Learn From the Earth

In honor of Earth Day, here are some words of wisdom from the world around us!

First let's go to the waters and see what the ocean has for us....

Got some good points, right? Okay.... Who next? 

THE TREES!

Again... Wow. So wise... You would think trees live for over a hundred years or something? Now... Let's move into the animal kingdom. What advice does the dog have for us?

Again... I am amazed. It is incredible how much we can learn when we just stop and look around. This Earth was created under the direction of a loving Heavenly Father who wanted us to come and learn and grow. Everything here is meant to teach us something. What have you learned from observing others around you, including nature?

I know that if we look around, there is so much more to learn that we can even realize. So start learning the truths testified of in nature and spoke of in the scriptures! It will bless our lives more than we can imagine!

Happy Earth Day!

I love you all!
Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

You CAN

Smile. You are awesome. Yes you. I may not even know you, but I know you are pretty cool. You are one of a kind in this copy-cat world. You are the you-est you that there will ever be. Your light cannot be replicated. You are beautiful, powerful and amazing. You are different, but that is a blessing not a curse. You have quirks. That's okay. We all do. We are all different.

Difference is something that should be celebrate. As long as we are living the way the Lord desires us to with our differences, then it is okay to embrace them! This world would be so boring if we were all the same. Our quirks, personalities, eccentricities, and point of view are all different. We may be similar to another person, but no two of us are identical. We all struggle and pass through trial. That's okay too. It is part of life as well.

Many wonder why bad things happen to good people. Well, thinkof the greatest person you know, would they be who they are without their trials. I don't think so. Your trials are your refiner's fire. Embrace them and learn as much as you can. No trial is wasted when we learn something. Grow from every little moment. 

This life isn't meant to be wasted. Live up to your potential. God sees who you can become. Do you see it? Do you see what you can do? Whether you think you can make a difference or think you can't do anything, you are right. Much of this life begins with believing you are meant for something bigger. Do you?

There is someone who already believes in you. He believes you can do great things. He believes you can do anything life throws at you. He is Christ, your Savior. He believes in you so much He died for you. How does that make you feel? 

The possible can be made possible if you have the faith. You CAN change. You CAN make a difference, even if it is only in the life of one, it is a difference that CAN be passed

So smile. You are amazing and you can do great and marvelous things if you rely on your Savior, the person who believes you can no matter what.

I love you all!
Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Destroying Jericho

I recently had the opportunity to read the book of Joshua in the Old Testament. As I read, I learned something that really surpirsed me. Something a little unusual with my conception of who Joshua was.

We always think of Joshua as a fearless war-leader who was filled with faith enough to bring down the walls of Jericho. This is amazing to me to think he had that much faith and often times I have wondered if my fear is too great to achieve such faith. It's true, I am afraid of a lot of things. Messing up, being rejected, not being good enough, disappointing others, make a complete fool of myself, skunks, etc. Fears are many. Any of these sound familiar? I can imagine you may relate to one or two. (Maybe not the skunks... That one is a little different... but you get the idea)

Anyways, what do Joshua and all of your fears have in common? Joshua had fears as well. Yes. This is not what you would expect or how the bible portrays him. This isn't doctrine, but as I was reading this was the realization I came to. I discovered that he is constantly and repeatedly reminded that he needs to "Be strong and of a good courage." Ring a bell? Many of us are familiar with Joshua 1:9. "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Did you realize though that there are several other moments where the Lord tells Joshua to be strong? There are four in the first chapter of Joshua alone. As I have read this, it has occurred to me that Joshua had to be comforted over and over again. Think about he amount of faith he had to have to bring down the walls of Jericho... It was a lot.


Fear is natural. BUT fear is the opposite of faith. Where fear is, faith cannot dwell. Think about that: it is fear that holds us back from reaching our full potential. If Joshua had feared, he would have never been able to bring down the walls of the great city, Jericho. It was a miracle wrought by faith. Fear prevents us from achieving, and in some cases even dreaming. Fear is the single most destructive force on the earth. Many have reason to fear, but when we have fear in our heart, we close ourselves off to the great potential that we have to gain. God knows who we can become, is our fear stopping us from achieving that potential?

