YSA Conference!!

Jackson's Mill YSA Conference

Have you registered for Jackson's Mill 2014? Remember, the registration fee is $20 online and $25 at the door. The deadline for online registration is April 1st. If you're unable to pay via debit/credit, send me a message before April 1st and you can still get in for $20 at the door!

See you at the Mill!

Sorry that this seems super commercial-y. However, I'm helping to plan this! And trust me!
It's going to be so much fun!! 

We're welcoming anyone from anywhere! I would love to meet anyone!! It'll be so much fun! 

We're going to have a ton of super fun classes! And so much good food!! :) Trust me...yum. 

So, seriously, come! :) 

I love you all so much! 

xoxo, Nicola.

P.S. Here's the Facebook event page! :)

I love/hate giving talks...

I love giving talks.

I hate giving talks.

#WAIT #WHAT

Yeah... I guess this is one of those love/hate relationships. I love giving talks. I just like talking, so it works out. 

But do you ever have that moment when you're asked to give a talk, and you're just like. what? I don't know what to say. 

I'm in one of those predicaments.

So. I'm speaking at baptism tonight. The baptism of the sweetest girl! From the very first time I talked to her, I felt the Spirit. It radiated from her. I knew she was going to get baptized. She said different, of course.

So. I have a ton of scripture. I have my own personal experience of my own baptism. But I don't know what to say...

Hmm.

So. I found this song. "Baptized" by Lenny Kravitz. Holy Moly. This song is amazing. It explains it perfectly.

It's wonderful<3

Just some thoughts. I still don't know what exactly what I'm going to say, but it will be great. I know it!

Missionaries are the bomb!

So.

On Wednesday, I was asked to speak at a missionary specialized training thing in Fairmont, WV. Needless to say, it was AWESOME!

I spoke on my conversion story. And I didn't expect to that in depth on what happened. It was awesome. I spoke of things that I didn't even know that was important to me and things that I didn't even realize I have come to know during my conversion. 

I have come to know that forgiveness has been the biggest part of my conversion. To learn how to forgive others. 

Another thing is, that I KNOW that this church is true. More than I know anything ever. It's so wonderful!

The last thing is. Every time I tell my conversion story or my testimony, it changes. 

I'll tell it differently, see it from a different point of view, or it would just be totally different.

But, regardless of it changing, my belief in this church, the Lord, or Jesus Christ never changes! And if it does, it just grows stronger. 

So, I guess I have a challenge for you. 

Testify.

All the time.

If you're waiting with someone at a bus stop, testify.

If you're waiting for your class to start, testify.

If you're on Facebook or Twitter and you're bored, testify!

You never know who's listening. And because you say it one way, the Holy Ghost will make it be the thing that that person has to hear.

I know for a fact that some of those missionaries needed to hear what I had to say. Just by telling my story. That's all I had to do. OPEN MY MOUTH! 

And if you don't believe it, read Psalm 81:10. :)

xoxo, Nicola

God hates the sin, not the sinner.

Think about a time. When you felt the Holy Ghost. Whether it is the very first time, or a time you really needed to feel him. 

Think about how it made the situation so much better. Then think about how the Holy Ghost is always with you. Don't you always feel good? Isn't every day a good day? 

Now, I'm going to refer to one of my favorite passages in the scriptures.

2 Nephi 2

" 11 For it must needs be, that there is an ^aopposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

 12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no ^apurpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the ^bjustice of God.

 13 And if ye shall say there is ^ano law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not ^bthere is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away."

Now, this makes sense. We have to know sadness to know true joy. 

But, what about we have to know true joy to know when we don't have it? Let me explain.

Before I was introduced to the church, and was baptized. I didn't know true joy. But, I needed to experience another event to truly understand.

Last week, something happened. I committed a sin. 

So, you're thinking, "Oh, that happens to everyone! Just repent and learn from your mistake."

Well, no, you're wrong. You can't just, JUST repent. Like it's easy. 

After I sinned, I had the worst feeling in the world. I remember that I was sitting on my bed. And I just started crying. I felt empty. I felt as though there was no purpose for me. I felt as though I was nothing. 

And in an instance I knew what was wrong. I didn't have the Holy Ghost anymore. I felt absolutely horrible.

My boyfriend, Richard, saw what was happening and he said, "Don't worry. God loves you. Everything will be ok."

I knew he was right, but, not even that could console as to how I was feeling. He then encouraged me to go to bed. And that I would feel better in the morning. Before I went to bed. I prayed. I prayed so hard. Harder than I ever did. 

I then decided to go to bed. 

The next morning, I prayed harder than I did the night before. I also read the scriptures as much as I could that day. I did whatever I could to be as Christ-like as possible. I also talked to some Elders in Morgantown, and they gave me some great counseling. 

One of them said that, when you sin, you are separated from the Holy Ghost. That it does not want to be in the presence of someone who we are not supposed to be. And it will also stay away for a time that we do not know. And it made sense. 

I then continued to do whatever I could to regain the Holy Ghost. 

After a couple of days, I felt as though he was with me again. I felt relief. 

But, then I realized. I shouldn't stop trying to be more Christ-like. I realized that we need to be working to be better people in a sense of panic as though the Holy Ghost were not with us. We shouldn't be doing that just when things are bad. 

And, of course I'm striving to be better. 

I also realized that sometimes we need to sin to learn something. Why else were we sent to Earth? We were sent here to sin and then learn from that. So, don't have an attitude that we should not ever sin. No, we need to. Just like the Fall was essential. Our own personal Fall is essential in our growth. 

We learn from our mistakes, and by Jesus Christ making it possible for us to repent, that is how we learn.

2 Nephi 25:26

26 And we ^atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we ^bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our ^cchildren may know to what source they may look for a ^dremission of their sins.

It is okay to sin, just learn from it. And in turn, become more Christ-like. 

Please comment on your experiences and what you have come to learn.

xoxo, Nicola.

New, new, new!

Lots of new things have been happening. So. Here goes.

I got a new quad! I'm so excited. It's beautiful. I love it. 

I got a bunch of new bible high lighters to help me study. 

I'm doing tons of things for my mission application. All my appointments are made! I'm so excited! :) 

Everything is falling into place! 

It's spring break! Everything is great!

However...

You know when you're doing something right, and then something horrible happens? Yeah. That happened to me.

The devil is trying to knock me down, since he knows I'm going to change the world! But you know what. Heavenly Father has prepared me. He has given me trials and tribulations in my life so that I will be strong and that I will not falter. The devil will NOT get me down. :)

I love this church, I love the gospel! It is all so true, and nothing will change my mind about that. 

I can't wait to go on my mission, and I will do everything in my power to go on it. 

:)

I had a very personal experience with Heavenly Father last week, and I'm going to write a separate post for it. But, just know, that Heavenly Father loves you. No matter what happens! He's always here for you. And he puts you through your trials and tribulations for a reason. You may not know it right now, but keep on going. Everything will be great! :)

Love you all, so much!

xoxo, Nicola