from 1pm to 4pm, so it's been strange not getting home in time to take a nap, but it is nice for Fast Sundays where you don't get home until it's time to eat again.  I also had SYC (Stake Youth Counsel) tonight, which went really well and is always fun.  I meant to share a missionary experience, but we were running out of time, so I just kept my mouth shut.  I should have talked about it.  Oh, well.  I may talk about it on this blog some time soon, but for now I should put a load of laundry in and continue to feel this wonderful sensation of joy the Holy Ghost brings as I close this Sabbath Day.

Happy Sunday, reader.