Genealogy, I Am Doing It

HOLY COW THERE IS SO MUCH FAMILY HISTORY TO BE DONE! Tonight I found a GOLD MINE - literally. :| haha. Man! I found at LEAST fifty people! Ancestry.com is the greatest thing that has ever been invented, I am convinced. I am so excited to do all this work! :D :D :D If anyone has any questions...ASK!

Here We Are

Welp, it's only been like FIVE MILLION YEARS! I seem to only get on blogger when I deactivate Facebook...haha. I'm back in college, after being in Ecuador for six months! It is really weird...I have a different perspective now, and it is a lot easier for me to see how INCREDIBLY blessed I am. My roommates are the best, from last fall semester! I am looking into being an occupational therapy assistant. We will see! I will tell more about Ecuador later. In a word, it was: CHEVERE. :) If you know espanol you will understand.

For All Those Who May Be Discouraged

In a word, all of us at some point or other.

http://lds.org/pages/lifting-burdens?lang=eng

Thanks Shayli. :)

The Truth

Have any of the two of you absolutely known before that God wants you to do something? I have, in ways that are almost comically clear, known that He has something in mind for me. Last summer I visited England with my family, and in the middle of the night the Spirit planted a seed in my mind about staying in England. It was scary at first! I went back home with my family, but then one Sunday at church I felt the Spirit, and it whispered again "You need to go back." The funny thing was that I felt like all the hymns I heard that day were "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go", etc. An extra prod, I'm sure. :) So I did go back, even though it was irrational and expensive and was hard on me to be away from my family and not know the purpose of this second trip. But I grew in that time. I felt more homesick and lonely than I have ever before in my life, and I learned that I could actually hop the pond solo. God even took away the desire that used to be so strong to waste my life on Facebook. I thought that was the reason I went to England again. And those reasons were, partly. I even guessed that this trip was a step towards something even bigger. It was. :)

Ecuador is that bigger something. And something tells me that this trip is just another step towards something even bigger...But again, the Spirit whispered to me. Can I just say that it is not worth it to try to avoid the Spirit's promptings? It really is not. I have been wondering in the deep recesses of my mind if I should go for longer than six weeks to Ecuador. And it has been hard to tell. As I've mentally wrestled this option out before God, I've come to realize that relief is different than peace. A part of me wants to only go for six weeks. But I was trying to find the truth. Honestly, both seemed like good options. But one night after praying again, I felt like six weeks was more logical. So that was my plan. But, if we honestly don't know what to do in a situation and try to choose the best we can and it's wrong, God will let us know. Last night, at an FHE activity with my singles ward, I talked to a friend of mine who has done multiple humanitarian trips. I told her of my dilemma. She changed my entire decision. :) As my friend told me yesterday, school will always be there. This opportunity may not be. And this seems like the perfect time in my life. I've seen a bit of what college is like, I'm not so far into schooling that I can't defer a semester, and did I mention I'm super nervous? haha. This is seriously going to be the greatest part of my life so far. As I was driving home after talking to my friend yesterday, I felt such incredible peace. Before, I had relief. But I felt a bit like I was always on guard, just in case the Spirit would whisper the truth. But now, I'm not worried. Unless the Spirit asks me to stay for even longer. haha. His will be done, I guess! :)

What have been some times in your life when you have known without a doubt the path that God wants you to take?

"A smile is a powerful weapon; you can even break ice with it."

"Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing."  ~Ken Kesey

It's the truth!

I love Quote Garden. :)

Thee Lift Me and I'll Lift Thee and We'll Both Ascend Together

Alright, positive thoughts from now on! How can I focus on the negative when there is so much more good to see? I love the way counting your blessings buoys you up.

I liked what my friend's mum asked us the other day at the dinner: (which was delicious, P.S.) "What's something good that has happened to you today?" I love that question, because no matter what day it is, something good has happened; and usually many many good things have happened! Think, even if you are having one of the most horrible days of your life, you are (probably) not on fire. And that is something to be grateful for! Am I right? :D

I am excited to work on becoming the most positive and enthusiastic person I know! (Besides a certain missionary in Brazil.) :)

P.S. I have officially been accepted to Ecuador with OSSO and I am SO EXCITED! :D Their website is orphanagesupport.org. Check it out! Come to Ecuador with me and we'll have a blast! haha

"Count your many blessings and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

Choose right now to have a great day, no matter what comes! We are so blessed!

White Rabbit

Hey! First post of 2011! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Just wanted to say how excited I am for institute. See why?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBfQYDtFqWQ

P.S. I love the Forgotten Carols; they always remind me of when the Weber Choir sang in the background last year. I miss high school! :D


P.P.S. For all two of you out there and your New Year's resolutions, Rascal Flatts puts it perfectly: "May all your dreams stay big." :)