Lost and Found

I love art. I love the feelings that a mere piece of print or canvas can evoke. I love trying to figure out why the artist chose the subject and medium that he did. Most of all, I love the peace and beauty that can be found and portrayed.

{Now, before you begin to test my knowledge of Da Vinci, Van Gogh, or Alexandros of Antioch, I must admit that I am not the most educated of art critics. I still have much to learn as I collect other people's art and experiment making my own.}

Today, I found a picture that I just had to get.

It is called, "Lost and Found" by Greg Olsen.

Perhaps the purpose was to:

• Show that Christ cares, no matter why the young man is in his current situation or where he is going.

• Contrast the Savior's reaction to our own reactions. Do we see others around us as children of God who are loved just as much as us?

• Say that Christ can be seen in the kindness of others. Could Olsen possibly have envisioned the Savior shining through a caring stranger who stopped to talk to the lonely boy on the bench?

Is there a possibility that all three are valid?

You decide.

That is what I love about art.

Another Beginning

So, as I prepare to leave on my mission to Billings Montana, it feels like I am closing another chapter in my life. I leave in about a month and it is both exhilarating and exhausting to think about. So much will change while I am gone. I hope most of those changes are for the better, but I know they won't all be.

"For it must needs be, that there is opposition in all things. (2 Nephi 2:11)."

I take hope from the fact that every ending leads to a new beginning.

Another Beginning

I used to think we'd never part;
The thought had never crossed my mind,
But now, I find I'm at the start
And your path, I've left behind.

Among the rocks, you now wind,
But I chose the straighter course.
At first offset, I seemed to find
My chosen path to be the source

Of obstacles so great a force
That I had not strength to stand,
And soon my weary voice grew hoarse
Calling, pleading for your hand.

This was not the end I planned!
But somehow, I stumbled on
And I found a meadowland;
Finally, your shadow gone,

I forgot to dwell upon
All the things I wished for you.
I almost cried to see the dawn
And first-time saw, the morning dew.

Gotta love Enya. =)

I Hope They Call Me On a Mission...

Night after night, when my older sister, Amy, would tuck me in to bed at night, I would ask for that same song. Every night.

When I was 10, I started saving up for a mission. By the time I was 13, I had $500 saved up. Then, I decided that a mission probably wasn't in my future because, knowing myself, I wanted to get married instead of serving a mission at 21 years old.

So, I just decided that my life was my mission. I would work every day to make at least one person's day better and brighter through letting the light of Christ shine through me.

Then, last October, the age for sister missionaries was reduced to 19 years old. I was extremely excited, but still felt it wasn't right for me.

About a month ago, something changed. Suddenly, it just seemed so right. Everything fell into place.

And now, it's coming true! I have just submitted my papers to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I just have one interview left before my papers are sent to Salt Lake City where I will be assigned an area in which to serve. For a year and a half, I will put everything aside to serve the Lord, my God.

Stay tuned to see where I get called to serve!*

Yeah, life is good. =)











*Feel free to comment with guesses about where you think/want me to go. Winner gets a prize.

Easter: Sunday Will Come

Sometimes in life, like just the other night, I am tempted to let myself wallow in loneliness and discouragement. 

I sit and wonder when rest will arrive. 

• When will I find that loving companion who will walk eternity by my side? 
• When will I be blessed with the smiles and laughter of children, most innocent and pure? 
• When will I be able to establish a home of my own, filled with love and peace?

Sometimes, the road looks so long that I fear I may never reach my destination.

However, I know that I can always last one more day. 

The dark night will come to an end. The Son will come again and life to all will be restored. Soon, those who know Him will rest from all their cares.

As His return draws near, I hope that I am waiting by the tomb, that I will recognize my Lord.

"No matter how dark our Friday, Sunday will come." -Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

The Good Life

In one of my classes last semester, we discussed an interesting topic.

What is "happiness?" What is "the good life?"

We decided on a couple definitions: a good life is one in which the full range of human emotions and experiences occur. 

Likewise, happiness is found or created through establishing connections and meaning in life.

So, just because there is occasional heartbreak or sorrow, that doesn't mean that life isn't good. Happiness can be found in even the hardest times through connecting with others around you. That is when you find yourself laughing through the tears.

I have to say, I have a really good life.

I have fantastic friends that make me laugh till my face hurts...

As we trudge together through the storms of life...

And family who make even the hardest days...

Into fond memories that will last forever...

And a Savior who never gives up on me.

What makes your life good?

