Marci Nelson

*Disclaimer: I did not create this analogy. This was taken from a book entitled Finding Joy in Family Life by H. Wallace Goddard. There was a woman with a filthy house. There was garbage ceiling to floor, animal feces on the floor, the odor was horrific. Furniture was stained with rotten food, and surfaces were covered in a sticky substance. The task of cleaning up the garbage was monumental. The thought of attempting to clean was overwhelming and discouraging. There were many civil workers at her home to help her clean, because the waste was an extreme hazard. Even though the smell was terrible, and the task enormous, the woman accepted the help to clean her home. We all have our own garbage. For me, I can spend hours and hours on YouTube and Facebook but it's hard for me to take 15 minutes to read my scriptures, or 30 minutes to exercise. I feel badly for not doing more - serving more, loving more, forgiving more, attending the temple more, sharing the gospel more. The other...

So today I read Luke 2: 1-19. Yes, this is the famous story of Jesus' birth. Have you ever read these verses? I mean, actually READ them? These verses contain some of the most beautiful verses in the entire standard works. "For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy." "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, peace. Good will toward men." Joy, glory, peace, good tidings. Power words. These words are charged with positive energy. Don't they just make you want to sing? As much as I love this time of year, (which is a whole flippin' lot) I especially love the power that comes from knowing I have a Savior, Jesus Christ. And this power radiates all year round. 365 days a year. 52 weeks. 12 months. I was challenged to read these verses tonight (thanks, Mom!) and to think about what it means to me to have a Savior Jesus Christ. What are the good tidings of great joy that I have received because of Him? What good tidings have brought me great ...

Imagine a world where the sun is always shining, there is no temptation, weakness, or sin. The grass is always green, hair is always shiny, flowers never die, people never misbehave, no illness exists, and the sky is always blue. Imagine also a world where you never felt joy, you never laughed, you never sang or danced in the kitchen. There was no sweet – there was no color, there was no life. There was no righteousness, no growth, no children, no family. Oddly enough, these are the same world. When we chose God’s plan, we knew that this life would be difficult. Our whole purpose in coming to Earth is to be tried and tested. Yet, sometimes when life gets hard, we forget that we CHOSE this. There must needs be an opposition in all things. Proverbs 3:5-6 states: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths.” 1. Realize and understand your divine nature as a child of God. There is...

Dear Heavenly Father, I need to know you're there. I believe that you are, but I need to KNOW. This was my plea tonight as I drove home from my parent's house. I just needed to feel the Spirit again - and feel surrounded by His love. I get to my apartment, and start scanning through Facebook. I hear the "ding" of a new text message. It's from my brother: "I just wanted to say that it was good to see you. I haven't seen you in a long time. You are awesome!" God is real everybody. He is our Father, and He loves us. And it isn't always in big ways that He manifests himself. Sometimes it's by small and simple things that God accomplishes His work. I KNOW God is there. The words to one of my favorite songs and a song sung at Conference this weekend comes to mind: "I know He lives! I will follow faithfully. My heart I give to Him. I know that my Savior loves me." I KNOW He lives.

A good friend once said to me, "Ya know, I am so grateful for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. Without it, I would feel pressured to get married RIGHT NOW or to serve a mission. But because I know my Savior lives and loves me, I know that He has a plan for me. And I don't have to feel jealous, because I know the Lord knows what He is doing." As I've pondered on my friend's perspective, I've had to consider my place in His Plan. I want to serve a mission, yet I'm still living at home with my parents. I want to get married, but I still think that boys have cooties. So what am I doing with my life? Am I even making a difference? Sometimes I like to victimize myself and think, "if only I had money, then I could make a difference". If I were under different circumstances, then my life would be better. If I didn't have to work, then I would have more time on my hands to do the things that really matter. Sometimes I get jealous of other...

I LOVE Sundays. Why don't they come around more often? Today in sacrament meeting, I learned that it's just as important WHY you do something as it is to DO SOMETHING. Last Sunday I made a goal for myself to do one thing every day that shows the Lord I love Him. I love goals like this because 1) it is attainable! I can do one thing every day. 2) It's just for a week. It's not an overwhelming task. 3) I try to live my life for the Lord anyway; this just helps me make a conscious effort to do things for HIM. So this week was amazing, to say the least. I by no means was perfect and I most definitely am not getting translated any time soon. However, I could feel His love in more abundance this week, and I wasn't so overwhelmed with all the things I needed to get done. I just served Him and I was HAPPY! This week I served my family, attended the temple, did family history, prayed with real intent, and studied my scriptures more purposefully. I think at the end ...

