This has been A LONG TIME COMING... My thoughts :) 


Do you have people in your life that "PRETEND" to be your friend? Do you have people in your life that actually have your back as you would have theirs in ANY given situation? 


How LOYAL are your friends to you?

I have pondered these questions SO many times in the last few months. Mainly because I feel like there are people out there who instead of getting to know me for WHO I AM, decide that they would rather take anothers' opinion of me and use that to the way they are going to treat me. We all make mistakes, YES... That is a fact, that is a given... We are going to say things at times that might hurt our friends feelings, but that is the way we as humans learn to grow closer to each other. 

I have a friend who is BRUTALLY honest with me at times and isn't afraid of putting me in my place. Always reminding me of when I slip up and helping me see things from someone else's perspective. A lot of times I do not want to hear what she wants to say in the matter, but I need to hear it. For the truth is, I'd rather be loved for who I am that hated for what I'm not... 

As the old saying goes "Holding a grudge is like letting someone live rent-free in your head"... Why is it so easy for us, as Gods children, to be so brutal with one another, when, if we all just tried to get along and find reasons to LIKE one another rather than find reasons to NOT LIKE someone, we could all live peacefully? Do you ever feel like people find reasons to not want to get to know you? Why is it that we have fallen so far off course? God wants us all to be happy, all the while learn about others and what they are going through. I know that I am not perfect and I have not lived my life in accordance with Him always. I am however taking a stand and letting you ALL know that I am a daughter of God, I am happy with who I am. I am trying to let people get to know me for WHO I AM not what people think or say. 

At times I ask myself what did your parents teach you as a child? Did they teach you to scorn others while they are weak? Or did they teach you to love one another as God has commanded? My parents were amazing examples to me, my brother, and sisters... They taught us to love ALL mankind regardless of their weaknesses and failures. It has made me a stronger person and also a person who is more willing to accept someone for who they are. Not what someone might think.

There are SO many other ways in life to deal with whats on your mind. A perfect example is a saying I refer to a lot... When something happens you have 3 choices... You can let it define you, destroy you, or strengthen you. What is your choice? Are you going to let a simple thing in your way cloud your judgement and let it define you? Are you going to let it destroy you and how far you've come in this life? Or are you going to let it strengthen you and learn from it so you can move on?

Then theres the next item of business:

GOSSIP...

What is Gossip?? Is it me telling you that I think that girl is pretty? Is it me telling EVERYONE I know that a "friend" said that another "friend" was stupid for the choice she made? Is it someone running their mouth about things they have no business talking about? What is GOSSIP to you? Gossip to me is one of the biggest faults in a relationship...

I have done a lot of thought on this matter as well... I know that my Heavenly Father wants me to see all the good in all other human beings and he has commanded us that "We shall not judge". Sometimes I know it is hard to look at someone and not want to form an opinion right here right now... But is it worth the hurt and heartache you can cause another human? Is it worth that feeling of selfishness? I gave a talk a few months ago in our ward in Gonzales, Louisiana... The topic given was Charity... I studied the topic over and over and over... Charity means "The pure love of Christ". I read many articles about Charity and about how we can love one another as Jesus loves us. I then reflected on my friendships... Wondering if I've done more damage to relationships than good? Then I thought to myself... I know I make mistakes... I know I am not perfect... Each relationship goes through what I would like to call "tests"... We learn who we can trust and who we can't trust... We learn who gossips and who doesn't... I have been so blessed to have the people in my life that I do... I have chosen to surround myself with people who don't like to discuss others... As the saying goes, "Great minds discuss ideas, Average minds discuss events, Small minds discuss people"... This rings so true on SO many levels... 

 I have done my fair share of gossiping, which is something I am not proud of, but again, its me being honest about the choices I've made. I have hurt people and I have in turn been hurt. I have since made the choice to try and stay away from that kind of hate. If you didn't hear it with your own ears, see it with your own eyes, then don't invent it with your small mind and share it with your BIG MOUTH... This is ANOTHER FAVORITE saying... I am SO grateful that I have learned to stay away from the negative opinion of others. I have found that I am a much happier person... :)

YOUR PAST IS YOUR PAST... 


You can't change it, but you can change the way you look at it... It's like opening an old book and seeing the way things once were, but knowing you are the author of your story, you are in control of the pen... Change the future with what you've learned... 


For, the past is only a story that helps us understand who we are today and who we want to be tomorrow; but never should it be held against us. What are you going to do to help someone that may be stuck in their past? I am truly GRATEFUL for a loving supportive husband... He has helped me in SO many ways to grow and move on, he has helped me to focus on the positive things in our lives... Our children for example... How blessed we both are to have the wonderful children we have to raise and share our days with...  I was thinking about how we were all brought into this world full of love and we didn't have bad feelings towards others... I wish we could all feel that way again... 


Being nice to someone you dislike doesn't mean you are fake, it simply means that you are mature enough to tolerate your dislike towards them... Think about it... It is my hope that we can all learn to love one another and quit judging others... We are all in this together... Whether you are white, red, black, green, or brown...