Love One Another

Today was one of those days when I had to pray for peace, love and forgiveness in my heart. One of the things I don't like about families is that we can pretend that nothing bad has happened in our lives while it did. That is what hurts me a lot.

Whenever I go through a lot of hurt and anger in my life, I am sometimes tempted to get revenge on those who've hurt me. But, I then hesitate because I think about Christ and what he would do. I realize that He is not the kind of person who would do that. He is very forgiving, kind, compassionate, patient, and loving. Because I want to be like Him, I have to let go of my anger. It's not easy to forgive and love my enemies, but it's something that helps me move on and be stronger. Loving everyone on this earth is worth it.

"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord."

~Leviticus 19:17-18~

Battle With Allergy Season

This week is allergy season and I've been facing a battle with an itchy throat, congestion, coughing and sneezing. This is one of my least favorite things about the arrival of spring. It's no fun to deal with allergies because they're a real pain in the neck.

I woke up Monday morning with an uneasy feeling about myself. My throat was a little sore and very itchy, and my body felt more tired. I knew that I was getting sick or going through allergy season. Could've been the same thing because I explained those symptoms above. Well... all it matters right now is that I get feeling better by staying inside the house; apparently I'm allergic to something outside and I'm 100% positive that it's tree pollen. Another symptom of my allergies is a frog in my throat. Yesterday, I went outside for a bit and when I got inside, I sounded not so normal. For now, I'm in the house.

Besides the allergy season that's been taking place, I'm excited for 

tomorrow! I get to come home to Mexico for a week and spend time with my parents and sisters. I'm excited to see the house I was brought to from the hospital, my beloved sharpeis, our dear housemaid who's been a second mother to us four girls, and feel the Mexican air I've been surrounded my whole life. Even though Mexico is a place where I was hurt and excluded by relatives who saw me as an outcast, I still have people who love me and treat me as an equal down there.

I still have this scar in my heart from the hurt I've been through, but I'm hanging in there. I always have this strong confirmation from the Spirit that everything will be okay whenever I pray for peace and love in my heart.

Our True Identities

Today was a day when I was reminded that I'm beautiful inside and out. My sister, Nina, took me to the University Mall on Thursday where I had the opportunity to try a new makeover. After the make-up lady finished doing my make-up, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw my true beauty.

The brand for the make-up is bareMinerals, a place where any girl can find her true or natural beauty. I love and admire natural beauty because I somehow feel like I can see the real me that's not only on the inside, but the outside as well. I've been taught by the amazing people in my life that we can show our true identities in our own ways that we're comfortable and happy to do. Truly happy to do. Mom always tells me to be myself, my own self, instead of pretending to be someone that is not really me.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf once said that we are not just ordinary human beings, but extraordinary children of a loving Heavenly Father. It's true. We're all extraordinary in our own ways.

Today, I tried on the bareMinerals again like I did before, and I feel more like me with the kind of make-up I have. I feel beautiful, happy and extraordinary about myself. That's what a magnificent swan should feel like.

SeaWorld Orca Captivity

I'd like to speak today concerning the captivity of the killer whales at SeaWorld. I've been hearing a lot of people claiming that captivity is bad for all animals because of the environment, the behaviors, and how they're treated, also the news reports of animal attacks. I'd like to share my feelings of animal captivity. I believe it is wrong to just grab an animal out of the wild and put them in captivity and away from their families, but I don't agree that animal captivity is inherently bad. Captivity should only be used in positive ways and there are a lot of zoos, wildlife parks and animal hospitals who do that.

It is horrible to hear what happened to the SeaWorld orca trainers and it's something to be mindful of, but the truth is, those were just accidents and we can't always assume that it was because of how the whales were liking captivity. There are numerous reasons those things happened, even ones that we don't understand or can't figure out.

I know there are few people who have been saying that all animals belong in the wild, especially the orcas. But, have they realized or thought of the animals that are disabled to survive in the wild due to amputated limbs, lack of smell or hearing or echolocation? These animals may have injuries, disabilities and poor health conditions that won't have a likely chance they'll survive in the wild if they're released. Think of Winter, the dolphin living at the Clearwater Marine Hospital and from the movie "Dolphin Tale." Her tail got caught in a crab trap, and it was too infected and badly damaged the veterinarians had to remove it. If they hadn't removed her tail, she wouldn't have lived. After it was amputated, she was given a prosthetic tail so she wouldn't have to swim like a fish or face a shocking death as a result of that.

