dont forget...

"let it seep into your heart"

for all you curious people out there, this one's for mom. we had a little chat tonight. about stuff. at one point she said, "yeah, i know its true in my head," and then i added, "let it seep into your heart."

the rule of 5

last week saturday i learned about the rule of 5: everyday we should eat a total of at least 5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables. i agree with it wholeheartedly and wanted to try it.

this is what i ate today:

and i feel healthier already!

you should try it too. :)

my new favorite song...for now

listen to it...its so catchy! :)

The Eternal Importance of Honesty

a message from our hometeachers...

In a gospel context we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are expected to be righteous, not just appear to be righteous. What we believe, what we say, and what we do should all be the same thing. This is the definition of integrity. A person of integrity does not cover sins in order to look good to the outside world. A person of integrity repents of behavior unbecoming of a member of the Church, embraces new habits and lifestyles, and tries to eliminate personal flaws.

-Richard J Maynes

a house of learning

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.

D&C 109:8

today i learned something new.

i felt enlightened.

:)

ive got to find out who i am

after the temple i went to a stake relief society workshop. i came away from it thinking this is what i need to do: ive got to find out who i am.

i need to figure out who i want to be.

i need to figure out what i want to stand for.

i need to figure out how i want to be perceived.

ive got to find out who i am.

and the sooner i figure this out, the better.

:)

a beautiful sight

i went to pow wow on campus...my first pow wow ever!

it was awesome to be there--to see a gathering of people who value and love and teach and practice their culture. absolutely beautiful. i just sat and watched and soaked it all in. :)

i remember some natives coming to kekaha school when i was in 2nd or 3rd grade and i was so fascinated. i loved their costumes, and the colors, and the feathers... i was so intrigued by their chants and their drumming and their dancing. and i still am. :)

i was glad i got to go. and eva reminded me that there are plenty of natives in minnesota...so i can tell them ive been to a pow wow before AND my roommate was native AND she sang go my son. :p here's the proof for them:

eva's gonna be famous. :D

a win in 4

27 - 30 L

30 - 17 W

30 - 18 W

30 - 28 W

p.s. whats the point of this picture...???

oanh

i came home and found this in the mail:

it was a gift from oanh.

with a sweet little note:


isnt that so thoughtful?

:)

good to the use of edifying

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Ephesians 4:29

isnt that a pretty scripture? eva and i read it this morning during our companionship study. it was under the language heading in the white handbook. we decided to make it our goal for the rest of the day to speak kind words, edify others and minister grace unto the hearers.

it wasnt as easy as i thought it would be. by the end of the day i had only done it once and i could think of several times that i could have said something to edify someone but i didnt. why didnt i? i dont know. i should've.

at the end of the night, kaylan knocked on my door (she's in town for the weekend and stopped by to visit) and we chatted for over an hour. it was great. some of the things she said were things i needed to hear. her words were good to the use of edifying and she was an example of how i can do that too. i was grateful for her example. and i wanted to be just like her!

so...as my favorite book in the whole wide world says,

i'll do better tomorrow, i promise.

:)

polys repreZent!

tonight was luau.

for the first time ever, i got to watch it!

it was great. :)

rach and erwin danced in hawaii...

and new zealand.

and eva and jennie danced in hawaii.
yay for luau. :)

amazing grace

it once was lost...but now its found!

yesterday i realized that my (slash erwins) beloved TI-89 was missing...this was BAD NEWS. :(

for one, i rarely ever lose things. if i do, i can usually remember when i last saw it or used it and then i find it pretty quickly. but this time i had no idea where it couldve been.

for two, i need my calculator. i have homework assignments and due dates and quizzes...all of which depend heavily on a calculator!

so...

what did i do??? the same thing i always do whenever i lose something: i prayed. :)

then i checked the wilk lost & found, the caedm lost & found, the clyde analog lab, the clyde shop, the clyde ee office, and the clubhouse. all with no luck.

i couldnt borrow from a friend cuz they're all engineers and they need their calculators for themselves...i couldnt borrow from a roommate cuz none of them have one...and i wasnt about to buy a new one cuz they're EXPENSIVE and im about to graduate.

all i could do was wait and hope it showed up.

and sure enough, it did. :) after my 450 lab i walked into the clubhouse and alisha pulled it out of her bag and said "hey lynnell, is this yours?"

i was all smiles. :)

weekly planning sesh

tonight at fhe jj gave a thought about goal setting. he encouraged us to focus on the simple ways that we can do/be better. he said that yesterday he went "back to the mission" and planned out his entire week...this took him TWO hours! lol. thats some intense plannage. :p anyways, i didnt do a full-on two hour planning sesh but i liked his thought and wanted to accept his invitation. here are a few things that i can improve/work on that will potentially make a very big difference in my day(s)...

