Once upon a time, I went to New York and had a great time. You may have noticed me tweeting about it as it was happening. Then I came back to Utah and found that the internet in my house had basically decided to Never Work, so I stopped updating things like my blog and emails and my etsy store. This was somewhat devastating to some people (or so I hear), but there wasn't much I was doing about it. And then school started and I got Super Busy, because I was still working part time, too, and had lots of homework going on.

But then, one day (today), I got bored between classes, and didn't have a printer available to me on campus, and so I decided to take a break on the homework thing, especially since I am now four weeks ahead in one class (not the class that needs a printer) and because I didn't feel like going ALL the way to the Computer Building or spending money on printing things when I knew that I could do it for free at the Mother and the Father's house.

Also, today is the first day wherein I have found an empty power outlet on campus, so I can blog without sapping my battery (I need that to last through my next class, otherwise notes wont' happen and then we'll all be sad.)

Anyway, a few weeks ago, the Dad, Sister, and I went to visit families in Upstate New York. The day before, however, I'd gone hiking in the Narrows at Zion and came away with a nasty sore throat and, later, a cough and runny/stuff nose (which, btw, are still pretty much a constant torture in my life. So pretty much every time we were in a car, I was asleep. That was awesome. There was a lot of sleeping going on that week.

I've actually thought about splitting this up into multiple posts, but I have this feeling in my heart where I know I'd get one post down and then... no more. And you'd all be left on the edges of your seats, continuously wondering what happened next?! So. Picture intensive post. Have fun.

One day we took a trip up to the Canadia. There were two slightly disappointing things about Canada. 1) They didn't stamp our passports. Jerks. 2) Oh, it's actually the AMERICAN side of the Niagara Falls that I wanted to take pictures of (but we couldn't remember until it was too late, so now I just have to go back again).

Awesome things about Canada: We went to the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory (this was, as we should all know, one of my Day Zero Goals). I took many, many pictures at the garden/conservatory. Below you will find a few of them:



















  









There was also going to Watkins Glen and me taking pictures there. However, this post is already long enough. So we are ending here. And I still need to upload the pictures from my other camera, so... That is all for now.

Labels: Family, travel

I've just said a fairly final fair well to my hotmail account. I've had that thing for half of my life now (almost more)! And, while I haven't really used it for a good three or four years now, I suddenly miss it. This is a weird, weird feeling. Maybe it's because, in my final email, I realized that a few people I wish to be able to remain in contact with have changed their email addresses without telling me, so suddenly being able to say goodbye to them is impossible. This is somewhat upsetting. I mean, I'll get over it, but still.

Yep. That's all I've got for now. I'll stick pictures up of my vacation soon, but for now I am having to get ready for work. Where I now get to wear pants because I don't work in the distribution center any more. It's great!




Bella, I need you.. To clean out my glittery poop from the litter box.

Labels: Entertainment

Yup. I'm still alive! Most of the posts you've been seeing on my blog have all been scheduled, because I am awesome that way. This one, for the record, is not scheduled. When it posts, it will be because I will have just finished writing it.

Currently the Dad and the Sister and I are in the Upstates of NY visiting The Grandparents. We are having awesome fun times and it's beautiful back here, as always. Yesterday we took a little jaunt on up to Canadia and visited the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls Ontario. One of the customs people going into Canadia (the first time) wasn't exactly friendly, but all of our other dealings with the Canadians and Customs Agents went over pretty well. And, yes, there are pictures of Canada, but I have no camera cord with me at the moment, so we will all have to wait probably long times to see those pictures. We also went TO the falls, but I decided I like the American side of that better and didn't take any pictures of said waterfalls. Mostly because, like I said, I like the American side better. Actually, I lie. I did take exactly three pictures, but they're all of the backside of water and less interesting. Maybs I will share one of them when I get it uploaded to my computer.

Speaking of computers... for those of you who do not follow me on Twitter or just plain did not notice, I have a new one! This one is a Toshiba (again. Third one; I am very loyal) named HuHu Cat. Don't ask, because it is doubtful you will understand. But I love it and it's beautiful, and there is no Windows Vista to deal with. Also, there is a touch screen, and now when I use computers that are not mine, I have this bad habit of touching the screen and wondering why nothing is happening before I realize, "Oh. This is not my computer. Sorry for the fingerprint." And, hey Mom, how is yours working out for you?

Other things... Brutus the Goggy (my cousin's) has a very profound love for me and has ever since he first saw me. It has been kind of... annoying when he won't Leave Me Alone, but last night he had some trauma, and I comforted him, and now he is not so excitable, but instead just snuggles with me, and that I can handle. I like snuggly dogs; I do not care much for dogs that won't let me do my thing when I am trying to, you know, do my thing. For the record, he is a very adorable dog and I do like him. But more now than before because now he lets me continue with whatever I'm doing.

And now we're off on another adventure. Until next time!

