Wow

I had an amazing experience on Wednesday night. One of my good friends, Genna, from my previous ward called me and asked if I would come down to their young women's activity that night and take pictures of the ladies. They were giving a presentation of their personal progress projects and the young women's leaders had gotten the girls tiara's and sashes that had the value they had chosen to do their project on with the overall theme of the beauty within. Genna told me that they had an amazing speaker coming so I was really excited since I had not yet been a part of a young women's event and I was going to be able to see a bunch of my good friends from that ward.

All the young women were dressed up and looked so beautiful. You could see how they carried themselves with confidence and pride & their young women's leaders were so proud of them; it was smiles from wall to wall. The speaker was Melanie from my current ward and she was amazing. I absolutely love to hear her speak! She has such an amazing spirit and way with words, every time I listen to her I come away with a renewed desire to better myself. Melanie shared with these young women the importance of remaining true to themselves no matter what the world tells them to believe. She shared some stories from her youth and the gave the ladies some scripture to draw on in tough times. I have never wanted to go back and relive my high school years, but this night made me wish that I had been a part of young women's and gave me the strongest desire to have a bunch of little girls.

The feeling in that room was so warm and even though I knew the struggles that the world was going to put in everyone of those values intact as long as they stayed true to themselves and remained close to their Heavenly Father. Hearing their strong voices declare their belief in their own faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice & accountability, good works and integrity made me stand a little taller and recognize that even though I don't have a daughter I have plenty of young women in my life and I can be a great example in each one of these values. I love how inspired all of the youth programs are in our church. The values that are taught and the leaders who guide with such love for the youth and only desire for them to grow up true to themselves. I can only imagine how many struggles would have been lessened and how many mistakes I could have missed had I been a part of such an amazing program.

I have received quite a bit of persecution for joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from people I had truly thought were my friends. I wish that those people could have been there Wednesday night and front of these young women I truly knew that they would all be able to make it through with seen how amazing those young women are and felt how powerful the spirit was in that room. Thank you Genna, Melanie and all of you young women for a wonderful evening and my renewed desire to be a better woman!