today is the day...

i met with president heaton

i felt gods approval

i was overwhelmed with the spirit

i felt peace and joy

i experienced something unforgettable

i knew it was right

tradition

on my mind

the temple endowment

i wonder if im ready. i wonder what itll be like. i wonder what ill think of it. i wonder if ill love it. i wonder who will be there. i wonder when itll happen. i wonder how i can best prepare.

the mission

i wonder what my companions will be like. i wonder where ill go. i wonder when ill report. i wonder if ill love my mission president. i wonder if it will be hard. i wonder if im prepared. i wonder who ill meet. i wonder how it will change my life. i wonder what kinds of experiences ill have. i wonder if ill be a good missionary.

the future

i wonder what it holds. i wonder who it holds. i wonder where itll be. i wonder what kinda person ill be. i wonder what ill learn. i wonder if im prepared.

"just like foot-ball"

quotes of the day

davids my friend from freshman year. i was reading for 443 in the wilk when he saw me so he asked if he could join me. of course i was happy to have company. so he ate and i took a break from my homework and we chatted. it was great to talk to him. and at the end of the meal he said "that was the best lunch all year." isnt that sweet? :)

later in the afternoon i was working on 485 and i looked up to see peter looking for a place to sit. i waved him over and told him he could sit by me. :) and instead of doing homework we just chatted. since he still hasnt told me ANY mission stories, he finally shared some with me. he mainly talked about his bike wrecks (which, btw are HILARIOUS!) and just for the record, he had upwards of 18 bike wrecks. lol. but he also said "god really protects his missionaries." and he is living proof of that. this was comforting to me. :)

after a while our study group got too big for the table we were at. so nate (who's got connections in the wilk) found us a room to study in. there were eight of us: steven, tom, josh, weston, me, tom, peter and nate. (two different toms and two different peters.) and we did what we always do: homework. this one was seven problems long and it only took 5 hours. at one point tom said "it works!" cuz he figured something out. and that my friends, is a great thing to hear after struggling on a problem for a very long time. i love it when problems work out. its a great feeling. :)

later i met up with nate (a different nate) and we went to beto's to eat. we chatted for a good two hours. and in the middle of our conversation, when i told him about my pg goal he said, "i can respect that." and i appreciated that.

proof

ive always wanted to take a ballroom dance class at byu. my schedule has never allowed it cuz my major has so many credits and ive never had the time for it! but this semester (seeing as it was my last) i was determined to fit it in. even though the time its scheduled at hasnt been the most convenient, and i still dont have time for it, at least i am doing it. :)

fish out of water

god threw a wrench in my plans today...sometimes he does that. and a lot of times its totally unexpected. THIS was a major curve ball for my day (and in fact, my entire upcoming week!):

"Because of a power outage this morning in the Clyde Building, the building will remain closed through the end of Friday, Jan. 29. All classes in the Clyde Building will consequently be canceled."

can you believe that!? maybe if i were a normal person i would be excited about this email. but i guess im not normal...because i was not exactly excited about it. it left me HOMELESS!!! i had so much i needed to get done today...in the clyde, of course. :S today was the only time my partner and i could work on our 443 lab together. and now it is going to be VERY difficult to find another time to do it.

BUT, it also meant that my 443 and 485 homework isnt due tomorrow. and that comers quiz will have to be postponed til next week. and that i had time to work on 485 with my fellow homeless friends (which btw is only 3 problems and took 6 hours but we're still not done). i guess there's good to be found in every curve ball. or the fancier way of saying it is "every cloud has a silver lining."

it was funny to walk around campus and to see so many displaced engineers. it was weird. nobody knew where to go! :p our LIVES are in the clyde. our lives ARE the clyde.

if you were to have walked into the library (or the terrace) you probably could've overheard conversations about what really happened in the basement of the clyde. some say it was a fire. others say a transformer blew. one person heard there was a gas leak. we know for sure that a guy got burnt and was sent to the hospital. we think he drilled into a power line. but no one REALLY knows the whole truth. all we know is that my poor home was (and currently is) out of power. and they're not letting anybody inside.

