cliche mother's day post.

This short speach gave me a new perspective on mothers! I thank all the noble women who take on the cause of nurturing and being a friend to others. I'm grateful for my mother. Like Sheri Dew, I feel that everything will be alright only when my mommy says it will :)

I will give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

Love makes me want to reach higher and to serve--to make this world a better place for everyone. Lust brings me down. Makes me feel sick inside. I would rather feel love :)
"Whatever thoughts you have, make sure they are welcome in your heart by invitation only. As an ancient poet once said, let will be your reason."

"When we face such temptations in our time, we must declare, as young Nephi did in his, “[I will] give place no more for the enemy of my soul.” We can reject the evil one. If we want it dearly and deeply enough, that enemy can and will be rebuked by the redeeming power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, I promise you that the light of His everlasting gospel can and will again shine brightly where you feared life had gone hopelessly, helplessly dark."

just one more.

One more year.

This time next year, I will be two months away from finishing and four months away from August 17th.

After spring quarter, I will have four quarters left.

After summer quarter, I will have three quarters left.

In August of next year, I will be old enough.

How many more ways can I say this? It's such a short time!!!!
Two awesome things coming in one year. Yessssssss.

shining countenance.

A few recent moments in my life have changed me so completely, so wholly, and so amazingly that my life has not been the same since. I want to share a few of those moments with you today.

When I was eighteen, I had an institute teacher that converted to the LDS church at nineteen. At the time of the class, he was then forty-nine. For thirty years, that man had NEVER missed a day of reading his scriptures. Ever. He had such a light in his eyes. He was so faithful. He read his scriptures every single day. From that time on, I have placed reading my scriptures very highly. Not reading them every day is just not an option. There is so much good in those books, why not have a spiritual experience every day by immersing yourself in them? After that class, I was never the same. Something changed in me. A desire. A dream. To read every single day, until I was at least forty-nine, telling young people with the Spirit of God blazing in my eyes that I never missed a day reading my scriptures. How amazing and wonderful. How faithful and exemplary. I am not, and I will never be, the same.

I broke my foot during the last few weeks of my senior year in high school. Having a broken foot was then the hardest thing I had ever done. I felt hopeless, like I could not do anything on my own. I am a very independent person, and having to rely on others is very hard for me. However, something I have realized recently about myself is that I wouldn't change any experience I have had in my life. I would not change the things I have been through. God gives us trials, and He gives us blessings. All of our experiences are for our own learning on this earth. While breaking my foot was very hard for me, I learned a lot about who I was and about the Savior in those low times. I have a lot of trials in my life right now, but I am grateful for them. I do not let them get me down like I felt when I broke my foot. Breaking my foot taught me that.

I spent two quarters at Brigham Young University. How I miss that short time. Those few months taught me who I was--what I was good at, what I could improve on, and what I saw in myself. I learned to be completely honest in all dealings. One hundred percent. I learned that "all is well." I found my faith. I felt the Spirit. I attended the temple regularly. I experimented in communicating with others. I grew in more ways than I can tell. Yeah, I hated the "school" side of it because I hate school, but the months I spent at BYU were the best of my life. They were stressful months of working and studying late, but looking back now I see how much I grew then and how much that experience shaped who I am now.



I am changing a lot right now. They say these years are the prime of your life, and I believe it. Expect another post like this in the future--my views on life are definitely getting better.

"A woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man needs to seek Him in order to find her."

as requested.

My little weekend getaway was the best trip ever! It was exactly what I needed and it was SUPER fun.

Before. Ish.

And after.

I hope you weren't planning on being able to breathe!

Love how this girl is getting hit in the face.

I also accomplished a life goal by going to the 50,000 silver dollar.

There you have it. Lots of driving, lots of fun! I didn't think about real life or have a care in the world the whole time. It was great! And while I ended up looking more like a diseased person instead of a pink Asian baby, it was one of the best times of my life :)

excited for a little spring break.

THIS IS WHERE I AM GOING!! As you can tell, I'm pretty excited! I'm going to look like this:

And I'm going to see these people:

And it's gonna be an awesomely fun roadtrip! SUuuUuper excited. Too excited for my own good.

Touch of the Master's Hand.

’Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile:
“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?”
“A dollar, a dollar”; then, “Two!” “Only two?
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three—” But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, “What am I bid for the old violin?”
And he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone!” said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
“We do not quite understand
What changed its worth.” Swift came the reply:
“The touch of a master’s hand.”

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine,
A game—and he travels on.
He’s “going” once, and “going” twice,
He’s “going” and almost “gone.”
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.




I couldn't not include the video (this is just the second half)

be not so much concerned about what you do, but do what you do with all your heart, might, and strength. in thoroughness is satisfaction.

"You want to be good and to do good. That is commendable. But the greatest achievement that can be reached in our lives is to be under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost. Then he will teach us what is really good and necessary to do." F. Enzio Busche

As the year comes to a close I again reflect on what this year has brought, what goals I accomplished, and what goals I have for the year ahead. Yeah, there were small goals I never accomplished--like obtain moccasins, invent something, and donate blood--but there were a lot of big goals I did accomplish. Going to ten temples was the biggest. I also went to college, planted a garden, and gave service. This year has been very good for me!

1. Provo. January 3, 2011.

2. Mt Timpanogos. January 22, 2011.

3. Draper. March 19, 2011.

4. St George. August 16, 2011.

5. Jordan River. September 10, 2011.

6. Salt Lake. December 3, 2011.

7. Oquirrah. December 8, 2011.

8. Bountiful. December 14, 2011.

9. Twin Falls. December 14, 2011.

10. Columbia River. December 15, 2011.

A few on my list for next year:

3. Read your scriptures every day. This one I tried this year starting in August and missed like twenty days. Not so good..haha next year will be better!

8. Go on a hike. I haven't been on a hike in a long time :)

21. Get a scholarship. That. Is a necessity.

Good luck with yours :)

Namaste.

to store 448.

I am going to miss working at the Orem Hobby Lobby. All of the people there are so wonderful! They have become like family to me. I have loved how much they have welcomed me and gotten to know me, and I will miss each and every one of them. I hope the store continues to be successful so they are happy. I will never work with anyone like them ever again, and I will miss their different personalities and humor a lot! It has been a wonderful year!

a post about my brother.

Not a day goes by that I do not  think about my brother. Sadness fills my heart when I think of him. Sadness. And hope. I love him very much.

I remember the day I told him I hated him. I remember the day he threw up all over me. I remember when we played all day with our harry potter legos, or when we played harry potter without legos and he always got to have the coolest wand. I remember watching batman and power rangers with him and pretending I didn't like it, and jumping across pillows in the living room like there was lava under them.

I especially loved when he cornered me and pretended to have a llama and that he would poke me in the butt with a stick. Or when we shoved his face into his ice cream cake for his birthday. I have loved every moment, good or bad, of growing up with him. He has always been there for me and always loved and taken me as I am. I miss how he never let me let go of the moment I ran straight into a fence on my bike, or exclaimed that I loved the jello my mom made when it was really jam!

Over this last year, I have really missed having someone I am so close to. Someone to make fun of me and to look at me like I'm stupid when I'm..being stupid! I have missed getting him to smile when all he wants to do is look like he hates the world. I have missed having a brother.

I'm grateful that in just a 'week and a half!' I will be able to see him again. I hope one day he will be able to find a true happiness that will never leave him. He deserves it. I love him very much and will never stop loving him :)