Unsung Hero

I watched a video today that made me tear up. This man, an unsung hero, is proof that everyday miracles exist and that, little by little, one by one, we can each make the world a better place.

Stay Strong (Cassidy Stay)

Even before this summer, I absolutely loved this quote from J.K. Rowling/Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

But now I love it even more.

This is because of Cassidy Stay, who I was privileged to meet two months ago (I'm on the left, Cassidy is in the middle, my twin sister is on the right).

As most people know, Cassidy's family was tragically murdered and she emerged as "the Girl Who Lived," also saving many of her relatives' lives with her heroic actions. 

Even though we only got to spend a few hours together, I will always remember her and her example to me (and to the world). Cassidy is an amazing person and nothing I can say can do her justice. Her faith and strength are truly a miracle. Stay strong, Cassidy!

For another insight into Cassidy's story and how it/she changed the world:

http://ldssmile.com/2014/07/11/happens-world-turns-dark/

#NeverForget

My seminary teacher showed us a really good Mormon Message in honor of the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2011. Today is the thirteenth "anniversary" of the tragedy. I was only two when 9/11 happened, but this day every year is still an important reminder to me that the things that matter most should always be our first priority.

You can watch the video here:

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-05-1170-when-bad-things-happen?lang=eng


#NeverForget the tragedy of 9/11 and honor those who were affected- both those who lived and those who died.

The Miracle of Your Worth

Today in seminary (a class given to high-school students who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; for more information, visit http://www.mormon.org/values/learning or https://seminary.lds.org/about?lang=eng) we studied Doctrine and Covenants 18:10: "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." This has always been one of my favorite scriptures. It is truly a miracle that God cares so much each and every one of us, no matter what.

I saw this video in my Facebook newsfeed today and I was touched by it. It even included D&C 18:10. It seemed to bring across exactly what I had learned in seminary- in the words of President Monson, "God's love is simply always there."

The Miracle of First Impressions

What do you think when you look in the mirror?

In a recent study, people were asked to look in the mirror and describe what they saw. Strangers were on the other side of the mirror, also describing what they saw. The results are really inspiring. You can watch a video, "What Do Strangers Think of You?", at

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg-O7f_1Ngc&feature=youtu.be.

This study is so powerful to me because it shows that we are harder on ourselves than we are on other people. We need to take a step back and realize that we are all beautiful or handsome or whatever we want to be. I, like many of you I'm sure, often worry about what other people think of me. But what this shows is that we should be worrying about what we think about ourselves, as it's worse than what anyone else thinks. It truly is a miracle how nice people think of you, even when they don't know you. :)

"Try" & Change the World

I was listening to this amazing song by Colbie Calliat today. It is called "Try" and I love the message. Unfortunately, it is somewhat a miracle that there is a song sending us the message that it is okay not to try to so hard to look good, because the world we live in sends us the exact opposite message. I think this is a great song that every girl should listen to. Here are the lyrics:

Oooh

Oooh

Put your make up on

Get your nails done

Curl your hair

Run the extra mile

Keep it slim so they like you, do they like you?

Get your sexy on

Don't be shy, girl

Take it off

This is what you want, to belong, so they like you

Do you like you?

You don't have to try so hard

You don't have to give it all away

You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up

You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try, try, try, try

You don't have to try, try, try, try

You don't have to try, try, try, try

You don't have to try

Yooou don't have to try

Oooh

Oooh

Get your shopping on, at the mall, max your credit cards

You don't have to choose, buy it all, so they like you

Do they like you?

Wait a second,

Why should you care, what they think of you

When you're all alone, by yourself, do you like you?

Do you like you?

You don't have to try so hard

You don't have to give it all away

You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up

You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try so hard

You don't have to bend until you break

You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up

You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try, try, try, try

You don't have to try, try, try, try

You don't have to try, try, try, try

You don't have to try

You don't have to try, try, try, try

You don't have to try, try, try, try

You don't have to try, try, try, try

You don't have to try

Yooou don't have to try

Noooo

Oooh

You don't have to try so hard

You don't have to give it all away

You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up

You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try, try, try, try

You don't have to try, try, try, try

You don't have to try

You don't have to try

Take your make up off

Let your hair down

Take a breath

Look into the mirror, at yourself

Don't you like you?