so all thats left to do is to make the best of this slightly inconveniently thrown curve ball and roll with the punches. but dont worry, we got this. :)

nathan

i was sitting in the cougareat today, minding my own business (and diligently working on my 443 homework), when along comes a guy who asks if he could use the outlet against the pillar. the outlet he was asking about just so happened to be under the table i chose to sit at. of course i said that was fine and he pulled out the chair and took a seat. he then proceeded to plug in his phone charger while i continued doing my homework.

the guy made a phonecall and a few minutes later, after his phone conversation ended, he unplugged his charger and started chatting with me. like a lot.

he asked what homework i was doing...i told him engineering homework...he asked what kind...i told him electrical...he told me he has a friend in the program...i asked what his name was...and we concluded that i dont know him.

he asked what my name was...i asked what his name was.

we talked about how he's in business and his major is kinda like mine...sort of. he says 10-40% are girls (i thought that was a pretty huge range) but most of them are married. he also mentioned that there are many beautiful girls...but they're already taken.

he asked if i have a boyfriend.

and then he wanted me to try and explain my homework to him...so i tried to water it down as much as i could and gave him the layman's version. he asked me questions and i tried to answer them...and then he wanted to try and plug the equations into my TI-89...he said it looked expensive...and then he gave up trying.

he told me about a christmas present he gave his dad...it was some kinda glass block that had a figure carved out of the center...and somehow there was a light, attached to a stand, that must've lit up the hollowness...anyways, he didnt like the stand that came with it cuz it was too big so he decided to make his own...he called up his brother (who's done some physics and other stuff) who told him what to buy in order to make his own battery-operated light stand. his dad appreciated the gift.

he also asked where im from...and we started talking about how "cool" it is to be from hawaii...and then we started talking about sharks, which led to a jelly-fish he once saw, and continued on to the deadliest jelly-fish (which btw is from australia).

he told me he was wearing a suit cuz he went to the career fair...he had class all day so the only time he could go was during work...fortunately his boss let him leave for half an hour. i asked where he works...he said the bookstore...and he asked if i bought my books there...i said yes...and he said that i probably saw him then...we switched back to the topic of the career fair and he told me he's looking for a summer internship...preferably out of country...but the one he was looking at is in lehi...go figure.

he asked if i have facebook...and when i told him no he asked if i was anti...so i explained the whole spam/virus thing and how it took over 2 weeks to clean it off my computer...and he told me about this one time his computer had a virus and all he did was delete everything from the computer and restart it from the very bottom...it was before school started so he had nothing to lose...but i have tons of pictures on mine so i told him there was no way i would do that.

i knew this next one was coming...he said, "we should hang out some time. do you want to?"

and i said sure. i gave him my number and he gave me his. then he said he was starving and was gonna go grab something to eat. as he walked away he said he'll call me some time...some time this weekend...and that was that.

I Believe In Being Honest

I believe in being honest;
I believe in being true,
That honesty should start with me
In all I say, in all I do.

I’ll form good habits in my youth,
To keep my word, to tell the truth,
To speak up in defending right
And keep my name and honor bright.

I believe in being honest;
I believe in being true,
That honesty should start with me
In all I say, in all I do.

-Ruth Muir Gardner

this morning i was working on a homework assignment with a group of guys and one of them said "oh wait, i lied." of course it was just one of those common phrases that everybody says, like "just kidding" but i said, "don't lie oswaldo." and then we got into this really long discussion about being honest, and what honesty even means, and whether or not it's possible to not lie but still be dishonest, and it kinda went in circles.

then we started talking about honesty in relation to ethics. one of our required classes is called junior seminar and one of the lectures is about ethics in the workforce. apparently, because of that lecture, spencer felt justified in lying (...but only in particular situations and under certain circumstances...) as long as it was "ethical." so throughout the day ive been thinking about my own views on honesty. and i reconfirmed that i believe in being honest. :)

i survived!