Today brought back one of my favorite memories. Growing up, my mom always sang. She has a beautiful voice. One of my favorite things when I was little was when my mom would sing to me as I was falling asleep. She sang this song that I had to look up the title for, because I always referred to it as "The Angel Song". Though the proper title is "Angel Lullaby", I think my made-up title wasn't too far off from how I feel about my mom. I wish I could upload a link of my memory, but since that technology hasn't been invented yet, here's the lyrics: "You came from a land where all is light to a world half day and a world half night. To guide you by day, you have my love, To guard you by night, your friends above. So sleep, sleep, till the darkness ends, guarded by your angel friends. So sleep, sleep, till the darkness ends, guarded by your angel friends. There's one stands softly by your bed and another sits close with a hand on your head...

Look at my smokin' hot sister singing "At Last". Sing it sistah! Posted by Crystal Nelson on Thursday, April 2, 2015

You don't even know.  You don't even know how hard and truly amazing this week has been for me.  Since starting college, I've experienced many challenges. I went from a small town high school where I had a purpose, to a college not even fifteen minutes away where suddenly I'm given the chance to start new, and nobody knows me. I have the chance to re-define who I am and what I am known for.  You don't even know how exciting and absolutely frightening that can be.  First semester was great, but not without struggle. I had to discover a lifestyle that helped me feel balanced and happy, while still being flexible enough to be an instrument in His hands.  You don't even know how often I failed, and how often my weaknesses were made strengths. Chelsea and Ashlee got their mission calls, and I was so happy for them! I knew that they were going to be great missionaries. Yet a part of me became jealous. They don't have to focus on anything for...

I have some thoughts for you. Let me take a minute and express gratitude to you for the amazing, wonderful, influential people you are. When I was in Jr. High, I did not have any friends. I wasn't bullied necessarily, and people were usually always kind to me, but I just didn't have any special connections with anyone. I so desired to have a friend, and cried myself to sleep every night not knowing who I was going to talk to or sit with that day. During that low time in my life, I learned some things. I learned that my family will always be there. I learned that I am strong, even if I stand alone. I learned that I have a friend in my Savior Jesus Christ. Though that year and a half in my life was hard, I wouldn't trade it for anything because of those relationships I established with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and my family. To Ashlee, You are the friend I was blessed with and promised in a Father's blessing at the beginning of my freshmen year. Though our frie...

2015 is already proving to be a very different year. 2014 was exciting and full of lots of surprises - performing as the witch in Into the Woods, graduating from high school, getting a niece, having my last voice recital, going to my first semester of college, watching my friends put in their mission papers and open their calls, taking my first real life college finals, moving away from home, and living with my best friends. One thing that made all this change bearable- was having all of my friends and family near me. 2015 is different. I have all of my best friends leaving within the next two months. I'm currently starting my second semester with roommates that I don't know and standards that aren't quite up to par. This year will be the year that I get out of my comfort zone and really learn a lot about myself. Perhaps my difficult roommates will prove to be a missionary experience. Maybe I'll learn to be bold while still being kind. Perhaps I will have to branch ou...

Life is hard. There are things that happen daily that could get me stressed, anxious, discouraged, or worried. But because of what I know to be true, it leaves me with a hope that everything is going to be okay. Hope is a word that is often misunderstood. Hope often denotes a worry or a struggle that, "[I] hope ______ works out."  Hope, however, is much stronger than a wish. Hope is trust- hope is faith - that God knows what is best. Hope is an action word, a verb that signifies your ability to trust in a powerful being. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints is a Christian based faith that is in many ways similar to other churches based upon Christ. We believe in faith, good works, baptism, and grace just like many others do. Our church, however, is different in the way that it focuses on not only the individual, but the family. Because our church is lead by Jesus Christ, we need a mouthpiece, a spokesman if you will, to teach us what God and His Son w...

I was always told that I was a goal-setter growing up. That I naturally gravitated towards a schedule, being organized and using my time wisely. Then I became a teenager. The only way  I can describe this change of personality is with the word 'rebellion'. I rebelled against making goals. Why? Because goals are for people who can't promote change in their lives with pure willpower. Perhaps it's because goals are for people who need to change. For me, I think, was the fact that I didn't like failing. And making goals was just setting me up for failure. I remember sitting in Young Women's thinking, "why is personal progress so necessary? I'm a good person, I just don't write things down!" Because of this aversion to goals, I haven't received my YW Medallion yet. I'm almost done, but I don't quite have it. Why does this bother me now? I have learned since living on my own, that goal-setting is absolutely ESSENTIAL. If you w...

I sit here tonight in my first ever apartment. Riviera apartment number 8. Bedroom behind the bathroom. My roommate, Rachel, has gone home for conference weekend and I get to lie here and think about my ambitions, dreams, goals, and desires. Not only that, but I get to think about how blessed I am to be here at the Lord's University. Upon arrival here at BYU-Idaho, I have been reminded over and over again why it is that I am here. A year ago I never would have let myself come here - I wanted to break the mold and do something no one had ever done before! I wanted to make a name for myself- do exotic things, with exotic people, at exotic places. My goal upon arrival was this: I am going to get my associate's degree here, serve a mission, and then transfer to Utah State to get my bachelor's degree in Music Therapy. And then perhaps go on for a master's degree. The first two days of my stay here in Rexburg consisted of those dreams diminishing and new ones arriving. ...

