I Love to See the Temple

I have been a little down lately. I have been feeling sick which has been causing me to always be exhausted. Also I have just been letting things stress me out and be overwhelming. Because of this I have not be myself lately. I haven't been a positive impact on those around me, instead I have been the exact opposite. 

I don't know why people, especially me, allow ourselves get into one of these ruts because they are just a downward spiral. Thankfully I have been taught my all the amazing examples around me what to do to turn things around. That is to focus on myself and my spirituality. I have discovered that whenever I do get into one of these negative phases it is because I am lacking in my spiritual side and need to refocus myself. This morning after Garret left for school I decided to spend sometime with myself and went to the Bountiful temple to do an endowment session. This is just what I needed. When I first got there and was waiting for the session to start I grabbed a Book of Mormon. I just opened the book to a random page and landed on Alma 5: 14-19

 14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye ^aspiritually been ^bborn of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty ^cchange in your hearts?

 15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who ^acreatedyou? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption ^braised in incorruption, to stand before God to be ^cjudged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?

 16 I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye^ablessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

 17 Or do ye ^aimagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and ^bsay—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?

 18 Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect^aremembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?

 19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the^aimage of God engraven upon your countenances?

These scriptures are just what I needed to help me to turn myself around. Our lives get so busy and hectic with all the things we need to do. These things are not necessarily evil or even bad but they can be if we are allowing them to distract us from the great and more valuable things in our life. It is important to always look at your priorities and see if you are really focusing on things that matter in the big picture of our lives. 

I hope that when the day comes that I look at my Savior and Heavenly Father and I can tell them that I did my best and that I followed them. I hope that I can look back on my life and not feel that guilt or be ashamed. I want to feel proud about the things I have done and to feel that joy and love.