Letters

Louisa, Ems & I at Guru's before the broadcast!

Dear Emily, I had so much fun with you this weekend! From going to the BYU choir concert to getting frozen yogurt to getting dinner at Guru's to watching the Relief Society broadcast to going to a Baptist church with me for a school assignment--it was so good to be with someone easy to talk to and have fun with. I'm glad we live so close to each other.

Dear Louisa, I'm super glad that you got to join Ems and I on Saturday night while we went to Guru's and then to watch the Relief Society broadcast. Those sweet potato fries are so good!!! It's good to live with family away from home, especially when that family is as awesome as you!

Dear Old FHE Family, I've run into so many of you over the past several days! It's fun to see those of you who have come back from your missions and to randomly run into you, Aubrey, at the baptist church because you were also doing an assignment (how random!) Let's get together and have a reunion soon. Deal?

Dear Beautiful Fall Weather, I'm so happy you've decided to come around. Please stay and keep the winter away!!!

Dear Miranda, It's been YEARS since we last ran into each other! It tickles me that I was able to find you on facebook and that you seem to be doing so well! Maybe when I come home for Christmas break we can get together--that would be a blast!

Dear Jon, Breakfast on Saturday morning was de. lic. ous. I haven't had french toast in such a long time and it's even one of my favorites! Thanks for giving me a fabulous beginning to a fabulous day!

Dear Ashley, As the boy's in N103's old FHE sister, it was fun to get to meet you and discover that we're in Mythology together (I can't believe you recognized me! You're so observant!) You seem super fun and are incredibly talented with singing and playing the guitar. Thank you for sharing your talents and your smiles. Hopefully, I'll see you in class today!

Dear Mythology Paper, Even though you were about Ella Enchanted, you took FOREVER to write, which made me slightly annoyed. My hand thanks you for finally being done!

Dear Sarah Armknecht, I'm so grateful for the chance I had to go hear your unofficial mission farewell yesterday. I learned so much about being converted unto the Lord, His love for us, and prayer. You are going to be such an amazing missionary because you live your life in such a way that the Spirit can be with you at all times. The people in Montana are very lucky to have you among them for the next year and a half.

Dear Testimony Bearers, Your words gave me a lot to contemplate about and gave me much comfort. Thank you.

Dear Mars, Thanks for sharing this

video yesterday in your Sunday School lesson. I think it touched us all.

Dear Hannah, I'm very grateful for the chance I have to get to serve with you. You seem really awesome and down to earth (which is so refreshing) and I hope we can become really good friends.

Dear Krista, I hope that you come over and hang out in the CP zone of the ward all the time so that we can have super fun with you and get to know you better because you just seem so super awesome and it would be so sad if we never really got to know you just because you live all the way over in the yellow house. In other words, I think you're really cool. Thanks for the chatting. I can't wait to chat again!

Dear Kylee, Please get feeling better soon. I love you!

Dear Grace, That cake was AMAZING! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing!

Dear Jessica, I hope you get feeling better. I love you so super much and am wishing I could be with you right now!

Dear Kate and Abby, I'm so glad and happy that you guys called me last night so that we could talk! I love talking to you two. Thanks for being the awesomest Abby and Kate sisters in the world!

Dear Reading Assignments, Really? This is overkill. Way too much, guys. Way too much.

Dear Wonderful Coworkers, You guys are the best and everyone that doesn't work with you should be jealous (that's a lot of people and I really shouldn't be encouraging un-Christ-like behavior such as being jealous, but you guys are just that cool!) Thanks.

Dear Melissa, You seem like an awesome friend and I'm very grateful to have you as my Visiting Teacher and can't wait to get to know you more!

Dear Shonay, I'm so glad that you're my Visiting Teacher. You are just so cool and kind and fun. And your words last night...I really needed to hear them. Thank you so much for saying what the Spirit prompted you to say. I love you!

Dear General Conference Weekend, I'm going to work really hard this week so that I can enjoy you to your fullest on Saturday and Sunday. I'm so excited!!!

Dear Today, Smiles, quiet moments, laughter, friends, work, class, exercising, homework, scriptures, talking, joy--these are just a few of the things I hope to run into during you today.

Letters

Dear Woman's Locker Room Gym, You are tiny. You are old. You have papers hanging on the walls announcing new policies starting October 2004. Your paint is pealing. Your machines are falling apart and make weird noises. But--I love working out with you more than any other place (almost--nothing beats running in the super green Washington wilderness). I'm excited to join you again today!

Dear Temple Thursdays, Thank you.

