Magic B.O.B. -- Video Star

[20] Conclusion, But Not The End

     Over the past few months, we have been expected to create a blog for ourselves. I have been able to write twenty entries over the past four months and I can honestly say that it has truly blessed my life in ways that I never thought it would. I never thought that simply taking the time to write down my feelings and events that happen whether big or small. Some things don't feel like a big deal, but being able to write down these seemingly insignificant events help me realize that it is the small things in life that make a difference. It is not about the major events, but the minor moments that truly define our deep character.
      I have been able to take time to write down stories and things that are important to me and I realized themes that make me who I am. A quote I heard was, "Inspiration carefully recorded shows Heavenly Father that his communication is sacred to us." I realized that the promptings I have and service opportunities are Heavenly Father's way of showing me He loves me and when I write it down and am able to look back on it later, I show Him that it matters to me and I can recognize His hand in my life.
       This has been a great reason to start a blog, and now I am going to continue my blog, so even though this is technically the "conclusion", it is definitely no the end. This is not going to be my last post. Keeping a record helps me stay faithful, just as the examples in the scriptures. I can't wait to continue this as well as look back on such a great time in my life!

[19] Procrastination at it's Finest

I know it is probably cliche to blog about blogging and to write about procrastinating while in the middle of procrastinating, but I feel like blogging in the middle of the night is something worth remembering, especially in future days when I am about to take a nap even though I have to have 19 blog entries by tomorrow...
     Either way, I have learned a lot about college so far. I have learned that BYU is actually a lot harder than high school. I have to read the textbooks or else the lecture won't make much sense and I won't do well on tests. I have to spend a lot of time in the library if I even want to think about doing all of my homework. College is not as low key as high school. BUT, college rewards are much greater than high school.
     I learned that hard work pays off. Even after studying for 8 hours for a nutrition test and still getting a B- on it, the reward will come later and maybe not in the way I expect it (or even want it).
    I've learned that sometimes you have to fake it till you make it. I've gone on 4 blind dates in the past semester and I am not usually an outgoing person at first. It usually takes me a little while to get comfortable enough with the person to fully express my excitement. I learned, though, that with dating, I need to fake my excitement in the first date until I finally make it to feeling comfortable on the third date.
       Most importantly, I've learned how to learn and this has become one of my most cherished lessons. I have come to truly know that, "The more you learn, the more you realize you don't know." There are so many things in this world that I don't know, but I love expanding my knowledge every day at such a wonderful campus!

[18] Finally Found Facebook

     Growing up, I was never allowed to have a Facebook. My mom had one, my dad had one, and my older brother had one, but my parents never allowed me to have one. I guess they thought I would waste too much time on such a pointless internet site. Unfortunately, Facebook is quite the social directory for today's media-savy world. Technology is huge and everyone uses Facebook.

     On my eighteenth birthday, my parents told me it was finally okay to get a Facebook, but even I knew they were so ten years ago and no one starts getting them now. The time had come and gone. But in college, my ward has a Facebook page for announcements and getting to know each other. I really missed out on learning names and faces for the first few months because I never saw these people on social media. Luckily, my roommates are great and realized my Facebook-challenged mind needed some help. They set me up with a Facebook account, and now I am happy to say that I can now see every piece of people's lives whether I want to see it or not... In all seriousness though, I am excited for this new opportunity to share the gospel through social media. I may need a little help understanding what "Poking" is though...?

[17] My Parents Were Right All Along

    In high school, I was known for having strict parents. They had the most intense rules and they never let me break them. Ever. One rule, was that I was never allowed to sleep in past 8:30 a.m. no matter what. Even if it was Saturday, I was expected to wake up and be doing chores by 8:30. I had a date Friday night and was very tired so waking up Saturday morning was not very easy. When the morning came, I opened my eyes and looked at the clock that read 8:33. I jumped out of bed and started making the bed. Right then, my dad walked into my room and looked at me. He told me that he knew I wasn't up at 8:30, so he took away my phone for the rest of the weekend for a punishment. 

     My parents were strict like that all the time. I never knew it was that bad until my friends curfews got later and later until they didn't have one anymore and mine stayed at 10:30. I was expected to tell my parents everywhere I was whenever I went anywhere and changed locations. I was expected to get home at 10:30 even up until the day I left for college. 

     I told myself that I would never do that to my future kids. They would have late curfews like all of their friends, and I would let them rest on the weekends after hard weeks of school. I would let them have sleepovers and have their own phones. They would know how much I love them because I would show them in letting them hang out with friends when they wanted to because my parents wouldn't let me. 

