Lyssa's inspirational thoughts for the day!

  New post, you don’t wanna miss! 👇🏻♥️🙏🏻🥰 It’s been a while since a new post has come to my mind, but the other nights as I was watching one of my favorite movies, there’s a part where this basketball player gets injured, goes through rehab with a physical therapist who pushes him to be better, believes in him, and is there for him. He starts getting better and is able to play in the playoff game. He starts playing but he’s just missing shots and letting players pass him left and right. He’s discouraged and upset at himself, so he takes a break and as he sits on the bench feeling defeated. Then his amazing physical therapist comes over and says to him, “you are playing like this knee is going to fail you, but it won’t.” She says “anything you need to do, anything you want to do, you CAN do. You won’t fail.” Immediately the thought “God won’t fail you Lyssa”. Popped into my head and brought tears to me eyes 🥲❤️ There’s been so many good things that I’m so grateful for. I have ...

  New post: My body: Warning ⚠️ vulnerable post ahead!  I’ve always been more on the plus size side and have really tried hard to work on myself to become more confident with my body. I’ve tried to feel comfortable in my own skin and to love and accept my body in every stage, because EVERY stage is beautiful! But I’m not perfect at it and some days are hard. I’ve recently gained some weight that has come with the stresses of life (uggg it’s the worst) life changes, etc. and have found myself absolutely CONSUMED with my body and how “awful” I think I look. 😓 I’m the girl in a room thinking of my weight and if I’m the heaviest. Constantly comparing my body to everyone else’s. I always thought that I had to have this “perfect” body to feel accepted and that if I didn’t fit this standard of beauty that I would have no value.  I find myself comparing my body to everyBODY that comes along. I remember for almost every birthday growing up, secretly wishing to be “skinny” and thi...

  New post: I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting recently and realized that it’s been a while since I’ve felt inspired to write a new post.  Hardships and loss, like most thought provoking experiences we are all going to get to go through, bring lots of reflection. Loss of a loved one, compassion for those experiencing the loss, and the sorrow and grief that come along, that you don’t quite understand and realize, until you go through it yourself.  Death and change, ironically, make you think and reflect on your own life. The impact you make, the example you set, the kindness you show, the love you give freely, and the acts of service you show to others.  It (hopefully) makes you want you try harder. To be a little better. To love more. To give more. To serve more. To LIVE more. To not let the opportunities pass you by. To spend more time with the ones you love. To do the things you’ve dreamed of doing. To not sweat the small stuff and to actually LIVE. ☀️ So here’s t...

 Where do I begin? Happy Father’s Day 🤠  I feel a lot like the prophet Nephi. I too have been born of goodly parents. ♥️ I seriously have been blessed with two of the best and I’m so grateful that Heavenly Father let me be their daughter. ♥️ I was talking to my dad the other day on the phone and we were talking about how hard the job search has been and how the trials of life have just been rough. The more we talked the more grateful I became. Over the years my dad has always been someone I could talk to. With his career in truck driving, we have had lots of opportunities to just talk to each other for hours. In college, in the morning, the afternoon, the night- I know I could always call my corn pops 😘 (same goes for my mother) At the end of our conversation my dad and I had a couple days ago, my dad said, “Keep your chin up, everything will work out. God will not fail you.”  As soon as we ended the conversation those words were just stuck in my head and I was so overc...

 New, raw, and vulnerable post ahead 🙏🏻♥️ I heard a quote recently that struck me to my core. When I had first read it, I think my jaw hit the floor- the more I read read it and let it sink in, the more I knew that I needed to write about my thoughts and experiences.  The quote said “God has removed you from a table where you used to sit; in order to save you from a host who was serving you poison.”  It’s been a couple months since I was let go from my job. 😔 I didn’t see it coming and I didn’t understand why it was all happening to me. It left me feeling distraught and a slew of many other emotions. It’s been pretty stressful the last few weeks and my emotions have been all over the place. My dreams have somewhat gotten back to normal after all the nightmares and I am sleeping better. The anger that has been in my heart is slowly being swallowed up in the Atonement of my Savior Jesus Christ and I am feeling lots of relief.  I won’t say much on the topic, but I am...

