Lessons Learned

So I was in one of those moods where everything seems just...blah.
Nothing was going wrong or anything, I just didn't feel super happy. In fact, I was feeling almost a little bitter. Ugh, I hate that word.
It's not a feeling that I really like a whole lot.

Then one day I was sitting around my apartment and it seemed like every time I opened my mouth I was complaining about something/someone.
Then it hit me!
This funk I was in might possibly go away if I just accept life as it comes instead of thinking about how things could be better!

I have come to know that when you judge others unrighteously or complain about your situation you become bitter...very much like the person you never wanted to become.

Let me tell you folks, it's been so much better around here since I opened my mind. :)

My Advice to the Class of 2011

Congratulations guys! You did it!
You made it through four years of high school and survived!

Now comes the real test.
Mom and Dad are (most likely) not going to be there to make you do your homework and make you study and make you go to bed at a reasonable hour.
There are going to be TONS more people where you're going.
There are going to be friends forgotten and new friends made.

So here's my advice from a 2010 graduate to the 2011 graduates:

Push yourself.

If possible, don't work your first semester. If you do, keep the hours to a minimum. You need to get used to college life and the homework load before you do anything drastic.

Hold back on the fatty foods.

Always get enough sleep the night before a test.

Stay away from the 8 in the morning classes.

Try not to steadily date someone your first semester. Believe me, this is the advice I wish I had followed.

Find a park close by. It's an excellent stress reliever.

Set up a budget.

Do your homework the day you get it. This is not high school! Late work is definitely frowned upon and you usually get docked. Like a lot.

Don't get in the habit of skipping class because you think it's not important.

Just because a class is a general doesn't mean it's going to be a piece of cake. The hardest class I've taken was a general history class.

Don't be the roommate who lets the dishes in the sink pile up to a Mount Everest look.

Put yourself out there. Make new friends.

Never hesitate to find an excuse to go home for the weekend. My mom wishes I went home more.

Stay in touch with old friends.

Start a journal. If for nothing else, just to write funny quotes and memories in.

Take lots of pictures.


The one thing that's going to come as the biggest shock I would say is that the people you once thought were cool...don't really matter anymore. You don't have to associate with them on a daily basis anymore. This is the time for you to find out who you TRULY are. Not who high school defined you as.
Live it up guys! College is going to be the best time of your life!

Pride...

So, the lesson today in Relief Society was about Pride.
I didn't consider myself to be a prideful person until today right at the end of the lesson.
It's not even super bad...and in some ways I still feel like it's okay, but nonetheless, it's pride.

I have a couple of friends here in the booming metropolis of Pocatello who like to make fun of Soda.
Because it's small...
Because the people there are just a tad "off"...
And I'm sure because they know it bugs me.
Most of the time I just go along with it, but a few days ago it started to legit bug me.

Today during church I was thinking to myself.
Why was I letting a joke bug me so badly?
Then I realized, it's pride.
I take pride in being from Soda, which is something I feel a lot of people don't appreciate.
I don't expect most people to understand why I feel so strongly about it,
nor can I fully explain why I do.

But the question stands....is this the bad kind of pride or the good kind of pride?

Who knows...maybe it saved my life!

I dunno what it is about Soda, but it seriously does NOT like me to leave.

I went back to watch the Distinguished Young Women pageant (which was AMAZING by the way) and when I was on my way out of town at around 10:30 I was caught in yet another snow storm much like the one I experienced the last time I tried to leave Soda.
This time, however, I did NOT want to get all the way to Fisher Road with Mystie, who can't drive a stick, and then freak out and have to turn around. Therefore, we turned around and stayed the night at Mystie's house.

We woke up around 7:30 this morning and decided to head out. We passed the golf course and were on our way when I saw Mystie reach for her phone.
Then it hit me.
My phone was on her dresser.
In Soda.
So, we turned around AGAIN to grab my phone.

Finally though, we were able to make it back to Pocatello.
I guess I will never know what would have happened if we hadn't turned around. Everything happens for a reason, right? So why did I have to leave my phone? Maybe a driver wasn't paying attention and would have hit us...maybe a herd of deer would have run in front of us...

I don't know why we had to turn back twice...but who knows...maybe it saved our lives!

Learning a lesson from my own journal

Every night after I finish writing in my journal I sign it with my signature and an acronym.

P.U.S.H.
I started writing this at the end of my entries when I was in seventh grade when Logan came home from his mission.
He had a wrist band that said it and for some reason it really took an effect on me.

