BIG DAY!!

Tomorrow is the big day. In less than 24 hours, I will no longer be Brenna Imlay, single, carefree, alone. I will be married!!! I'm still not sure it's set in, but I'm beyond excited!

I'm excited to be Brenna Ernst. 

I'm excited to become a new family. 

I'm excited for this new chapter in my life. 

Yet, that doesn't mean I haven't felt nervous or worried at times. During these past few months, I have read and reread The Family: A Proclamation to the World many times. I have treasured my class where we have dissected it, comparing what we read from the prophets to what has been learned by scholars during numerous studies. It still astounds me how often those two aspects go hand in hand. Studies are proving what God and prophets have been saying for hundreds of years. I have looked to this document and the new knowledge I have about it as guidance as I prepare myself for marriage.

What is found within here WILL change your life. As you live by these teachings, you will find happiness. 

I may not be married yet, but tomorrow I am excited to start practicing the commandments for husband and wife. I'm excited to show the love of my life how important he is to me. I can't wait for us to come together as we face the trials of life, and as we learn to conquer them together - both of us leaning on the Lord.
The family is such an important part of our lives. We would not be here if it were not for families. I KNOW of their importance, and I promise you as you heed the council of latter-day prophets to strengthen your own family, you will see blessings beyond what you can imagine.
I plan on doing this in my own marriage and look forward to seeing the blessings.


Your Heavenly Father loves you, He has given you so many resources to help. Allow yourself to lean on Him and what He has provided. We can get through anything - including the terrifying aspects of marriage.

Timing is Right.

Today I want to share going one last thing I've learned that has changed my perspective on families.
God's Timing is far greater than ours.

One of the wonderful aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ is stated in this section of the Family Proclamation. It reads, "In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life." There are many beautiful truths found within this statement, but the one I want to discuss is that it was God's plan for us to gain earthly experience. 

GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU. 

Do you grasp how powerful a statement that is? This doesn't mean you don't have control over your life. You have your choices and your agency, but it means that when something happens in your life it means there is a reason. 

During the past few years I have gone through some experiences that have made me question why my life was going the way it was, yet now in retrospect it is powerful testimony because things worked out in such a way I can't imagine my life going any other direction. Things worked out. Even when I couldn't imagine my life realigning, somehow it did.

This principle applies greatly to relationships, marriage, and families. There is always the statement that you won't find love until you stop looking. You hear story after story of how someone fell in love when it wasn't "convenient". This is where that principle applies. God has a plan for you that you may not understand. Often this includes bringing people into your life when you aren't expecting it.
Sometimes this may be a friend, sometimes a future spouse, and for those who are married sometimes a surprise child.

To trust Him, means keeping your heart and mind open to these opportunities. You may have a plan for your life, but if He brings someone into it there is a reason. They will make your life better. You may have to adjust your idea of how your life will go, but it will be so much better. Things will become wonderful.
Recognize that His timing is grand; His timing is perfect. 

Where Happiness comes from...

Continuing with what I began last week, I want to share some of the powerful things I have learned over the past few months. Today I felt inspired to talk about happiness.

What is happiness? 

Happiness is a concept the world is obsessed with and for good reason. Everyone is trying to search for it; there are online articles of "20 things to do to be happy" or "tricks to find happiness" everywhere. They all have similar tips, yet they have varying suggestions that sometimes make me scratch my head. Did you  know playing online poker everyday can make you happy? The internet says it is true, so it must be ;) 

No, but really finding happiness is a serious matter. Luckily for us, 20 years ago a prophet of God told us a simple way to live a happy life. In the Family Proclamation it says 

"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ." 

That's it. Really, it's simple, straightforward, and something we all can do. Yet so many don't because living according to Christ's commandments isn't what is popular. People often choose another path and quickly become discontent. It's important to recognize you may be happy doing certain things for a while, but living the teachings of Jesus Christ is the only true way to have lasting happiness.

Personally I have seen both sides of this principle. I've never done anything horrible, but I definitely have gone through times where I'm less consistent in living the daily commandments of God. During those times, I can see a change. I'm usually grumpier, more easily offended, and feel crappy. In contrast, during the times where I am reading my scriptures and praying daily I face the world with a more positive attitude.
I promise that building your life on the teachings of Christ will bring you lasting happiness. Take a look at your life and see what you can change to better follow our Savior. As you do this, you will see a difference.

Big News!

Okay, prepare yourself...  Prepared?