 “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” - Moulin Rouge  I am so freaking grateful for Cason and for the gospel of Jesus Christ! Life has been quite challenging these last few weeks and I am so grateful that I get to go throughout life with Cason by my side and Heavenly Father guiding and directing us.  He really is there for you and wants to help and bless you. 🥰 It got me thinking that sometimes that help from our Father in Heaven comes in the form of a learning experience/trial. As hard and not fun as those can be at times, I know we can do the hard things! Don’t give up, have faith that His plan is better for you, and keep going!  Here are a couple things I’ve been appreciating lately. 💛  - How GOOD God is  - Life is hard, but worth it  - God’s plan for you is PERFECT  - When trials come, Trust God- He sees the whole picture  - Laughter really is the best medicine  - Take time to meditate and ...

 New post! Something happened to me last week that really shocked me. I didn’t see it coming at all and was very distraught. 😣 It’s hard when things happen to you that you don’t have control over. I kept thinking how can this happen? What did I do wrong to deserve this? What am I going to do? 😔 After my emotions settled and I said a silent prayer, I knew God was listening and that He knew exactly what was going on. This event in my life, although a complete surprise to me, was not a surprise at all to my Father in Heaven. He saw this coming and knew all about it. It brings me some comfort to know that He knew that- He knew what was coming, how to help me, and that it’d be ok. There have been many circumstances where my life and the things around me were completely falling apart, or what felt like falling apart. I felt like my world was ending and all the hopes I had were shattered. Looking back on similar events that I’ve gone through, and being able to see God’s hand in my life,...

 New post!  Hold on. Be strong. You are never alone. ❤️ These words brought so much comfort to my troubled heart this morning as I was driving into work! 🥹🙏🏻  At times the trials of every day life can be downright overwhelming. They can make us feel as though we are drowning and can’t catch our breath. They can consume our minds, trouble our souls, and bring so much stress and anxiety into our already crazy lives.  I know life isn’t supposed to be easy- it’s supposed to be challenging. It is that way so that we can grow. We have to experience heartache, loss, stress, sorrow, etc. to understand and appreciate the opposites. The precious moments, the tender mercies, the joy, the happiness, and the peace. 🤍 I don’t know about you, but at times it really does feel like you’re drowning- where you think to yourself, the phrase, “if one more thing happens, so help me, I’m going to lose it” enters my mind and it’s suffocating.  I know each of us will experience mome...

 New Post!  I went back and forth debating on if I should share this experience, but ultimately decided that since it helped me so much, maybe it could help someone else too that needed it.🤍 Cason and I had sat down after doing some cleaning and chores around the house yesterday, and we listened to a calming meditation. 🧘 During the deep breathing and relaxation exercises, while listening to the sounds of ocean waves, I had become so relaxed that I started to cry. Tears welled up and began to fall down my cheek. 🥲 I was picturing a happy place- in seaside Oregon, watching the sunset on the beach with Cason, and listening to the waves 🌊 crashing down. We visited there with my family last year while we were dating and it was beautiful! I felt carefree, loved, relaxed, and completely stress free.  While my eyes were still closed, who I was with  changed to me walking along that same beach with my Savior Jesus Christ and my Father in Heaven. 🤍 As we were walking, I ...

 New post! ❤️ For most of us, February 14th is pretty well known around the world, dating back to the 14th and 15th century. When people think of Valentine’s Day there can be a lot of meaning and feelings that are associated with this day- whether positive or negative, good or bad, sad or happy.  The deeper I dug, I found that Vday isn’t just about romantic love, it’s about reflecting on ALL the love that you have in your life, giving love to others, and connecting with God. ❤️ Being single for what felt like forever, valentines was something that I never celebrated because I tended to focus more on the romantic side, when really I should have focused more on all of the amazing people and other kinds of love that I had in my life. Not just what I was “lacking”. Whatever your thoughts and feelings of this day are now.. whether you have a “romantic” valentine or not, try to focus on the many people in your life that love and care about you! Focus on the fact that: 💗 God loves y...

