"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." -Maria Robinson
If there was ever a day to start a new ending, today was definitely the day. Today had the most outrageously gorgeous weather I have felt in months. There's nothing better than walking to school with your best friend in February wearing shorts, and I can't think of anything more perfect than hitting up the park after class to toss a ball around with your other bestie. And to end the day, another Anna-Mikhael adventure and more priceless memories made with the best roommate ever. Beautiful.
At this point in life, it becomes increasingly more difficult to face the bombardment of trials put in front of us with a smile. The refiner's fire seems to be glowing hotter and hotter with every step forward and there does not seem to be any sign or intention to cool. It is in these moments of suffocating heat that we need to look for the simple joys, the tender mercies. Spontaneous study sessions with a friend, lunch with pals from home, taking the scenic route on the walk home from school, any little thing that can put a smile on our face and remind us of the many things and people the Lord has blessed our lives with despite our adversaries. If we do this, I've found that our lives will be filled with much more happiness and a greater sense of fulfillment. There is always, always hints of silver in the gray, you just have to keep your head above water long enough to see it. Our Father in Heaven is mindful of each of us and every circumstance and situation we find ourselves in is for our benefit, no matter how strenuous or awful they are. He has not and will never forsake us. Have faith in Him and we will feel joy. With this mindset, it is easy to have a clearer prospective and motivation to become everything we want to be in this life.
No one can escape their past, but they can determine their future. Today is the day to start writing our new ending, and we will keep rewriting it every day by our works and faith, persevering through the storms, finding gladness in all things, until one day when it truly is the end, we can look back and be happy with what we gave.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Love.
"If what they say that 'Nothing lasts forever', then what makes love the exception?"
Quite possibly one of the most overlooked song lyric of all time. Easy to do when OutKast's G-Funk music is backing it, but go listen to this version of Hey Ya by Mat Weddle and really listen to the lyrics, it will change your life. Alright, maybe not life changing, but pretty close...
So what does make love the exception? They say Love is a many splendored thing- yes love, lifts us up where we belong... Love is a feeling, it's an emotion, an attitude, a state of being. It is an attachment to another. Love, true love, is not just a one way street, it takes two. When two people are in love, it is one of the most blissful, wonderful, and magical things that could ever happen. It comes so naturally, like breathing. Two become one, every emotion and thought is experienced together in tandem with one another.
Unreciprocated love feels just the opposite. It is one of the most excruciating, discouraging, and uncontented feelings ever imaginable. It is much like being surrounded by air but being completely unable to breathe. You grasp madly for something you cannot see and only come up with fistfuls of emptiness. The emotional despair you feel inside becomes a very real, outward physical pain and all hope and confidence dissipates. It is an awful place to be.
So why try? Why take the risk? Is it truly better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Almost 50% of all first marriages fail. Love has gone from "forever and ever, babe" to "for now and tomorrow, dear." What happens in the transition from puppy love to the dog house? Lack of patience? Miscommunication? Annoyance? Boredom? Weight gain? Early baldness? What is it?
Words of wisdom from Dan in Real Life: love isn't a feeling, it's an ability. I believe it is both. There is no denying it is a hormonal mystery. There is also no denying that lasting love requires a whole slew of skill sets that take a lifetime to master. I believe that if you can love someone once, you can always love them. It may not always be the same carbon copy of that love, but it is still love and it is still there. Love is not always butterflies and fireworks. Sometimes it's not even laughs or smiles. It's work, it's a continual struggle, it's a chase, it's an act of constant forgiveness, but through all these things... it's still love. It's hard to put terms and conditions on love, especially when there are so many different types and only one word to describe them all. We just have to remember that love is love. As complicated and imperfect and untangible as it is, we still love. We must love, for without it we would truly be lost.
Love is what you make of it, so go love and let love.
Quite possibly one of the most overlooked song lyric of all time. Easy to do when OutKast's G-Funk music is backing it, but go listen to this version of Hey Ya by Mat Weddle and really listen to the lyrics, it will change your life. Alright, maybe not life changing, but pretty close...
So what does make love the exception? They say Love is a many splendored thing- yes love, lifts us up where we belong... Love is a feeling, it's an emotion, an attitude, a state of being. It is an attachment to another. Love, true love, is not just a one way street, it takes two. When two people are in love, it is one of the most blissful, wonderful, and magical things that could ever happen. It comes so naturally, like breathing. Two become one, every emotion and thought is experienced together in tandem with one another.
Unreciprocated love feels just the opposite. It is one of the most excruciating, discouraging, and uncontented feelings ever imaginable. It is much like being surrounded by air but being completely unable to breathe. You grasp madly for something you cannot see and only come up with fistfuls of emptiness. The emotional despair you feel inside becomes a very real, outward physical pain and all hope and confidence dissipates. It is an awful place to be.