I am getting married! I'm really excited for this huge life change and even more excited I get to jump into married life with my best friend by my side. I've known Riley since my Junior year of high school and we've dated for a good chunk of that time. Yet, when we got engaged the first week of October with a November wedding date things still seemed fast. Yet wedding plans are really coming together from scheduling the temple, booking our luncheon, finding the dress, and even getting to take our engagements so fast (pictured here, and photo cred: to Photography by Christel) it has all been working out so well. 

Many prayers went into setting our date and we both knew it was right. This has just been confirmed as things have been coming together so well.  I love Riley and truly am excited, but at the same time I'm nervous. Getting married is a huge step. It means leaving home and starting my own family. My own family!! Yikes! Don't get any ideas, we aren't planning on having children for a few years, but still Riley and I will become our own family. There are so many aspects of what a family is I often get overwhelmed thinking of what I "should" do. 

I have been extremely blessed this semester with the opportunity to take a class "marriage and family preparation" where we focus on principles found in The Family Proclamation and scientific studies. Through readings, lectures, and class discussions I've learned so many things that have brought peace to my soul concerning my future family. 

Aren't we cute? Why, yes, yes we are. 

Not everyone has the opportunity to take this class, so I just wanted to share a few of my favorite things I have learned in this class over the next 20 days. Hopefully you'll learn something too!

To start off I want to share with you this:THE FAMILY PROCLAMATION! Take a look at that link, it will take you to a proclamation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made in September 1995. This was years ago before the family became a debated topic. It has become relevant now because of what it contains. Here they discussed the importance of the family as the fundamental unit of society, the importance of having a father and mother, and how to find happiness in life.

It is a powerful document.

It has helped me to gain strength and confidence as I prepare for my upcoming marriage. I know it is a proclamation from God. I know the importance of families is bigger than even I can fully understand. Families are wonderful. 

I am excited to share what I have learned with you in the next two weeks! 

Indexing!

So as I discussed in my last post, October is family history month. I gave you some suggestions on how to participate in this exciting month and now I want to show you how I am giving to family history month.
First off, INDEXING!!!!

Indexing is awesome. It is a huge part of family history because it is through indexing records are able to be found through an online search.There are many records that need to be indexed to help people around the world locate information on their family. 

 I could try and explain this to you, but I think this video will do a better job. 

Indexing doesn't have to take long. In fact just spending five minutes each week to index a small batch can make a huge difference. Who knows what information you will enter and whose research you may impact by your small sacrifice.

Currently indexing through FamilySearch is a downloaded program, but soon it will be fully online.
To access the link to download the program follow this link.
Get Started!
You'll have many options of what to index. There are many different languages, levels of difficulty and even types of records. You can index birth certificates, census records, obituaries and so many more.
Once you decide what batch you want to work on you will be presented with this screen.

What is nice is now all you need to do is follow the guide in entering information. They have it broken down into a spreadsheet asking for the information that will be made searchable.

Indexing isn't hard, and can make the world of difference!! 

Try it today!! 

October is Family History Month!!

Okay, this totally my geeky family history major moment, but you all need to know this!!!

IT'S FAMILY HISTORY MONTH!!!

Families are amazing!!!

I love my family. We took family photos about a couple months ago and it was just so ridiculous. We can't be serious around each other. Our photographer would tell us to not smile and just look at the camera. Inevitably one of us would make some comment and we would end up cracking up. It probably annoyed her, but I loved it. I love that my family is able to laugh, joke and just enjoy being around each other. Look how cute some of these turned out.

This was our one attempt at a serious picture.... 

But it clearly didn't last long.. 

We seriously have so much fun. One wonderful thing about families is how you automatically have this built in support team, audience for all our grandest life moments and to know you and for you to get to know on a very deep level. Even though our immediate family is going to be some of the closest people in our lives, there is so much more to what a family is. A family is a life line. It connects us for years back, will connect us for years to come, and honestly could eventually connect the entire world. Learning about these connections is a large part of family history. 

I love this video from President Henry B. Eyring from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because of how he expresses why family history is important.

Isn't that just the greatest? I love how he said we OWE our existence to these people. And that's just what they are! People!
My college studies offer me the wonderful opportunity to get to know my ancestors. Not only am I looking at their names, but actually delving into their lives. I track them through birth certificates, census records, land records, death certificates, and any other type of record out there to learn all I can about this individual. Suddenly they become more than a name, but they become real people who lived here before me. As I learn about them, I seem traits they possessed that I now have. I gain courage from learning of the trials and hardships they went through. Family History is Awesome!! 