     I thought I was right and they were wrong, until I came to college. I am in a Human Development class and one day we talked about parenting. That day, I realized that my parents were amazing parents and they did almost everything right. They made rules (even if they were a little harsh) and stuck to them. They didn't let me break rules and that taught me consistency. My parents set high expectations for me, but without them, I wouldn't be where I am today. Now I know that my parents were right all along and I owe them big time. I guess their reward will be sweet when I am a mom and have similar rules to the ones I had growing up. 

[16] David A. Bednar's "The Character of Christ'

     I recently read a talk by Elder David A. Bednar titled The Character of Christ. It was given a few years ago at a BYU-I devotional. The entire talk was completely life-changing and inspiring. A few points that I really liked had to do with how he broke up the word Character.
    The first few letters are C-H-A-R which are the first letters in charity. Charity is the pure love of Christ. How we show our gratitude and Christ-like love to others shows who we are which is our character.
     The other letters are A-C-T which obviously spell out the word act. Our character is defined by our actions. We may believe something or think it is a good idea, but it doesn't necessarily become a part of our character until we do something about it. We can change our character to become more Christ-like by showing actions of love and especially service.
     The main point that really hit me was when he said, "Your character is how your thoughts are outward instead of inward." I pondered that statement for a while and decided to put it to the test. As I walked around campus, I started to pay attention to the thoughts that I usually had. I didn't change them, I just made a conscious effort to remember them. After a while, I realized that most, if not all, of my thoughts were inward. For example, I thought about what others may be thinking about me, or how I look, or what my future agenda was. They weren't all necessarily bad thoughts, I just was thinking about how everything around me affected me. I was thinking about myself and if others were thinking of me.
     I decided that to know if the doctrine of outward thoughts strengthening character was true, I would need to test it out. So I did. I changed my thoughts for a whole day to what I could do to help those around me. I started thinking about what others were going through and how I could serve them. I found myself smiling at strangers and wanting to serve people I've never met. I saw people that usually bother me, and found things I like about them.
     I learned so much about thoughts and how changing them from being self-centered to selfless increased my self worth. I felt better about myself and what I am capable of. I have felt more positive and happy. I hope after some more time with practice that positive thoughts will turn into actions that turn others to Christ.

[15] Just One More Snack

     It all started because Haley (my roommate) loves popcorn, so she brought a lot of it to college. We had only used her special popcorn once, so the Tupperware with the kernels in it was still mostly full. We had a friend, Michael, over to hang out and play guitar just like we did almost every night. He never noticed our popcorn stash though, so he pulled out the popcorn Tupperware from the usual place in the cabinet and looked at it for a while. He got distracted, so he set it up on top of the fridge and no one noticed. We had a great night, then Michael left. 

     After a few minutes, all of us roommates dispersed into our bedrooms except Hailey. She wanted to get one last snack before winding down for bed. I remember standing in my room and I could only hear what was happening, but that was enough to know what was going on. I heard the fridge door open, then Hailey screamed as loud as she could, and then there was the sound of a million popcorn kernels hitting the ground and flying everywhere around the kitchen. 

      The house was silent. Everyone knew what happened and no one wanted to say anything. Quietly, the rest of us made our way to the kitchen to find Hailey sitting on the ground next to thousands and thousands of popcorn kernels with the door of the fridge wide open. Immediately everyone busted into laughter. I don't think we were laughing because we found it exciting and amusing that we would have to clean up every kernel, but we were laughing because we could't believe that this had happened. 

      We cleaned up the best we could, but because there were kernels on every inch of the entire kitchen floor, to this day we still find popcorn kernels. At least now we can enjoy cleaning up the few we find remembering the great times of laughter and misfortune of the day Hailey wanted just one more snack...