So these past couple of weeks have been tender mercies, to say the least. About two weeks ago, I went to All-State choir. I have been before, my sophomore year, but for some reason the same insecurities I was having then I was having again this year. Anxiety filled my heart as I thought of what might happen this week. I didn't know my music, I didn't know who'd I'd be rooming with, and I couldn't remember why I had such a fun time my sophomore year. So I asked my father for a priesthood blessing. In the blessing, I was told that I would come back from this experience having a greater appreciation for my family. Great,  I thought. That means I'm going to have such a terrible experience that I'll be so ready to come home. Needless to say, this didn't help my anxiety. Now, before I go with this story I need to interrupt myself and tell you about my dad. I love my dad. And I know he loves me. But sometimes I think we have a hard time understanding e...

To My Mother This woman... Loves purple Plays the drums, and is DANG good at it, too!  Is a good dancer Has a smile that can light up a room Loves everyone Has a hug that can heal This woman... Started it all. She brought me into this world, and teaches me how to be the best me I can possibly be. She is the one who gave me my love for singing, dancing, and laughing. Some of my best memories include my mommy.  I will forever be in her debt for loving me unconditionally, no matter what. She supports me in absolutely everything I want to do.  She is the most forgiving person, and someone I hope to be like one day. She is so close to the spirit and she brings me so much joy. She has never said a mean or unkind thing to anyone, nor has she allowed anything negative to come out of her mouth. My mom has a gift. A gift to love everyone. She honestly has never said an unkind thing in her life. And she is amazing. She knows how to make a gloomy day...

One of the best days of my life was Saturday, April 13, 2013. The day I lost Distinguished Young Women of Rigby. Now, you might be thinking, "Wow, your life must be pretty terrible then." Actually, no. Quite the contrary. I got do something I love, I felt loved, and I had one of the best spiritual experiences of my life. I got numerous flowers, cards, gifts, and hugs from people wishing me good luck and telling me how awesome I was. I think I have 4 or 5 separate vases of flowers in my house symbolizing how blessed I am. I will forever be in debt to everyone who supported me and wished me the best. I will be forever grateful. The night was so fun. I did my absolute very best. And it was so fun! The awards ceremony was hard, but worth it. I knew how it would end up, and I felt satisfied, because I had done all I could. But I think the best part of the night happened after it was all over. I was emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted. I felt good. A little upset....

Being in Distinguished Young Women has taught me many things. 1) I don't desire to be a "Barbie". 2) In order to be a well-rounded person, you must accept mediocrity. I may never be the BEST. But I am capable. I am enough. 3) Being yourself is better than being the best. :D Now, on a completely different and random note, I'm at a loss. Lately, I feel as if my life were on a standstill. Yes, I do all the things that I need to do. I read my scriptures, I go to church, I pray when I think about it. I haven't been to the temple in, like, 6 months, and my prayers are becoming less and less meaningful. I've been trying to work on this. My little sister just recently got her YW Medallion. That's right. She beat me to it. But the sad thing is, it hasn't really phased me. At first I was just bummed because I still have to do it . But now I'm just going back to not caring. I have a problem. I avoid making goals . And I can't say it's be...

Today, being a Sunday, I had some down time. In this down time, I read out of the LDS Living magazine. There was one article in there that really struck a chord with me. It was titled, "An Experiment of Kindness." It's about a lady who, during the holiday season, decided to try harder to be kinder with everyone and to go out of her way to serve people. This experiment proved extremely successful and actually changed her, as well as those she served, outlook on life. She told an experience with a lunch lady who cooked at the cafeteria where she worked. This lady had frizzy hair, and she never smiled, and was the butt of a lot of jokes. A lot of people hated her because, frankly, she was a grumpy old lady. So, she decided to make this lady's day. She went through the line, paid for her lunch, and on top of that, gave her a tip. The lunch asked, "what's that for?" The woman said, "It's a tip. I know people don't thank you enough, but I just w...

Dear Future Husband, I think about you a lot. I wonder who you are, what you look like, and what you're like. All I know is that you're my best friend, and I know I can tell you anything. I know our life together won't be perfect, but we'll be able to work it out. I'm glad we are so much alike. I'm glad we have the same interests. We have differences, but that's what will keep us together. I know that you respect me and you will support me in all that I desire, and I will do the same for you. I know that you will provide for our family, and preside, and protect us. I'm very grateful you're good with children, and want a big family! I'm so glad that you served a faithful mission and you love the gospel and are worthy to take me to the temple. I'm so glad you got your Eagle Scout and Duty to God awards. I love how you treat your mother and my mother. I love how you treat women, in general, especially my sisters. I love how you love my f...