be loving and patient.

I love watching happy people.

I love seeing their faces light up and the almost tangible joy they experience.


But - what if one person got that job/scholarship/recognition/whatever that you really really wanted.

Would you still feel happy for them?


I'm totally a people watcher, and I love the living, breathing, amazing mosaic that is humanity.

But there is something terribly wrong with mankind.

Let's face it. We are a jealous people. We don't always feel excited for others. We're not patient. We're not loving. We're not courteous.

And though I cannot speak for everyone, we are at least not compassionate, loving, patient, and courteous enough. 


We've got to start loving. 

We've got to start blessing lives, feeding sheep, doing good, and being loyal to God. (here)




A cute girl in my ward shared a really good story in Sacrament Meeting today. She read it on some blog, and I'm unfortunately unsure how to find it... but it went something like this:

There was a man who suffered some sort of head injury or had brain problems... some health trial like that... and he just wasn't himself anymore.
He was unable to take care of his land, and his wife did what she could, but eventually they decided that something needed to be done. They had to sell their things. (I think they had a farm...?)
They put everything out in the yard with a big sign indicating that it was all for sale.
Soon after, they got a phone call. Not from a buyer, but from a neighbor. It was a complaint. He told them that all of their stuff sitting there made the community look bad, and he demanded that it be removed.
The man trying to sell his things said something along the lines of,
There was once a day in this country where if a man saw his neighbor's every possession for sale, he'd call to see if something was wrong. 
He then proceeded to tell the man of his health trials and how they needed to make some changes in order to keep living.
The man apologized profusely and said that he would ask his friends if they wanted to buy anything.




I fear the ability to give someone the benefit of the doubt is fading.

Another thing the world is dangerously short on, is understanding and patience.

I'll tell you what - I learned to drive last year. I know that people get really impatient when driving, but I'll tell you, it really frustrated me sometimes when I was trying my best and still had people ticked off at me.
Especially when I was learning to drive the stick shift... I killed it a lot. A lot. And not always in the most desirable places.
Okay, obviously I'm the one at fault here, but I now always try to be extra patient with people when I'm driving because I know how it feels to be panicking in the middle of an intersection because I can't get the car to move and having people waving all these rude gestures at me... and I hated it.


So here's my philosophy.

Chill out. Be patient. Be loving. Be sympathetic.

And you will be such a blessing in the lives of others.

...the angels stood in reverence...

Sorry for going all AWOL this last week... I know you all missed me so much... :)

I just didn't have any superbly pressing things to share. It takes a bit of thinking sometimes, and I just haven't had the time to sit down and... think (wow. lamest statement ever).

Anyways, I wanted to share this song with you guys. Emma by the Nashville Tribute Band.

I looked all over to find somewhere to embed it from. This was the best I found. Click play, it will open up in a separate window, click play again, switch back, and you can read the lyrics! I always like reading the lyrics while listening to a song. Gives you something to do.
(The big, bolded line is my favorite if you couldn't tell.)

Oh! And exit out of the window when the song ends. Another random one will probably start up. Seems to keep happening to me. Sorry, best I could do. :)


  Emm

-------------------------------------------------------
Never had an ordinary day

Never lived your life in an ordinary way

For everything you loved you paid a price

But you couldn't let the world see you cry

Never had a moment of peace

Never felt the sunlight

When the worries set you free

Every time your life turned a page

It seemed like your heart might break

With the world on your shoulders

When the nights had grown colder

You seemed to weather every storm

With a queen's grace

When you lost your husband

When you buried your children

I'm sure the angels stood in reverence as you prayed

How much can one heart take 

How much can one heart take

Never had a day to call your own

When so many needed your warm heart as a home

Whispering a mother's lullaby

As you sat alone by the fire

With the world on your shoulders

When the nights had grown colder

You seemed to weather every storm

With a queen's grace

When you lost your husband

When you buried your children

I'm sure the angels stood in reverence as you prayed

How much can one heart take 

How much can one heart take

With the world on your shoulders

When the nights had grown colder

You seemed to weather every storm

With a queen's grace

When you lost your husband

When you buried your children

I'm sure the angels stood in reverence as you prayed

And I'm sure your heart breaks, when some people still say

Somewhere down the line you lost your faith

How much can one heart take -

How much can one heart take?

