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Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Don't Forget Thanksgiving @ 1:52 PM
Hope everyone had a fun Halloween! We did a lot of fun things this year. We went to Thanksgiving Point with C's family a few weeks ago and got lost in a corn maze. We went on a fun double date a few days ago where we carved pumpkins (shown here). We carved pumpkins
again with my family the next day. We actually got really creative with the pumpkins this year... I carved Snoopy and Little Mermaid pumpkins, and C. carved Mickey Mouse and Darth Vader pumpkins. We sure classed up the pumpkin carving game this time around!
As for Halloween itself, C. dressed up as Pee Wee and I went as Pee Wee's bike... It was a lot of fun! We hung out at my parents' first and C. helped scare the Trick-Or-Treaters. I think this is funny, because in California, our house wasn't "scary". A lot more people in California go all out with the Halloween decorations, especially in our old neighborhood. Here, we're pretty much one of the scariest houses around by default, because not a lot of people decorate for Halloween. Lame! (My in-laws, however, DO go all out for Halloween, so that makes me happy)
After hanging out with my family for a little while, we went to C.'s grandparent's house and hung out with his family. We were talking about this last night; we hang out with our families a lot but we like it that way. We really do have amazing families, and love spending time with both sides!
RANT ALERT: It's November now! October is done. For too many people, that means time to bust out the Christmas music and start spreading the cheer. A word of advice if you're one of those people: STOP IT. Some of us don't want that kind of cheer until after we've paused to reflect on the things we're thankful for. There's an entire holiday between Halloween and Christmas that goes overlooked. Knock it off. Thanksgiving comes first!
That's not to say I don't like Christmas. Because I do. I love it more than any other time of the year. But celebrating Christmas isn't as special when you steamroll over Thanksgiving to get there. There's a time and place for everything, and Christmas will be here before we know it!
Labels: C., Christmas, costumes, decorations, family, Halloween, November, pumpkins, rant
Thursday, October 13, 2011
"...and I'm a Mormon." @ 5:33 PM
Actually, I should say, I'm a member of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. "Mormon" is just a nickname given to those of my faith. However, when you say the name of the Church in its entirety, THE CHURCH OF
JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, it's hard to dispute that Mormons believe in Christ. There's a lot of talk going on right now about whether Mormons are Christian. Now, the
definition of "Christian" is literally, "a person who has received Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and His teachings". Members of the LDS church fit both categories.
Thomas S. Monson, the president of our church, has stated, "With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift my voice in testimony today as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He loves us with a love we cannot fully comprehend, and because He loves us, He gave His life for us. My gratitude to Him is beyond expression."
I can't express myself as eloquently as the prophet of the church, but I can add my testimony to his. I know my Savior lives. I know he suffered for our sins and our pain and every affliction we will ever experience in our brief, mortal lives. It is through Christ, and Christ alone that the way has been prepared for us to live with our families and Heavenly Father again. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. I know he saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and through him Heavenly Father restored the true Gospel to the earth.
I know that our belief in modern-day prophets and Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon makes us different from other religions, but it certainly does not make us any less
Christian. Christ is central to our Church, and I have a
testimony of all of these things. I don't just "think" they are true; I
know they are true. If you have any questions about some funky things you may hear about Mormons in the news (particularly in light of Mitt Romney's candidacy),
please, ask a
Mormon about it! Or visit
www.mormon.org to find out more about what we believe. You'd be surprised how much you hear about our Church is in fact, not true. What
is true, though, is that we are dedicated followers of Christ and rejoice in Him.
Labels: Christian, God, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, lds, Mormon, prophet, Thomas S. Monson, truth
Thursday, October 6, 2011
I don't understand people who are blase about politics. @ 6:06 PM
Really. I don't care if politics bore you, turn you off, make you mad, or frustrate you to no end. I believe that as an American who enjoys the freedoms of this country, you have an obligation to be aware of what's going on. Not at option to be aware. An obligation. Because those freedoms are being threatened more and more each day. There are scary things going on right now, but we aren't helpless. We can vote. We can write our representatives. We can use our first amendment right to peacefully petition the government. Most importantly, we can stay informed. How can you fix a problem if you don't even know it's happening??
Obama is getting desperate, and the results are actually frightening. He seems to be putting more time and effort into getting reelected than he ever has in keeping his campaign promises the first time around. He has no record of accomplishment to point to and say, "Look! I kept my promises, and I helped America!" The only promise he actually followed through with was universal healthcare, which is on its way to the Supreme Court right now have its constitutionality formally contested.
Since he has no record to run on, he is creating distractions. Distractions that draw the nation's attention away from his shortcomings so we focus on things that don't really matter. Most recently, he is shamelessly inciting class warfare. It's always been some part of liberal ideology that the wealthy have no right to be wealthy when there are poor people who are being poor. Therefore, those who work hard and earn a lot of money must pay more in taxes that will go to benefits for those who do not work. This idea of socialism is nothing new. It doesn't work. But look what's happening on Wallstreet! It's never, at least in my lifetime, incited such anger before. And it scares me. We're getting closer and closer to the 2nd Coming, folks. The Constitution is indeed hanging by a thread... and I would venture to say that we will be held accountable if we just stand by and let it happen.
Labels: America, class warfare, constitution, healthcare, liberal, Obama, obligation, politics, socialism
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Whether by mine own voice... @ 10:57 AM
"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled,
whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." -D&C 1:38
I am so grateful for General Conference. The older I get, the more I appreciate the twice-a-year inspiration I receive from the General Authorities of the Church. In the weeks leading up to General Conference, I'm always finding myself in a place where I could use a little guidance, a little pick-me-up, a little inspiration on how I can do and become better. Conference is always timely, always helpful, always up lifting, and
never fails to disappoint.
