Bring it on!

I am so ready for 2010!

Here is an AMAZING narrative from one of my favorite websites "1,000 Awesome Things".

I think it is beautiful, enjoy. :)

"#601 Getting through it
That was a tough one.

Come on in and stop for a second to shake your head, dust yourself off, and look back at how far you’ve come.

Sure, it’s been a long year. Some crushing lows slapped you and smacked you around. There were times your heart dipped and you squinted back tears while your stomach squeezed so tightly you couldn’t sleep. There were moments you walked around in a glossy-eyeball daze — when loved ones hurt, friends didn’t stay, or someone dear to your heart slowly drifted away.

Sleepless nights, stressful nights, with teething babies, slurring customers, bad bosses, bickering boyfriends, or blank computer screens. You were feeling and you were dealing and you were reeling and you were healing.

But as you walked your hard path down your long and bumpy road some little drops of confidence dripped like coffee into your head and into your heart. As you stumbled and got back up a quiet inner strength slowly seeped into your bones. And as you climbed over obstacles set in your way some relaxed satisfaction and growing self-awareness glimmered like bright lights at the bottom of your stomach.

Yes, this year changed you and grew you in so many ways you don’t even feel or notice yet. As you struggled you empathized, as you slipped you understood, as you worked you earned…

… as you looked you learned

… … as you dared you grew

… … … and as you jumped you flew.

Your dreams are still focusing and your passion is growing. Your energy is still bubbling as your story keeps going.

You’ve been through so much and gained a year’s supply of experience along the way. You’re stronger than you were last year and stronger than you realize. Sure, there were times you bent, but you definitely didn’t break. There were times you caved, but you definitely didn’t flake.

Listen up: you got bigger, you got better, and you got the scars to prove it.

So stop for a second today to smile and look back at everything you’ve done this year… everything you’ve seen… everywhere you’ve been…

You’ve taken more illegal naps and had more blurry-eyed late nights.

You’ve danced to more wedding songs and smiled at more beautiful sights.

You’ve seen more scorching sunsets and heard more head-bopping songs.

You’ve tripped a few times, but baby, you kept rolling right along.

Yes, you’ve hugged more old friends and kissed some brand new pretty faces.

You’ve cheered more on the sidelines and visited some brand new pretty places.

You tasted more meals, you got more deals, and you’ve sniffed more flower blossoms.

And you made it all the way through this year because you’re so completely

AWESOME!"

by Neil Pasricha

Merry Christmas

Tonight,my heart is full of gratitude for my Savior- His birth, His life, and His death. This year I started listening to Christmas music a lot earlier than I usually do. A week or so before Thanksgiving I found the "Peaceful Holidays" station on Pandora and for the next month and a half it was literally all I listened to. I love this station because it played piano or instrumental arrangements of Christmas songs. These beautiful songs became a form of worship for me because they express feelings for the Savior that I can't so eloquently describe on my own. Here are a few lines that really express my feelings towards the Savior tonight on Christmas Eve.

"What can I give Him, poor as I am?....Yet what I can, I give Him: give my heart."
-In the Bleak Midwinter

"Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!"
- O Holy Night, last verse

"He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love."
-Joy to the World, last verse

"This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!"
-What Child is This?

Merry Christmas everyone! I love you all.

Wonderful and Weird things that happen when I come home

Wonderful:

- I get to see my family
- It is warm, even if it is "cold" it is still warm
- I get to go running a lot
- I get to see old friends
- I get to go to my home ward and see people who have known me since I was a baby (and they don't hesitate to tell me all about it :)
- I get my own room ( I love you Tati)
- I do fun reminiscing things like looking at pictures and yearbooks
- I get to eat my mom's food

Weird:

- I become really tired. It is the weirdest thing. At school when I am getting ready for bed, I am able to stay awake to read my scriptures, write in my journal, and pray, but when I am home, as soon as I put my pajamas on, I am OUT. Like the fall-asleep-while-you're-praying-and-wake-up-twenty-minutes-later-with-a-neck-ache-kind of out.
-I become lazy. I wake up, do some stuff, read a book, sleep, do some stuff, read a book, and sleep some more.
-Even though it is warm outside, I am always FREEZING inside my house. I am not quite sure what it is, but all day yesterday I was walking around with sweats and a sweatshirt and a blanket wrapped around me. I think I just got used to having it be 80 degrees inside like it is in my apartment.
- I have virtually no recollection of the whole past year I spent in Provo. When I think about it, it seems like it happened 20 years ago on a different planet. I feel like once I left Provo, so did everyone else and that nothing happened and nothing will happen till I get back. Weird. And egocentric.

Right this very minute......

I am watching "Little Women" with Laura and Janae and I am very happy :)

Exciting!

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13965607

The Church is adding "to care for the poor and needy" to the three-fold mission of the church! I think it is really exciting and a huge blessing to have modern-day revelation guiding us in our lives.

Savior, Redeemer of My Soul

Tonight at institute, Katherine sang this beautiful song. I can't stop thinking about it. My two favorite lines that keep running through my head are "And all my life reflect thy will" and "And fit me for the life above". Here is a beautiful video that I found of the hymn. Enjoy :)