I Love to See the Temple, I'm going There Someday

Today my roommates and I attended the Brigham City Temple Dedication. The last dedication I went to was Nauvoo years ago so it is hard to remember. As we sat in the Marriott, it was amazing to see so many college students sitting quietly as if they were in the temple. As the ceremony progressed, I felt such a profound love for the apostles and the temple. It is amazing how different the feeling between a temple and the world is. The sense of love and peace compared to the feelings of the world is drastically different.

As I contemplated this morning's events, the lyrics of a primary song came to mind:

I love to see the temple.

I'm going there some day

to feel the Holy Spirit, 

to listen and to pray

For the temple is a house of God,

a place of love and beauty.

I'll prepare myself while I am young;

this is my sacred duty.

I love to see the temple

I'll go inside someday.

I'll covenant with my Father;

I'll promise to obey.

For the temple is a holy place

where we are sealed together.

As a child of God I've learn this truth:

A family is Forever.

I know that through the temples families can be together forever. I know I am sealed to my family for eternity and that if I live worthy of it, I can live with them forever after this life. I do not know what would have happened to me if not for this gospel. It helps me know what to do and how to live my life. I am so grateful to this gospel and for my Savior. I am so grateful for the blessings I have been given: for a wonderful family, for a chance to further my education, for music, for friends, for great roommates, for all the modern technology I enjoy, and so much more. I know that God lives and that He loves each and every person on this earth equally. The rain falls on everyone equally and the sun shines for everyone equally. He loves everyone and asks all to "Come Follow Him." I know I want to. He is "the light and the life" and makes my burdens light and I thank Him for that.

The Effect of Music

Well, this past weekend I was reminded why I love music. Life had started getting a little overwhelming and I did not know where to turn to because my usual "go to items" just were not helping. Then, I spent some time with a friend listening to a ton of great music and I finally felt at peace. It's amazing the impact music can have on the soul. Since then, I've spent a lot more time listening to/singing different songs and have found my life has been a lot better and I feel more in control of the craziness around me. When my day just seems to be too overwhelming, it is nice to be able to turn on my iPod and listen to different types of music from choral to religious to pop. In my music civilization class we talked about the reason for music in religious services and it made me realize how grateful I am for the impact music is in not only my secular life but, also my religious one. I love how I can listen to music that brings me closer to my Savior as well as make my day go better. It is an amazing world when education and religion can go together to create a complete human being. I know I would not be who I am today without music. Music is such a large part of who I am and it has given me experiences that have shaped my views of the world and who I am as a person. What a wonderful world we live in.

Adventures Begin

My fortune from dinner.
It was quite the laugh due to inside jokes.

Well, the first week of school was crazy and full of a lot of homework but, the weekend was filled with a lot of great bonding moments. After having so much homework, I was scared I would not be able to spend time with human beings again! [alright... slight exaggeration there....] Well, that changed starting Thursday Night. Since I did not invest into a pass to the sports games, I thought I'd be home alone doing homework. Well, turns out, another roommate also did not make this investment and another simply did not want to go because of the late hour. This turned into pancakes&movie night. It was so much fun to laugh and get to know my roommates a little better. Since we all went for random, we were all nervous to move in. It has turned out to be such a blessing, however. We had a "Hen's Night Out" as it turned out being called, where we had dinner, went shopping at super cheap stores trying to find stuff for our apt, got dessert, and watched a movie. It was such a blast! We met random people that gave us some great quotes (such as the title of our evening) and had fun making one roommate try on a total 80's wedding dress. So much fun! After thinking back to how nervous I had been about moving in, it was such a relief to feel such a close bond with these beautiful daughters of God. We are all very different but, all share a love of Christ and of doing some pretty crazy, random things. It is wonderful.

Along with this bonding, I met up with some friends from my freshman year and did random stuff from going to a grocery store for potato chips to going to a park to crashing someone's apt and watching them break into said apt. It was great! Yes, freshman year is over but, the friendships acquired will last forever. We can still do crazy things but, we are all growing up which is important. Reflecting on our past was great but, it was also really neat to see how much we have all grown up within one year. We went from being crazy freshman to crazy sophomores.