So now I challenge you to take part in family history month! It doesn't have to be big or in depth, anything counts. In fact here are ten options for you:

1. Index! You may feel your family work is done, but by indexing you are allowing records to be put online faster, which will inevitably help someone else find their family. 
2. Go through any old boxes around your house. Who knows if you happen to have your great-grandma's death certificate lying around? If you find anything, digitize is whether by scanning it or taking a picture. Once digitized you can share it with other family members!
3.  Add memories to familysearch.org/memories. FamilySearch has created a system that almost like Facebook for those who are dead. You can add pictures, stories, documents and even audio. Once added you can tag any family member who is involved in said memory. This is an awesome opportunity because it becomes a world wide photo album. Who knows you may have a photo of grandpa that your cousins have never seen before? 
4. Find a record. This can be done on familysearch.org/records and can provide such awesome information. Maybe you know the basics of when they were born and died, but do you know if they had a radio? Look on the 1930 census and you can see if they had a radio. Or maybe take a look at their death certificate and see what information you can find there. There is just something special at being able to view the original document. 
5.  Go to the temple. For those of you who are LDS, try to make it to the temple this month. Going and performing work for the deceased is most definitely a form of family history work! 

"The great plan of happiness enables family relationships to last beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants, available only in the temple, make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally. Marriage, the family, and the home are the foundation of the Church. Nothing is more important to the Church and to civilization itself than the family!"

 (“The Standard of Truth Has Been Erected”)

Marriage - Am I ready?

So apparently when you start pinning things about marriage people start to wonder, and they then venture out enough to ask "hey, what's going on?"
Once and for all - no, I'm not engaged, I'm not getting married anytime soon, none of that. It's just that between roommates, friends, SO many summer weddings and especially the recent decisions from the government bringing about many discussions, you could say marriage is on the mind.
Pinterest is definitely not helping as some really fantastic ideas keep popping up - I mean check out some of these!

Original source: http://www.modwedding.com/2015/04/11/color-inspiration-midnight-blue-and-navy-wedding-ideas/

Original Source: http://jaephotography.blogspot.com/2013/04/chelsea-garrett-married.html

Original source: http://www.wedding-philippines.com/shades-of-navy-blue-coral/

Those are just a smidgen of what I have found and since I'm not planning on getting married myself anytime soon I keep sending these pins in the direction of those who might be. 

Amidst all the dresses, colors and cakes, this quote popped up in my feed. I've seen this many times before, heck, I've even had Sunday School lessons about this. The quote from Bruce R. McConkie is one of my all time favorites. Yet it was the triangle that really caught my attention when I saw this. 

I love how it shows a happy marriage being one where God is a central point. Normally when I see this I think "cool, both my husband and I get to grow closer to God together!" which is completely true, but last week I really noticed that while the husband and wife are connected, the wife (which I hope will one day be me) has a direct connection to God as well. 

 In order to have a successful marriage, the husband and wife need to be connected together, but also individually to our loving Heavenly Father. 

That individual connection is critical. So right now marriage isn't quite in the pages, but that doesn't mean I can't prepare myself. If I focus on my relationship with Heavenly Father, my marriage will already be better off than if I sat around waiting for Prince Charming to come sweep me off my feet. 

Having a close relationship with Him helps me to feel loved, helps me remember my worth and constantly be uplifted. 

Each of us is in a different position in life, but that doesn't mean we can't work on our connection to God. Whether married or not, let's all make a goal to make that relationship the strongest in our life!

Step by Step

A couple weeks ago, I posted about how difficult it is to keep going when you are stuck in-between major events. How do you keep going on, and especially stay happy, when there are so many things just beyond the corner?

As I have been going, I have realized (again) how important it is to walk

ONE STEP AT A TIME.

Simple, huh? Unfortunately, that is easier said then done. Yet, I keep finding ways. It's these little things I want to share with you now.

ONE - Find Something You Absolutely Love.

Alright, so let me show you my first pair of heels. Ever. Yes, you heard that right.

