Thursday, October 16, 2008

"I like to look for rainbows..."

I have some super exciting news!! In a few weeks, I will be baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!!!!! Lots and lots of thought and prayer has gone into this decision, and I know with all of my heart that I'm making the right choice. The date is set for November 15th, and I cannot wait!!!

Father, all my heart I give thee;
All my service shall be thine.
Guide me as I search in weakness;
Let thy loving light be mine.

Monday, October 13, 2008

It's funny how it works out sometimes...

As is often the case, when I almost decide not to go to church for various reasons but end up going anyway, it turns out that getting out of the house for a bit, feeling the Spirit, and laughing with my girlfriends is exactly what I need to start a new week with a smile on my face.

I started to freak out on Saturday night, because I ended up having more homework than I'd originally thought I had at the beginning of the weekend (don't you just love it when that happens? haha). So pretty much all Saturday night and all Sunday morning, I was debating whether or not I should stay home and get my homework done. I'd been especially looking forward to this Sunday in particular, as it was Testimony Meeting, and I hadn't been to one of those since May...and Marvelous Madison had invited me to have "pirate stew" at her place afterwards. I decided, though, that I would probably feel worse if I didn't go to church. So I went...and I'm so glad I did!! I loved hearing everyone share their testimonies. And dinner at Madi's was super fun! The pirate stew was delicious, and when we were done eating, we watched the LDS version of Pride and Prejudice. It was super cute!!

And now for the best part!! When I got home, I was finishing up a final paper for my BIS 301 class that was due tonight at midnight. I got most of it done last night, but I wasn't feeling too confident about it. My teacher had asked us to bring a hard copy of our final draft to this morning's class with us, so that we could do a final peer review. When he was passing out the sheet with the stuff we were supposed to be focusing on, he said there was a surprise. I started reviewing my paper and wasn't paying attention to the surprise, but then Chris turns to me and says, "Did you see what the surprise is?!" Our teacher had extended the due date to tomorrow at noon!!!

Now just think how I would've felt when hearing that if I hadn't gone to church...haha!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Witty Wednesday!

This past weekend was super special, with it being my brother's birthday and General Conference weekend. Chris seemed to really enjoy his special day...18, oh my goodness!! Seriously, I don't think I realize how old I am until his birthday comes rolling around, haha!

General Conference was even more amazing than I'd imagined it would be. I knew it was going to be a very spiritual experience...I just didn't realize how much of one it would be. My love for the gospel and for the Church has grown sooo much after listening to the speakers. I've been encouraged and inspired in so many ways. I can't get over the range of emotions I've felt over the last few days, either...one minute, I'm quietly enjoying the scenery, letting everything sink in, and the next thing I know, I feel like I'm ready to run a race for the Lord, haha!

Anywho, here are just a few of the many wonderful gems I got out of this weekend...

"You must never underestimate the power of your righteous influence."
--Elaine S. Dalton

"Seen or unseen [angels] are always near."
--Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"Come what may, and love it."
--Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

"You don't know everything, but you know enough."
--Elder Neil L. Andersen

"Meekness is not weakness."
--Elder Robert D. Hales

"Every cloud we see doesn't result in rain."
--Elder Quinten L. Cook

"Find joy in the journey--now."
--President Thomas S. Monson

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Happy Birthday, Christopher!!!!

18 reasons why I think I have the best brother in the whole world...


18. I lovelovelove his curly hair.
17. He's honest, especially when it comes to food.
16. He's my boss.
15. He makes me laugh. A lot.
14. He is my at-home tech help, so I don't ever need to call the Geek Squad.
13. Car rides with him are the best.
12. He sat through all 107 minutes of Enchanted.
11. He waited until we were outside of the theatre to start complaining about having to sit through all 107 minutes of Enchanted.
10. He is super intelligent.
9. He isn't afraid to try new things.
8. Four little words: "It was the chair!!"
7. He introduced me to Harry Potter.
6. We're only 16 months apart.
5. He lets me "serenade" him when we're driving without complaining too much.
4. I have an awesome study buddy!
3. Even though he's younger than me, I look up to him (both literally and figuratively, haha).
2. I'm so thankful we ended up in the same family.
1. He is the best friend I could ever ask for. :)