It's a battlefield out there.

Some mornings I wake up, roll over, take a deep breath, and then I feel reality gush over me. I wish more than anything that I could fall back into the darkness and non-reality of my dreams, but instead I have to get up and face everything in life like a mature person.

And it’s hard.

But the world will never be conquered by someone who lies in bed all day, and so I throw the covers off of my warm, secure little hideout, and get up to face the problems and the challenges. I have battles to fight. And I am determined.

I fight battles every day. I fight them in my personal life, in my family life, in society, in America, and even in the world. I’m learning to fight temptations, learning to fight my impatience with my family, learning to get along with people that I don’t like, learning to fight injustice in America, and learning to fight for people’s rights in other countries.

I’ll say this: life isn’t a walk in the park. Life is a battlefield. And I’m learning to fight and win those battles.

The battles aren’t easy. They’re pretty hard sometimes. I can’t do it alone. So I do my best to lean on and listen to my Savior. He’s helping me.

I’m learning to face the pain and the hurt. I’m learning to bear the scars.

And I’m learning to carry on like a soldier.