Well, I feel it is about time that I posted the follow up to my last post to announce that I received my mission call on March 7, 2012 and have hereby been called to serve in the Philippines Cebu Mission! I will be learning and preaching the gospel in the Cebuano language! I was shocked when the call first came, I will admit. As time has passed, I have become quite settled in to the news and eagerly look forward to what will become my new home for a little over a year of my life.
It is interesting, sitting here and reflecting on the big changes happening in my life. I took my last test for 18 months, turned in my last assignment for a while, packed up my stuff and moved home. Going through my stuff, sorting through what I should take with me on the mission, and then deciding with the rest whether to pack it away to wait for me when I get back or to give it away. I wonder what kind of person will open those boxes in 18 months time. What kind of experiences will I have had. Sometimes, as I am putting it all away I can almost see myself opening the boxes back up. I can see me, unfolding the clothes, remembering my life before the mission and thinking wow, that seems so long ago. I almost see myself as the main character from Cast Away, having to be reacquainted to my old life again. What will the world, or my world, look like when I get back?
But, I am excited to begin this new chapter in my life. It will certainly be a new adventure and one unlike any I have had in my life thus far. I know it won't be easy. I have had many people tell me that. But instead of being scared, I have resolved to thinking that when the hard times come, I will know that it I am normal. The hard times come to everyone. And considering all the MANY blessings I have in my life, I feel that it is a small price to pay in the hopes of extending any degree of happiness to someone else. The gospel truly has blessed my life in so many ways. The Atonement has healed me. Time and time again, in so many ways. I am so grateful that I know there is a Father in Heaven who loves me and has such a hand in my life. He truly has been there for me, every step of the way. I know He will be with me as I go to the Philippines. I know He will be there because if He can love me, I know He loves His children in the Philippines. And He wants them to know it. I pray that I can be humble enough to know how best to share that with them during my short time with the Filipino people.
Wish me luck! Adyos! Until next time!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
What is your guess?
Yesterday an apostle of the Lord looked at my face and assigned me to an area to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Would you like to wager a guess as to where I have been assigned? Click on this link to play or you can enter the cell phone info and send a text! If you want credit and glory if you are the closest, include your name with your guess. :)
Replace your audience response systems with Poll Everywhere
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Reaching New Heights
I was recently reminded of an activity that makes me very happy. I would have just tacked it on to the list of an earlier post, but I thought this one could use its own explanation, especially since some think it might need one. Something that makes me happy is summit-ting mountains. I just love it! There is something to be said about reaching as high as you can go and then looking back at the progress you have made. It is a situation in which the effort you put in provides tangible and relatively immediate results. And it doesn't matter how fast you are, or how strong you are or how smart you are, if you put in the effort, you will move forward.
And once you reach that top, man! Not only do you feel the elation and sheer sense of achievement, the view is sooooo incredible! I am able to look down at the world I live in, and see it for what it really is - one piece of the big picture. My life in that little section from home to school, is not all there is. Sometimes we get so caught up in our little worlds, and up on the top of a mountain, you see that there is so much more. I like the dose of perspective that can be administered up on the highest peaks.
We truly are blessed for this world we live in. It is so beautiful, and I consider that a tender mercy from a very loving Heavenly Father. This world didn't have to be that pretty, but he made it that way for us. My run today reminded me that I need to look out more - get out of my usual 5-mile radius. And that I need to climb mountains more! Once this winter ends, I want to climb every mountain I can! The sense of achievement and perspective are so worth the energy and effort!
And once you reach that top, man! Not only do you feel the elation and sheer sense of achievement, the view is sooooo incredible! I am able to look down at the world I live in, and see it for what it really is - one piece of the big picture. My life in that little section from home to school, is not all there is. Sometimes we get so caught up in our little worlds, and up on the top of a mountain, you see that there is so much more. I like the dose of perspective that can be administered up on the highest peaks.
We truly are blessed for this world we live in. It is so beautiful, and I consider that a tender mercy from a very loving Heavenly Father. This world didn't have to be that pretty, but he made it that way for us. My run today reminded me that I need to look out more - get out of my usual 5-mile radius. And that I need to climb mountains more! Once this winter ends, I want to climb every mountain I can! The sense of achievement and perspective are so worth the energy and effort!
Monday, January 2, 2012
New Year
It is 2012!!! Can you believe it? I will admit, I have never really been a fan of all the New Years celebrations. Something about sparkly shirts, midnight kisses, bubbling beverages, and Lady Gaga performances, etc. never really appealed to me. Worst of all would have to be New Years resolutions. My level of commitment to both creating and following through on these resolutions has fluctuated over the years, and this year, I decided, what is the point? Why bother spending precious brain energy coming up with resolutions that I know will meet their end by February (if that long)?