Cause I like you

Dayton's Miracle

"Cerebral palsy is a general term for a group of permanent, non-progressive movement disorders that cause physical disability, mainly in the areas of body movement." It seems like a miracle that someone with cerebral palsy would be able to participate in a triathlon. But that is exactly what Dayton, a Mormon teenager from Arizona with cerebral palsy, was able to do with the help of his friend Spencer.

Spencer served as the deacon quorum president in his LDS ward. This means that he was the youth leader of all of the twelve and thirteen-year-old boys who attended his church that lived in a specific area. Dayton was one of these boys, and Spencer wanted Dayton to be able to participate in everything that the deacons did, including the triathlon. Spencer pushed and pulled Dayton the entire triathlon so that he was able to participate.

I thought that Spencer and Dayton's story was so powerful because it showed that just being a friend can make miracles in people's lives. 

An lds.org article, "Racing for Two" describes Spencer and Dayton's experience. The end of the video has a link to a video, "Dayton's Legs," that you can watch.

https://www.lds.org/youth/article/racing-for-two?lang=eng

Racing for Two

MINDY RAYE FRIEDMAN

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This deacons quorum president served a quorum member in a unique way.

Imagine competing in a triathlon where you swim 500 meters, bike for 12 miles, and then run for 3.2 miles. Sound pretty hard? Now imagine pushing and pulling a 

One of the guys

Dayton, 13, has cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. He can’t speak or walk, but in the deacons quorum of his ward, he is just one of the guys. When Dayton entered the Young Men program, his dad told the other deacons they would need to help Dayton fulfill his priesthood duties, and the quorum members have taken that challenge seriously.

“When I help Dayton pass the sacrament, I feel as if I am on a mission from Heavenly Father to give him the opportunity to participate in our deacon duties,” says Hunter McKown, a fellow deacon.

“When I got called to be the deacons quorum president, I felt a great sense of responsibility on my shoulders. I knew that I should watch out for everybody in the quorum.”

Along with passing the sacrament with help from his quorum members, Dayton collects fast offerings, does baptisms for the dead, and even goes on campouts with the other young men. They treat him like he is no different from anybody else. And no one is better at this than his quorum president, Spencer.

Spencer, 13, knows what it means to fulfill his priesthood duties, so serving his fellow quorum member just came naturally.

“When I got called to be the deacons quorum president, I felt a great sense of responsibility on my shoulders,” he says. “I knew that I should watch out for everybody in the quorum and make sure they’re doing good.”

The triathlon idea

Spencer loves to run and compete in triathlons. As the deacons quorum president, he encouraged his fellow quorum members to do a triathlon with him. But Dayton wouldn’t be able to do it on his own.

“I thought it would be really cool to do a triathlon with Dayton,” Spencer says. “He should have the opportunity to do and enjoy what everybody else does.”

So Spencer talked to his parents and Dayton’s parents about doing the triathlon with Dayton. Everyone thought it was a great idea, so they asked Dayton if he wanted to do it.

“Spencer went to Dayton and asked him, and Dayton just blinked really definitely like he was really excited about doing a triathlon with him,” says Dayton’s father, John Hayward.

Dayton’s legs

So Spencer trained, and he and Dayton did the triathlon together. For the swim, Spencer pulled Dayton behind him in a small, inflated boat. On the bike, he attached a cart for Dayton to sit in, and on the run, he pushed Dayton in a jogging stroller. The race was hard, but Spencer says he and Dayton “loved every second of it,” and he was grateful to have Dayton with him.

“Throughout the swim, the bike, and the run, I knew that Dayton was five feet from me the whole time,” Spencer says. “It was awesome to know that one of my really good friends could be with me.”

Spencer says he and Dayton grew closer together during the race and that he felt spiritually strengthened.

“Near the finish line was very spiritual for me and Dayton, because I felt that I was out of energy, but then Dayton started smiling. I started to speed up, and I had the energy to sprint the last few hundred yards into the finish line. I felt that the Spirit was there helping Dayton and me to finish that race.”

They ended up finishing in an hour and 28 minutes and won first place in the team category. But Spencer doesn’t want any credit or glory for what he did.

“The triathlon was such a neat experience, because it was hard for Spencer, and yet he made it look easy,” says Dayton’s mom, Sherrine Hayward. “And he always has given the glory to the team. He’s been very humble, and he doesn’t want the spotlight. He wants Dayton to look like the hero, and he’s just Dayton’s legs.”

After the ​race

Even though Spencer didn’t want the attention, many people were inspired by what he did for his friend. The mayor of the city was so impressed that he made Spencer and Dayton citizens of the month. Throughout the experience, Spencer didn’t take credit for anything, something that really inspired his mother.

