Highlight: Spaghetti Head

I remember all us kids were at home while our parents were away. We were eating spaghetti at the table when an argument of some sort broke out probably between me and my next youngest sister. Leisha started making fun of our fight, then before I knew it, she had taken a handful of spaghetti with spaghetti-sauce and spread it all over her head in a mock-frustration. At first I was just shocked, but then a laugh was let out and soon none of us could stop laughing. The argument was forgotten. Leisha has a funny since of humor and sometimes does crazy things, but I admire her sense of leadership, and respect how she can so easily lighten a mood and keep the peace. 

Thanks Giving

In my Geography class, we were talking about all the different ways people say the same thing across the states. For example, us normal people say "PILLo" for the word pillow while others might say "PELLo", weird right? Other examples are "CRAn" verses "CRAYon", or "milk" verses "melk".  It's not just the sounds of the words, sometimes people will emphasize different parts of a word too. Like "inSURance" verses "INsurance".

One that really struck me was the word "Thanksgiving". I naturally have always said it as "thanksGIVing", but another way to say it is "THANKSgiving". I'm not sure if it's just the new way of saying it or that "thanks" is more emphasized, but that other way of saying it really got me thinking about it's meaning. Give thanks. Thanks give. It's not just the title of the holiday. The word literally means express gratitude, show appreciation, acknowledge that we are indebted. 

Smile in Progress

Dentist, Check!! Well, half-check. I got all the cavities in the right side of my face all fixed! Just got some in the left side (which will be done tomorrow!), then those stinkin' wisdom teeth to pull. BUT I've got the appointment just about set up for that too.

Anyways t'was quite the adventure going to the dentist today. First of all, I woke up and it was snowing outside. It's snowed in Rexburg off and on for the past bit, but this morning it was really snowing. So I layered up, and eventually went off on my trek to the dentist. The walk wasn't bad, but I did wish I had some music or something to listen to on my way there. My i-pod's music stopped working (any ideas of how to fix it? The screens frozen when I click for music).

AT the dentist was just like any old dentist appointment, they called my name and I went right back to a chair that fully reclined. The lady let me put on the headphones and I watched "Soul Surfer" on the television that they had on the ceiling for me. They offered me "gas" but I turned that down because it was going to be an extra 33 dollar charge, but when I winced at the big needle they were going to put in my mouth and the tears started swelling, they told me the gas would help me stay calm and they wouldn't charge if I wanted to try it. I said okay, and they put this round orange tuby thing on my nose that's air had a sweet candy sort of smell. At first I didn't feel a difference, but then I started getting light-headed, like I was about ready to go to sleep. I really wanted to finish the movie, plus there was a ton of noise and things going on that I wanted to be sure to be conscious for, so I stayed awake.

After the whole thing, the right side of my face was dead-numb. I couldn't smile at all on that side, and trying to talk was quite the fete. I was so self-conscious of it, and I was glad that on the walk home I didn't pass to many people on the side-walk, plus I had a hood and the coat to sort of conceal my face. I didn't want people to look at my face and think "what's wrong with her face." One thing I think I often take for granted is my ability to smile at people. Even now I'm still stretching and smiling my face, just to be sure it really works again how it should. I'm so thankful for the muscles in my face and that they really do work.

Think about it

- A side note from my journal during my scripture study today, I was writing questions I have about various doctrines and principles of the gospel, which I may share later, once I've actually gotten the answers :) -

It's so frustrating to me when people give me curt answers these sorts of questions. Of course I know the answers, but if I don't ponder - really ponder - them, how will I know for myself? It's good to have answers, but I feel like sometimes it's so good to just know for my self that those answers are true. Sure, you can tell me the fourth root of thirty-six squared is equal to six, but how am I ever supposed to understand that without thinking through the process of it all? I've got to break it down in my head, take everything step by step, come to understand and know that each step is right. If I know the fourth root of something is equal to that same something to the one fourth power (just like the square root is equal to something to the one-half power), then that at least gives me something. I'm limited here because I don't know how to write these equations on a blog, but I could go step by step with this problem until I really had a hard core understanding of it. I feel like the best way for me to actually get something is to work through the process from start to finish on my own. Or even better, try to teach that process to someone else.

On the other hand, sometimes it is enough to know something like m is the slope of the line in y=mx+b. Okay, actually I really would prefer to know the why of that too. Just once I do know, I really feel okay with going forward and in the future just remembering that I do know why that concept works every single time.

Anyways, people with "'a = b' just because 'a = b'" sorts of answers are okay I guess, and I know I should tolerate, because maybe they've already figured out all the in between stuff for themselves. I just really admire those who question it though, "is A really equal to B? How can I be sure?" And then they go out and show why they are sure about it.