 I recently attended the funeral services of Cason’s uncle that unexpectedly passed away. Even though I didn’t know him super well, he was such a kind man! Tears fell as the talks, memories, and testimonies of his family, grandchildren, and friends were shared. I walked away feeling so uplifted ❤️🙏🏻 it was such a spiritual funeral. I think that’s the point, when loved ones pass, is to get you to reflect on your own life and the people around you. I felt so much love that day-So much care and concern that God is aware, He is in control, and He knows what we are all going through! I know God has a plan for each of His beloved children. I know He loves each and every single one of YOU! Yes, YOU. I know that not a tear falls that He doesn’t know about or of a hurtful thought that was said to you. He celebrates the good times and is there for us in the bitter times. He finds joy in the things that make us laugh and in the people we help along the way. He truly is our biggest fan and c...

 New post ♥️  I feel like I’m living the life I always wanted. 🥹♥️ I feel so BLESSED that at times I find myself saying a silent prayer thanking my Father in Heaven for always having a better plan for my life than I had for my life. I thank Him for having me wait for the right person. I thank Him for giving me opportunities to grow that wouldn’t have come any other way than through the hard things I went through. I thank Him for His never ending love for me. How He is always looking out for me and helping me on this journey. He truly does care about me. I know that and have felt it every day. ☀️  My life isn’t all of a sudden perfect and isn’t rainbows and happiness every day. Hard things happen and more opportunities for growth keep knocking at my door. Those challenges help me grow in ways I never thought I’d have to endure, but I’m grateful for them. They’ve made me who I am today. God has gotten me through the good and the hard times, why would He not now? He is alwa...

I just feel so blessed. Blessed to have so many INCREDIBLE individuals in my life. ♥️ Blessed to have a loving and caring Father in Heaven who is so patient with me and who is always willing to help me & listen. He is always there and such a constant in my life. 🙏🏻 Blessed to have a flexible job with great co-workers. Blessed to have a wonderful family that God knew I needed. Blessed to have friends that even though they themselves are going through hard times, they help lift and give me a boost when I need it. 🙏🏻 I just feel special. We ALL are. As I was catching up on some messages from friends and family last night, my heart swelled with gratitude for the wonderful people I have in my life. ☀️ I think when we stop and take a step back, we truly do realize how BLESSED we each are. We may not have anything going our way or working out the way we think it should, but just know that there is a greater plan in the works for you. A better one than you could imagine! God is truly a...

As I was driving to my chiropractic appointment today, northbound traffic was really backed up in Layton.. it made me glad I was driving southbound and could see what was going on so I could take a different route home. Traffic is the worst, right? Haha  It made me start thinking about our personal lives and how none of us know what is a store for us or what lies ahead. It sometimes can be a scary thought and a lot of unknowns, but that’s where our faith and trust in Heavenly Father come into play. They both know what’s gonna happen, they see the end from the beginning, and they provide us with guidance and help along the way. They don’t ever leave us comfortless. ❤️ I’m also really grateful for the people that come into our lives to help, lift, and encourage us when we need them. Especially when we are having a hard time. I’m really grateful for the love that my Heavenly Father has for me. It really means so much and being able to feel that more in abundance lately has been what I...

 New post! 🥰💎👏🏻 Something that has been on my mind a lot lately, has been the topic of authenticity and being true to oneself. What authenticity means to me is that you are true to yourself; to your values, your personality, your character, and your spirit. To me it means that there is only ONE YOU, so you better just be who you truly are, not wasting your precious time being someone else.  Why would we want to be anyone else? We’re us! You’re YOU! But just like all of us, we doubt ourselves at times. We put the key to our worth in someone else’s pocket. 😔Sometimes we might not like ourselves. Sometimes we might feel we aren’t pretty/handsome enough, successful enough, and downright good enough. We may feel that our life isn’t as glamorous as those we know.. though we sometimes wish it could be. We fall into the comparison trap and we get stuck. I’ve definitely been there, and even though I am trying my best to just be my authentic and genuine self, sometimes I am not per...