“Spencer has shown a lot of humility that has been an example to me,” Shelly Zimmerman says. “He has gotten a lot of attention. Attention that he didn’t want. And the whole time if anyone said, ‘Spencer, this is so cool; you’re so great,’ he turns it around and says, ‘It’s Dayton. Dayton’s on this team too.’”

Spencer was just happy he could serve his friend. “I fulfill my duty to God when I do service for others and I act on what needs to be done,” he says.

Service in the q​uorum

Spencer knows Dayton loved the triathlon. He could tell from the smile on his face. But he also knows Dayton is happy whenever the members of their quorum include him, so as their quorum leader, he is always encouraging them to serve one another.

“These boys are not inhibited by Dayton at all,” Sherrine Hayward says. “They’re not afraid or intimidated. They all really want to serve, and Spencer shows the boys that it’s not hard; it’s easy to serve.”

And that service goes both ways, as Dayton also serves the members of his quorum by teaching them. “Dayton is a true pleasure to be around because he may not talk but you can sure feel the Spirit when you are around him,” says quorum member Ryan Smith.

“Dayton has been a good friend to me because he has taught me a bunch of life lessons,” Spencer says. “He’s taught me that you can do hard things no matter what your circumstances are. You can be just like everybody else.”

A duty to God

Spencer Zimmerman and Dayton Hayward both used their participation in the triathlon to help fulfill the physical health project for their deacon years in Duty to God.

“The physical health in the new Fulfilling My Duty to God book—we fulfilled that by doing this triathlon and training together,” Spencer says. “Dayton’s got his Duty to God book too, and he can fulfill projects. We can do projects for him that maybe he can’t do, but he does as much as he can, and he loves doing his Duty to God.”

Spencer knows Dayton loved the triathlon. He could tell from the smile on his face.

“I like the new Duty to God because you’re able to create your own plans,” he says. “You get to decide what you do and then act on it. Then you get to share it with everybody and let them receive the blessing that you did and let them feel the way you felt.”

After Spencer and Dayton’s story was made into a video called “Dayton’s Legs,” on youth.lds.org, a Church member in Florida sent the video link to his friend Tracy in Arizona.

Goal!

With all the recent interest in soccer because of the world cup, I thought that it would be good to share a miracle relating to soccer. I recently stumbled upon the website of a nonprofit organization called Charity Ball. "A small act of kindness is more powerful than the greatest intention," reads a quote on the header of the website. I thought that this was so true. Performing small acts of kindness, trivial as they may be in our eyes, may mean the world to someone else. Charity Ball is a great example of this.



Charity Ball began when a boy named Ethan took a trip to Mozambique and realized that the kids there had next to nothing. He gave them his soccer ball. Of course, the kids loved it, and once he got home he set out to give more than just one ball by forming Charity Ball. Charity Ball has now given thousands of soccer balls to underprivileged kids in Africa. Ethan's charity has been a miracle-maker for countless kids. It only goes to show you that miracles can come out of anything- even something as (seemingly) simple as a soccer ball.

A Miracle in China

The lengths that parents will go to protect or help their children often seem like miracles. Here is an example of how one father has sacrificed to make it possible for his child to get an education.

The article ends with Yu Xukang saying, "I know that he will achieve great things." His son, Xiao Qiang, has the possibility to achieve those great things because of Yu's efforts. It truly is a miracle that Xiao is able to go to school and have the opportunities now available to him.

A Father's Love & Heroism

--by Eleanor Goldberg, syndicated from huffingtonpost.com, Apr 10, 2014

Single Dad Carries His Son With Disabilities 9 Miles Every Day So That He Can Go To School

Let’s all agree to extend a [late] Happy Father’s Day to this Chinese dad who will do just about anything to give his son with disabilities every opportunity in the world.

Yu Xukang, 40, a single dad from the Sichuan Province in China, walks 9 miles every day with his son, Xiao Qiang, strapped to his back so that the boy can get an education. The 12-year-old has a disorder that has caused his arms and legs to become twisted and his back to be hunched over, and there is no public transportation available to take him to class, Central European News (CEN) told The Huffington Post in an email.

To support himself and his young son, Yu works as a farmer, according to China Daily. Since last September, Yu has woken up every day at 5 a.m., prepared a lunch for his son and then secured Xiao Qiang -- who is about 3 feet tall -- in a basket that he attaches to his own back.

