Youth Conference 2019

My absolute favorite thing about my calling is the opportunity that I have to be a chaperone at the activities that my girls attend and that it allows Jake to be one of the brethren there too to witness it. We arrived back Saturday evening from EFY and Jake left on Monday to take the boys to Dallas to meet his parents and came back Tuesday. Tuesday evening, I went to the temple for a session. It was a very eye opening experience for me. After teaching evolution this year at school and visiting the natural history museum (there I concluded that of course, we all have similar traits of evolution, we were all created by the same God) but in the temple, it all just kinda clicked. Geological time scale is often a scale we do not fully understand due to the length of it but likewise, we do not fully understand a day to God either. I will leave it at that.  Wednesday, we were off to youth conference. (disclosure- it is a struggle to get Aubree to take or send me pictures, thus there are less of her).  The speakers have been wonderful. Here are a few of my notes thus far.
Youth Conference 2019
David Osmond (Thursday 7/11/19)
Pain is inevitable- but suffering is optional. (David Osbourne, 7/11/19)
There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle or you can live as everything is a miracle. (Albert Einstein but shared by D.O. when staring his story on MS and how he is in pain daily. He shared how he was incapacitated for over a year and in a wheelchair- even proposed to his wife from a wheelchair).
When asking why something happened to you (when not a good experience), you must also ask it when experiencing the good moments.
T.U.F.F.
T= target
U= understand
F= Focus
F= Fight
“You may not realize when it happens to you but a kick in the teeth may the best thing for you” (Walt Disney)

Emily Belle Freeman (Thursday 7/11/19)
Youth shared why the liked it and then reasons they didn’t. Followed by the bad shared on social media. Prophets are encouraging us to use it for good, what good is it being used for?
What is something you could do everyday for good on social media?
Ideas: 1. leave one positive comment a day on someone’s else’s comments or post. Have a mind shift (don’t wonder why you weren’t invited and learn to celebrate other people and their success). 2. Post one thing about your testimony weekly.
What are your 5 core values (or things you love) of what makes me, me? Jesus (gospel), family, service (including others), simple pleasures (Mexican food, popcorn, and ice cream), and a clean house/car. 😀
If you can settle on five things that make you, you on your social media account, more people will get involved because they get to know you better. Trick is to figure out how to share it.
Challenged youth to do: 1. Post a positive comment daily on someone’s else’s page, 2. Post something about one of your core values weekly, and 3. Monthly set a date to go through social media and see what’s making you feel light. If it’s not, unfollow or take it off. Also look at your feed and think if someone didn’t know me, what would “my feed” tell them about who I am.
Have a plan when something crosses your screen that’s not appropriate-
5 S’s- 1. stay away from it, 2. something pops up inappropriate with 5 seconds say no, 3. see Jesus right in that moment, 4. stand up, and 5. sprint.
Find balance in social media. Also on fast Sunday, check your screen time and see what average is and make sure balanced. You should be on social media no more than time outside or doing homework.

Tammy Hall (7/12/2019)
Galatians 5:22-23 how the spirit feels
You will feel Spirit daily if you do these three things: 1. Read scriptures daily (2 Nephi 32:3- the thoughts that come to your head can be the Spirit) 2. You have to pray (Alma 37:37, Alma 34: 18-26, D&C ? 3. Go to church. 4. Be kind
Any good thought you have, act on it. It’s the Spirit and the Lord needs you to help answer the prayers of others.

Tammy Hall (7/11/19 devotional)
Didn’t marry till 34, married a widow with 2 young girls.
 You defend church, you defend the gospel.
Wanting to have sex is normal but you can’t until your marriage. You just can’t.
Viewing pornography is watching people mock God.
MTC is like a boot camp for sinners.
Don’t carry your sins around. Kick that can around the block. Take your bag of yuck and pour it out, get rid of it. D&C 58:42-43 (most important verse is 42, if God doesn’t remember your sins, then the bishop or whomever you confess too will not remember). 
That good feeling you are feeling is the Spirit.
So much of your bag of sins isn’t always a sin. We all sin, it’s kinda expected.
Mosiah 28:4 (read just the first sentence (this is about Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah) they were the very vilest of sinners, nothing we do is that.
Alma 48:17-18 (17 about Captain Moroni, 18 Ammon and compared to sons of Mosiah (once called the vilest of sinners now called sons of God).  God loves you! Make sure you know this and you help others know it.
God is not disappointed in you and he is not angry with you.