[14] The Worst Date

The worst date I ever went on was a year ago. I met this guy *Sam at work. He was a cool kid and he knew he was attractive. Every girl at the deli liked him, so they were really jealous of me when he asked me on a date. He told me he would bring one of his friends and I could bring one of mine and we could set them up on a blind date and we would double with them. I obviously brought my best friend *Sarah. Sarah is a beautiful girl and she is the sweetest person on this planet. I knew I would have a good time with her no matter how things were with Sam.
     Sam and his friend *Joe came and picked us up at my house. We got in the car and drove to Airborne, which is a giant room filled with trampolines and foam pits. We ran around there for a while and it was so much fun. Sam was a great date, not too pushy, not too distant. I was impressed where this was going!
     After Airborne, we went to the movie theater. It was the opening weekend of the second movie in the Hunger Games series: Catching Fire. It was about 7 pm, and the soonest showtime we could get into was 9:30. We agreed and the boys bought our tickets for us! Joe and Sarah were getting to know each other and they looked happy. I could tell that Joe was not Sarah's type, but they still had a great time laughing and getting to know each other.
      Since the movie didn't start for an 2 and a half hours, we decided to go to my house and cook some food and play some games. The whole date goes downhill from here. We get to my house where my mom had pulled out some ingredients to make yummy tacos. Sam didn't say a word to me the whole time. I was so confused. What did I do? Was it something I said?? I figured he probably didn't feel good, so I moved on from the fact he was sitting quiet at the end of the table. We finished cooking the food and went to the game room to play some games. I had known Sam long enough that I knew exactly what he was doing to Sarah. He was flirting with her. It started not very obvious. I hinted at Sarah and she was completely clueless. After a little while, it became very obvious that he was picking up on my best friend on our date at my house. For the whole two and a half hours, he didn't say a word to me. I tried to not let it bother me at first, but after Sarah was flirting back pretty strong, I was angry. He had no right flirting with my best friend right in front of me while on a date with me and my best friend was betraying me. I wanted the night to be over.
       It was finally time to go to the movies. I was relieved that we could leave my house and go sit in quiet where no flirting would happen. We ended up driving two cars because the drive from the theater back to my house back to his would have taken forever, and we had to get home in time for curfew. We got to the movie theater and the minute we got out of the car, Sam was talking to me again. I was still very angry, but it was nice to get a couple words from my date. We handed our tickets and walked into the theater. It is common knowledge to let the girls sit together in the middle, and their dates on the outside. Sam apparently has no common knowledge and he sat in the middle next to Sarah next to Joe. That left me on the end by Sam with a stranger beside me that had the most obnoxious laugh and happened to think that everything was funny.
       I was fuming. I didn't say anything about it though because I knew that once this night was over, Sam would never ask me out again and we could just be co-workers.
       I sat there as the movie began trying not to cry. This night was supposed to be perfect, and he just ignored me and flirted with my best friend. About twenty minutes into the movie, he whispered something to me which I didn't hear. I felt his arm move and his hand slid into mine. WHAT IS HE THINKING. As soon as he grabbed my hand, I let go, didn't look at him, stood up, and left the theater. I texted Sarah and told her we had to leave and she should come out. I hid behind a giant cardboard display for a different movie just in case Sam came out looking. I got a text back from Sarah saying that she was going to stay and finish the movie. She was going to make me go home alone and stay with two guys she met that night. I couldn't believe that she was doing this. I looked around. Sam never came out to find me. I was so done and left. I drove home alone. That was the end of Sam.

*Names have been changed

[13] The Spirit To Me

This is a more serious thought, but I wanted to put it up on my blog, so if my hard copy journal gets lost or ruined, I can always have this entry I wrote.

       Over the summer, I wen't on a Church History tour. One of the stops was Joseph Smith's birthplace in Sharon, Vermont. It was such a peaceful place. I remember sitting in the room by the piano looking out into the trees and significant monument while a friend played the piano. I felt so amazing that I wrote down how I felt. That day, I had been pondering the Spirit and how the feelings are different for everyone. I felt like in that moment, I could express in words how it felt for me, so I did and this has become one of my most important words as I find myself constantly looking back on what I wrote for guidance. I titled it The Spirit to Me meaning how the Spirit speaks to me, and how I know how I feel when it is the Spirit.

I wrote, "The Spirit to me is the hope I feel. The drive in my heart to do good. It is the cleansing of my view to see who I really am, the view of who I can be. The Spirit is the incredibly strong desire I get to do everything I can to help those around me feel Christ-like love. The excitement I get to share this beautifully perfect gospel. 

     To me, the Spirit is the comforting thoughts that burn within me. sometimes I feel like I might explode with joy. The Spirit is the change I plan to become more Christ-like. Nothing bad enters my mind. It is the reassurance of what I know, who I am, and what I know is right. The strength I feel within myself that I know I can overcome anything.

