"Cheer up your hearts and remember that ye are free to ACT for yourselves"

I just wanted to say that the church is true and that no matter what anyone says or thinks, I know that Heavenly Father loves each one of us. Of couse things are a little rough for me sometimes, and yesterday was one of those days kind of. Matt called and i totally wasn't expecting it or anything, and he ended up hanging up on me because i wasn't saying the kind of things he wants to hear. Of course I felt bad, and it made for a rough couple hours in my head contemplating how and why I got myself into this. Then i had the opportunity to go to a bi-stake dance. There weren't very many people there, but yet again it proved to me that this is where i'm supposed to be right now. I went with one of my friends from the ward (Alison i love you :) and i ended up having a blast. It's been really hard to try to be myself here and to not worry about what people will say or think, but I felt like I at least tried and wanted to put myself out there even if it did include getting some comments from girls in seminary like "wow you really get crazy at stake dances." i wanted to be like "no this is me. i like to be happy and smile and dance like a freak." then because i was putting myself out there i had the opportunity to be asked to dance on most of the slow songs (there was only like 5 cuz EVERYONE fast dances). It was neat for me to talk to some boys and realize that even if I really was "in love" with matt, that i am going to find someone who shares my standards and wants to do everything for me and live the gospel WITH me, and who is going to take me to the temple, not because i asked him to, but because HE wouldn't settle for anything less. I danced with this one kid who goes to John Burroughs High School! Yes that's right all you show choir-ers out there, you will be here competing agaist his school in 3 weeks!!!! It was fun to meet all the North Hollywood kids and see that the gospel is true all over the world and that I belong to the true and living church. Then on top of feeling better about things after the dance, I sang in sacrement meeting today. Of course whether i stunk it up or not, that's like a given massive amount of compliments from the ward. It made me feel very welcome and like I am actually a part of this ward and help contribute to it. Every time I feel down while I'm here something happens that reminds me that I CHOSE to ACT and get out of a situation that could have, and probably would have, cost me eternity. Heavenly Father loves me enough that he allowed me to still somehow have the strength to decide to choose the right. I felt like I was slowing drifting away from not only my standards but the holy ghost and losing my desire to choose the right. Somehow i was granted a miracle and I want everyone who takes the time to read this to know that I'm grateful. I'm so happy to be here even if it is hard and different and kind of lonely. It's right and that's what matters.