i love my ward. :) tonight we had a combined fhe: sledding at rock canyon park. aside from the fact that it was FREEZING and slightly windy, it was so much fun! my last ride was the scariest...but definitely the funnest! it was a really steep hill (and very icy) so i was scared to go down by myself. isaac offered to go down with me, side-by-side...which i greatly appreciated. he was on his own sled, i was on mine, and we linked arms. we pushed off and before i knew it we were flying down the hill! we were going so fast that i couldnt even breathe! and THEN, we started heading for the TREE!!! we still had a lot of momentum and the tree was fast-approaching...i could barely see a thing cuz snow was flying all over the place and it was spraying into my face! i thought, for sure we were gonna bang into that tree. :0 but we didnt. :) isaac started dragging his hands into the snow and eventually rolled us over to bring us to a complete stop...only a few feet away from the tree. and i survived!!! :D

god knows

visiting teaching is inspired of god. today i gained a testimony of that. i think ive always known that but it was more like it fell under the umbrella of the gospel...and since i know the church is true, i know visiting teaching is true. ive never had a problem with it and ive always tried my best to fulfill my calling as a visiting teacher but now i have a testimony of it for myself! and i have a testimony of it specifically, as its own aspect of the gosepl, and not just because its a part of it.

meet my visiting teachers, anya and lety:

they came over and visited me this afternoon and it was so so good. i LOVE them. it's the first time ive been visit taught in this ward...last semester my visiting teachers never came. and like president heaton said, it was totally worth the wait. god knew anya and lety were the perfect visiting teachers for me to have.

their message was inspired. it was perfect. it was fulfilling and uplifting. it was motivating. it added oil to my lamp. i felt of their love. and i felt of gods love. their message made me want to be better. it coincided with some of the thoughts ive had recently. it confirmed some of the impressions i had a few days ago. it was for me. it was what i needed to hear. they spoke with power and love and they spoke with the spirit. they applied their message to my preparation for the mission. they gave me advice and counsel. they were excited for me. they prayed for me, for my family, for my welfare. they came to visit and to teach...not just to check off a box on their to-do list. they are an influence for good. they are a blessing. they are a tender mercy.

because of their visit i understood the power of visiting teaching. i understood how it can bless our lives. and i was reminded that god knows best.

go on dates

in his general priesthood address, Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship, elder ballard said:

" Be where you can meet the right kind of friends. And go on dates. Hanging out is not the way, nor is it enough! Courting seems to be a lost art. Rediscover it. It really works!"

i love this counsel. and i totally agree with it. :) here are pictures from my date with lowell:

first we went to sconecutter. i got a turkey avocado sandwich (on a wheat scone) and it was really ono. it was the first time i'd heard of it...has anybody else been there/heard of it before?

as we were walking out i saw this sign on the door! and i was so excited about it that i had to take a picture. meags, this one's for you. :)

then we went to the quarry...its intense.

this is right after my very first climb--yes, i made it to the top...BUT, it was the beginners route. :)

can you see that little boy? he looked about 3 or 4 years old...and he was climbing the really hard routes. i was so impressed! he was mesmerizing to watch.

this one's at the bouldering section. for all you non-rock-climbers, bouldering is just when you arent attached to a rope...i think. its free climbing and its lower. since lowell didnt wanna let go of the belay rope on the high walls while he was spotting me we came up here to get the picture.

during one of his climbs lowell took a picture of me being a belay-er (...is that even what it's called? i dunno). this is me, with his life in my hands. :)

now let me tell you something about lowell: he's a wrestler. he's been one for as long as he can remember. his dad and all his brothers have wrestled/are wrestlers. and he also placed 3rd in states. all of that equals: he's really strong. and good at rock climbing. he made everything look easy. just like this:

i wish i had the strength to climb like him! but dont you worry...im workin' on it. :) before we left we took one last picture.

so this is my evaluation of rock climbing: it's hard, but i like it. its a good work out. and i love the feeling of making it to the top...even if i have to rest on the way up. :)

my final words...i enjoyed this date. :) and im glad i went.

a cougar in the making

FINALLY!

we finished our 443 lab this morning...and let me tell you, this was QUITE the accomplishment! it felt SO good to have figured it out. and to be done with it.