Dear Louisa, I'm so super duper glad that we decided to meet up at the temple last night and to then go shopping and then go to Guru's. The shopping was super fun (and Dave--the salesman we were talking to--with his British accent was so cute!) and the sweet potato fries were delicious! Thanks so much for giving me a fun evening. I needed it.

Dear Homework, You are so getting done this weekend. I can't wait to go to the library for hours and then to walk home in the late hours of the night, feeling completely productive and accomplished.

Dear Utah, Game tomorrow? You're on!

Dear President Uchtdorf, Your talks are my favorite and you always tell me exactly what I want/need to hear.

Dear Sunshine, You make me smile.

Letters

Dear Emily, Thank you so much for the wonderful note you left on my mirror last night! It made me so super happy when I woke up and was the bestest start to a day that I've had in a super long time!

Dear Louisa, I think it's hilarious how much you wanted ice cream last night and how excited you were when Adam brought some over. It was so funny because I knew exactly how you felt--I wanted ice cream last night too!!! I just had to settle for chocolate chip cookies. Six of them, to be exact. Let's just say that I will definitely be going to the gym today before our trip to the temple.

Dear Jamie, Lindsey and Rachel, Thank you so super extremely much for listening to me the other day at work. It helped me feel a whole lot better! It's nice to work somewhere good, but it's even more good to work with people who are nice.

Dear Dr. Thursby, You are such an awesome old lady. I want to be as blunt and lively and intelligent and cool as you when I get old.

Dear Colder Fall Weather, Disregard anything that Louisa and Betsy tell you. I'd rather continue enjoying my warm summer nights.

Dear Bro. & Sis. Hatfield, I'm so glad that you two help with institute because it means that I get to see you in the middle of the week every week and that makes me so super happy! You two really are some of my favorite people in the Prov/Orem area and I'm so grateful that I get to associate with you.

Dear Sleep, Life really does seem/feel better when you're around.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for helping me survive my two hour evening class last night. I think it was equivalent to that the times when Christ blessed the loafs and fishes.

Dear Sarah, It was such a delight to see you at institute last night. Thanks for chatting and for being such an awesome friend.

Dear Bro. Day, Your institute lessons are absolutely wonderful, as are you! Thank you for making us laugh and seriously think about things that really matter all in the same moment.

Dear Elicia, Thanks for always being willing to take a couple of minutes to chat. It means a lot to me and lets me know that if I ever need someone to talk to, you will be there for me.

Dear Thursday, There has to be at least approximately 23 reasons why today is going to be much more splendid than yesterday. I'm not sure exactly what those 23 reasons are, but I'm sure they must be there. I can't wait to find out about all of them.

The Power of Music and the Love of God

This morning I have been reminded of the power of music. These songs where ones that particularly touched my heart:

The Lord loves us so much. I testify that He is invested in you. You. He cares so much about you and wants nothing more than to wrap you up in the warm embrace of His tender love. Be patient with yourself and love yourself the way He loves you. Don't give up. There is an end to the turmoil and sorrow in the world, but we do not have to wait for that end, for there is no beginning or end to the peace which comes from the Lord. His peace--His love--is always there for us. Always. Let us do better at seeking it out and accepting it as He would have us do. Let us more readily experience the love of God in our lives.

My Ideology

This is all that really matters:

The church is true and I love being an active member of it.

I'm a daughter of God who loves me dearly and I love Him.

I have a Savior who died for me so that I can have the power to do impossible tasks and overcome my weaknesses.

Temples are vital.

Joseph Smith restored the true church and was a living prophet.

Thomas S. Monson is today's prophet and leads and guides God's church.

The scriptures are the word of God.

I can and want to talk to God through prayer.

People are innately good.

There is right and wrong.

I love and care about those I associate with; especially family, roommates, coworkers and classmates.

I like working hard because it helps me feel purposeful.

I like doing hard things because I love the feeling of triumph and achievement.

I love to serve because it makes me happy.

I love being happy because it feels good and helps me to put things into perspective.

I love taking care of my body because it gives me energy.

Being an amazing wife and mother is very important to me even though neither of these roles have yet become realities.

I'm getting a degree in English Teaching, but ultimately I want to be a homemaker.

I believe there is value in getting an education especially because I'm going to be a mother someday.

I like to be successful so that I can give back to God.

When I fail, I rely on the Atonement to get me back on my feet.

My life is a gift, my life has a plan.

I want to give my whole life to serving God, following His commandments and forwarding His work.

I want God to trust me and to use me as an instrument in His hands.

"This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."

Everything else is secondary to these uncompromising principles.