PUSH- Pray Until Something Happens

I guess I wrote this for so long that it just became habit and it almost lost its meaning for me.
Then, the other night, when I wrote those four letters I stopped for a minute and thought,
"How long has it been since I actually prayed UNTIL something happened?"
I pray every night and almost every morning, but I realized that most of the time I will pray for something once and then it might be quite awhile before I pray for it again.

Then I started thinking about each letter individually.
I find that when you do that you find greater meaning in the phrase.
For example:
I know that my Redeemer lives.
I know that my Redeemer lives.
I know that my Redeemer lives.
I know that my Redeemer lives.
I know that my Redeemer lives.

Pray: I have a strong testimony of prayer. I know it works because I have seen its long lasting effects in my life and in the lives of those around me. Prayer IS our direct connection with God. As the quote on the top of my blog says,
"God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams. But He can't if we don't pray and He can't if we don't dream. In short, He can't if you don't believe."

Until: This is the word that I found the greatest meaning in. Until: up to the time that or when. Until to me means never giving up. Taking your time. Being patient. Trusting in the Lord's timing. Always and forever.

Something: Notice this says something not what you want to happen. As Brad Paisley says, "Make no mistake, every prayer you pray gets answered even though sometimes the answer is no."
It's tough to swallow, but sometimes the something we get answered with is the exact thing we DIDN'T want. So always be on the lookout for something, not necessarily the thing.

Happens: It will happen. Your prayer will get answered...you just have to wait sometimes.

Who would have known that I would get such a spiritual feast from something that I've seen hundreds of times?

Gosh I love my journal :)

Forgiveness

We hear it all the time, "Forgive and forget."
It's practically pounded into our heads throughout our growing up years.
So why is it that most of us have such a hard time of it?

Sometimes forgiving people is the hardest thing we ever have to do.
I know I've been the biggest hypocrite at times, but I've been trying to do better.
The weird part about forgiveness is...sometimes the other person isn't the hardest person to forgive.
It's YOURSELF.
Why is that??? I wish I had the answer, but unfortunately I don't.
All I know is that sometimes we have to try our hardest to accept what we've done and leave the rest up to the only man who truly knows what we're going through.

And the crappy part about this whole process in my life right now is that I'm not the one handing out the forgiveness.
I hurt someone and I'm frantically back-pedalling to try and make things right.
I found this quote today:
"You can't undo anything you've already done, but you can face up to it. You can tell the truth. You can seek forgiveness. And then let God do the rest."
Gosh, ain't that the truth. I feel awful about the way I've acted recently,
but I know I can't undo what I've already done.
The damage is done.
The die is cast.
You can't un-ring a bell.

No one can make a new beginning, but you can start now and make a new ending.

That's what I'm trying to do. I'm starting today and making a better me.
I'm going to stop saying and doing hurtful things.
I'm going to strive to be happy. No matter what.
And I'm going to forgive like the Savior commanded us to:
"Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another;for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.
I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.
And ye ought to say in your hearts-let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds."


I hope that one day the person I've hurt will be able to forgive me, but until then, a very good friend of mine said, "You've done all that you can do and your conscience is clear. There's nothing more you can do, right?"

Right.

Valentines Shmalentines

Let me just start off by saying something ironic.

The day set aside to celebrate LOVE is the one I HATE the most.

And I know what you're all thinking.

"Emma-Leigh obviously didn't have a valentine!"

...Which is true, but it's not the reason I hate Valentine's Day.

Why is it that we have to have a special day set aside to tell everyone we love them?

Shouldn't we do that anyway?

I think that you should tell people you love them EVERY DAY.

And strive to make loved ones happy EVERY DAY.

Tell people how much they mean to you EVERY DAY.

I mean flowers and chocolate are nice...but they are only temporary.

I want an ETERNAL Valentine's Day...and more importantly, an ETERNAL Valentine.

One who will look me in the eye EVERY DAY and say he loves me. ♥

One who will NEVER leave me. ♥

One who will watch a Suns game with me and keep the negative comments to a minimum. ♥

One who will help me do the dishes. ♥

One who is willing to do nothing and be satisfied, just as long as he's with me. ♥

Does this man exist?

Eh....maybe. I'm probably going to have to fudge a little on the Suns and dishes.

On my mind...

A few days ago Ryan texted me at 6 in the morning (RUDE!) with an amazing quote. So I forgave his rudeness. It's no secret that Jeffrey R. Holland is one of my favorite speakers, and this quote really drove the point home.

"God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future--to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities.

God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, He can't if you don't believe." 


I know with all my heart that this man is inspired. I feel the spirit so strongly every time he speaks! His words always always ALWAYS bring tears to my eyes.


ESPECIALLY these ones:
http://lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/safety-for-the-soul?lang=eng

♥