it took us 10+ attempts, many hours, many days, and lots of patience...but we did it. :)

this is what i learned:

• persistence pays off
• when things go wrong, return to the basics
• listen to others who've already been there done that
• be willing to try new things
• dont settle for less

right up my alley

today was sports hero day. i volunteered to be a group leader...aka i was assigned to lead 8 sixth graders from brockbank elementary through 6 different rotations. there were 1200+kids there...supposedly. but fortunately, i was only in charge of 8. :) this reminded me of the good ol' days of BRATS.

this is jana (from my ward). she was another volunteer.

first rotation: women's bball.

they never showed. so here we are,

entertaining ourselves with games.

second rotation: baseball.

they talked to the kids about being healthy and

made them throw tennis balls at the curtain.

third rotation: womens volleyball.

i wish we could've gone to mens volleyball. but i had no say.

they talked about teamwork and then played jungle ball in smaller groups.

fourth rotation: football.

i didnt know/recognize anybody. and they didnt introduce

themselves. but the kids got to tackle dummies and be receivers.

fifth rotation: golf.

they basically showed off their stuff and then

let some of the kids try.

sixth rotation: women's soccer.

they talked about nutrition and let the kids

shoot goals and dribble in-n-out of cones.

power rally.

at the end of the day the kids were worn out

and super hungry.

but i hope they had fun.

i know i did! :)

random thoughts

theres a reason for everything

this morning i was supposed to catch the 9:43 bus to campus. plans changed and i wasnt able to get on that bus. it wasnt that big a deal but i figured there must've been a reason. and sure enough, at 10:15ish my neighbor knocked on my door and asked me for a favor. if i had gotten on the 9:43 bus i wouldnt have been around to help her out.

trust in Timing

because i caught a later bus i ran into a particular new acquaintance...at the bus stop. its the first time ive seen him since i first met him...and im assuming it was a good thing (for him...but maybe for me too) that i saw him. i still havent fully figured out all the reasons for this one.

i hope they call me on a mission

my neighbor got her mission call today. she reports mid-april and got her call only a week and a half after her papers were submitted!!! its hard to believe that i will be getting my very own mission call in the very near future. at the same time it is very exciting.

dont take it personal

i went to the bookstore to ask a question. essentially, i wanted to see if they could put some money back onto my credit card instead of giving me a receipt for credit. the lady i talked to was kinda rude, didnt seem to care, and barely paid any attention to me. it was frustrating. but as i walked away i made a choice to not take her rudeness personally. and i got over it.

just "let it go"

i bought a wrap at L&T. there were multiple signs saying something to the effect of: "we're out of rolls. you can have oranges instead." so when i got to the checkout and the girl didnt give me oranges i asked if i was gonna get any. but they were out of that too. she said i could get another topping. but it was already too late cuz they had already wrapped my wrap. so then i wished they would've told me earlier so i could've had the chance to include another topping! i felt jipped. but as i walked away i realized it wasnt worth getting worked up over. and i decided to let it go.

sometimes the busses are so not cool

one time (2 years ago) i was waiting at the bus stop and the bus passed right by me. yeah. no joke no lie. it just drove right past me! the nerve, right!? well...i guess one time just isnt enough for a person's lifetime. it happened to me AGAIN! today. i was waiting for the bus--standing AT the stop in the wide open space--and it drove right past. lame.

god always provides

so you know how the bus drove right past me? that was my ride to institute. but dont worry folks, god provided a way. at that very moment a guy in my ward was waiting at 560 to make a left onto 9th. so he saw the whole thing take place. and like a service-minded, sacrifice-willing, heaven-sent gentleman such as himself, he offered to give me a ride.

i want a greater capacity to receive

school is hard. i enjoy it...but that doesnt make it any easier. i want to be able to understand as much as i possibly can. i dont like taking shortcuts and memorizing equations just so i can get the job done. but it takes work to be able to understand. some days i feel like my brain is filled to its limits and it cant take any more. these are the days i need to ask for a greater capacity to receive.

