Deep Roots are Not Reached by the Frost

The good news of the gospel is what I'll be teaching to the people in southern Spain.  I'd better understand what that phrase means if I'm going to do that and over the past 3 days I've found a new bit of hope.  I've better understood what the good news of the gospel is. This glorious news has only the power we give it.  Just like God's power on this earth he's given to worthy men, the priesthood, is only as powerful as the man is worthy and uses that power righteously.  As a daughter of Heavenly Father I have access to the power of the atonement, but I only have access to the power I allow to come to my life.  I must open my heart and trust the Lord.  Bitterness, justification, grudges, anger...those things blind me to what I can actually truly do and what I can actually truly control. Something I've come to understand: those things that inhibit me from progressing can be left behind.  Those things may be connected to important memories, but by le...

“I love you, Mother,” said little John; Then, forgetting his work, his cap went on, And he was off to the garden swing, Leaving her the water and wood to bring.   “I love you, Mother,” said rosy Nell. “I love you better than tongue can tell.” Then she teased and pouted full half the day, Till her mother rejoiced when she went to play.   “I love you, Mother,” said little Fan. “Today I’ll help you all I can. How glad I am that school doesn’t keep!” So she rocked the babe till it fell asleep.   Then, stepping softly, she fetched the broom, And swept the floor and tidied the room. Busy and happy all day was she, Helpful and happy as a child could be.   “I love you, Mother,” again they said, Three little children going to bed. How do you think...

This morning I talked with my roommate about how sometimes when I'm really happy it's hard to focus because all I want to do is talk to everyone else and share my joy with them! I don't want to focus on reading anything or focusing on school work...I want to talk to people and smile and laugh and just talk and talk about how blessed life can be, because that's what my life is and always has been.  Now, mind you, there have been times when I've been blinded from seeing those blessings due to my own internal conflicts, but that doesn't mean my life wasn't blessed at those times. After I talked with her I was reading Alma 22.  Can I just say that Alma and Amulek, Ammon, Aaron, and the other sons of Mosiah went through A LOT to share the gospel.  They had such faith and strength and confidence in the Lord and thus were able to have a good deal of success.  But something else I noticed:  along with their faith, strength, and confidence, they also had a great de...

Feeling down?   Turn on an upbeat classical piece and dance around the kitchen as if you're the most spectacular ballroom dancer in the entire universe.  Let every worry, sorrow or fear drop at your feet for just 1 minute and dance your heart out.  Grab a roommate, a sister, a brother - anyone!  Let that music guide your movement, but don't think about it.  Just listen and move those feet. Those worries and sorrows and fears will stay on the ground if you let them.  Keep that smile on your face and move forward with a perfect brightness of hope, with a love of God and of all men. It was hard for me to do that today.  And I didn't do it as well as I could have.  I didn't even want to dance; my roommate asked me too because she was listening to a string quartet.  Because of the smile on her face and the work I knew she'd gone through to put it there I accepted the outstretch hand and danced.  I'm very glad I did in the end.  ...

I stumble out of my bed and drag myself to the mirror where I turn on the straightener begin straightening my hair.  The stiffness of my muscles has yet to catch up with my desire to look presentable.  Eventually I successfully look like a human being rather than a zombie and get some shoes, my backpack, and a coat then open the door. A yelp escapes my throat and I involuntary close the door, never having exited the apartment. Outside, there is snow falling down, down, down.  The quietness seems to mock my desire to be back in bed. I turn to my roommates and say with a pout, "It's snooooowwwwinnnngg."  I look down at my shoes, knowing they will not make it 2 minutes out in the world now being covered in white.  I can't find my boots though and class is starting in 2 minutes.  I'll already be late. Rachel hears my predicament and asks if I'd like to borrow her boots, but alas, they are too small.  I get a thought that maybe my boots are stored away ...