Labels: Family, travel

 

Labels: Book of Mormon, Religion, Svithe

So, my Day Zero goals are going quite well. I have 17 of them finished at the time of writing this post (sort of 18, but that gets complicated, so we're just going to say 17), but I have a question about one of them. I mean, I realize that they are my goals, so it is ultimately my opinion that matters, right? But I'd still like some input on this one:

#57. Reach out to an old friend

I'm beginning to realize how being ambiguous about the way one words one's goals is not a good thing. And, because of this, I'm kind of put in a rut. Or something. I don't know exactly. The question I have is as such: Let's say I "reach out" to this old friend that I haven't talked to in years. Does it count as being a goal marked off, even if they don't every reply? Or, should I define "reach out" to be more "reconnect" with an old friend? Which means, contacting them results in them contacting me in return?

Please comment. Seriously. And if I get 10 different people to comment, I'll send you each a coupon-code to my Etsy store, offering you some sort of discount.

(Please note: all 10 comments must be in by one week from today, Monday the 9th at 6pm.)

Labels: goals

Sorry for two churchy posts in a row. Actually, I'm not really sorry. I just hope that you don't feel like I'm going all over-kill on the religion.

I had the opportunity to teach in Relief Society today, something that I haven't done for three months, but something that I've been thinking about since my last lesson. I think it was last Fast Sunday when I finally decided what I was going to teach on. Sacrament meeting was just starting, and the brother giving the invocation mentioned the phrase "a broken heart and a contrite spirit," and it just stuck with me. I thought, "That's it. That's what I need to teach on!" It took me 2 weeks of pretty heavy thinking (worst weeks EVER at work, actually) to really get the lesson down, and even then, it didn't turn out anything like I expected it to. I'm not even sure what I expected, exactly, but this was not it.

Anyway, what follows is, more or less, my lesson. This is, actually, how it started*, but I ended up moving a few things around, cutting a few scriptures out (due to time constraints. I'm still kind of annoyed that I had to cut anything out, but at least I was forewarned**), and, of course, none of the comments I received via participation are included here (had some really good comments, even if I did have to pull teeth to get anyone to comment).

• What does it mean to have a broken heart? (To suffer extreme sorrow.)

• What does the word contrite mean? (Repentant.)

Write these definitions on the chalkboard.

Read

D&C 59:8 Thou shalt offer a ^asacrifice unto the Lord thy God in ^brighteousness, even that of a broken heart and a ^ccontrite spirit.

 3 Ne. 12: 19

  19 And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a ^abroken heart and a contrite spirit. Behold, ye have the commandments before you, and the ^blaw is fulfilled.

Ps. 34: 18

  18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and ^asaveth such as be ^bof a contrite spirit.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalms 51:17

What does it mean to sacrifice?

To sacrifice is to give up something valuable or precious, often with the intent of accomplishing a greater purpose or goal. Sacrifice has always been a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a reminder of the great atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for all who have lived or will live on earth. Before the ministry of Christ, animal sacrifices were offered for this purpose. After the Atonement of Christ, followers of Jesus Christ—by His direction—began to offer instead a "broken heart and contrite spirit" (3 Nephi 9:20), 

 • Why does Christ want us to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit?

As in all things, the Savior’s life offers us the perfect example: though Jesus of Nazareth was utterly without sin, He walked through life with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, as manifested by His submission to the will of the Father. “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). To His disciples He said, “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). And when the time came to pay the ultimate sacrifice entailed in the Atonement, Christ shrank not to partake of the bitter cup but submitted completely to His Father’s will.

The Savior’s perfect submission to the Eternal Father is the very essence of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Christ’s example teaches us that a broken heart is an eternal attribute of godliness. When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master. (Bruce D. Porter)

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) defined a broken heart and a contrite spirit this way: “Godly sorrow … is a deep realization that our actions have offended our Father and our God. It is the sharp and keen awareness that our behavior caused the Savior, He who knew no sin, even the greatest of all, to endure agony and suffering. Our sins caused him to bleed at every pore. This very real mental and spiritual anguish is what the scriptures refer to as having ‘a broken heart and a contrite spirit.’ ”

 When we sin and desire forgiveness, a broken heart and a contrite spirit mean to experience “godly sorrow [that] worketh repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10). This comes when our desire to be cleansed from sin is so consuming that our hearts ache with sorrow and we yearn to feel at peace with our Father in Heaven. Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them, without resistance or resentment. We cease doing things our way and learn to do them God’s way instead. In such a condition of submissiveness, the Atonement can take effect and true repentance can occur. The penitent will then experience the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost, which will fill them with peace of conscience and the joy of reconciliation with God. In a wondrous union of divine attributes, the same God who teaches us to walk with a broken heart invites us to rejoice and to be of good cheer. (Bruce D. Porter)

 President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985), who gave such comprehensive teachings on repentance and forgiveness, said that personal suffering is a very important part of repentance. “One has not begun to repent until he has suffered intensely for his sins. … If a person hasn’t suffered,” he said, “he hasn’t repented.”2

Why is it necessary for us to suffer on the way to repentance for serious transgressions? We tend to think of the results of repentance as simply cleansing us from sin, but that is an incomplete view of the matter. A person who sins is like a tree that bends easily in the wind. On a windy and rainy day, the tree bends so deeply against the ground that the leaves become soiled with mud, like sin. If we focus only on cleaning the leaves, the weakness in the tree that allowed it to bend and soil its leaves may remain. Similarly, a person who is merely sorry to be soiled by sin will sin again in the next high wind. The susceptibility to repetition continues until the tree has been strengthened.