simple truths

". . . The core of the gospel—the doctrine and the principles—will never change. Living according to the basic gospel principles will bring power, strength, and spiritual self-reliance into the lives of all Latter-day Saints." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

a super sweet promise

sometimes im just so crazy busy that it's a miracle i make it through the day alive! today was one of those days...

i woke up at 8:30 and read my scriptures and a talk from conference.

i made myself breakfast and ate it while making myself lunch and dinner.

i got ready for school in approximately five minutes.

i rushed out the door at 9:41 to catch my 9:43 bus and got there just in the nick of time.

i went to the 450 recitation at 10 to start/do homework that was due at 5pm.

i watched devo at 11 in the clyde to save time i would've spent walking to/from the marriott.

i worked on my 450 homework during devo cuz i knew i wouldnt have any other time.

i met up with steven at 12 to continue working on our 443 lab and to get help from jae.

i reluctantly left steven at 1 to go to my inconveniently scheduled dance class.

i danced with a partner (actually 2) for the first time and it was very hard.

i left dance early cuz i had errands to run and things to do before my next class.

i ran to the bookstore to buy a glue stick which i needed at 2 for my 450 lab.

i went to the library to cut my objectives with the paper-cutter and read the pre-lab stuff.

i barely made it to my 2 o'clock lab in the cleanroom which lasted a whole 3 hours.

i met up with steven at 5...yes, again...to continue the lab and to print our schematics.

i did 443 homework in the analog lab once steven left at 6 and ate my dinner.

i stayed on campus working on that assignment until 7:52.

i walked home cuz i didnt think i would make it to the bus in time for the 7:57.

i went to the gym with rosie at 8:20 and stayed there for about an hour.

i came home and took a shower....and now im writing this.

with such a day as this, i thought to myself that i would rather be busy than idle. and that made me think of a scripture:

Cease to be idle;

cease to be unclean;

cease to find fault one with another;

cease to sleep longer than is needful;

retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary;

arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.

-D&C 88:124

i decided that i need to be better about retiring to bed early. and arising early. we're promised that our bodies and our minds will be invigorated! and that we will not be weary. how cool is that!? :D

so this will be my goal from now on...early to bed, early to rise.

its about time

today i worked on my 443 lab with steven. we had to build a tuned circuit using a BJT, an inductor, capacitors and resistors.

we worked on it for about 3 hours and were pretty close to being done but then we hit a brick wall...

for some reason the o-scope wasnt reading out the proper signal. in fact, it wasnt reading out any signal at all! we decided to put it off until we can ask our TA for help. hopefully we can finish it by tomorrow.

and here's some good news folks: im actually starting to enjoy my major. i like my classes, i've come to accept the clyde and all of its windowless classrooms, i like my teachers, i like my classmates, and im finally getting the hang of things!

i know, its kinda late...but better late than never. ;)

he did it again

president heaton visited our ward today and he said the most perfect things....again. he always does. he says exactly what i need to hear. he wasnt even talking about anything related to my concerns...in fact, he was sharing an experience that he'd had and was talking about an answer to his prayers. but his words applied to me in very personal, meaningful ways. regarding his own worries, god lovingly told him,

"I know...I'll take care of things. You can just go forward."

but the spirit testified that these were words for me, as well. they were an answer to my prayers. they were a source of comfort and direction. they were evidence of god's love.

and then, as if to solidify and confirm the answer i'd received, we sang Lead Kindly Light as the closing hymn.

it was a beautiful way to end a memorable sacrament meeting.

prayer

"To those within the sound of my voice

who are struggling with challenges and

difficulties large and small,

prayer is the provider of spiritual strength;

it is the passport to peace.

Prayer is the means by which we

approach our Father in Heaven, who loves us.

Speak to Him in prayer

and then listen for the answer.

Miracles are wrought through prayer."