So why try? Why take the risk? Is it truly better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Almost 50% of all first marriages fail. Love has gone from "forever and ever, babe" to "for now and tomorrow, dear." What happens in the transition from puppy love to the dog house? Lack of patience? Miscommunication? Annoyance? Boredom? Weight gain? Early baldness? What is it?
Words of wisdom from Dan in Real Life: love isn't a feeling, it's an ability. I believe it is both. There is no denying it is a hormonal mystery. There is also no denying that lasting love requires a whole slew of skill sets that take a lifetime to master. I believe that if you can love someone once, you can always love them. It may not always be the same carbon copy of that love, but it is still love and it is still there. Love is not always butterflies and fireworks. Sometimes it's not even laughs or smiles. It's work, it's a continual struggle, it's a chase, it's an act of constant forgiveness, but through all these things... it's still love. It's hard to put terms and conditions on love, especially when there are so many different types and only one word to describe them all. We just have to remember that love is love. As complicated and imperfect and untangible as it is, we still love. We must love, for without it we would truly be lost.
Love is what you make of it, so go love and let love.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Bestest of The Beatles.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night,
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Black bird singing in the dead of night,
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life,
You were only waiting for this moment to be free
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night,
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
The Best of The Beatles.
When I find myself in time of trouble,
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom-
Let it be
And in my hour of darkness,
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
Let it be, Let it be, Let it be
Let it be
Whisper words of wisdom,
Let it be
And when the broken hearted people
Living in this world agree,
There will be an answer
Let it be
For though they may be parted,
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be
Let it be, Let it be, Let it be
Let it be
There will be an answer
Let it be...
And when the night is cloudy,
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be
I wake up to the sound of music,
Mother Mary comes to me,
Speaking words of wisdom-
Let it be
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
No wonder everyone hates math...
Being born into this world not being able to speak, or walk, or do anything for ourselves, one would think that the most difficult part of our lives would be the mastery of these vital abilities; however, this assumption is horrendously flawed. It would seem that the older we get, the better we are at buttoning shirts and feeding ourselves, but the worse we get at effectively handling problems. Our predicaments slowly morph from the simple, clean cut 2 + 2 = 4 to far more complicated and daunting calculus equations with variables beyond comprehension, imaginary integers, and transcendental numbers representing unrealistic quantities. They get messy. They get hard. They take more time and delicacy to solve and there is sometimes even a possibility for there to be more than one correct answer. Then as we progress and grow, the solutions to these problems do not only become a dividend for just ourselves anymore. Our actions and decisions have a nuclear fall out effect on everyone else in our lives as well. These people, their emotions and well-being become exponents and square rooted divisors which add to the stickiness of the problem, requiring more thought and extra necessary steps, only to still arrive at a quadratically irrational conclusion that leaves some factors unresolved.
Some people are born problem solvers. Lucky them, these mathematicians can look at any problem, weigh the options, determine the best choice with the least collateral damage, and carry out the solution flawlessly. But what about those of us who are better at reading than math? My advice? Close your eyes and circle A). B). C). or D). The nice thing about mathematics is that it is consistent. The fundamental principles we learned back in the 1st grade are still applicable now. 3 x 3 will always be 9. 721,985 ÷ 5 will always be 144, 397. Pi will always be 3.14159265358979323846… piece of cake, or pie rather. As the equations become more complex, all of our previous knowledge extends over into the new to help us form the conclusion, the same way life experiences help us conquer the next life crisis. The more we familiarize ourselves with the intricacies, the easier problems become for us.
So we continue to solve our problems, trying all different sized and shaped pieces to fit into the puzzle until we stumble upon one that fits. Trial and error. In an equation, x can represent an infinity of numbers but there is always one that fits, we just need to have the patience and faith that we'll find it.
Some people are born problem solvers. Lucky them, these mathematicians can look at any problem, weigh the options, determine the best choice with the least collateral damage, and carry out the solution flawlessly. But what about those of us who are better at reading than math? My advice? Close your eyes and circle A). B). C). or D). The nice thing about mathematics is that it is consistent. The fundamental principles we learned back in the 1st grade are still applicable now. 3 x 3 will always be 9. 721,985 ÷ 5 will always be 144, 397. Pi will always be 3.14159265358979323846… piece of cake, or pie rather. As the equations become more complex, all of our previous knowledge extends over into the new to help us form the conclusion, the same way life experiences help us conquer the next life crisis. The more we familiarize ourselves with the intricacies, the easier problems become for us.
So we continue to solve our problems, trying all different sized and shaped pieces to fit into the puzzle until we stumble upon one that fits. Trial and error. In an equation, x can represent an infinity of numbers but there is always one that fits, we just need to have the patience and faith that we'll find it.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
'Tis the Season.