Let me explain. Growing up I was a pretty big tom boy. My cousins I played with were boys, the kids in the neighborhood I associated with were boys and I loved it. Given the choice I would much rather play in the mud then go play dress up. This became the identity I took as who I was. To give you an example, in junior high I really wanted to prove that I was not a girly girl. I wore a BYU teeshirt EVERY SINGLE day my entire seventh grade year. Do you realize how 1) crazy I must have been and 2) how  impressive it was that I had enough BYU shirts to do that? I think I ended up having over 20; possibly even 30! Crazy!
Anyways, I digress. So growing up and through junior and high school I had built up this image of who I "was." As I continued to understand what I liked, what I wanted, I would see dresses, shoes, and even skirts that I loved. Yet if I tried it on, or even dare to wear it I would feel so self conscious or someone would make a comment that it really wasn't "me." I passed over many things I would have loved to own simply because it wasn't "me." Lame, right?

Well as I have graduated, gone to college, served a mission and gained some hard earned wisdom I have learned WHO CARES? No one else gets to decided what is me. If I like it then it is obviously me! A couple weeks ago when I went to Payless looking for some new flats, I saw these red heels. I fell in love! I looked at them for a while before deciding I should at least try them on, even though I still had that little voice in my head saying 'no, those shoes aren't you, they are way too girly.' Pushing those thoughts out, I tried them on; that decided it for me.
I bought them. I love them. Now every time I put them on it's an opportunity to celebrate a little victory. By wearing these, I am defining "ME", I get to say who I am and who I want to be. Feeling victorious makes me forget some of my struggles  All because I found something I love.


TWO - Find Little Moments
 I am not in school right now, I'm not working full time, nor am I even dating. I have a job, but don't get to work as much as I would like. There are days I feel useless and exceedingly anxious to get going with life. School is a few months away, working professionally is still a few years away, and who knows when marriage and family will be in my future. This is some of the reason for my anticipation.
It would be easy to lay in bed feeling sorry for myself, but instead I have been trying to go out and find fun. I'm trying to enjoy little moments with those who are in my life right now. A few examples are:

Playing NERTZ with my roommate. Unfortunately I don't have a picture with her, mostly because I was too busy gloating about my getting 40 cards in the middle, but we have been able to have quite a bit of fun.

Going to see "Inside Out" with some of my cousins. I haven't gotten to spend much time with these cousins, but now that we are all in the same county we decided it was time to go out, laugh and have fun together.

Attending the temple with one of my dear friends and former mission companions. I love the temple and this trip brought peace and strength in ways not often felt in daily life.

Each of these events may seem simple in of itself, but adding them together they create little pockets of sunshine to light up my life. What simple events do you have that make difficult times better?


THREE - Doing Things You Think Impossible. 
 This past week my family went to Zions National Park. Due to some health problems I have been suffering from since January we were worried I wouldn't be able to do much. We divided up with my brother and father going off on adventures and my mother and sister accompanying me slowly making our way up the trail.
One such slow ascent was going up to Angel's Landing. In case you don't know, this is a pretty strenuous hike that makes its way up the side of a cliff, through a canyon, up further and finally coming to the top where between two 1,000 foot drops you are able to look out to the canyon below. The boys took off on their own pretty soon after we started, and I slowly began trying to go as far as I can. Each turn presented a new goal to work towards and I needed to stop often to make sure I didn't get dizzy, but with my mom's help I kept going. Eventually we made it all the way up to Scout's Lookout, which was just a half mile short from the end of the trail. If it hadn't been for the steep drop offs, I would have begged to keep going, but with the possibility of collapsing unexpectedly that wasn't an option. Sadly, I turned around and went back down the trail.
It wasn't until I reached the bottom and looked back up that I realized what I had accomplished. Look at this!

You see the cliff behind my mother and me? That's Angel's Landing. Scout Overlook is that level, just further back where it is wider. The fact I made it up there is a miracle. Normally I can't even walk a flight of stairs without getting dizzy or my vision blurring. The fact I hiked uphill 4 miles is PHENOMENAL. I was so blessed to do the impossible. I know I only made it because I was given some extra strength from my Heavenly Father, but He couldn't have helped me if I had never tried.

My circumstances haven't changed. I'm still suck between numerous events such as waiting for school to start, exploring job opportunities and waiting for my best friend to return from his LDS mission. Anticipation is still building, but I am finding ways to deal with it. Not just deal with it, I am even enjoying it!

Life can be so good !! 