Thomas S. Monson

who's the winner?

today we got to paint with water colors. jesse's friend carli came and taught us.

first we started with a "practice round"...

luis painted an eraser:

jesse painted a tree:

and i painted a whole bunch of randomness:

so after our practice round...we had a competition. :) and the rule was, we had to somehow incorporate The Red Paintbrush. here are our final products:

you can be the judge. :)

life is good

i love busy days.

i love eating oatmeal w/ sliced bananas for breakfast.

i love reading my scriptures in the morning when the house is quiet.

i love it when everything works out.

i love studying with my fellow engineers.

i love hearing boys talk freely and openly about god and the gospel.

i love acing a quiz...especially comer's quizzes.

i love getting thoughtful, sincere texts.

i love it when i can cross off every single thing on my to-do list.

i love feeling productive and getting things accomplished.

i love the feeling of finishing a homework assignment on time.

i love serving people, just for the heck of it.

i love witnessing miracles.

i love taking part in miracles.

i love byu and so many things about it.

i love the energy at sporting events.

i love working out and eating healthy foods.

i love creativity and expression.

i love being with people i love.

i love being a mentor and hanging out with luis every week.

i love evans random jokes, like "is your fridge running?"

i love it when people look up my phone number to call me.

i love eating wraps for dinner.

i love anticipating the future with faith and excitement and trust.

i love fridays.

i love life.

almost there

another check on the To-Do list. :)

only a few more left...

the girl on the bus

i really dont understand how people can have entire phone conversations in public places...especially when they are loud conversations in quiet public places (i.e. the library, the computer lab, and the bus)! its even more perplexing when people seem oblivious to their surroundings and could care less who is listening, who they're bothering, how loud they're talking, what they're talking about, etc. i seriously just dont understand!

well. thats just a random tangent that i'll get back to in a bit. the real point of this post is that when god gives us a commandment, he ALWAYS provides a way to accomplish it (1 Ne 3:7). so this is my faith building experience for today:

tonight was institute. for me, its a commandment to go. last semester i had a lab til 6 so i just stayed on campus and caught the bus to institute. but this semester i get out of class at 4 so i come home. i knew i had to catch the 832 cuz thats the only one that gets me from my house to institute. it leaves 7 peaks at 6:39 and probably gets to my stop around 6:42-ish so i figured if i left my house at 6:35 i would get to my stop on time. i was out the door by 6:36 (only a minute late according to my plan) BUT i got stopped by my neighbor. that added on another 2 minutes. by the time i rounded the corner on 9th and 7th i saw the bus's lights at the top of the hill. so i ran. i HAD to get on that bus cuz there was no way id be able to walk to cinnamon tree by 7!! well folks, my running just didnt cut it. i missed my bus.

so then i thought, now what? walking was outta the question. i could call amy for a ride but i didnt wanna bother her. jennie had already left for work. i didnt wanna bother finding out where our car was...and then, a thoughtball: the 831 leaves golds at 43 every hour. the 830 leaves campus at 48 every hour. if i caught the 831 to campus and then transfered to the 830 at the wilk then i would make it to institute in time! it was brilliant.

i boarded the 831 at 6:45. only 3 minutes left. i was hoping and praying that we would get to the wilk in time. but the light on 8th north took FOR-ever! and then we hit a red at the crabtree. i thought i was doomed. i thought i was gonna have to walk the rest of the way. finally, the bus let us off. it was 6:48. and there was no 830 in sight. did i miss it!? was i too late!? i didnt know...i asked a boy if he'd seen it pass and he didnt know. so i waited, and waited and waited.

the second i saw the 830 turn the corner i was reminded of 1 Ne 3:7. its so true. even in the simple commandments, god always provides a way. it may not be an easy way, or a bump-free/detour-free/problem-free way, or a fun way...but there's always a way. i sighed a HUGE sigh of relief (and gratitude for not needing to walk) and happily boarded the bus.

thats when i encountered the girl on the bus. she was talking SO loud. and she was the only one talking. everyone could hear her! everyone heard her talk about her pen and sword class and how she really wants to be a TA for it and she got an A in it so she feels she's good enough and deserves the job and how she made a goal for a B in her poly-sci class and that she decided she just wasnt gonna stress about it and she went on an on. strange.

anyways, institute was wonderful, as always. my favorite part was when we talked about the parallels between our physical birth and our spiritual re-birth. i'd heard most of the parallels before but the one that stuck out to me this time was the fact that when we are physically born, we look like our parents....and when we are spiritually reborn, we receive christ's image in our countenance's (alma 5:19).