Tonight I made some final decisions after talking with a friend.  Hard final decisions. I wasn't looking forward to the rest of the evening after that.  Walking into the apartment I felt confident in my decisions, yet I felt a sense of loss.  I sat down at the table, sat there for a few minutes, then took a 20 minute nap until a Relief Society Activity I didn't really want to go to.  Lindsey came in, woke me up, and I dutifully got up because I wanted to support my Relief Society leaders.  I went to the Relief Society activity.  It was good, it was fun. Through out the activity I was victimizing myself and wanting pity. I ran home to grab some spoons for refreshments and when I walked into my apartment there stood, with Rachel and Ryan, two adults I had never seen before in my life.  I was on a mission though and I needed to get some spoons.  I quickly said hello and made my way to the kitchen when I found out that these two lovely people were R...

GUYS!  Guess what I remembered today?? As long as I've got my family, everything is good. I may not have what I want when I want it, but I do have what the Lord needs me to have right now.   "The family is ordained of God" and I'm so glad I've got the family I do. They may not be around me all the time, but when I do talk with my family they always bring the most clarity and understanding to my questions.  I am surrounded by amazing people, and they are all blessings in my life, but my family is sealed to me and that sealing brings power which is manifest in how much strength I glean from those relationships. Eventually I'll bring someone else into this family and hopefully that man will be integrated into my extended family very well.  And then he and I will be sealed and that power will strengthen us and our marriage, but that adventure won't be happening for a while.  For now, the family I have will stay the same (apart from new babies) and th...

Alma 26:1-3 "My brothers and by brethren, behold i say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto us such great blessings?  And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us?  Can ye tell? Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work." - Ammon As I read this, my thoughts turned to asking, "Do I have great reason to rejoice since the time I have started from the commencement of college, and could I have supposed God would have granted unto me such great blessings? Can I recognize those blessings for what they are?" These questions immediately turned to a pivota...

This weekend has been one of great upheaval and I've yet to recover from it, though I do declare I'm on my way. For those of you who don't know, missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been allowed, for the past who knows how long, to leave on their missions at the age of 19 for guys and 21 for girls.  This past weekend my church had this big meeting we refer to as our General Conference where the living prophet of God, his two counselors, and the 12 apostles on the earth today along with other church leaders all speak to the general populous of the church in 6 sessions - four general sessions two hours each, and a session for the women or young women on the Saturday prior to the general sessions, and then a session for the men, known as the priesthood session. Now, the way it works is like this:  the prophet opens the conference with a short address generally welcoming us to conference and some general announcements.  Most often he annou...

Did you know I like wearing fake glasses? Did you know I like my new skinny jeans? Did you know I like making my hair wavy? Did you know I like my smile? Did you know I like my eyes? Did you know I like my hair? Did you know I like my laugh? Did you know I like to write? Did you know I like to cook? Did you know I like to go on walks? Did you know I like the fall leaves? Did you know I like getting giddy when I think about the autumn time? Did you know I like the cool, crisp air for autumn time? Did you know I like thinking? Did you know I like pondering? Did you know I like my family? Did you know I like my roommates? Did you know I like mi guapo? Did you know I like knowing I need all of them to be happy? Did you know I like succeeding? Did you know I like the feeling of finishing a hard assignment then getting a good grade? Did you know I like the diversity in this world? Did you know I like the fact that Spencer is an artist? Did you kn...

SCHOOL STARTS ON MONDAY. I HAVE TWO MORE DAYS LEFT AT WORK. LYDIA HAS MOVED TO PROVO. I'M DATING A MOST SPECTACULAR GUY. Or in other words: On Monday the sequence of getting up, being responsible enough to go to class, organizing my time to get my homework done, and learning as much as possible shall begin.  My current schedule consists of 16.5 credits, four of which are CHEM 105.  I think of the class and I think of my textbook and I get frightened a bit.  I have filled the other 12.5 credits with 6 classes.  They shall keep me on my toesies! I have 5 classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday beginning at 7 am and ending at 3 pm.  Tuesday I only have my Chemistry Lab (my easy day, AKA, my day of homework.) and Thursday I have 3 classes.  BRING IT ON BABY.  I feel like I'll have a lot more time this semester than the last semester even though I only had 14 credits last semester.  Why? Because I'm leaving my job as the Secretary for...