Moments of Anticipation

Have you ever hiked up to a mountain peak? You feel as if you have been forcing your body to move upward for ages sometimes with the goal of beholding the magnificent view just beyond the peak as your only motivation? I love to hike; I can't express the joy I feel when I reach that peak and look out over the valley. Accomplishment of the difficult journey makes the sight all the more beautiful.

Life is often compared to hiking a mountain. All of life is full of ups and downs, mountains to climb, rocks for us to help each other over; many metaphors are found from the idea of hiking. There must be a strong reason for this. It is so easy for us to relate! I want to share another life/mountain comparison I am currently in.

On an extremely difficult hike it is easy to get discouraged, often with feelings of being unable to accomplish the task you set out to do. The past few months have felt like this for me. My trials are very minute in comparison to what others go through, yet to me there have been many days I have been near collapsing to the ground and giving up. Miraculously I find my Savior, Jesus Christ, is there to support me and encourage me to keep going. In fact I feel as if I have come so far I am nearing the peak of this current set of trials. It's that moment of anticipation where I can see the peak ahead of me! It's almost within my reach!

It is still a peak though; I do not know how steep it will be to get there, and I am not sure what lies beyond it. I am stuck in these moments of anticipation. I am filled with excitement for what is just around the corner. My heart is warm with love for what could possibly be there.

I also have fears and doubts about what will be there. Will it be everything I expect? What do I even expect it to be? Am I ready to face what will be there?

I don't know. Truly, I don't know. 

Because of this unknown, right now I am trying to enjoy this moment I am in. Enjoying the excitement and mystery of the unknown isn't easy, but I am trying.  All too quickly these moments will pass and I will climb that peak to behold my next adventure. I need to enjoy my time now.

Are you enjoying every moment? Even the painful moments of anticipation?

Let me know if you have any ways to enjoy these moments. My project for the next month will be to find ways and I will report back!

Each Day is a New Adventure

It has definitely been over a month since anything was posted, but life has a way of constantly throwing us for a loop. I finished up finals at my third semester at BYU. I was seriously so excited to not fail. World History was kind of up in the air, but thank goodness I passed with the minimum requirement to not fail. Pretty ecstatic. I am now only two years away from graduating!!! Whoot, whoot. Though I should probably now knock on some wood and pray I am able to get into all the classes I need to. 

In between all the studying and test taking, my roommates and I definitely made sure to still stay up until midnight laughing and playing card games. 

Like this picture for example! This was probably taken around one in the morning, way after when I should have gone to sleep.  Yet we were having too much fun to stop. It is moments like this that make me grateful for them. I could not make it through the ups and downs of 2015 without their encouragement and love. 

Not only did I finish up the semester in the past month, but I also went back to visit my mission! It was so exciting and such a blessing. I went back with one of my former companions, Sister Jicha and it was quite fun. I saw the beach for the first time and since we were no longer missionaries we were able to play in the water. Goodness, those beaches are beautiful. Many pictures were taken, but I will only include two. 

As part of this trip we went to visit two of Sister Jicha's other areas before getting to Baker. In all honesty, that portion of the trip was extremely difficult for me. It was hard to see all of these wonderful people she had met as she continued her mission while I had only had one area. There were times I felt inadequate and like a failure for returning home early. Many prayers were said and calls to my parents were quite frequent; through it I was again reminded that there were specific reasons things happened as they did. 

Eventually we made it to Baker, Florida and it felt like coming home. I was so amazed at how comfortable I felt being with those I had grown to love during the nine months I had served there. I felt such a peace being there and any doubts I had felt about myself simply slipped away as I enjoyed delicious food, great people and wonderful Baker fields. 

We were lucky to have lots of fun experiences such as seeing baby goats, going shooting and the main reason we went to Florida attending the wedding of a sweet girl and a great guy! It truly was so fun. 

It was a wonderful trip and I was so grateful for the opportunity I had to go back. I can't even begin to express how blessed I was to have served in the Olive Branch. The members there were so caring and so thoughtful; they kept me going when there didn't seem like much to continue for. Baker, Florida really is like a tiny piece of heaven here on earth. 

Since coming back to Utah, I have tried to stay busy and remain productive. I am still living at college, working and trying to be social. It isn't easy, but I try. My roommate and I decided to actually be social and attend a ward activity. We were going to go classic skating and I surprisingly did well. I didn't fall, which is an accomplishment for me!  (Aren't we cute?)

My roommate didn't have the same luck. One unfortunate fall the wrong way and we were on our way to the emergency room. The poor girl ended up with a fractured ankle and many more troubles than we could have imagined when we started the night. 