1. wake up no later than 6:30 am


2. pray morning and night every single day


3. exercise for at least 30 minutes every day


4. have daily personal (or w/ eva) study for 1 hour: d&c 4, pmg, bom, etc.


5. eat breakfast and if the particular day requires it, pack a lunch (and maybe even dinner)


6. manage my study time better (eliminate distractions, stay focused, work diligently)


7. smile more

the hymn of the day

this song struck a particular chord with me today as we sang it in sacrament meeting.

I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go

It may not be on the mountain height,

Or over the stormy sea;
It may not be at the battle’s front

My Lord will have need of me;
But if, by a still, small voice he calls

To paths that I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I'll go where you want me to go.

Perhaps today there are loving words

Which Jesus would have me speak;
There may be now in the paths of sin

Some wand’rer whom I should seek.
O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide,

Tho dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet:
I’ll say what you want me to say.

There’s surely somewhere a lowly place

In earth’s harvest fields so wide

Where I may labor through life’s short day

For Jesus, the Crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care,

And knowing thou lovest me,
I’ll do thy will with a heart sincere:
I’ll be what you want me to be.

I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,
Over mountain or plain or sea;
I’ll say what you want me to say, dear Lord,
I’ll be what you want me to be.

-Mary Brown

i want to be just like the girl in this song: to do and say and be what the lord wants me to do and say and be. :)

draper utah temple

this morning i went with amy and her ward to the draper temple.

i LOVE:

being on temple grounds,

being in the temple,

participating in temple work,

feeling god's presence,

waiting in the chapel,

listening to hymns on the organ,

sitting in the celestial room,

learning new things,

feeling the spirit,

and coming away feeling empowered.

it just makes me so happy.

we did a session together and it was my first one outside the provo temple...but i am happy to report that it's the same! its all the same. :) and that's comforting.

after the temple we went to denny's.

it was yummy.

fiesta

rach danced in fiesta and she did a great job! i only watched her dance (and a few others) out of the entire program cuz i spent the rest of the time downstairs, watching the game. we lost, 84-72 and now we're out of the tournament. :S but at least rach did well! :)

I WON!!!

thanks to Cougar United, this is what i won for doing what i love...watching sports:

:)

i promise guys, it really was that easy...all i did was swipe my card!

a message from my president

If you have not already done so, acquaint yourself with the missionary program found in "Preach My Gospel." Begin a daily routine of arising no later than 6:30am, having personal prayer and spending an hour in personal study. During your study time, read from the Book of Mormon, which, if you have not read entirely, you should do before entering the MTC. Also, please study the five lessons in chapter three of "Preach My Gospel." You should become familiar with "principles" in each lesson and learn the order in which they are listed. Memorize the scriptures in lesson one. The more you learn the lessons, the better prepared you will be to teach. You should also focus on music and entertainment that will allow you to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

this morning eva and i studied for a whole hour together! we opened with a song and a prayer and then we read d&c 4. today it seemed extra powerful...the words are so much more real and empowering now that im preparing for my mission. next we read the first lesson in preach my gospel, the restoration, and it was wonderful. i love how simple and concise and logical and beautiful it is. i think im gonna love the mission. a lot. :) and eva ended the hour with an example of how to teach it. i decided its kinda a lot to take in as a newbie. but im looking forward to learning how to teach in the best way possible.

when eva came home at the end of her day she was super happy. so i asked her why she was so happy and she said, with a huge smile on her face, "cuz we studied this morning." and it's so so true. scripture study (and obedience) works miracles. :) it makes us happy.

it hit me

a few weeks ago i got mail from my mission president. in it, he included the web address to our mission's blog. i was pretty excited to check it out but i was so busy that i never had the time! tonight i finally had a chance to take a look at it.

as i scrolled through the page, scanned some entries, and looked at the pictures,

it hit me...

this is my mission.

im going to be there in a matter of months.

im actually going on a mission.

im gonna be like them.

i'll have to teach and work and love and so much more.

thats gonna be me.

wow.

it was a crazy feeling! i caught a glimpse of the mantle, the responsibility, the severity, the joy, and the experiences of the next 20 months of my life. and guess what that did?

it got me even MORE excited. :)

wanna see the blog? click here: HURRAH FOR ISRAEL

maybe some day in the very near future you guys will see a picture of me on the mission blog!!! :D how exciting would THAT be!? ;)

p.s. here's my mission president and his family: HOWELL HANDS

the sanctification cycle

in church, we often talk about the pride cycle...

why dont we ever talk about the sanctification cycle?

today i was inspired to take the "off-ramp" of remembering so that i can stay in the sanctification cycle instead of circling the "round-about" of the pride cycle.

i thought it was a pretty cool insight. :)

meals on wheels

josue brought me dinner tonight:

pizza...AND salad AND fruits

(cuz he knows i like to eat healthy food)

isnt that sweet? :)

it was perfect!

and you wanna know what else was perfect? he didnt bring dressing and a fork (which is totally fine!) BUT i had some leftover dressing in the fridge and an extra fork in my backpack. so it all worked out!

plus, i was able to stay on campus to take my test AND i didnt have to starve.

thanks josue!

