Hey, there!  It's been a really long time since I've written!  I decided to move back to Rexburg for another semester the week before the beginning of the semester, and was very blessed to get a spot back in my wonderful home, apartment 2 :)  I was also blessed to get a waiver from the school to take classes on my off track.  (I'm on the fall/spring track, which means I usually go to school September-December and April-July)  I love my roommates; the new ones Dannikah and Rachel are awesome!  Rachel and I have two classes together and we've been taking a practicum class, which means we get to go into an elementary school twice a week.  It's been fun working with the kids and learning from my awesome mentor teacher.  I've also continued doing From the Heart choir, and I was in Women's Glee choir again which I did my first semester.

So...I got my mission call!  On February 26 around 1pm, my friend Amber who lives downstairs brought me the long-awaited envelope from the mailbox :)  I opened it that night.  I am going to Tampa, Florida!  I leave for the Provo Missionary Training Center on April 27!  (That's in less than a month!)  I'm going to miss it here and it's a little crazy trying to get everything done before then, but I'm SUPER excited!

Well, that's all for now...I have two tests tomorrow and homework to do.  Next week is the end of the semester, so it's going to be crazy packing and cleaning and finishing up my classes.  As my dad says, I have to "sprint to the end!"

I know that God loves us and is merciful. I also know that he is just and must follow His laws.  Elder Oaks has said, "The love of God does not supersede His laws and commandments, and the effect of God's laws and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love."  When we sin, God does not love us any less.  However, we can only receive the blessings He wants to give us if we keep His commandments.

What is sin?  Well, there are the ten commandments found in Exodus 20.  There is the commandment to love God and love your neighbor.  I would say that a commandment is anything that God has asked you to do (or not do).  This is not just limited to church-wide standards; it could be and often is personal revelation.  Maybe God has warned you through the Holy Ghost not to watch a certain movie.  I know this has happened to me.  Maybe He has led you to an opportunity to help someone, and you feel prompted to step forward.  I think these are personal commandments, and it shows how important it is to remain close to the Spirit.

Sometimes, you may decide not to do something that most people feel is absolutely fine or even good.  To this, Russell M. Nelson has to say: "Remember: sin, even if legalized by man, is still sin in the eyes of God."  If it suddenly became legal to murder, would that make it any less worse an act?  That is an extreme example, but it is true that morals do not change with popular opinion.

Well, we all knew the subject would come up, me being a BYU-Idahoan and all...yup.  Marriage.  That thing that everybody tells us we should do.  That thing that comes from dating, and "dating is painful" (Professor Kohor, Divine Comedy sketch).  We get tired of hearing about it, but there's a reason it's so emphasized.  That's because families are what God gave us to lead us to exaltation.  According to God's law, we can have children after we are married.  What a blessing!  There are many who don't wait until they are married, however.  David A Bednar said, "One of the ultimate ironies of eternity is that the adversary, who is miserable precisely because he has no physical body, entices us to share in his misery through the improper use of our bodies."  I can definitely observe the truth of this statement in the world around us.  I want to talk about why it's important to save intimacy until after marriage.

The number one reason: God has commanded it.  I know that God gives us commandments to help us find the greatest happiness in life.  I also know, like the prophet Nephi, that "the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7).

Another reason is that the power of procreation is sacred.  It is the closest we get to being like God on this earth, because it is His power that He has given to us.  Elder Dallin H. Oaks has said, "The power to create mortal life is the most exalted power God has given his children."  How tragic it would be to use this power in any way other than how God intended: in a marriage between a man and a woman.

I have recently heard about Tim Tebow's girlfriend breaking up with him because he did not want to be sexually active before marriage.  This just shows how our society has come to a point where marriage is not typically viewed as highly as it used to be.  When did marriage become such a thing of the past?

Life has been just dandy!  We hang out with friends and make yummy food and enjoy the beautiful fall :)  For example, last week we had a dinner with a bunch of friends of lasagna, bread, salad, and pumpkin cookies!  Then Friday night, we went bowling!  It was awesome :)

Last Saturday, I went to the temple with my old roommate Marianne.  There was a somewhat long line, so I got to spend some quality time in the chapel flipping through the scriptures.  I came to a scripture, D&C (Doctrine and Covenants) 6:22-24 which reads:

 22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.
 23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?
 24 And now, behold, you have received a witness; for if I have told you things which no man knoweth have you not received a witness?