Moral of the Story? Don't be social. 

As I watch her struggle with simple tasks, such as walking, I realize how quickly things can change as well as how many things we take for granted. Like, if I wanted to I could go for a run, or I can skip down the street. Each of us has our own trials and they truly are perfectly tailored to our needs. 

This girl is my hero though. She is going through so much, yet she is still trying to stay positive. Each problem that arises, she tries to face with a brave heart despite any concerns she may have. We've looked for what can be learned, and continued to laugh at the little things we can. Each day must be taken one day at a time, and as I'm learning sometimes even one hour at a time.

Life certainly isn't easy, but there are so many moments that make it worthwhile. 

My One Year Mark

Today I have been filled with interesting emotions. In fact this whole past weekend has been crazy for me. 
One year ago today I came home from my mission. 
  So I loved my mission. I was blessed to serve in this rural town on the Florida/Alabama border, or as many locals say "The Great State of L.A." (Lower Alabama). I loved being there and sharing my testimony of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon with those I was with. Yet it wasn't all sunshine and paradise. 
There were a lot of ups and downs. While I was serving there I was diagnosed with depression. Although treatment was sought and different things were tried in the end it was decided I should come home. 

It was extremely difficult to take off this name tag for the last time, yet I knew it was what Heavenly Father had planned for me. I never doubted that I would be abandoned. I always knew my Savior would be with me. 

And He never did. In the past year I have witnessed many miracles. Things have happened that I couldn't even have dreamed would have happened had I not returned from my mission earlier than initially planned. 
On this day I just want to share my testimony with all of y'all. 
I know that our Heavenly Father loves us. We truly cannot begin to comprehend the amount of love He holds for each of us. He sent His Son as a sacrifice for each of us! Jesus Christ is alive today. He came to the earth where He atoned for each of our sins, struggles, pains, trials. Through that He understands exactly how we each feel throughout all of our difficulties. I have felt His strength beside me during the most difficult times as well as the joyous. Over the past year I went through trials I had never imagined yet because of that my faith was stretched to the limit and my testimony grew to encompass more faith and knowledge. 
It was hard to come home, but through all that happened I learned one thing I will forever share with the world.

WE ARE LOVED. 

Confession Time

I have a problem.... 

Last week one of my roommates bought each of us a NERF gun with intentions of battle. Super fun right? I was excited and also slightly frightened when I came home to find it on my bed. 

I mean look at this thing! Tiny, but boy it packs a punch! 

So anyways, we had a mini-war and it was disastrous. My aim STINKS. Pretty much the only time I managed to hit my roommates were the times I wasn't aiming for them. I think that takes a different kind of talent, but they don't agree. After being embarrassed, I decided I need to do some target practice, I started shooting various things around the apartment. This is where the problem comes... 

I have become addicted to my NERF gun. I LOVE shooting things and pretty much anytime I am home I have the gun beside me practicing. There is just this sense of power I gain from hitting a target. In that instant I feel I can accomplish anything. 

This is my "Power" view. 

I still don't have the best aim; maybe hitting half the times I shoot, but I am getting better. This whole ordeal just goes to show two things. 

1) Practice makes you better. It doesn't matter what you practice you will become better. Piano, crocheting, baking, shooting, it all works the same with practice. You put forth some effort, you slowly will master what you work on. 

2) Addictions can come from anything. This is probably what scares me most about this. I have literally become addicted to shooting a silly piece of plastic. Without any thought I find myself picking it up, gathering bullets and shooting a paper lantern down from the ceiling. (Shhh, don't tell my roommate.) But seriously, this is so sad! From this I have realized how important it is for me to watch what I do with my life. One little decision could lead to me becoming addicted to some unpleasant things. 

So while this isn't a serious confession it is an opportunity for me to look into my actions. Am I putting my "practice time" into what should be practiced? 

Who knows? Probably not and I should probably start working on some other things. But for now I will shamelessly wait for my roommates to return home.

THIS IS WAR. 

My "Musts"

So last week I felt like I hit the end of my rope. I ended up going home late Saturday night and spending the weekend talking things through with my mom. During the course of the discussion we developed a list of 

My Five Musts.

This is a list of the five things I must do daily. They include:
1. Breathe
2. Eat
3. Sleep
4. Pray at least once a day
5. Read at least one verse of scripture a day

That's it. Nice and simple.