The holiday season is a time for many things. A time for reflection and self-evaluation. A time for love, a time for family, a time for joy and merriment, charity, and forgiveness. A time to celebrate the first breath that changed this world forever. A time when we remember Christ in Christmas, "For He is the light, life, and hope of the world." A time when we step back and put things back in perspective. Prioritize. Figure out what is really important and figure out what's not important. There is no point in worrying and fretting about things you cannot control. "Try your best, and then let go of the rest"- words to live by.
This is a time of tender endings, but a wonderful time of beginnings. Find the gladness in the sorrow. Seek out the silver in the gray. Spend time with your family and loved ones. Let them know how precious they are to you and don't forget to tell them why. Ask questions, talk about something meaningful, make memories. Open your eyes and realize what you have. Savor each moment, enjoy each laugh, remember every smile... 'tis the season.
Merry Christmas
Monday, December 1, 2008
"The List"
People at BYU ask the strangest questions.
The questions themselves aren't strange, I suppose it's just my lack of answers that I find strange.
'How many boys have you kissed?' -Well gee, I never thought to keep track like that...
'How many dates have you been on?' -Mmm, it doesn't matter to me, does it really matter to you?
Ones like that are the most common, but then there are some that don't pertain to dating that I still don't have a good answer to.
'Greatest/worst moment of your life'
'Things you have to do before you die.'
Things I have never really thought about... I guess I've always been so focused on the present and never really taken the time to dwell on those kinds of things.
This weekend I had a chance to think about it though. I spent Thanksgiving break with my sister and her husband and we had a good laugh about all the fun times we had as kids. Man, we did some stupid stuff :) but all the reminiscing made me think about what's ahead, too.
So here is a list of the 10 most memorable things in the past, and 10 dreams, goals, and expectations for the future.
1. Snowball fights and skiing with the family and Steve, our neighbor
2. Trip to California all by myself when I was 8
3. Playing bedtime games with Whitney every night... and getting in trouble for it :)
4. Getting baptized
5. Daddy-daughter dates to the theatre
6. Baseball bat to the head on my mom's 40th birthday and my first week in the new school
7. Shenanigans of summer '07 with Stacey ;)
8. Titanic the Musical and choir performance at SWACDA Convention in Kansas City senior year
9. Speech/Debate: tournaments with Cameron and the old crew, State in Corpus Christi, team Doe/Mayer.
10. First month of college
In no particular order....
1. Attain at least a master's degree in psychology
2. Have a family of my own
3. Go scuba diving
4. BROADWAY and shopping in New York
5. Become a counselor
6. Be a member of every PTA and Booster Club my kids are involved in
7. Own a cabin in the mountains
8. Be a grandma
9. Serve a church mission with my husband
10. Live to be 90
My life in a nutshell... hope that answers your questions :)
The questions themselves aren't strange, I suppose it's just my lack of answers that I find strange.
'How many boys have you kissed?' -Well gee, I never thought to keep track like that...
'How many dates have you been on?' -Mmm, it doesn't matter to me, does it really matter to you?
Ones like that are the most common, but then there are some that don't pertain to dating that I still don't have a good answer to.
'Greatest/worst moment of your life'
'Things you have to do before you die.'
Things I have never really thought about... I guess I've always been so focused on the present and never really taken the time to dwell on those kinds of things.
This weekend I had a chance to think about it though. I spent Thanksgiving break with my sister and her husband and we had a good laugh about all the fun times we had as kids. Man, we did some stupid stuff :) but all the reminiscing made me think about what's ahead, too.
So here is a list of the 10 most memorable things in the past, and 10 dreams, goals, and expectations for the future.
1. Snowball fights and skiing with the family and Steve, our neighbor
2. Trip to California all by myself when I was 8
3. Playing bedtime games with Whitney every night... and getting in trouble for it :)
4. Getting baptized
5. Daddy-daughter dates to the theatre
6. Baseball bat to the head on my mom's 40th birthday and my first week in the new school
7. Shenanigans of summer '07 with Stacey ;)
8. Titanic the Musical and choir performance at SWACDA Convention in Kansas City senior year
9. Speech/Debate: tournaments with Cameron and the old crew, State in Corpus Christi, team Doe/Mayer.
10. First month of college
In no particular order....
1. Attain at least a master's degree in psychology
2. Have a family of my own
3. Go scuba diving
4. BROADWAY and shopping in New York
5. Become a counselor
6. Be a member of every PTA and Booster Club my kids are involved in
7. Own a cabin in the mountains
8. Be a grandma
9. Serve a church mission with my husband
10. Live to be 90
My life in a nutshell... hope that answers your questions :)
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