Favorite quotes this time around include the following:
- "The Ten Commandments are just that-commandments. They are not suggestions." -Thomas S. Monson
- "Tests and trials are given to all of us. These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son." -Robert D. Hales
- "The greatest compliment that can be earned here in this life is to be known as a 'covenant keeper'. The rewards for a covenant keeper will be realizes both here and hereafter." -Russell M. Nelson
- "Compared to God, man is nothing. Yet, to God, man is everything." -Dieter F. Utchdorf
- "Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten and Beloved Son of God. He is the light of the world. He is our Savior from sin and death. This is the most important knowledge on the earth, and you can know this for yourself, as I know for myself." -Dallin H. Oaks
- "The Lord is keeping His promises to you as you keep your [promises to Him]" -Henry B Eyring
It's so nice to be reminded of such things!
If General Conference touched you this time around and inspired you to make changes, set goals, and, as Gordon B. Hinckley would say, "try a little harder to be a little better", I wish you success in the completion of your goals. I am so grateful that a loving Heavenly Father didn't just put us on the earth by ourselves with the hopes that we would eventually figure everything out. He gave us prayer, He gave us the scriptures, He gave us the gospel, and He still speaks to us today. So grateful to be a member of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!
Labels: General Conference, goals, lds, Mormon, prayer, prophet, scriptures, Thomas S. Monson
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Who are YOOOOUUU? @ 10:37 AM
I love Alice in Wonderland. I realize that Lewis Carroll was on drugs when he wrote it, but it still has some really profound moments (mixed in with plenty of lovable "crazy", of course). One such moment is something I've been giving a lot of thought to recently, and decided to tie it in with Alice in Wonderland just for fun. When the caterpillar asks Alice who she is, she doesn't have an answer, because at this point in the story, she has lost her sense of identity. What a shame!
So much of what we can and will and do accomplish in this life depends on having a firm grasp on our own individual identities. Typically, this journey of self-discovery doesn't start until the late teens, early 20's, or later, and it continues for the rest of our lives. One thing I'm really proud of is that I have a
very thorough understanding of who I am as a human being, and have have come to this realization earlier than most other people I know. So who cares?
Once you (yes, YOU) know who you are as a person, an American, a son, daughter, wife, mother, father, husband, brother, sister, coworker, teacher, student, friend, and above all else, a
child of God...once you
really understand your own self-worth in every single role you play, it gets easier to make decisions that will change your life for the better. Not convinced? Let me explain.
It all comes down to having the courage and confidence in yourself to leave an unhealthy relationship (or avoid it altogether), walk away from a group of friends who are bringing you down, and start
demanding better in your life. Because you
know who you are, you know what you have to offer the world, and
you know you deserve better. I'm not going to lie, sometimes sticking up for yourself in this way kind of sucks. You may not have friends for a while, or you may find yourself lonely and missing the thrill of having a boyfriend or girlfriend. I
promise that the sting of loneliness you may feel for a short time is totally worth the sense of self-worth that will come and the accomplishment you will have in the end, when you find yourself in a meaningful, lasting relationship, and have friends who lift you up instead of knock you down.
If only more people believed in themselves and their potential for good; this isn't exclusive to a few really awesome people I have in mind.
Everyone has the potential to be awesome, if only they believed it of themselves. Stop putting up with the garbage in your life you know you don't deserve, and
demand better.
You deserve it.
Labels: confidence, courage, friends, high school, identity, loneliness, potential, relationship, self-worth
Thursday, September 22, 2011
September is taking way too long. @ 12:33 PM
I don't know what the deal is. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of fall. Summer is my favorite season of the year. Still a California girl at heart, I like it warm, and the ominous yearly "changing of the leaves" is just another reminder to me that it's about to get RIDICULOUSLY cold. So, I have never been one to enjoy fall.
For some reason though, this year, I wish October would hurry up and get here already. I'm so ready for colder weather (please note: I said coldER, not cold), pumpkins, scary movies, and Halloween. October kicks off the holiday season, which happens to be my real favorite time of the year. Being poor college student newlyweds, we don't have years of collecting awesome Halloween decorations like our families do. However, C. bought me a cute, plastic light up Jack-o-Lantern from Target. He's been sitting in the office, waiting anxiously for October's arrival so he can make his festive debut in our living room.
Speaking of September, this month is also when C. and I have started up as full time students once again. C. is working and going to school full time, while I am working part time and taking 18 credits (which is six more than needed to be a considered a full time student). It's quite the workload for both of us, but we're making it work. We are a little more exhausted these days, but we couldn't be happier. Life is so good! Now, if only October would hurry up...
Labels: C., cold, college, fall, October, school, September, students, weather, work
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Everything happens for a reason. @ 1:58 PM
I don't believe that important things "just happen". My parents didn't just decide to uproot from California and move to Utah on a whim. There was a reason. Many, in fact. Of all the places in Utah to live, they chose a certain city and I went to a certain high school where I met a certain husband of mine. Coincidence? Absolutely not. Everything happens for a reason.
I believe that a loving Heavenly Father, when we're
listening, puts us in the right place at the right time with the right people. It's incredible to me to look back and see how something like moving to Utah (which I absolutely
resented at the time) has changed my life in such a major way. I left many friends in California, and it wasn't at all easy. But since moving here I have become friends with people I never would have known otherwise, and I daresay we have changed each other for the better in a very major way. Everything happens for a reason.
I was able to catch up with a dear friend of mine in between classes today. The conversation we had was in no way happenstance. She is actually the inspiration for this post.
It's funny, you think you have your life all figured out. But one little ripple in the water is followed by another and another, and suddenly things are changing fast. It's times like those that it's nice to remember that everything happens for a reason.
Labels: B., California, coincidence, God, Heavenly Father, moving, Utah