my mind drifted into its own little world for a moment and i thought of how amazing it would be to be so righteous that i emanate christ's light...that i look, and talk, and think, and act as he does....and all i could think was wooowww...thats something that i want. thats something im working towards. thats who i want to become.

ask yourself...

sister cheryl c. lant (primary general president) gave the devotional today. she talked about our purpose in life and the things we need to do to fulfill/accomplish our purpose. she used lehi's vision of the tree of life as the basis of her talk. and in the middle of it, she posed the question she wanted us to ask ourselves:

what are my mists of darkness?

so i thought about it. and i thought of a few of my own, individual, unique mists of darkness. i decided its important to know my weaknesses...cuz thats where satan attacks me ever so subtlely. so if i know where i am weak, i can pay extra special attention to those areas and not let him get to me! it won't be easy, but im willing to give it a try. :)

god gave me time

this morning i woke up at 8:30. i dont have class til 11 but today i needed to meet up with mark and mallory (on campus, at 10) to go over a new program that mark wrote. so that meant i had an hour and a half to finish up the reading assignments that i chose not to do on saturday. [actually, my bus comes at 9:43 so it meant i only had an hour-ish to finish it. ]

with only an hour ahead of me i thought to myself, "scriptures...? or homework...? scriptures...? or homework...? scriptures...? or homework...?" and after a few milliseconds of tossing my options back and forth i was reminded of my #1 goal for 2010: put god first. so i did.

i read my scriptures and an ensign talk and then moved on to my homework. at 9:10 i got a call from mark. he said he'd be running a little late so he wouldnt be on campus til 10:30. seeing as i didnt have to be on campus til 10:30, i could catch the 10:13 bus instead of the 9:43 bus which gave me 30 EXTRA minutes. and i finished my reading with just enough time to get dressed, grab an apple to go, and walk to my bus stop. it was a miracle. :)

its true...things always work out when you put god first.

music is magic

i love it when we have special musical numbers during sacrament meeting. and i love it even more when the musical number is GOOD. today the song was from the primary songbook, I'm Trying to be Like Jesus. and it.was.good!

rosie sang it and she is the sweetest, nicest, kindest, lovingest girl--ever! she is such a sweetheart and you can't help but love her. :) so besides the fact that she has a gorgeous voice, and her singing was absolutely beautiful, and she was singing one of my favorite primary songs, she LIVES her testimony. she has so much love for the people around her. and it made a big difference. i wanna be like her!

i felt the spirit so strongly as she sang because she was bearing her testimony through song and i could feel her love for others and the savior's love for all of us. the spirit was so powerful and warm that it made me want to be better, to judge less, and to love more. so, for the rest of forever...

I’m trying to be like Jesus;

I’m following in his ways.

I’m trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.

At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,

But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,

“Love one another as Jesus loves you.

Try to show kindness in all that you do.

Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,

For these are the things Jesus taught.”

I’m trying to love my neighbor;

I’m learning to serve my friends.

I watch for the day of gladness when Jesus will come again.

I try to remember the lessons he taught.

Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts, saying:

“Love one another as Jesus loves you.

Try to show kindness in all that you do.

Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,

For these are the things Jesus taught.”

Janice Kapp Perry

peace

this morning i got frustrated. the reasons are unimportant but it all happened right before i went to the temple. :S i had to change my attitude and repent of my frustrations before i could feel worthy of being there. sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's easy.

today i thought it was gonna be hard; i was grouchy, and tired, and moody. and then i was bothered that i felt that way. but when i sat down in the chapel i felt at peace. i knew heavenly father understood me. i knew i could talk to him. i knew he didnt approve of my "behavior" and feelings but he wanted me to learn from them.

and so i took the time to reflect, and pray, and soak up the peace. i was (slightly) chastized by pres.monson when i re-read his talk, School Thy Feelings, O My Brother. but i resolved to be more patient, more christlike, more forgiving. and then i felt better. :)

its never too late...