Yes. Yes it is. I know and will openly confess my fear has held me back a lot. It has prevented me from standing up for what I know is right and has kept me from saying how I really feel over and over again. This has stopped me from doing a lot of things I wish I could have.

How do we dispel fear from our hearts? We need to have faith. We need to rely on the Lord. Are you weak? He is strong. Are you fearful? He will grant you courage. Now, praying for courage will give you opportunities to be coragaeous just as praying for patience gives you challenges that bring a lot of need for patience.Through the enabling power fo the atonement of Jesus Christ you can have the courage, the patience and all you need to overcome any obstacle. You, like Joshua, can destroy your own Jericho. You can be fearless in the face of your foes.

Be strong and of a good courage... God is with you as you stand as His witness!

I love you all:)
Love,
Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Time For Change

This spring, I've thought a lot about what happens in with the seasons. (Not here in Arizona, I understand we only have one season...) In other parts of the world, there are 4 distinct seasons. We have summer, where the sun shines and we are surronded by green beauty and flowers. It's a season for celebration and joy. We have fall. Here is where things begin to die. It gets colder. We get rain and the leaves change and there is beauty in that. Then comes winter. Cold, dreary, and still, there is something so beautiful about the first snowstorm. Everything dies and changes.

But then comes spring. I love spring. The trees begin growing leaves again, beautiful flowers start to come forth, and we see the change that has come in the last year. We see the growth begin and it is a beautiful thing.

We all have seasons in our life and sometimes we judge others off of where we think they should be, not where they are. Often times we forget that people can change and that changes are more common than not. People change. I'm living proof. I've seen so many changes come over me in the last almost 14 months in particular. If you are a regualr reader, you may have noticed a change in the appearance of this blog. Well, I decided it was time for a change in general, so I took it to this aspect of my life as well.

What's my message?

For those of you who think others can't change, maybe it's you who needs to. You obviously do not understand the atonement of Jesus Christ. You do not understand the sacrifice He made to make it possible to change. He didn't just do it so you can change, but so EVERYONE can change.

For those of you desiring to change, there is hope. Never EVER let anyone tell you that you will enver change. You want to make a change in your life? If you rely on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and do everything you can, it will happen. Stop wishing you can change and DO IT. It is possible with Him on your side.

I know this to be true. You just need to experiment on it for yourself. You can change. You can have the faith in others that they can change. You just have to start, first, by gaining a understanding of who Christ is and what He has done for you and for every single one of God's children (Which is all of us). 

Is it time for a change in your life? I know it is in mine. So I'm going to make it happen.Start the new season of your life. Do you have the faith that it can happen? 

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Sound Familiar?

You know... As missionaries, we love mail. We love getting letters A LOT. We always look forward to the chance of receiving something that reminds us that people actually care. Letters are the best!

Well, imagine opening your mailbox and finding a letter addressed to you. The return address is from you as well. You are confused and don't remember writing yourself a letter. You open it to find a single piece of paper, perfectly folded. This is what it say:


Dear You,

   I'm you. You're me. I'm that voice that is always with you. I'm that voice that will always be with you. You want to get rid of me but you never will. I'm with you forever. Silencing me is impossible. I'm that devil inside of you. The one that will always bring you down, bring you doubt, bring you lower. I love my work. It's horrible, but wonderful. Don't try to argue with me. You know I speak truth. I'll lie to you forever. You know it's true though. 

You are ugly. 

You have no one. 

You will never be accepted. 

You will never be happy.

The one you care about... They'd be crazy to look at you. 

You aren't worth anyone's time. 

No one cares about your tears. 

No one cares that you exist.

No one will ever love you. 

These lies I speak are the truth. You will forever believe them. You do what I say. You can't expect to think I am being untrue. I'll lie to you forever. I'll lie to you truths. 

Try to beat me. I know you can't.

Forever yours,

Your Little Devil


Wow. You can't believe you would write yourself such a horrible note. But how often do you find you saying these things to yourself? We constantly are down talking ourselves and mistaking degrading comments for humility. We think that by making ourselves look bad, we are being humble. When, in reality, all we are doing is denying that we are of divine worth.

Now move your thought to Christ, the most humble person to ever walk the face of the Earth. Did He ever speak poorly of Himself? No. He knew who He was. He knew that He had a purpose. He knew He was the only begotten of the Father. He lived up to His potential. Are you?