Missionary Age Change - Hilarious Reactions

Don't judge me too bad for my since of humor, but this is SO funny!

Hitler's Reaction to the new Mormon Missionary Age Change:

Nice People

There are SO many people who make a difference in my life. I could never list EVERY person that's touched my life, so here's just a few people that have done just that today.

Hilary - for waiting up for me before mission prep today, it made me feel so good to have a friend to go with!

Heidi - For preparing and discussing the lesson of "being kind". I really liked that phrase you had up on the board too, "Be kind whenever possible... it is always possible". It is so easy to criticize, but I'm going to focus on giving positive and sincere compliments to lots of people this week.

John - For your awesome enthusiasm in Mission Prep today. Thank you also for that message about focusing on Family History work. Totally reminded me to refocus myself onto working on my own family history and genealogy.

Those girls in my row at Sacrament meeting - For quietly asking us all to scoot over a chair just so there would be room for that other girl who was sitting alone. That was so nice!

The Sister at the Family History Lab - For empathizing with me when I slammed my finger in the door-jam, that hurt really bad. Thanks also for noticing my questions and directing me to who to talk to about them.

No More Stress

So you know that moment when you're trying to focus really hard on something.. and you just can't? Every whisper, conversation, cough and giggle, every freeze-blip in the song on my i-pod, doors opening and closing, cars driving by... all that builds and builds until I feel about ready to explode. What's most frustrating is that nobody in the moment is really at fault, I could easily be doing the exact same things as them. This feeling can come a lot - getting ready for school, studying scriptures, studying for an exam, taking an exam, struggling through a math problem, writing in my journal, updating my blog, trying to sleep. It's awful, and I don't usually let out that I am frustrated inside, but really, it's so frustrating when I just can't focus on the task at hand.

Okay, but I learned a really neat trick for getting over the stress I feel so often when I'm trying to finish or accomplish something. When I feel like the project is getting the better hand of me, when I can't just can't focus. All I've got to do is take a break. I think sometimes I over-stress myself thinking I've got to finish this, I've got to get this done, now. But when I just take that breather - even just a minute or two - that's when I take the control. I have the choice to get back to the something I'm working on, and that something no longer has control over my frustrations.

In the testing center, I can close my test for a second, put down my pencil, and just forget about the test I'm taking. When I'm trying to sleep and I can't, I can get up and go do something for a minute. Anxiety and stress create a block for me, but when I'm able to relieve it, overcome it, I am much more capable of doing whatever it is that I was trying to get done.

Blog Change

So I've realized I've posted quite the bit now about what I believe, but I think I want to take this blog in a slightly different direction. I think from this point forward I'll share a little more about what's going on in my life. I'm very busy here at school keeping up with my job, homework, friends and all the adventures, but I'll try to post at least twice each week to keep this place at least slightly updated.

Are Mormon's Christian?

The World English Dictionary says that a Christian is "a person who believes in and follows Jesus Christ". And that is what I've always thought the definition of Christianity is. I've recently heard the argument that we are so different in our teachings of the doctrine that it is hard for some to see how we could fit under the "Christian Theology". But to state us as not Christian implies that we do not believe in Christ, that we do not follow his teachings. 

As a Latter Day Saint of the Church of Jesus Christ, I can say that I do believe in Jesus Christ, I know that he atoned for my sins, and that only by Him am I able to receive Eternal Life with my Father in Heaven. I try to live by Christ's example and follow His teachings, and I truly feel that I can call myself Christian. 

Listening

I speak words, that you don't hear.

I write thoughts, but you don't read them.

My heart aches to have you see

This way which I have found

But when my voice runs silent.

And the words I say are done.

That is when I realize

The ears plugged, the eyes shut tight.

Not yours, but mine.

Brothers

I really enjoyed the forum yesterday. These two friends, one an Evangelical Christian, the other a Latter Day Saint, spoke to us about the importance of respect and love for one another and our faiths. They said if you really want to know about a group of people, you need to talk to someone who is truly faithful to their religion, you’ve got to compare the best of your beliefs with the best of theirs. And you’ve got to leave room for holy envy – respect and admiration for particles of their faith.

One idea that really stuck out to me was that we all seem to have so much to say, yet we listen very little. It’s so easy to put aside another person and their beliefs; it is hard to listen, to learn and to really love the people we know. Every person around us, Jew or Gentile, is a child of God. God inspires all sorts of people to help build his Kingdom. If this is all true, wouldn't Heavenly Father be working through my Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, etc brothers and sisters?