So, to those of you who remember my car being lost , I had another little episode today. This morning I woke up completely dead, confused, and just all around out of it.  That happens when you go to bed at 1:30 in the morning after a really really long, full day.  I got to work late, was beating myself up, and not quite engaging my brain in the most productive way.  Then comes my lunch break!  Hooray!  I grab the office key and my purse, quickly put the key away, then head back to my apartment.  On the walk home I look down at my hand to see the key swinging from my fingers.  I'm utterly confused at to why I have my key still, but I just go home and think really hard that I can't leave it at my apartment because then I won't be able to get back into my office.  Half way through lunch I want to see if I have any texts or calls I missed, so I go to my purse and rummaged around in it for a few seconds only to realize I must have left my phone a...

Sister Eliza R. Snow said that the Holy Ghost "satisfies and fills up every longing of the human heart, and fills up every vacuum.  When I am filled with that Spirit," she continued, "my soul is satisfied, and I can say in good earnest, that the trifling things of the day do not seem to stand in my way at all.  But just let me lose my hold of that spirit and power of the Gospel, and partake of the spirit of the world, in the slightest degree, and trouble comes; there is something wrong.  I am tired, and what will comfort me?  You cannot impart comfort to me that will satisfy the immortal mind, but that which comes from the Fountain above. And is it not our privilege to so live that we can have this constantly flowing into our souls?" - Daughters in My Kingdom, Ch. 4, pp. 46 It's astonishing the number of times I "partake of the spirit of the world, in the slightest degree," which then puts me in a fowl mood at times or makes me simply "tired, an...

Last night my roommates and I along with a few other awesome people in the ward threw a party for one of our dear friends, Brad Horman.  We made curry and rice, naan (an Indian flat bread), and an awesome birthday cake with fondant.  All of which fed about 20 people...I think. I love spending time and laughing with a good group of people.  Hearing jokes, gathered around to just have a good time.  It was refreshing to just relax and not worry about being judged about what I said or did - no implications or deeper meanings attached to my words or actions.  It was just what it was.  (That's not to say I was crazy bouncing off the walls...I still watched myself and didn't say the first thing that came to mind.)  It was pure, good fun. Brad, thanks for having a birthday. :) And then today my ward had a water kickball activity with water balloons!  WHOA MAN WAS THAT SO MUCH FUN!!!!  I kind of got soaked through 10 times from buckets of wate...

I've written a few letters in the past 2 years and waiting for a response sucks the fun out of life at times, but that's only because I'm not focused on the people around me.  Today I wrote a letter to my sister who is on a mission in Singapore and figured something out.  I just have to be me, let her be herself, then love her and learn from her anything and everything that I can.  Then I'll love her letters, but not pine for them when they have a prominent absence in my family's mail box.  She's doing what she is called to do, and I can do what I've been called to do, AKA - be a happy person; because guess what?  "Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy." All my letters to and from the ones I've loved have been like this, so I think I'll change how I write letters now so they are less selfish and more giving to the receiver. 

Life is full of trickiness.  I don't need to tell anyone that because any living human being knows the truth of that - the constant decision making, the unknowns, the waiting, the doing, the leaping, the crawling, the attachments, the breaking of hearts, the laughs, and the tears....everything meshed together to make my life.  A life of one person!  What would my existence be without even one of those things?  My trials and joys are what make life wonderful.  The opposing characteristics of life that keep me on my feet make it worthwhile.  Sometimes I am drowning in misery but paste a smile on anyway for a majority of those around me and that's no fun, but sometimes I'm joyful and literally bursting with laughter and happiness. In the miserable times I remember that bursting joy and cling to the memory of myself during that time.  There's a quote I like that says something along the lines of, "If you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserv...

What think ye of this? Here's what I think:  I must be an introvert....with bits of extroversion as well- aT ThE SaMe tIMe! Most people are probably a mix of both according to these descriptions, which of course makes knowing how to care for each person as an individual even more puzzling.