When a person has gone through the process that results in what the scriptures call “a broken heart and a contrite spirit,” the Savior does more than cleanse that person from sin. He gives him or her new strength. That strengthening is essential for us to realize the purpose of the cleansing, which is to return to our Heavenly Father. To be admitted to His presence, we must be more than clean. We must also be changed from a morally weak person who has sinned into a strong person with the spiritual stature to dwell in the presence of God. We must, as the scripture says, become “a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mosiah 3:19). This is what the scripture means in its explanation that a person who has repented of his sins will forsake them. Forsaking sins is more than resolving not to repeat them. Forsaking involves a fundamental change in the individual. (Dallin H. Oaks)

When we have received a forgiveness of sins, a broken heart serves as a divine shield against temptation. Nephi prayed, “May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite!” (2 Nephi 4:32). King Benjamin taught his people that if they would walk in the depths of humility, they might ever rejoice, “be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of … sins” (Mosiah 4:12). When we yield our hearts to the Lord, the attractions of the world simply lose their luster.

There is yet another dimension of a broken heart—namely, our deep gratitude for Christ’s suffering on our behalf. In Gethsemane, the Savior “descended below all things” (D&C 88:6) as He bore the burden of sin for every human being. At Golgotha, He “poured out his soul unto death” (Isaiah 53:12), and His great heart literally broke with an all-encompassing love for the children of God. When we remember the Savior and His suffering, our hearts too will break in gratitude for the Anointed One.

As we make the sacrifice to Him of all that we have and all that we are, the Lord will fill our hearts with peace. He will “bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1) and grace our lives with the love of God, “sweet above all that is sweet, … and pure above all that is pure” (Alma 32:42). (Bruce D. Porter) 

Repentance is a continuing process needed by all because “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Repentance is possible, and then forgiveness is certain.

President Kimball said: “Sometimes … when a repentant one looks back and sees the ugliness, the loathsomeness of the transgression, he is almost overwhelmed and wonders, ‘Can the Lord ever forgive me? Can I ever forgive myself?’ But when one reaches the depths of despondency and feels the hopelessness of his position, and when he cries out to God for mercy in helplessness but in faith, there comes a still, small, but penetrating voice whispering to his soul, ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee.’”4

When this happens, we have the fulfillment of the precious promise that God will take away the guilt from our hearts through the merits of His Son (see Alma 24:10). How comforting the promise in Isaiah 1:18 that “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” How glorious God’s own promise that “he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more” (D&C 58:42).

*By "started" I mean: this is how I had my lesson planned to go when I got to church this morning. It ended as a color-coded.... thing with notes arrows and lines all over the place, but I think you can still get the gist of things in what I've posted here, anyway. P.S. I hope you realize that not a single phrase^ in my lesson is something I came up with. Everything I used was found on lds.org, with quite a bit of it pulled from a talk by Elder Porter of the 70 and Elder Oaks of the 12. I also pulled a few things out of an Aaronic Priesthood manual (found online, of course).
 
   ^Actually, this is not quite true. I did add in the question "What does it mean to sacrifice?" all by myself. My idea. Also, the title of this post? That was me, too.

**in the night. Seriously. I was having all kinds of hinky^^ dreams last night, and in the midst of one of them, I dreamed I was at church, in Relief Society, waiting to give my lesson, but the Stake Relief Society President decided that she wanted to "take a few minutes" and ended up teaching an entire lesson, not even leaving room for testimonies at the end, and I just kept wondering when she was going to stop talking so that I could get to teaching. Luckily this isn't quite what happened to me, but it was one of the councilors in the SRP, and I was wondering when she was going to get to the point, just spit it out already and let me teach! Yes, I am impatient.

    ^^If you don't know what "hinky" means, then you need to go watch some more NCIS.

Labels: Church, Religion, Svithe

Alma 4:14 "Looking forward to that day, thus retaining a remission of their sins; being filled with great joy because of the resurrection of the dead, according to the will and power and deliverance of Jesus Christ from the bands of death." I think if we are "looking forward" to a day, then we are also preparing for it. Like Christmas. We prepare for Christmas by decorating the house, buying gifts for those we love, watching Christmas movies, reading in Luke 2... So if we are "looking forward to that day" (the day that Christ shall come again), then we will be retaining a remission of our sins, because we will be repenting and trying to live righteously. We will be taking care of each other, the sick, and the needy, we will be doing all of those things that we have been asked to do.

Labels: Book of Mormon, Religion, Svithe

"I think I know how it is to be grown up; it's when you feel how someone feels that isn't you." -Frances Griffiths

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