Pep Talk from Pros

 You need to watch this video and this video every morning when you wake up. How much  more  would  you  accomplish  every day?  haha I  love  it!

Grace

Grace

A word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by His atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.

Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the Fall of Adam and also because of man’s weaknesses and shortcomings. However, grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient. Hence the explanation, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23). It is truly the grace of Jesus Christ that makes salvation possible. 

I am so grateful for this concept. I learned from a friend about grace in John 4:14. I hope I don't slaughter the concept. But basically the well is something that we make for ourselves...we're digging a pit basically. Grace is what the Lord uses to help fill that pit we're digging. So it becomes a well we dug the hole, God fills it with everlasting life. When our well levels off and fills up, where does it go? Out. Then we become the means of grace and an instrument in the hand of God to bless other people's lives. Isn't that so cool?

Climbed an 11a with ease last night. Haven't climbed on a rope for awhile so I was pretty happy. I love it when people share new music with me. Check this song out and this one too. I think the second music video makes the song even that much better haha. Well I better get to work....I have 3 + 10 paintings due and a pretty big paper all on Monday. Whoo buddy. Also...some other sweet bands to look up: 

Sufjan Stevens

Tycho

Bad Books

Twin Forks

Radical Face

Change with the Leaves

Today I am very grateful for all I have learned. Today I am grateful for the people in my life. Today I am grateful that I am alive and that I have the opportunity to continue to grow and become a better person.  Went camping last night. I love fire. And I love more than anything when I can sit and look over a valley and soak it all in and truly feel what it's like to breathe while a listen to beautiful music from the guitar or whistling. Went to the Farmer's Market and to Rancho Market and got some sweet produce for a great price! I will forever shop at Rancho Markets from now on. Attempted to dry some food for homemade MREs. We'll see how it goes. Went on a walk and sat under the leaves with a great friend. Went to work. Did some laundry, did some homework. Went on a bike ride tonight. It was so refreshing. This is great air to bike in. Good weather. I went with an old friend...well,old love really.  He'd just been on my mind.   It was good to catch to up. But I am grateful for what I have learned and what I learned from him.  I am so grateful I have grown up and I am grateful for the patience he had with me. Holy cow. I was 19! I was so immature. And I was awful at communicating. Sheesh. And I blamed so much of what was happening in my life on other people and on him when it was really just me! I had this skewed idea of how I thought things were or how they would be...and guess what. Because I viewed life a certain way, it became that way. And it wasn't fun.  I was so caught  up in myself. And I find that happening so often still. Why? Why, when there are so many other people on this planet would I care about silly needs that I have?  When I could have been trying to understand and serve this particular person better, I was more worried about myself.  And  I feel so bad still that I could be the source of such heart ache to another person. I admire him for his courage because even after a few months he came back. And I still said no.  And I'm not saying that because I'm single now that I want it to work with this kid. I am finally content to take this opportunity I have as being single to prepare to one day be married to someone I love and serve and can have a family with. But I truly admire him in so many ways. I am so proud of him still. He chooses to do great things with his life and to push himself always to do his best.  After my walk today with the tender mercy who I get to call a friend and this bike ride with a man to whom I look up to so much, I realized that I have a lot of potential that I am not working towards reaching. These two men are phenomenal and the things they choose to do of their own free will and choice is quite amazing. They are such hard workers, very intelligent, athletic, spiritually strong, and they stand for good things that this world is so lacking of.  So tonight I realized that I need to change.  Right now.  So I need to set goals. But then I need to make plans to reach them. Tonight I was given this advice: No matter what you choose, you're going to be living life, and you're going to be happy. Different choices just allow you to live life different ways, but you're going to be living it either way.
So what will be of most worth to me? And how can I move forward with a change in my heart to do good and be better? Maybe it's not so bad that a change seems to always come my way with the seasons or in the fall...I love seasons.  And with each season comes a new beauty and adventure. So I'm glad I'm changing with the leaves.  Welcome to this new season.

artin.

Just some art today. Wahoo. 1st stage done of the process...

adventure time

This needs to be shared. Excuse the Fbomb. Holy cow though. If I could balance my life enough to always be adventuring while furthering my education as well as preparing to be a wife and mother...oh ya and pay for all of that. Gold. Pure gold it would be.
Watch this gold here.

Decisions Decisions

Things I've learned recently about decisions:
Each day you have to make them

Asking yourself these questions can help in your decisions:

Who am I?

Why am I here?

Where am I going?

According to my Child Development book (Laura E. Berk 9th edition) good decisions involve:

Identifying pros and cons of each alternative

Assessing the likelihood of various outcomes

Evaluating one's choice in terms of goals being met

Learning from mistakes and making a better one as a result. 

Have a vision of where you are going. Will your decisions help you reach your desired outcome? Remember that the Lord desires your success in all areas of your life. 

http://www.lds.org/new-era/2004/03/go-for-it?lang=eng&query=goals

D&C 88:118

"...even by study and also by faith."

What will be of most worth to you?

Make a decision and then Go for it! Even if it's terrifying. Seriously what's stopping you? 

Natural Bridges

Went to Natural Bridges for the weekend. Amazing! It's the darkest place in Utah so once the moon goes to bed the stars are phenomenal.  Highlights of the trip: Natural Bridges of course, Lake Powell, Adobe hut, whistling, driving for hours and hours, the beautiful landscape that is SO unique, conversations about gospel topics, learning to use my camera, and realizing that I am so incredibly blessed to have two amazing people in my life like the friends that I went with and also that I have the gospel in my life. The Lord loves his children.  I love the words in 1 Nephi 11:


  16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?