Ask yourself this question:

• Are you in any way degrading yourself?
• Do you always think you can't do something?
• Do you believe you will never be good enough?
• Do you think you are alone?

How did you answer? I know I am guilty of all of these things. This Easter season is a great reminder that Christ has made all possible. Do you have low self-esteem? Well, He can help you remember who you are. This is especially powerful because of what He did for us. He died for YOU. The wounds in His hands are tokens of His sacrifice for YOU. He was resurrected and made it possible for YOU to return to live with your Heavenly Father. YOU ARE WORTH IT! Let's change that part of the letter to yourself to remind yourself of the truth.

You are a beautiful Child of God 

You are never alone. 
You are accepted by Christ. 
You can find true Joy.
You are worth loving.
You are worth time and effort. 
God counts your tears. 
Your existence is changing the world around you.
You are eternally loved.

Now, doesn't that sound better?

So next time you are in a state where "Your Little Devil" keeps telling you that you aren't worth it, remember that the prints in Christ's hands say otherwise. You are worth more than the world to Him. That is enough to know to carry you through and help others to see that you know who you are and will stand and own that you are a Child of God and you have a Savior who forsook the world so that you can overcome your trials, sins, and all manners of pains to return to live with them again.

I know this is true and promise that you can know for yourself through prayer and asking if this is true. 

I love you all!
Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Watch Me

I have realized one of my biggest pet peeves in the world is when people tell me I can't do something, or anyone is told they can't achieve or become anything. The worst is when someone is told they will never amount to anything, that they will never be able to change anything. Honestly, this is the single most demeaning thing you can say to another human being. So, to quote a two word sermon from Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Stop it."


You read that right. "Stop it." I will just come out and say it. The talk that happens about another human being, another child of God, saying that they will never change or amount to anything or make a difference needs to stop. Some people are okay with accepting the status quo, others are not. Just because you don't have the faith in yourself that you could make a change, doesn't mean another person can't have the faith to do so. I want you to think about all those who have achieved great things. Someone along the way more than likely said that they wouldn't be able to do it. They would not be able to reach their dreams. Many dealt with ridicule because of their dreams, but they persevered. They did something worth remembering.

I think of a woman who was a recluse. She wrote poetry that people scorned and laughed at her for being who she was. Only a couple of her poems were published during her life. I think of a man who suffered from different mental illnesses, but was a painter. He was told he would never be worth anything because his paintings were not in sync with the current style of art. I think of a young boy who wanted to fight a giant, but his brothers laughed at the thought.

Emily Dickinson, Vincent Van Gogh, and David are people we now know as a brilliant poetess, one of the greatest painters of all time, and King David through whose line of descendants came Christ.


I think of Christ himself. He was scorned. He was told He was not who He said himself to be. He was persecuted. But He performed the greatest, most selfless act known to mankind. Christ suffered for the sins of the world and broke the bonds of death. He was told it would be impossible. He was told that He did not have the capabilities to do so. But did He just accept it? No. He knew what He needed to do. He knew His mission. He knew who He was. And we now have the way to return to our Father in Heaven because of Him.

You have the power to make a difference. Many people will say, "Don't worry about things you can't change." When I hear this, I think about the degrading and disappearing of morality in the world, the common place use and abuse of drugs, alcohol and other harmful substance. I think about how we are seeing basic human rights stripped and the voices of wicked attempting to silence the voices of the righteous. My favorite verse of scripture is Romans 8:31, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" This shows that with God on our side, we can achieve what we want to. You want to make a difference? You want to do good things? You want to change the world to be more aligned with God? Well, He wants to help you achieve
that.

Next time someone says, "You can't change it, so don't worry about it." Think about what you want to change. Is it because you know it is morally wrong, goes against the commandments of God or prevents the gospel of Jesus Christ from being moved forward in it's fullest? If so, then God is going to be on your side.

Don't ever, EVER, let anyone tell you you cannot make a difference. Because God needs you to. He is backing your righteous stances. Dare to stand alone, because you are never alone when God is on your side.

So next time someone tells you that you can't make a difference, that you can't change, that you can't do something. Look at them and say, "Watch Me."

I know you were made to make a difference. You can change the world. You just have to believe in yourself.

I love you all!
Love,
Sister Mackenzie Esmond