This made me think of how I have been struggling with the decision to serve an 18-month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I have previously felt good about going, but had since been having doubts and fears.  This scripture made me feel like I need to trust those former impressions.  A song that we sing in choir, My Kindness Shall Not Depart From Thee, also came to mind, and this is where I almost started crying from the power of the Holy Spirit.  Here are some of the lyrics:

Though the mountains shall depart
and the hills shall be removed
and the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea
Know my child, my kindness shall not depart from thee

How long can rolling waters remain impure?
What power shall stay the hand of God?
The son of man hath descended below all things.
Art thou greater than He?

I interpreted this as personal revelation telling me that the sacrifice of going on a mission is going to be okay.  If Jesus the Christ can suffer ALL things and perform the ultimate sacrifice, then I can sacrifice some time and energy to serve the Lord and teach His children the gospel that I love so much.  At this point, I started thinking about what it would be like to be a missionary and some fears crept back in.  Do I know the gospel well enough to teach it?  All of a sudden, the last verse of the song came into my mind with great power.

So hold on thy way
For I shall be with thee
And mine angels shall encircle thee
Doubt not what thou knowest
Fear not man, for he cannot hurt thee

I realized that the reason I have been hesitating to go on a mission is fear - fear of teaching, fear of being away from family, fear of the rigorous lifestyle.  I don't need fear, I need the faith to act despite my fears.  I know that Heavenly Father can give me that, the Spirit can guide me, and Jesus knows my fears as he has experienced them and can help me through them as well.  I am so excited to finally know what I need to do and have to opportunity to go on a mission!

You may ask: why am I so sure that this was revelation from God?  The answer is that I felt the Spirit bring thoughts to my mind and testify of their truth.  The Spirit is one of God's ways of communicating with His children on the earth.  Elder Bruce R. McConkie, a since deceased leader in our church, has said:

One of our revelations speaks of “the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true” (D&C 76:53), meaning that every person who walks uprightly, does the best that he can, overcomes the world, rises above carnality, and walks in paths of righteousness will have his acts and his deeds sealed and approved by the Holy Spirit.

Thus, if I strive to be worthy, I can have the Spirit help me know if my decisions are correct or not.  This was an occasion in which the Spirit confirmed my decision and gave me great comfort.  I am very grateful to have the gift of the Spirit.  I met with my bishop today to talk about it and we are getting the ball rolling!

      Hello, all!  I am back in Rexburg and loving it!  Although for some reason, this semester seems a lot more busy and homework-filled than last semester.  I guess didn't write anything about last semester, did I? :P  Well, here goes...last semester I found out about a community choir called From the Heart.  I spontaneously decided to audition, and it was probably one of the best decisions of my life.  It just kept getting better!  We sing music about Christ, have devotionals every week, and go on retreat and tour.  My roommates Keelee, Hannah, Brandi, and I also made some friends, including Megan and Hannah (Lee) who had bridal showers during the semester and are now married women!  Weird...

      This semester we moved into Hannah (Lee)'s old apartment at Buena Vista with one of her old roommates, Claire, who is awesome :)  The apartment is more homey and it has a piano!  We are in the same ward and it can't be beat.  But I can't help but miss the dorms a little - I can't believe they are getting torn down!  I am back in From the Heart and feel like I have a lot more friends.  At auditions, I saw my friend Devon from Massachusetts!  I didn't even know she was going here!  We both got in so it's pretty much a party all the time :)

Something I read for one of my classes impressed me.  It was a quote from Dallin H. Oaks that said, "Establish in the mind of a young person the powerful idea that he or she is a child of God, and you have given self-respect and motivation to move against the problems of life."  I think this is so true, because I have noticed that my knowledge of God has helped me when I am discouraged because I remember that little things like doing poorly on an assignment or embarrassing myself aren't important in the eternal sense.  What matters is what will last forever.  Our faith, our families, and our relationships with God are among these everlasting treasures.