-------------------------------------------------------------

Oh and just if you didn't know - Katherine Nelson sings this song. 

Mind = Blown. You're welcome.* 

Now I'm going to repeat that line that's quite simply just my favorite. 

I'm sure the angels stood in reverence as you prayed.

I love the thought of a God who weeps. 
Angels who feel. Who love. 

Just think of that. A God who weeps. The most powerful being you could ever imagine. Weeping for the sorrow of mankind.
The love our Father feels for all of us - even you and me - is unimaginable. This we know, and we always say.
But - a God who weeps? 

It's an incredible thought.

( ^We know the guy who painted this! His mom is in our ward!)

I think this is a cool picture of Christ's birth and depicts just how aware and close the Angels in Heaven truly are. 

They are aware of you. People you love beyond the veil - whether you remember them or not - are so much closer than you think. You could've been best friends with some of these spirits in years long ago. Those angels are rooting for you. 

They are angels who stand in reverence of you and cry with you. 

You are never alone. Powerful beings with infinite passion are all around you. 

An incredible thought, indeed. 







*This, for like 5 minutes, read "your welcome".  I almost fell over when I caught my mistake. That's always been a pet peeve of mine. :)

you've just been pep talked! (and pass on the joy!)

This little video makes me so happy. And it makes me laugh. Hard.

This is life! You've got air coming through your nose! You've got a heart beating!
And you were made to be awesome.

You are so blessed. So blessed.


“Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on; 'Twas not given for thee alone, Pass it on; Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another's tears, 'Til in Heaven the deed appears - Pass it on. ” 
- Henry Burton

I feel like - being so blessed with a happy life - I have the responsibility to make others feel that same happiness. I want others to come closer to God and I want to teach them to choose to be happy. 

My blessings are not for me alone. They are for others too. 
I've started trying to be more and more aware of others - maybe trying to spot out their needs. 

- Like paying for the person behind you in the drive-thru at Wendy's. It's usually only a few dollars and maybe that person was having a crappy day.
- Sending a text to someone you don't talk to a lot... maybe they are really needing a pick-me-up. 
-Send a thank you card to someone for something little. 
- Just be more patient with people... on the road, at the cash register... you really have no idea what is going on and getting impatient with people doesn't get you anywhere. Instead, try just smiling at them when they look to you apologetically... like it's no big deal. (Because it isn't.)

You can really brighten someone's day by doing really tiny things. You can be the one to give them more faith in the world. The angels in heaven are watching, and I'll bet they will commend you one day. 
"Remember that day you said [insert here] to Billy? Well, he's my son. I know it seemed like no big deal to you, but those words really helped him get through his trials. They helped remind him that there is still good in the world even though he was devastated by my death... I was looking down, so grateful to you."

Hehe. I am kinda chuckling at myself right now. That's a weird example, but do you get what I mean? 

Okay, I was trying to embed one more video to finish, but I can't seem to get it to work. Click here to watch. It's really short. 

And if you liked it, try this one, this one, this one, this one, this one... I'm sure there are more. But I'd better get to bed. :)


Just remember - they may never meet you again, but you can make the world a better place just by helping out, making days brighter, and consequently changing people's attitudes. 

And one thing's almost certain. They'll pass it on. 

freezing rain?

Have you ever heard of freezing rain? Neither had I. Neither had anyone, it seems.

Since 1940, there have only been 9 measurable freezing rain events (0.01 in. or greater) in the Salt Lake Area. (according to KSL)

Today? 0.08 inches by 11 am.



This was just outside Kingsbury Hall in SLC this morning.


And this was at BYU.


This morning it was raining... a lot. And the raindrops would freeze within seconds of hitting the ground. I left my house without defrost turned on in my car... (idiot)... and I had to pull over a couple blocks later because I couldn't see anything and the windshield wipers did nothing. I scraped off the windshield, which was completely iced over from the rain, turned on defrost with the wipers on full blast, and pressed onward.

I eventually made it to school. It took me a half hour to make the drive that is only 3.7 miles long (I just looked that up... look at me!).
At least we had it better than the junior high was later. It took them 50 minutes to make an even shorter drive... normally only like six minutes. And a girl over there slipped on her way to the seminary building and they had to call an ambulance. I'm not sure what came of that...


This was at my school - someone posted it on Facebook. Sorry it's really shaky at first.