~Life is one crazy adventure.~

Moved In & Ready to Begin

Well, I am back at college and so much as happened! I got all moved in and got rid of all the extra stuff I was just holding on to as my security blanket. It felt great to get rid of stuff I don't use or even care about anymore. I was surprised when I moved in how small my bedroom is. I mean, yes, it's a good size for a college kid but, I just have to be super organized so I don't take over the room. hehe Also, I used to have to "jump into bed" when I lived in the dorms but, now, I literally have to JUMP to get into bed. It comes up above my stomach! I have not had a bed this tall/taller since I was a kid! I mean.... I still am a kid.... I'm referring to when I was not a teenager.... there. So, as I was saying, I got all moved in and I was a little shocked to find what I did. After moving in, I began being a Y-group leader for NSO. Seriously- I was not super excited at first because I was nervous. How could I help freshman feel welcome to college when I was still finding out stuff for myself? Well, it worked out. I have loved seeing my group. They are all so fun and neat people. I have been blessed by getting to know them. Who knew you could find so much joy and peace in befriending Freshman? I think this has made the start of my sophomore year the best it could be. Sure, I'm not meeting people I live near as well yet but, I have the whole school year to do that. Working with the freshman reminds me of my freshman year and all the great people I met and the wonderful learning experiences I had. College is a great time of learning and growth. It is amazing how much you find yourself when you leave home. Well, with the last night of NSO is tonight and then, the school year will begin. I cannot wait. Let's see what the year holds in store for me!

Time Spent with Mommy

Well, I'm down to two days until my flight back to Utah. So, what do I do? Aside from sitting around a lot, I've been watching the Anne of Green Gables movies with my mommy. [Yes, I still call my parents Mommy&Daddy] Well, after watching several hours of them, my mom and I started to think why we were just now doing this and why we didn't do this all summer. The answer? We were just too busy and didn't think of it. It has been amusing for me to see just how much I am like my mother. I had wondered where some of my attributes came from (such as my stubbornness :P ) and, I am now seeing it is from my mom. It's funny how for years I would look at other mother/daughter relationships and I didn't understand how their mom was their best friend. Now, I understand and I have found I love my mom more than ever. Same goes for my dad. It's funny how much you can learn and finally see in a summer when you're older. Parents do things because they love you and want you to have the best. They're there when you need them and I wouldn't change anything about them.

Reflections on My Summer

Well, this summer has been filled to the brim with learning opportunities. Looking back, I realized I did a lot of babysitting and other "sitting" jobs. I also had a lot of personal reflection time and personal growth. I've realized, even though I did not get an official "job." I had the best job ever. I got the best of both worlds, so to speak, as being a babysitter. Let me explain:

As a babysitter, I got to have the learning and practicing all in the same environment. Some of the things I've learned have been: unless they're not ticklish, kids have the same tickle spots( and there are several of them), not all kids in a family like the same things (I knew this  but, it was a nice refresher), I learned tricks to get kids to be more well behaved about getting things done and how to prepare them for things they don't like to do. Just like adults, kids don't quite like surprises. I learned some really neat toys and activities exist such as colored dots instead of number coloring pages. I learned a lot more but, I'll stop there. It was a great blessing to learn more about being a parent and having plenty of practice to try and "prefect" those techniques.

Another awesome part about my job? I got to go into some beautiful houses and see how they decorate to get ideas for my own future home some day. Who doesn't like seeing new ideas for arranging your furniture or how you set up little things such as instruments??? At one house, they had their instruments able to hang up nicely so they looked more like pictures of antiques but, they really play them! No bulky cases lying around in the front room!

Lastly, the kids. I love kids and I have met some of the sweetest, cutest, craziest, laziest, hyperist, everything else "ist" this summer. It has been such a blessing to learn what works with what type of child. Some are content to play puzzles for hours while others need stuff to do every other five minutes.

What a summer. It has been hectic and I've had to learn a lot but, looking back, it could not have been better. As I drove to Institute tonight (evening adult church class once a week), I looked toward the horizon and saw the start of a sunset. It had been close to rain all day and I'd had a bit of a hectic day but, this was such a "light" to my day. I felt peace&love and thought of how the Lord works through small things and the beauty of life and the Lord's temples. It was a great experience and it helped me put myself in the right mood for a class full of inspiring messages.