The pair makes the 4.5-mile trek to school across the rugged terrain, then Yu walks back home so that he can work. The devoted dad then returns to pick his boy up from school and carries him all the way home –- an 18-mile round trip, according to CEN.

The single dad estimates that he’s walked about 1,600 miles since he started taking his son to school.

"I know that my son is physically disabled but there is nothing wrong with his mind," he told CEN. "However, I couldn't find any school here with the facilities to accept him and was constantly rejected."

Once Xiao Qiang was accepted to the Fengxi Primary School, Yu vowed to do everything in his power to make sure his son would get there every day.

His dream is for Xiao Qiang to one day go to college.

After word of the father and son’s daily journey got out, authorities decided to step in to help the two. They agreed to provide a small room near the school for them, according to CEN.

Xiao Qiang has already climbed to the top of his class.

"I know that he will achieve great things," his father told CEN.

The Miracle of Selflessness

Selflessness is described as "having little or no concern for oneself, especially with regard to fame, position, money, etc.; unselfish," or, in my words, putting others before yourself. Selflessness is truly a miracle, because it requires you to control your natural impulses and instead cultivate charity. Examples of selfishness are everywhere, but selflessness is harder to find. I did find some selflessness recently, in an article on ksl.com. It said, to me, that it is possible to think of others before ourselves- we just have to do it.

Here's the article:

Teen wins car, gives it to best friend

By Devon Dolan

June 25th, 2014

WOODS CROSS — A Woods Cross High School senior entered a contest to win a car, but her eventually winning it wasn't the biggest surprise. Instead of keeping the car, she gave it to someone who she thought needed it more.

Jessica Faasavalu's English teacher asked her to enter an essay on ‘Why You Need a New Car’ into a yearly contest held by the school. The winner would receive a Mazda 3 2007 from Bountiful Mazda.

Faasavalu, however, already had her own car.

“Then my English teacher offered extra credit, so I said 'OK, I’ll do it,'” she said.

As Faasavalu began writing she decided she couldn’t submit her entry on her own behalf.

“This isn’t right. I can’t say I need this car, because I don’t, and I just twirled around in my chair and thought, 'Ya know, Kennedee needs this car,'” said Faasavalu.

Kennedee Black, also a Woods Cross High School grad, and Faasavalu have been friends since they were 2. Kennedee doesn’t own a car.

“I erased what I had written and wrote another one,” said Faasavalu.

This is what Faasavalu wrote:

While a new, stylish car would make us all happier, we don't need it.

–Jessica Faasavalu

I Would Love to Win… But Not For Me

"I would love to win the car, but if I did, I would give it to my friend, Kennedee Black. I understand that that is not what I’m supposed to write about — I know I’m supposed to tell you why I should win the car, but as I was beginning my essay, I realized that I don’t need the car, Kennedee does.

"I have a car. It’s old, but it works. My family is not financially sound, but we have enough to make us happy, and while a new, stylish car would make us all happier, we don’t need it.

"Kennedee is a senior at Woods Cross High School. She was never on the high honor or honor rolls, she was never on the honors citizenship roll, and she doesn’t have a great attendance streak. She is not what teachers would call the “stellar student,” but she has been through more than any of the students and teachers realize.

Credit: KSL TV

"Many people judge her, but she is doing everything she physically can. Kennedee has had substantial medical, family and other issues that have made it so that her financial and filial situation is rocky. She has taken classes at Viewmont High School to complete her CNA certificate so that she could begin working at The Legacy House Retirement Home in Bountiful. She has worked with her school counselor to enroll in classes so that she could work towards graduation. She has missed a lot of school because of medical reasons and work, but she has gone to her teachers and works hard to complete as much missing work as she can in order to keep her grades above failing. She has worked more than 30 hours, and sometimes more than 40 hours a week to help her mother support her brothers at home.

"I know that I might not win by telling Bountiful Mazda to not give me the car, but to give it to Kennedee. Kenn has been my friend for so long and she’s been through so much, that I feel like the least I can do is try to give her a chance at owning her own car to get her to her job, help her mom run errands or carpools, and have a little freedom for herself."

During the teen’s senior school party, an announcement was made that Faasavalu’s essay had won.

“I didn’t have words to say,” said Black. “I bawled for two days straight.”

The only problem, Black didn’t know how to drive a manual operated car. Faasavalu spent the next week teaching her.

“She’s more than a friend to me," Black said. "She’s definitely a sister."