If Winter were released in the wild with a prosthetic tail, she wouldn't have survived. It would've somehow fallen off, she would swim like a fish and die sooner than we think.

Since I was a little girl, I've had a passion for wildlife, and I came to a lot of animal parks where I had that wonderful and amazing feeling of being around nature. I didn't necessarily think captivity was bad, but I eventually learned that captivity can be used in good or bad ways. If there weren't any zoos, wildlife or marine parks, how else would I be able to get to experience the feeling of being around nature and animals?

I know some people are shocked and disappointed that Bindi Irwin, the daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter, signed up to do a project with SeaWorld, but she's not a bad person. She's someone who loves animals and has had experiences with them her whole life. Her purpose and goal of working with SeaWorld is to help other people be introduced to and have experiences with wildlife. SeaWorld is not just to entertain people, it's built to introduce wildlife to the people who go there and help them develop passions for and friendships with the animals.

There's A Mission For Me

I have my moments when I am constantly reminded of why I'm special. Yesterday was one of those moments after listening to NieNie share how grateful and blessed she is for a loving family and strong faith that kept her going. That moment has helped me to think of how blessed I am to have a loving family that has been there for me all the way. There is a list of those people.

Thankful I am that Lexie always took care of me when I needed to be cared for since I was a baby. Her arms are always opened with love and support. 

I'm grateful for Nina's desire to make me look beautiful so I can feel that way both inside and outside my body.

Though it drives me crazy, Breana shows her sisterly love by teasing me. We also do things together that most sisters do when we're not so busy with our own lives, like our own handshake.

As long as I can remember, Mom always puts her daughters' needs, especially mine, before hers. She is one of my inspirations to become a good mother like her because she's full of patience, compassion, love and endurance. I'm grateful for Dad's perseverance because he never gave up on his family, not even me. He's always encouraged and pushed me to go after my dreams by being PROACTIVE. 

Not only am I thankful for my family, I'm also thankful for other people who've inspired me and believed I can succeed. Stephanie Nielson once told herself that she's always been the luckiest girl in the world and still is. After hearing those words from her, I'd say I am the luckiest girl in the world as well even though I'm not perfect like my Savior.

I say I'm the luckiest girl because my dad told me that he always felt there's a mission for me on Earth since I was little. I don't know what my mission is, but I will find it someday soon. God has a plan for me, and a work for me to do.

Forgiveness Is A Process, Not A Step

"True Forgiveness isn't a step, it's a process."

~Ashlee Birk~

I was strolling through my facebook today and a friend shared a link to an article on forgiveness. In 2011, a young mother became a widow and it was discovered that her husband was murdered by an angry man whose wife had an affair with him. It was really hard for Ashlee Birk and her kids to go through something like this. When she found out her husband's infidelity, she was full of anger but she prayed for strength to forgive and Heavenly Father's support. After her prayer, she heard the still small voice saying to her, "Be still." She felt peace coming to her mind, spirit and heart.

When she found out her husband was murdered by a lover's spouse, she was angry but she continued praying for the strength to forgive. And she decided to look at the beauty all around her. As of now, she's continuing what she loves to do; being who she truly is on the inside.

Ashlee Birk has been an amazing example of forgiveness. She reached out to her husband's mistress and told her that she hopes all goes well for her and her family, especially her husband who is now serving a 30-year sentence in prison. Because of that amazing experience, Ashlee has been inspired to write a blog about her experiences and her family.

I want to follow Ashlee's example because I'm still in the process of forgiving those who've hurt me with their words and actions in my childhood. I'm gradually learning to let go of the pain and the past because the longer I hold onto those things, the harder it is for me to grow. I'm not sure if I'll ever trust the people who've hurt me in the past, but if I try to act kind and friendly to them, this'll help me a lot. It's very hard to forgive and it's such a long process, but it's possible.

*Below is a link to the article. This is a great story to read and learn from.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865597907/Idaho-woman-learns-to-6stand7-again-after-betrayal-adultery-and-murder.html?pg=all

Deer In The Backyard

Early in the evening, I happened to have another deer experience. This time, the three does were in my backyard. The picture's a little blurry, but it was the best shot I took. I don't know why, but I love close encounters with deer. I didn't go up and pet them, but I loved seeing them. They seemed so peaceful, relaxed and calm.

I find myself very fascinated with deer. They're such amazing animals! They endure through a lot of obstacles and become stronger at each of them.

Whenever I see a deer, it somehow becomes a symbol of hope. Hope that everything will be okay; hope that anything is possible; and hope that miracles do happen.