Now before you start to critique hear me out! This is my list of bare minimum, the things that must be completed.
I don't know about you but in my mind there is this lengthy list of things I "should" be doing daily. When I am unable to get those things done I get down on myself. It makes life pretty miserable when you feel you are never completing anything.

Hence my list. The first three are necessary for staying alive; the last two are necessary for keeping me connected to God. They really don't seem like much but on those days when I physically and mentally can only do so much it is nice to know there is a list that if I complete I have done enough.
Having this list for myself allows me to look back on my day with the attitude of accomplishment. If I have done my five things I completed what I set out to do. The day has been GREAT!
If there are days were I am able to do more than what is on my "Must" list that is just extra added bonus!
You made it to class today? Added bonus.
You were able to really study a couple chapters of the Book of Mormon? Added bonus!
You fed yourself today? Great! You did what you had to today! 

This is a great system for me! 

I think this is an idea each of us needs to consider for our lives. We each have a "must" list; honestly that list probably changes every few months or so. What is important to remember is that it isn't about all the "should's" but rather the "musts" that determine our success. And even then, if a day goes by and you didn't get all of your musts done that's okay, you simply have a new goal for tomorrow. 

Through what Lens

So yesterday I wore my glasses instead of my contacts like I normally do. As I was walking around campus I noticed a few things.

Maybe it's because I don't wear  my glasses often, but I was constantly aware of the rim around my eyes. It was always there; as if it was a magic barrier. The instant my eyes looked beyond the rim the world became fuzzy. Honestly it was a mess.

Yet once I allowed my eyes to cross back through the barrier and to stare through the lens designed for them the world made sense again. What had been blobs of color were now people, flowers, cars and all the other magnificent sights this world gives us daily. Literally my outlook on life changed from a slight shift of my eyes!
So what?

As I made this observance almost instantly I had two lessons come into mind.

1. There is a lot in life we don't know. Sure, as we grow up we are taught what is right and what is important, but then life comes and shoves us out into an unknown world. It doesn't take much, but suddenly we are beyond the rim. We have passed into a strange new world that doesn't made any sense. Some people will end up wandering this new realm lost for the rest of their lives. Others will notice the rim is still there and drift back towards it. Allowing ourselves to once again go past the rim and view the new world through the lens of what we previously knew allows the new, confusing world to make sense again. 

Which I guess brings me to my second realization.

2. What lens am I using to view my life? There are so many different "pairs of glasses" we could put on, each altering what we see. Am I viewing my life through the glasses I have imagined my peers use to view me? Am I looking through shades of depression? Or am I using the glasses of God?   How we look at life is going to make a difference in what life will bring. 

I haven't quite figured it out. There are still many days I try on multiple types of glasses and my view on life is like a roller coaster. But I have found one thing for sure:

There are glasses out there that let me see the world with joy. It isn't possible to wear them all day every day, but that doesn't stop us from trying them on. 

So whatever they may be, bright yellow frames, hipster, stylin' black, 

We need to choose to look through the lens of Joy. 

Mi Familia (Ha, I don't speak Spanish!)

So this is my family. We have a pretty great relationship. Not that you can tell from this picture.

We love to laugh. Ridiculously. One great thing is my parents always tried to have us eat dinner each night. The conversations can be serious, but usually range from quoting Winnie the Pooh to debating whether Gandalf or Dumbledore would win in a battle. (Pssh, Dumbledore all the way, who are we even kidding?)

Sure, we argue, but for the most part we all love each other.

My dad is great – he offers sound advice, has always shown the example of working hard and was the one responsible for instilling love for BYU football in me.

My mom is pretty much the best – I was blessed to have her stay at home, which meant anytime we needed anything (forgotten homework, feeling sick) she was there for us, she made the greatest birthday cakes and introduced me to the magical realm of reading.

My brother is a mini genius – give me a bucket of LEGOs and within a day he will have created multiple creations, all from his head! I have no clue how in the world he does it. He also is genius when it comes to editing videos, and he is becoming pretty fantastic at playing piano. Pretty much he is awesome.

My sister is the youngest and loves so many things – She is pretty great. She plays the cello, loves Calvin and Hobbes and is an example of creativity to me. She’ll come up with these drawings and I just marvel how she does it.

I am so grateful that we have been sealed together for eternity. There is just something so encouraging about knowing we'll always have each other. I guess having that knowledge makes it easier to keep working together and learning to be each other's strength.