For some reason or another, I ended up watching the movie Becoming Jane on the 1st of this new year, which oddly enough inspired a contemplation of why society does what it does. In the movie the couple could not be together due to society-imposed economic pressures, and my thoughts turned from that to, yes, New Years. Though it may seem like a strange connection, I wondered where society comes up with stuff like New Years resolutions and having a holiday to celebrate what in reality is just another day. The reason cannot be that we feel starved for holiday spirit, because New Years falls just a week after Christmas. Some presents may still lie in a stack, with plastic and tags still attached.
And then it hit me, it all makes sense. How fitting that a holiday in which we recognize and remember the gift of the Savior, both in his being born to this earth and in all he has done and continues to do for us, should be followed by a focus on repentance. It seems that such a focus on the Savior naturally compels us to consider what can be changed in our lives. Remembering Him makes us want to be more like Him. Many people may be hesitant to categorize New Years as such, but in essence that is what we do. We pause and reflect on what needs improvement in our lives, and make, dare I say it, resolutions to be just a little better, a little more like Christ in the upcoming year.
So to all those naysayers out there, all those who think the cause is over before you've even begun and not worth the try, I encourage you to join me to take a moment to reflect and consider what change(s) YOU can make in 2012 to be more like our Savior Jesus Christ. Or as the world likes to call it, "New Years resolutions."
For some reason or another, I ended up watching the movie Becoming Jane on the 1st of this new year, which oddly enough inspired a contemplation of why society does what it does. In the movie the couple could not be together due to society-imposed economic pressures, and my thoughts turned from that to, yes, New Years. Though it may seem like a strange connection, I wondered where society comes up with stuff like New Years resolutions and having a holiday to celebrate what in reality is just another day. The reason cannot be that we feel starved for holiday spirit, because New Years falls just a week after Christmas. Some presents may still lie in a stack, with plastic and tags still attached.
And then it hit me, it all makes sense. How fitting that a holiday in which we recognize and remember the gift of the Savior, both in his being born to this earth and in all he has done and continues to do for us, should be followed by a focus on repentance. It seems that such a focus on the Savior naturally compels us to consider what can be changed in our lives. Remembering Him makes us want to be more like Him. Many people may be hesitant to categorize New Years as such, but in essence that is what we do. We pause and reflect on what needs improvement in our lives, and make, dare I say it, resolutions to be just a little better, a little more like Christ in the upcoming year.
So to all those naysayers out there, all those who think the cause is over before you've even begun and not worth the try, I encourage you to join me to take a moment to reflect and consider what change(s) YOU can make in 2012 to be more like our Savior Jesus Christ. Or as the world likes to call it, "New Years resolutions."
Friday, December 30, 2011
Happy List
I was running today with an old friend and we were catching up and sharing insights we had gained through our experiences since high school. I was impressed with the level of maturity we both had reached since our days of planning High School Proms and agonizing over yearbook photos. Conversation flowed easily until we reached a particular question that caused me to stop and really think. What was this puzzling question? Well, it was simply "What makes you happy?" Call it the effects of the early morning or having recently come off a whirlwind semester, I could not list too many concrete items. My inability to respond adequately, in combination with my recent desire to finally begin posting again in my 2-year-old blog, has resulted in this blog post to list some things that make me happy. :)
1. Running
2. dancing like nobody is watching
3. frozen yogurt
4. Baking a treat that comes out just right
5. Awkward Family Photos
6. Laughing
7. beaches with cool breezes
8. long hot showers
9. playing hide and go seek
10. summitting a mountain/hill and just looking out over the city/area below
11. going to bed early
12. clouds
13. crossing off to-do lists
14. eating outside
15. long walks
16. making a craft
17. finding a good deal
18. pistachio anything
19. board games on rainy days
20. popping bubble wrap
21. crossing off days on calendars
22. having time to read books that are not assigned to me
23. good hair days
24. air-popped popcorn
Well there you have it! This list is not at all complete, but it is all I can come up with right now. #11 does say that I enjoy going to bed early and my desire to sleep is not exactly encouraging a recollection of happy memories. Maybe I will dream some more to add on another day. Until then... :)
1. Running
2. dancing like nobody is watching
3. frozen yogurt
4. Baking a treat that comes out just right
5. Awkward Family Photos
6. Laughing
7. beaches with cool breezes
8. long hot showers
9. playing hide and go seek
10. summitting a mountain/hill and just looking out over the city/area below
11. going to bed early
12. clouds
13. crossing off to-do lists
14. eating outside
15. long walks
16. making a craft
17. finding a good deal
18. pistachio anything
19. board games on rainy days
20. popping bubble wrap
21. crossing off days on calendars
22. having time to read books that are not assigned to me
23. good hair days
24. air-popped popcorn
Well there you have it! This list is not at all complete, but it is all I can come up with right now. #11 does say that I enjoy going to bed early and my desire to sleep is not exactly encouraging a recollection of happy memories. Maybe I will dream some more to add on another day. Until then... :)
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