They told everyone not to leave the school for lunch... The parking lots everywhere were iced over. You think you're turning right, but your car turns left. It's awful. My driveway is a solid ice block right now.

I saw a crash as I was leaving the school, too. At least I think that's what happened. One car was at a weird angle at the side of the parking lot, and the other they were trying to push out of a snow bank. It wasn't working.

Anyways. That was a long, probably boring post about ice. But still, an ice storm? weird.

Happy January! Ha.

around here...

My aunt took pictures of our family last fall...  This one's my favorite. My dad's bald head blends in with the light. I'll have to point that out to him. :)

School's halfway over! Yay! I waited in a line after school for an hour and forty minutes to get a schedule change... :( But now it's perrrrffeecccttt!!! Hooray!

I think I've gained some serious weight with all the treats and cookies we've had around lately.

And I just adore this picture.

Tata! Read my new post here.

help a friend. change a life.

I often wonder what sort of impact I could possibly have on the world.

There are billions of people who have died - and most of their names ends up becoming just that - another name. One little name - a few syllables among billions and billions.



The people that are remembered are the helpers. The lovers, the fighters, the thoughtful, caring people.
The people who make you rethink who you are - and make you want to be a better person. The people who make you feel like a better person just because they treat you that way.

The people who get up and do something productive. The people who try to make others' lives better.

I think everybody wants to be remembered for something like that.

Ask yourself - Do I really care about my fellow man? Really truly? What kind of person am I? What will I be remembered for?

Your actions and decisions determine which blessings you are worthy of.
The way you treat people and how much you truly care... it comes right back around.

So... don't just pray for the poor/sick/sorrowful/suffering man.
D.O. something to help them. Show that you really, truly care. Make an effort.

And people will really. truly. care about you in return.

Be the helper, the lover, the fighter. Don't forget that every little tiny action contributes to and shapes the mosaic of humanity. You can save lives. You can be remembered.

What do you guys think of the above quote/picture? What does it mean to you? And how much do you care?

empathize.

There is someone out there with the perfect words to say to you.

They are going through - or have already experienced - the same things you're going through.
And boy, could you guys support each other.
You could talk and talk and talk and become best friends.

It's nice to have someone to confide in. Someone who just... knows. 


These people are hard to come by, but they are around.
But why are they so hard to find?

I suppose that can be answered in the little poem above.
We hide ourselves.
Not the good things, of course not the good things.

We hide the bad, the ugly, the mistakes, the hardships... etc...
But those are what people need to hear!

1 Corinthians 10:13 - There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

You are never alone. Ever. Everything that you go through... someone has experienced it before you.

“If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.” 

- Regina Brett

Open yourself up. Share what you know.
A certain confidence comes with knowing.
And it takes a certain person to see what others need and have the courage to share their experiences... to fill that need.


So, for the good and happiness of everyone, be that person. Share what you know with others. Observe, then serve.

And wear your blue skin out in the open sometimes. Or maybe wear a few less layers on top. You could really bless a lot of lives.

choose to choose the right.

 Are you missing out on all the joyous things in life because you just don't know enough about them or where to look for them?

If there's a way to be perfectly happy here on earth, it surely can only be accomplished by living the teachings of the gospel and drawing yourself close to God.

The happiest you will ever be in your life is when you are being aware of and accepting God's will for you.

I wish more people realized this. And there's more to it than going to church on Sunday. It's teaching your children the gospel. It's learning to rely on God. Always. It's making yourself more and more sensitive to feeling the Spirit. It's praying. It's studying. It's bettering yourself.

So if you are attending church each week with a hard heart and you make sure every word spoken goes in one ear and out the other... are you any better off than the man who doesn't even attend?

Or do you go to church, listen intently to each lesson, maybe even teach one, and then you go home and keep on keeping on the way you were before?

You are better than that. Live up to your potential. Look up. Rise up.

Be who God intended you to be.

You know what my pet peeve is? I have nonmember friends who say, "Wait, you're not allowed to do [fill in the blank], right?"
I also hear it on TV... You Mormons aren't allowed to drink coffee, right?

Really? What do they think is going to happen to us if we do drink coffee? It's the same as every religion out there. Do we have standards we are asked to keep? Absolutely. Are we forced to stay away from alcohol and coffee and tattoos? Absolutely not. No matter what is going on in your life, whether you are even a member or not, you will not be asked to leave a Sacrament Meeting... or any church meeting.