Attempting the Impossible

*click the title to read the talk*

"The Lord does not expect that we

do what we cannot achieve.

The command to become perfect, as He is,

encourages us to achieve the best of ourselves,

to discover and develop the talents and attributes

with which we are blessed by a loving Eternal Father,

who invites us to realize our potential as children of God.

He knows us; He knows of our

capacities and our limitations.

The invitation and challenge to become perfect,

to achieve eternal life is for all mankind."

-Jorge F. Zeballos

a birthday song for josue

all the monkeys in the zoo

send their best regards to you

happy birth-day

to you!

scripture power

today i went visiting teaching. this is a quote from the message we shared. :)

“A study of the scriptures will help our testimonies and the testimonies of our family members. Our children today are growing up surrounded by voices urging them to abandon that which is right and to pursue, instead, the pleasures of the world. Unless they have a firm foundation in the gospel of Jesus Christ, a testimony of the truth, and a determination to live righteously, they are susceptible to these influences. It is our responsibility to fortify and protect them.”
-President Thomas S. Monson

i decided

today i went to an endowment session for the first time all by myself. it was great. :)

i actually wanted to do sealings (and they even needed proxies for it) but seeing as ive never been before i didnt wanna go by myself. so i decided that i wanna do a sealing next week saturday.

i am looking forward to it.

p.s.

this picture reminds me of meagan.

can anybody guess why?

dancesport 2010

for all of you who weren't able to come, here is a recap in pictures/videos of my dancesport festivities. :)

meags helped me get ready. (this is at 6 o'clock in the morning!)

i told her i wanted a low bun, slicked back, and not too much makeup. she did a good job on the low bun, slicked back part...but the not too much makeup part...you decide. :p

our event was at 8 o'clock in the A-M. and our number was 158.

we got to the marriott at 7:40ish but we didnt have time to warm up. so jesse and i danced the first round cold...not a good idea. :S

i messed up pretty bad (sorry, no video) but jesse's good frame and posture must've wow-ed the judges enough to advance us to round 2! i was surprised. but super relieved/excited.

our first callback:

(click the picture for a bigger view)

waiting for those to post was kinda nerve-wracking!!! but once they were up and we saw our number it was way exciting.

after making it through the first 3 rounds (our third round being the best we danced throughout the entire competition but again, no video) we got called back to the quarterfinals! :)

so that meant we had to go back to the marriott at 6:30 pm to compete at 6:45.

amy came in the evening.

and she was willing to record for us. so thanks to her, you all can see us dance! :) here we are dancing in the quarterfinals:

did you see where we messed up? :p towards the end we ran into a little traffic jam and then we had to start over. i thought for sure we were gonna be eliminated but it must've happened after one of the judges had already selected us to advance cuz we got called back. :)

funny story: after the quarterfinals jesse and i went back up to the bleachers (as opposed to staying backstage) cuz we thought we had plenty of time before the next round.

um, yeah...we were wrong.

before we knew it our event was up and we were both on the bleachers, i.e. not in line, and not ready to walk on stage. they had to page for our number!!! "paging couple 158, please report to the stage now. your event is starting. couple 158." they said that (or something of the sort) over the microphone!!! lol.

we RAN down the stairs, barged our way through tons of people and rushed onto the floor at the very last second. literally.

dont worry, we made it just in the knick of time! :)

before you watch it, i'll just say that this round was a good lesson in following jesse's lead. and we'll leave it at that. dont laugh. (meagan!)

the whole missing our line-up time, being paged over the speakers, and running on stage made for quite the exciting semifinal round. :p

and the two voices at the end of the video were amy and her friend karla.

anyways, jesse had a tradition of getting a sip of water before (and/or after) each round. so after the semifinals we were in the tunnel drinking water and trying to catch our breath when our number came up on the screen!

WE MADE IT TO THE FINALS!!! :)

this was VERY exciting. i was pleasantly surprised. aka shocked. lol.

this time we did not go up to the bleachers. :) we lined up in numerical order and since our number was the lowest of the seven finalists we were first out on the stage. here we are, our final dance for the final round:

our goal was to just have fun. did it look like we had fun?

there was one part where we thought the music was pau so we kinda stopped, but the music kept going. so we had to start over...and that happened right in front of the judges!!! lol. did you notice?

at least we had fun. :)

and then it was time for the awards.

amy even recorded the ceremony so you can watch it as if you were there!

and...

what if...

what if your house was on fire and you had 60 seconds to get out before the entire house went up in flames....?

what would you grab?

my life is now complete

after ALL these years of being a "loyal, strong and true" byu sports fan, i finally got a picture with my favorite mascot in the whole wide world. :)