What makes People Lonely?

When I searched "High School Crowd" this was the first image
that was shown. How many people in this picture look like they
aren't lonely? 

I know that I have friends. I know that I have people who love me. So why do I sometimes feel lonely**?
What is it that makes you feel like you're all alone in a crowd of people?
(**These thoughts don't apply to clinical depression. I'm not a doctor and can't give any advice on that besides to go and see a doctor who can help you find hope again.)
I believe that what we need isn't just people around us or even people chatting with us. Mother Theresa said, "The hunger for love is much harder to remove than the hunger for food."
When I'm feeling lonely, the questions I ask are, "Why doesn't anyone like me?" "Why doesn't anyone love me?"

I really enjoyed this video:

My mom also shared that she had been feeling lonely. In church, that week, our Bishop (the leader of our local congregation) stood up and shared that when we feel friendless we should befriend others. When we feel like no one cares we should go out a care for others. When we feel unloved we should give love to others.
Why would that make a difference? There are many reasons, but the one that stood out most to me was this; Heavenly Father is the person who loves us the most. He designed everything for our happiness. When we are serving others we are opening up the door of our hearts so that we can receive His great love.

I know that we can feel that love. He gives it freely and will always give it.

2 Nephi 4-- Becoming a Miracle

2 Nephi 4 is one of my favorite chapters about Nephi. Because in that chapter, it really seems like Nephi just opens up his soul and pours his heart out on the "paper" (it was plates of metal back then).
In chapter 3, his father Lehi dies. Soon after that his brothers and brothers-in-law plan to kill Nephi, his family, and his other supporters. His brothers are planning this!!
That is Nephi's life when chapter 4 begins. He just lost his dad, they're in a strange land, and his own brothers want him dead.
When the chapter starts Nephi cries unto God. But not about his trials. He begs God to take away his sins and his weaknesses. That's one thing I love about Nephi; when he is in a tough situation he's not afraid to tough it out.

One of my favorite quotes is this... "Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your power. Pray for power equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle." (~Phillips Brooks)

Then Nephi says "19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.
20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.
21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh."

After he's asked for forgiveness, God gives it to him. The rest of the chapter is a beautiful prayer of praise to God.
Nephi spends three verses lamenting his sins very sincerely, but then he spends fifteen verses praising the source of his redemption.

Then comes chapter 5, verse 2: But behold, (my brothers') anger did increase against me, insomuch that they did seek to take away my life.

Nothing changed! His dad was still dead, he was still in a new country, and his brothers were still trying to kill him!

But now he had peace. He had God on his side, and he knew it. He'd received forgiveness and felt God's love. And God had given him the strength to continue on.

Nick Vujicic is another inspirational man. Here is one of his messages:

Grace Series Part 6: Like Tuning a Violin

I was tuning my violin the other day, when I ran out of fine tuner. In case you're unfamiliar with how to tune a violin, there is a fine tuner and a tuning peg. The fine tuners are what you'll usually use, they refine the note until it's perfect. If it's really out of tune you'll use your tuning peg.

So I had turned my fine tuner to the lowest it could go. I knew what to do, I'd done it before. You bring your string out of tune by twisting the fine tuner until it's about half way and then you use your tuning pegs to bring it back to the relative area.
As I did that, I realized that this is what God is doing to us. We are so close to getting something great or becoming something wonderful, and then suddenly it seems everything is going wrong or all of Satan's forces are attacking us.

It's like the arrow analogy:

Your Eyes

I've been learning a lot recently about the eyes and what messages I'm sending people with my eye contact.

There's a phrase that says "The eye is the window to the soul." I thought that that was pretty cheesy and overrated, until one exercise.

We were paired together with the person we were sitting by. I was sitting by my friend's friend, a beautiful woman and mother.
Our challenge was to sit across from each other and one of us would gaze into the other's eyes. After thirty seconds, we would start to say everything (positive) that came to our minds about that person. It was an unforgettable, exhilarating experience. I felt like I caught a glimpse of the mother's pre-mortal experience with her Heavenly Mother. I saw a growing green in my mind, like healing and nurturing. As I was sharing these things with her, there was an amazing connection between us.

I was struck again with the knowledge that everyone is a child of God, and they all have a divine potential and mission. I know that if I looked into your eyes-- whether I know you or not-- I would see an amazing destiny and power. It's something that God has given to all of us.