I have now been working at the Legacy Preschool for 3 weeks. It is such great fun! Kids are (usually) so happy and loving and accepting. At times it can be frustrating and exhausting, but I am so grateful for this opportunity to get a tiny taste of teaching and experience with kids. It has reaffirmed my desire to be a teacher.

I have also recently been wrestling with the mission decision. After much prayer and struggle to discern my feelings, I have received several small answers. These answers have come in many forms, such as a comment someone makes, a song that is sung, a scripture that is read, and most of all, a feeling that I feel. I have decided to go on an 18-month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after next semester. I don't know where I'll go, who I'll meet, or what trials I'll have, but this I do know. I know that Heavenly Father knows us, loves us, and is intimately involved in our lives. If we do His will, He will help us. I'll be serving Him because I'll be serving His children, and because He loves His children, He will help, guide and protect me in His work. I have no need to fear.

"There’s surely somewhere a lowly place

In earth’s harvest fields so wide

Where I may labor through life’s short day

For Jesus, the Crucified.

So trusting my all to thy tender care,

And knowing thou lovest me,

I’ll do thy will with a heart sincere:

I’ll be what you want me to be.

I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,

Over mountain or plain or sea;

I’ll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;

I’ll be what you want me to be."

-Hymns 270

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

-Romans 8:28, 31

2014 was full of excitement and lots of beginnings and endings. I graduated high school and started college at the most perfect school for me :) My brother met his true love and got engaged and married. It was an overall wonderful year! I am excited for 2015 as I will get my first real job, go to another semester of college, and, if things go according to plan, leave on an 18-month mission for my church! Here's to another amazing year.

I took a Children's Literature class this semester, and wanted to share some of my favorite books.  (Or it may be our last assignment.  You choose.)  I love stories that inspire and teach a lesson.  I have found that most children's books do.

1. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, illustrated by Ruth Harper and Nancy Leak

This book is an adorable story of a raccoon who doesn't want to go to school.  I love it because it emphasizes love between parent and child and could be used to help a preschool or kindergarten child who may be scared to leave home and start school.  I actually was given a copy of this book for my baptism by a friend and my dad and I started doing the kissing hand as described in the story whenever he would leave on a business trip.  

2. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, illustrated by David Catrow

This book is a wonderful story of a girl who seems to have so many differences, but her grandmother encourages her to be herself and not worry about what other people think.  I love the story because it is entertaining while teaching one of the most important lessons of life: there are some things you can't control, and you just need to make the best of what you have.  It also teaches the importance of having someone to encourage and support you.

3. Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

This is an amazing story based on the actual experiences of the author.  In the book, Trisha struggles to learn to read despite her efforts and desire until Mr. Falker becomes her teacher.  He not only stands up for her when she is teased by the other children, but notices her struggle and meets with her almost every day after school with a reading teacher.  I love this book because it shows that teachers need to recognize and tend to the needs of individual students.  This book could be used to help another child who may be struggling to learn something as fast or easily as everyone else.  Not everyone learns at the same pace or in the same way.

Tomorrow will be the 10 year anniversary of my baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am so grateful for this church, its teachings, and all the good it does for the world. I know that it is the true church of Jesus Christ and that we have a modern day prophet to guide us as well as the Holy Spirit. I know that Jesus suffered the pain of every one of our sins so we can repent and be forgiven of our mistakes. I am grateful for my choice 10 years ago to be a part of this church. I love my family and know that because of the blessings of the temple, we can be together forever.

So, I am now a college student!  3 weeks ago tomorrow I moved to Rexburg, Idaho.  It's been hard but awesome.  I learned my way around fast.  My roommates are really nice.  We go to dances often :)  I miss home (both homes), love getting packages, no matter how small, and love meeting new people and being part of an awesome community who love, serve, and teach each other.  I think the diversity here is super cool.  I know people from Georgia, Nigeria, Scotland, and all over the country.  Cooking is my favorite pastime.  I am one of the FHE group leaders and am having fun (and stress) planning activities and being called "Mom".  I have a hard time concentrating on homework sometimes (like right now) because I get tired and relaxed at my dorm and just can't bring myself to do it.  I've had some interesting, embarrassing, and awesome experiences.  I'm getting used to being a devotional usher, and a student of course :)  So yeah, life is good.  I miss my family and my baby cat.  It is so beautiful here, but it's getting colder...