Blind Love

“Love is not blind—it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less.”  - Julius Gordon

So, take some time with the ones you love.

Hold them close...

Feel the joy of their presence...

Dress up and take random pictures...

And just have lots and lots of fun!

Thanks for seeing more in me.

A Stitch in Time

Wanna hear how I got stitches???

Well, on Friday, I went to play broom hockey for a friend's birthday. I was really excited because I have never played broom hockey before.

I got really into the game. The time spent playing roller hockey with my brothers seemed to lend me an advantage.

Then, a fateful moment came. I reached to scoop the ball out from another player and lost my balance. I fell, landing on my knees and then hitting my chin on the ice. 

I got up and was thinking I would just take a bit of time on the side recovering before going back into the game. Not so.

Turns out I split my chin. My friend, Kathryn, took me to the hospital where I got 9 stitches (4 deep and 5 superficial). We had a blast! We laughed and joked the whole time, listening to Tangled on the way to the ER. Then, we -or rather Kathryn- wrote "Thank you" notes to everyone at the hospital that we came in contact with.

I was thinking about it yesterday and was amazed. If I had landed any other way I could have had a lot worse than just a few stitches. It happened so fast that I don't recall any conscious decision to keep my head up. I just did. Somehow, I knew exactly what to do. 

Even right after it happened, I felt a calm that assured me it was going to be fine. I was able to laugh and take pictures of the wound before the stitches. Feeling kind of like my mom. I feel like she was there, laughing alongside me, protecting me.

Where Do I Belong?

Sometimes, it can feel like you don't belong. Maybe it is with your friends, your co-workers, or just the world in general. 

For me, I feel like that a lot. I have many acquaintances, but few close friends. I don't have a group of friends that I hang out with regularly. Much of that is due to how busy I like to be, and part of it is self-imposed. I love to socialize, yet sometimes, I just feel out of the loop. Like there is something greater than the everyday gossip and movies. Some higher purpose that I should be working towards. So, I take some time by myself to figure out what that is. Now, I know.

I know that I am heading somewhere better and working to make someone proud. Since high school, I have taken solace in the fact that I don't belong here. One day, I will return to my Father. Until then, "I can go the distance." Will you?

Composed Upon Westminster Bridge

A moving poem by William Wordsworth. Just perfect. I am definitely going to read this over the Thames when I'm in London this spring. =)
I think sometimes we all need a little reminder about the beauty all around us.

Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

An Attitude of Gratitude

In life, there are so many things to be grateful for; it's easy to overlook the majority of them. Sometimes, I consider myself a grateful person. Then, I write a list of 10 things that I am thankful for and I always have more to say by the end. I write a "Thank You" note to someone and realize something stunning: I have been blind. With eyes downcast, I missed the setting sun and how beautifully it illuminated the snow upon the mountains, turning white to pink and gold. I only thought, "Man, I'm cold."

Last semester, in one of my classes, we discussed the idea of gratitude journals. The idea is actually quite simple. Take this test, the Fordyce Emotions Questionare, to measure your current happiness. Every night for 3 weeks, write in a journal 5 things that you are grateful for. (I prefer 10.) At the end of the 3 weeks, take the test again and look at the difference between the two. As you take the time each night to ponder your blessings, your satisfaction with life will increase.

If you believe in a higher power, or have even considered the possibility, I challenge you to ask yourself one more question: How have I seen God's hand in my life today?

Miracles happen all the time. We just have to open our eyes to see them.

Change the World

So, one thing you will learn very quickly about me is that I love quotes. I truly thrive on them and can even have full conversations with my siblings out of just movie quotes, as my parents know well. Today, I will feature some wise words from the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce, among other titles.

"What we learn from experience depends on the kind of philosophy we bring to experience." C.S. Lewis Miracles: A Preliminary Study

While this concept seems extremely sensible and slightly obvious, sometimes a reminder is needed. You are much more powerful than you think. We all are. I feel as though society and the adversary, for those of you who are religious, condition us from infancy to relinquish much of that power without realizing we had it to begin with. Life is what we make it.

Just like a camera lens, when we are extremely focused on one thing, the rest of the picture is blurry and unclear. Imagine what could be seen if people just changed their focus. Instead of zooming in on the bad, look around and express gratitude for the flower blooming in your yard, the family member doing your dishes, or even the cheerful greeting of a cashier. If we merely change our way of thinking about life, each and every person truly can change the world. Our own world. So, who wants to join me in changing the world?