 I had an interesting experience tonight as I was going to the temple. I really needed the peace of the temple tonight and being able to have that direct communication & guidance from my Father in Heaven. I definitely made some sacrifices to be there and was really looking forward to it. I walked into the temple and scanned my recommend and found out that it had expired 2 weeks ago. 😔 A man came over and said “this is why they call me, to have me tell you no.” That you can’t come in. I started to cry and walked out of the temple and headed straight to my car where I immediately started to cry more. 😭  I felt heartbroken, rejected, and unwelcome and that feeling sucked. I felt guilty for not getting my recommend renewed and sad that I couldn’t go to the session tonight. After calling and talking to a couple family members and close friends, I tried to take a step back and realize that those temple workers are imperfect people, just like I am. And that my Savior knew exact...

 Well, here I am, 30! 😳🫠 As much as I’ve struggled with turning 30, I’ve come to accept it. It was going to happen and it did. It’s inevitable. 😅 One thing I’ve decided is that this next year is going to be my year! ❤️ So I’m putting out all the good vibes and energy out into the universe! I’m going to enjoy the first year of being 30. I’m going to take more time for myself by getting to know me more, being more confident, and improving each day to be the best version of ME that I can be. That’s the point right? To love ourselves? To improve and to become the best we can be? Life has flown by the last few years and I don’t want to not live- the opposite in fact. I want to live- to do things that are on my bucket list, to travel, not stress out so much, be kinder to my body, cut out things that aren’t as important, see a lighthouse, travel ✈️, feel more empowered, and to freaking live it up to the fullest!  If you’re feeling in the same boat, and you’re tired of the expectat...

This topic is something that I hold near and dear to my heart. It’s something that means a lot to me and if I can help at least one person today with my words then it will always be worth it! So my dear friend, this is for you. 💛 When I have things on my mind or decisions that I need to make, I like to go somewhere quiet and relaxing to think things out. With the world around us in complete chaos at times, I’ve treasured those moments more. Does anyone else do that? If so, what do you like to do to clear your head? To de-stress? To unwind? I’ll usually sit and close my eyes and say a silent little prayer. I try to clear my mind, take some deep breaths, and refocus myself. 🧘‍♀️ On my walk a few months ago, around my grandma’s neighborhood, I came upon this beautiful tree! 🌳The tree was healthy and strong, had a big trunk, and the leaves were bright green! As the sun came through the leaves, it was such a beautiful sight! ☀️ You see, when trees first start out and as they live their l...

 New post! 🫠🙌🏻👇🏻❤️🙏🏻 Anyone that knows me, knows that I love movies. I love watching movies, quoting movies, and going to the movie theater! Growing up, my family and I would spend time together watching movies and being together. We still do that and it brings joy to my heart when we come together and watch a good one or laugh so hard because we all quoted something funny from one of our favorites!  One of the many things I love about movies is that it transports you into a whole other world! A world where anything goes! In communication studies at Utah State, I learned about the only theory I really remember called the transportation theory. This happens when you get so involved in a movie, tv show, or book that you literally transport yourself into that realm. When characters die, you cry. When there is a sad part, you’re sad. When the series ends, you feel like you’ve lost your friends and a part of you is missing. But when there is a funny part you laugh! It’s one ...

New Post: 😏🖤👇🏻🫶 It’s been a while since I have written much, but these words have been on my mind. Some days I’m sad, not happy. Some days I’m overcome with jealousy, not happiness for others. Some days I feel like I failed.. like everyone around me are all moving forward with their lives, and I’m stuck..some days I compare my body, where I am at in life, and everything else to others. I end up asking myself “what I did wrong?” 😔 I know we’re not supposed to put our keys to happiness in others pockets. I know we shouldn’t compare our lives or where we are at verses where somewhere else is, and I know that there is a season for everything and timing, but some days it’s hard. Some days, it just sucks.  Every single person in this world has dark days. Some, more than others. To those of you that do, to you I say hold on. Keep going. Get help. ❤️  To the rest of you that might feel like me sometimes, (which we ALL will feel this way at different times in our lives) keep goin...