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down, darkness be over me, my rest a stone; yet in my dreams I'd be nearer, my God, to thee. A person wandering through this life has tired from the day of chores and trials, but has only a stone to lay their head on.  Yet, despite that, in their dreams, they are near unto the Lord and find peace in Him and sing His praise. I like to day dream.  I do it often enough that I consider it a weakness of mine.  Coming up with all sorts of situations among those in my life ranging from close friends and family to co-workers or professors is what most of my day dreaming consists of.  It can be extremely detrimental to my work ethic and allowing for realistic expectations as often times I romaticize the situations so extravagantly thought up.  I must admit, I have been disappointed and distraught when people of all sorts don't meet my day dreaming expectations.  And that's completely my own fault - I wanted from them the id...

Sometimes when I'm sitting at my kitchen table I have zero motivation to do anything.  Sometimes when that happens, I don't do anything, although sometimes I decide that sitting there is pointless, so I start cleaning or cooking or reading or organizing....or something.  Or maybe someone will come by and let me cook 60 lbs. of ground beef for them.  Sure!  Let's do that. :) Sometimes I am really motivated to get lots and lots done - but that only happens if I make myself start on something.  Most of the time I don't want to do anything, but after realizing how lame of a duck that made me, I would start something and then I'd finally find my motivation.  Sometimes that happens, but sometimes I don't get past my kitchen table.... Sometimes I get lots done....sometimes I do. ;)  Do you?

This weekend I went to Logan with Mabel to visit our dear Julia friend.  We had a lovely time shopping for things to furnish/fill/decorate her new apartment with!  We got her some pots and pans, some dishes and silverware, some cooking utensils, some rags, and awesome blender.  It was great spending time with both of them and just being happy. Logan is a very beautiful place, by the way.  And the drive through the canyon to get there is literally breathtaking.  I was awestruck and amazed by the simple beauty we drove through.  I dearly wanted to stop the car and walk among the gorgeous landscape my Heavenly Father had created.  I would have stopped the car to take a few pictures, but time was short going in both directions and the pull to get to our destinations on time was larger than the pull to get some lovely pictures. I say literally breathtaking because on our way back, while Mabel took a little nap, we drove through this canyon again (natur...

I'm changing things on my blog around, in case you didn't notice.   Along with the background and everything else, I would like to change my blog title as well.  I can't figure out what to change it too, though.  Any suggestions?

Ready for a laugh?  And not a "Haha, nice try Amelia," but rather a "Haha, I can't believe you did it again..." I changed my major to Civil Engineering.  Hum-deedle-dum.  I am now whistling and looking off at the very intriguing corner of the ceiling as you stare at me with a look of, "What on earth are you thinking??" As I look back at you I innocently shrug my shoulders and with a shy, knowing smile ask, "Why are you looking at me like that?"  Well, let me explain to you why you shouldn't be looking at me like that. I hate history. I really don't like history. History and I don't really get along. After taking three history classes, I've decided I don't want to pursue history. While history is great for some people, it's not for me. History is more about indefinite ideas in which there is ALWAYS an unknown and you have to decide what is most important to focus on, thus throwing out other information...

Lindz   She's the force behind keeping happiness in the apartment in many instances.  She listens, she prays, she ponders, she's beautiful, she helps me be a better person, she uplifts, she's dedicated, she loves endlessly, she's patient, she can get really really excited, she's thoughtful, she's careful, she's Christ's servant, she tries very hard.  She's my dear friend. Rach Strong and full of life!  She's the psychology major who has a great deal of love in her tiny self.  She's very determined and focused on what needs to get done.  She's so giving and generous with her time as she volunteers as an orchestra director for her old elementary school, as well as helping with a crisis hot line 3 hours a week on top of school and a job.  She cares about me and wants to help whenever she can.  Her patience is seen as she handles stresses life throws at her, but she always turns to Heavenly Father to help her through those t...