And I know many members of this church who may drink coffee or chose not to serve a mission or something like that, but they are still one of the most wise, spiritual people I know.


Nevertheless, I do know this:
Aligning your life with the teachings of the gospel and doing as the Prophet - as God - asks will make you the happiest you could ever truly hope to be.

Not just believing in Him - but following Him - will make you eligible for blessings you never could have imagined. That is your potential. To be good. To be like God.

And that is when happiness becomes a real, tangible thing that will fill you up.

Make no mistake about it, obedience truly is the key to freedom.

Choose to choose the right. Choose to partake of the feast of happiness, peace, and joy that God grants so bountifully.

THIS is knowledge.

Have you ever looked into space and wondered a little extra about God?
About how He lives? What He knows?
Have you wondered about time? About creation?

About the mysteries of the universe... and have you ever wondered what we could possibly have to contribute...?

Because I do occasionally. But then I get a bit overwhelmed by the magnitude of such thoughts.
But still... I wonder about those who do not wonder. Those who accept life as it is and don't search for truth. Don't search for religion, for hope, for knowledge. 

It's the natural thing to do... question things. Because it's a need to have knowledge. It gives us purpose and something to look forward to. It nurtures the spirit and calms us in times of doubt.

And there are things that I don't know. Lots and lots of things. And many things I simply don't comprehend. I can't fathom them. I just can't fathom the hugeness of the universe.

But there are things that I do know. I have earthly knowledge and facts that have been fed to me since my birth. I go to school. I have a pretty basic understanding of history and chemistry and the english language.
And I have spiritual knowledge. More than I could ever sort through. More knowledge than they could ever teach me at a school. I have knowledge of a Creator and an eternity of happiness that awaits me. I have knowledge of my heritage, and an appreciation for my ancestors who would have sacrificed anything for truth to continue. And I wouldn't even know how to begin to thank them for that.

Some wouldn't call these facts. They'd call them hopes, wishes, theories, maybe even fantasies. But I know that these are statements. They are facts. And the only ones that can truly calm the human's tendency to constantly question. There's a period at the end of each of those statements because God put it there in my mind. And I would never let anyone put a question mark where God has already put a period.

Knowledge is a beautiful thing. And even though I don't know everything, I know enough. I know enough to even stop questioning.

And that isn't like me.

good to come

The guy in the white shirt totally cracks me up.

I shared this video a year ago, but I think it is such a good one for the new year. It just had to be shared again.

Sorry my posts have been kinda lame lately. At least it seems like they have been.
Hopefully that's in the past :)


"She probably didn't even give it any consideration that the future could be better than her past."


Live for the future. You guys hear it all the time... you see it quoted on Pinterest and Facebook... You are not the mistakes you have made. 

Do you want to know what my goal is for the new year?

Not letting homework stress me out so much! It's not even that hard to get it all done... right!?!

What are your goals for 2013??

You know what? Life is good! It's full of good things to be excited for!!

And you have a bright future ahead of you! So... no worries! Okay? No stressing.

You know what I have the hardest time with? And I have mentioned this before... but forgiving myself.
But you can never reach your full potential if you are constantly looking back and feeling guilt for things that you Simply. Cannot. Change.
Would God want that?

No, he offers forgiveness, a bright future, and guidance to make beautiful things of it.

My Bishop told me something kinda cool the other day... "With the church, it always gets better."
He further explained - growing up, college, marriage... and you think what could possibly be better? And then you have children. Then grandchildren. And if you'll notice, the good things don't stop coming.


"Change is the Lord’s way. He wants us to be happy and growing, to be excited to move on with our lives. Life is a journey, and while still enjoying the present and preparing for inevitable challenges, we must move forward, remaining optimistic, our hearts open to the experiences and good things that are undoubtedly on their way."
- Caitlin A. Rush


I promise... if you will allow Him to, God will pour upon you blessing after blessing after blessing. 


We knew coming down to the earth that we would make mistakes. It was inevitable. So don't freak out when the inevitable comes to pass. Worrying is simply useless and unnecessary.

Let go of the past. It's done, gone, behind you. Leave it there. 
Take comfort in the fact you've done what you can. If so, you're golden. 



Happy New Year everyone. And remember, with the church, it always gets better.

Keep moving forward!