Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day

This post is completely dedicated to my mother, sister and sister-in-law. Seeing as today is mother's day I MUST write about these amazing women in my life. The women that have influenced me the most as I've grown up and who still influence me everyday. I love spending time with each of them and consider them some of my closest friends.

Over the past few years, my mom and I have become much closer. Next year is going to be rough without her and I know she's not excited for me to leave as well. She has always been there for me when I need her. In the middle of the night she comes to me when I call out. Whenever I have a bad day she'll take me away and help me forget about my worries. Countless days have been devoted to hanging out with my mom, seeing movies, driving around or walking the mall. Not to mention watching our favorite tv shows. My mom has always been someone that I know I can talk to whenever I feel like there isn't anyone else for me to talk to. I love the relationship that I have with my mother; it's not something that many other girls my age have with their mothers. I'm lucky. Although my mom is one of my best friends she is not my friend first; she's my mom. And that's as it should be. I never want that to change.

My sister and sister-in-law are amazing women as well. I've watched them over the past five years as they've raised their children and they are such an example to me. Jenn and Sarah have so much love in their hearts for not just these little angels but for everyone else as well. I hope to be just like them some day. I'm one lucky girl to have sisters older than me that I can aspire to be like one day. We always have so much fun when we all get together and stay up late talking or playing games. They are talented and thoughtful women, amazing mothers and wives. Basically they rock!

“Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels."

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Small and Simple Things

"Is our journey sometimes impeded when we forget the importance of small things? Do we realize that small events and choices determine the direction of our lives just as small helms determine the direction of great ships?"

The past few days have really had me down but life took a swing for the awesome today. As I was passing a random church on the side of the road today I noticed a little sign that said something to the effect of "when God wants to bring great things to pass he doesn't do it in great ways." It brought the phrase "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

Elder M. Russel Ballard said it perfectly in the quote with which I started this post. I think I have been forsaking the small things in my life, the small choices and happenings. I've been waiting for this big event that would suddenly make everything go away and get better. When all along I should have been reveling in the little things, the little blessings. Things I wouldn't otherwise think too much about. In life, I think we, as humans, tend to forget the importance of the small joys in life. We spend our money to watch movies, read books, or see plays in order to see these big dramatic scenes from (mostly) fictional and impossible lives. How easy is it for us to look at those things and want that excitement and adventure? I know I escape this world I live frequently for the world of make-believe.

Life is kind of like a needle point creation. When you first start out on it all you can see are random strands of string that make very little sense. But once it's finished, every single string has a purpose and a reason for existence. Without some of them the picture wouldn't be the same. The same can be said about life; our path is dictated by the flippant choices (and difficult decisions) that we make every day. It makes sense when they say in the Harry Potter books that it's nearly impossible to see the future because it's so easily altered by the small choices.

So I'm going to leave it at that. Short and simple.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Thoughts on Dating

I was asked a question today about dating and whether or not I would date some one that is not of my faith and I don't feel like I really answered the question how I would've liked because I was interrupted. So I'm going to take advantage of this blog and explain my dating standards and those that are taught by my church as well.

I'll start with the standards that are taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And I'm going to start with a quote by the Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley that I love!

“The Lord has made us attractive one to another for
a great purpose. But this very attraction becomes as
a powder keg unless it is kept under control. . . . It is for this
reason that the Church counsels against early dating”
(President Gordon B. Hinckley).

Dating is taught to be an important part of life because it's a way to find qualities that you would like to see in the person you want to be with forever. We're also counseled not to begin dating until we are at least 16 years old because it will limit the number of people you will meet and keep you from experiences that will mold you into more mature person. Group dating has always been suggested as a place to start as well as not sticking to the same person for multiple dates. Basically the LDS church teaches its youth to go on dates with a variety of people in order to experience a multitude of different personalities and traits and find out things that you do and do not like in people. We're also counselled to date people that share the same standards as ourselves for obvious reasons.

Now for my standards:

They're basically the mirror image of the churches with a few quirks for myself. I try to date people that are LDS but there are not very many in my area so I go out with young men who hold the same standards as myself and who will help me keep my own. This is not to say that I want a non-LDS boyfriend. My biggest goal in life is to get married in the temple and I can't do that with someone that is not a worthy member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the people that you date seriously are most likely the kind of people you will marry later on in life. I also try to make it a point never to be 100% alone with a guy, like in a house or something. There are too many things that could happen. People may ask, but don't you trust yourself? I would like to think I do, but can you ever truly trust yourself when your emotions are unpredictable or strong? All I have to say about it is that I'd much rather be safe than worried or sorry. Done. Ever.

There are many people in the world and I want to meet a bunch of them. It's extremely hard to do that if you're worried about a boyfriend or girlfriend. I'm not saying that you should never ever have a boy/girl friend. I'm just saying that there is a time and a place for it. And I don't believe its the high school years. Those years should be spent meeting many different people and getting to know them. Not being spent with the same person every weekend. That can lead to too many bad things. Too many strong emotions for people so young. There is so much time. Just wait. The world is a big place and the people you meet in high school are the smallest fraction of those people. Most likely you won't even see the person sitting next to you in class every day ever again. That's just how I feel.