 17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

What a beautiful statement. I don't know everything, but I do know if I trust in God and am obedient to his commandments that things will work out and I'll be ok because God loves me and wants me to become the best I can be.  I also learned this weekend that if we desire to understand something better, we can and we will. It just takes time, patience, and faith. And it helps to talk with other poeple as well. Many times other people have a different perspective that we don't that can help us understand. After all we weren't put on Earth by ourselves, we might as well help each other improve and learn while we're here with a billion of them.  People can teach you cool things. Like whistling. I whistled like 8 times on the trip. I'm making progress.

I LOVE MOTHER NATURE

So I have this new problem where I cannot focus unless I am outside.  Last weekend I camped up Monte Cristo with some friends. We got there late and woke up to a super beautiful landscape. The next night I went on an adventure to watch a friend attempt to ride a cow in the Valley and on a hike up to Green Pond.  So pretty. The stars are amazing. Get out and look at the stars people! It'll change your life!

Yesterday I went up to South Fork in the morning to do some studying and fool around with my new camera. I seriously need some help figuring out all the settings on that baby...
Provo Canyon is beautiful! Absolutely beautiful. The colors are phenomenal. I went to work and when I got home attempted to write a 7 page paper that was due the next day. I really didn't want to go up on campus to study because I tend to get really distracted by people in the library. So I tried to study at home, but it just wasn't working out so hot. I text my roommate to see if she wanted to go to Park City with me to study, but she wasn't texting back and then the thought of me being inside any longer when it was so beautiful outside was killing me! So I packed my laptop, my dad's jetboil, a mason jar full of chili, a roll in tin foil, my jean blanket, two bottles of water, a pear, a spork, a headlamp, and some packets of hot chocolate and I drove up to the Rock Canyon Campground Lookout...or Squaw Peak lookout.
Best decision ever.
The view is amazing. Upon arrival I realized just how pathetic I was haha. I was the only person there by myself. There were cute little families in minivans watching the sunset, a car of roommates crying to each other, and a handful of cute/disgusting couples.  But I was determined to get some work done and to enjoy the beautiful view. So I perched myself on the rock ledge put some water in my Jetboil and put the mason jar of chili in it to heat up. Smart right? That way I didn't have to worry about chili crap in the jet boil. It was so peaceful and I was immediately able to focus. Then it started to get cold and my fingers kinda hurt...and I was obviously crashing this one couples painting with Jello date, but oh well.  Then my awesome roommate text me and she headed up from Lehi with some firewood.  Can I just say...we built a pretty sweet fire. We were so proud. And we had some dang good hot chocolate too. But we had to hurry and put the fire out because my laptop died and a boy called and asked her out on a date for that night in like a half hour.  Needless to say she may have smelled slightly like a bonfire on her date. But wow. My car didn't break down. I got four pages of my paper written. I felt so good. I enjoyed the beautiful world around me. I got to breathe in the cool crisp air that autumn brings and makes you feel alive. It was good.
This morning I got up to finish my paper, but I couldn't focus! So I drove up to the Y with my laptop and sat in my car and wrote my paper while I enjoyed the view of the mountain and valley. Finished my paper with just enough time to print it out 5 minutes before it was due. Score.
I'll tell ya what though...Nature helps me focus and I love it. What a great excuse right? "Oh sorry i have to go build a fire somewhere to study by or else my grades are gonna drop...", "Oh hey wanna come adventure on this mountain with me so I can actually focus on school later?" Haha my life is dang good. I am so happy after I've been outside for more than a 1/2 hr at a time.  And I started listening to cassette tapes again in my car. James Taylor Greatest Hits. Golden. Ahha it's the best. Don't hate.
I've noticed though that it's been a lot easier for me to be reflective when I get back to the city too and I'm more aware of people around me and how I can help them.  Nature is helping me learn and serve better. It's helping me live life more fully and I love it 100%. Mhmm. Joy is what I'm feeling and it's so amazing.

Well my life and my family's life will definitely be affected by the government shutdown for a time.  And it looks like our trip to Natural Bridges may be changed up a bit because all the National Parks are closed now.  I'm grateful though that in times of uncertainty like this I know I can rely on my faith in God and Christ, our Savior, to carry me and my family through hard times.  We've been carried by His grace before and I know as we continue to do our part, He will continue to do His. And even though it it necessary for us to pass through trial and sorrow on Earth so that we may better understand the good by experience, I am grateful the Lord has blessed us with prophets and apostles on the Earth today to lead and guide us through those trials so that we may be strengthened and uplifted through our hope in Christ.  I'm grateful that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized in a way that each person is looked after and taken care of. I'm grateful that we have programs within the Church to teach us to be self-reliant and prepared for disasters and uncertainty. I'm especially grateful that my family has been obedient to those things we have been taught by our leaders.  In December, we were asked by our Bishop to live off our food storage for a week and live as if we were in a disaster. We used our food storage, cooked on our Coleman stove, walked around the house with headlamps, and stayed up late into the night playing cards by lantern light and talking with each other. It was a blast and it was cool, too, because we knew that we were prepared and that because we were prepared we didn't have any reason to fear if a real disaster came into our lives because we had been obedient to the counsel of the servants of God.  I am so excited because this weekend, starting Saturday morning at 10 am is General Conference! We get to hear from apostles, the Prophet, and other leaders of the Church who are messengers from God. We have the opportunity to hear God's will for us and what He desires to teach us. Isn't that the coolest thing ever? I think so. The Lord never leaves His children to be alone in fear. He is with us and in His mercy has allowed His prophets and apostles to be on the Earth to help us. He merely asks for a broken heart and a contrite spirit, we only need to be obedient to His guidance and counsel.  As we live with faith in God and in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which will make all things right in the end, we can have the comfort of knowing that although we pass through trial and sorrow at times on Earth, through our faithfulness we will receive much greater blessings in the Kingdom of God with our family and those we love most. Seriously! How cool is that?