       The Spirit to me is the decreasing distance between me and Jesus Christ. It is the love I feel from Him and His voice telling me that I am not alone. The Spirit is so strong. It makes me feel like I can never be knocked down. It is the unwavering faith and burning light that can never be darkened. It is the willingness inside of me to devote everything to helping everyone feel the peace the gospel brings. It is the firm testimony I have that I will give anything for. I will never stop standing as a witness of God. 

      The Spirit is the piercing voice of warning, love, and comfort that is small but extremely powerful. The Spirit is the brightness I see in everyone around me. The incredible love I have for people I've never met. The desire for them to reach their full potential and gain everything Heavenly Father has. The Spirit is every piece of happiness I feel. A happiness that the world looks for, but rarely finds. I will never lose this. I will do whatever it takes to keep this fire burning inside me. 

      Even if no one else will stand with me, I'll stand alone because I know that I'm not really alone. I will, simply because that is what Heavenly Father needs me to do. And that is enough for me."

[12] 1 Month to Go!

I missed the official mark, but in exactly one month (from yesterday) my older brother Michael comes home from his mission! He has been working really hard in California. I'm so proud of him and I can't wait to see him!
When he turned 18 in August, he started school here at BYU. Then, at the October 2012 General Conference, President Monson changed the mission age to boys leaving 18 after high school graduation and girls at 19. He immediately started his mission papers and got them turned in. The next Wednesday, my mom found his mission call in the mail. She immediately got in the car and drove to Provo to meet Michael in between two of his classes. She met him in front of the JFSB and handed him his mission call. He put it in his backpack and continued to class. My brother doesn't love attention or big events focused on him, so after class he went back to his dorm room in New Heritage and opened his call by himself. By this time, my mom was back in Highland grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. She got a call from Michael and he told her where he was going: California Roseville Mission leaving in February. She started crying hysterically in the middle of Wal-Mart and had people staring at her while she finished her grocery shopping.

       The few months went by, and it was finally time for Michael to leave. The day before he reported to the MTC, I asked him to go longboarding for the last time together for 2 years. We went on a great ride and while we were talking and riding, I realized that he was ready. Hearing him helped me feel confident in him and relax myself.
       We took him to the MTC the next day, and that is the last time I hugged my older brother. Now, I am going to hug him on January 2nd, 2015. He is going to be very busy, though. He comes home on a Friday, wants to go skiing the next day, then starts school that Monday. Hopefully he will be able to snap right back into things. My dad was signing him up for classes and we were able to coordinate and make it so my brother and I have 2 classes together next semester! Wow, 1 month can not come fast enough!

[11] Eventful Run

I was one block away from home. Finally my run is almost over! I thought. All of a sudden a police car speeds right by me and pulls over into the parking lot by the Law Building. I slowed down my pace a little bit to see why the cop was in such a hurry. I turned around saw a man about 50-60 years old who was running towards me. I watched him as he ran right past me. I looked back at the cop who had gotten out of his cop car. He yelled at the man who just passed me, "STOP! Put your hands in the air and GET ON THE GROUND." He pulled out his gun and chased the man. I had no idea what was going on, so I stopped running and just watched everything happen. 5 more cop cars showed up and jumped out of the car and ran at the man. Once the cop caught the runner, he put his gun away and got out his taser and tased the guy. He fell to the ground in the middle of the road. 4 more cop cars showed up; 2 of them were K9 units. The dogs got out and started smelling the guy who moved and was sitting on the curb. Soon after the dogs got out, an ambulance and fire truck pulled up and parked. They blocked the road and police officers were controlling traffic. I had to find a way around the scene since I couldn't get through the road right to my dorm. Turns out, running isn't aways safe at BYU.

[10] Grateful for Eternal Families

This Thanksgiving, my dad's side of the family was all together. The only person missing was my brother because he is still on his mission (gets home January 2nd!!!). The last time the whole family has been together like this was 12 years ago. Everyone congregated in Utah this wee so all of my dads siblings could go to the temple with their parents for my grandma's birthday wish. While they were in the temple, the older cousins were able to take the younger kids around temple square. We saw the beautiful lights and the incredible Salt Lake Temple.
Since it was the day after Thanksgiving, we were all thinking about what we are grateful for and I couldn't help but feel immense gratitude for my family. I looked at each of them knowing that because of the righteousness of 2 people (grandparents), that all of our cousins will be able to meet again after this life and live for eternity. I am able to benefit from the amazing blessings of the temple and covenants and ordinances that seal my family together for eternity. I am so grateful for my eternal family!!