Reflections on my Savior

I am a Mormon.  

This means I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We have Sabbath day worship every Sunday and renew our covenants that we have made with our Savior Jesus Christ.  During these meetings, we also listen to talks from our peers about things relating to our faith, study the Book of Mormon, have open discussion about our faith, pray, and sing.  

The Holy Ghost surrounded me with his love today.  It wasn't a mountain-moving force, but instead a soft comforting peace; I knew He was with me.  How comforting it is to know that we are never, never alone.  Not going to lie, though, this was something I have struggled with this semester.  It is challenging to move out and begin to grow up on your own, and a lot of the time I felt deserted by my God.  Now I can look back and realize that it was actually I that left Him.  Having these feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and sadness combined with  everything going on in my life was overwhelming sometimes - literally heartbreaking, choking.  I remember praying that He could help hold my heart together, just for a little while, until I healed on my own. 

In church today,  I was reminded of the Savior's atonement for me.  Some of the thoughts I had-  

• Jesus went through the pain of every sin, every broken bone, every broken heart, every lonely feeling, every sad day, every last tear shed, for me.  In fact, He suffered this for all men, but because of His love for me, He would have gone through with it just to save my single soul if need be.
• Christ was alone when He suffered these things. Even the God of all the Heavens withdrew his presence from Him - it was needed for the atonement.
• Christ is the only one that has really experienced loneliness - we will never be alone, we always have Him with us. 
• My actions directly affect the pain he suffered in Gethsemane. 

The last bullet point moves me the most.  In fact, I almost wept in class today for the gratitude I felt for my Savior. How gracious, how kind, how perfect, how much He must love me go through every single pain I have suffered in this life, so that He could be there to comfort me when I felt it.  I look back to a little while ago when I felt like I was drowning in loneliness, helplessness, and anguish - it was one of the hardest times of my life, and so painful.  My heart aches when I think about it.  And to think that I put that upon the Savior's shoulders along with all of the pains he went through for every person that has ever lived makes me sick.  I feel so selfish.  It is one of my new goals to never let myself wallow in self-pity or loneliness.  Unlike the Savior, I will never be alone.  He loves me so very much.  He is my big brother.  He is there to pick me up when I fall, there to wipe my tears when I'm too weak, there to carry me when I have no strength, and there to cradle me when I need comfort.  He is there to praise me when I do good, bless me when I choose righteousness, and celebrate with me when good things happen.  He is my advocate and always will be.  How grateful I am for a Savior that cared enough to die for me- My mind drifted to this hymmn and how perfectly it describes my feelings for the Savior right now. 

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me

Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me

I tremble to know that for me He was crucified.

That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

Oh it is wonderful to that he should care for me enough to die for me

Oh it is wonderful

Wonderful, to me. 

To find out more information about my faith visit lds.org

drained.

We've all been there before. 

You were flying by, passing all of your exams, getting your assignments in on time, and actually staying awake during classes, all the while college has been draining

 every 

              last 

                            drop

of  vivacity from your body.  

There's something about having to type that very last letter in your e  s     s    a                  y.

  And suddenly your brain "esplodes," as my three year old brother puts it.

 Here's How to fix the brain-mush issue, in 3 easy steps.  

1. GET OUT. But seriously.  Leave, get out of your apartment, your campus, your town.  Go.  Meditate, pray, cry, dance, do whatever you need.
2. Go to your most moonstruck (craziest) best friend.  If they're batty enough, they'll remind you of who you were before you college drained the life out of you.
3. Eat. And I mean some gooood food.  Nothing like eating some juicy steak, roasted sweet potatoes, and triple-layered extra thick, creamy rich carrot cake cake. 

Road Tripppin

Here's the story of our road trip (26hrs total) - from Provo, UT to San Francisco, CA

Decisions. It's 8 o'clock, Thursday night.We were sitting in Bajio's shoveling down burritos and quesadillas, making fun of each other, laughing out loud, and acting like really mature college kids.  The long weekend would start the next day and we were trying to figure out what to do. Lots of ideas were up in the air: St. George, Park City, Midway, and San Fransisco.  Taylor's birthday was the next week and all of his family would be in San Fransisco that weekend, so we thought "why not?"  Yeah, we decided to go to San Fransisco 12 hours before we actually left.  And that, my friends, is the joy of college.

Getting There. Morgan and I packed, cleaned our room, finished our essays by about 2 am, set our alarms for 8 am and passed out.  Somehow, Morgan and I have this amazing ability to sleep through every alarm we set. So, by 9:52 I started coming to and I checked my phone to see what the damage was.  Realization hit and I jumped out of bed, yelling at Morgan on the way.  We had missed our tanning session at 8 and my review at 9.  I had class at 10 and had been late to it for the last 3 days, and I had a paper due at the beginning of class.  I threw on my Victoria's Secret sweatsuit (a NECESSITY for college life), grabbed my backpack, and RAN like the wind.  Amazingly, I got there at 9:59.  Ironically, my teacher came in at 10:10. What. The. Heck. Anyways, Morgan and I got back from class around 11:20, grabbed our bags and hopped in the car. We hadn't showered, our hair was frizzy, and we were half awake, but we were on the road! We arrived in Concord, CA around midnight... after a 12 hour car ride - almost crashed the car a few times.. but somehow we made it alive. We were staying with Taylor's older brother Chris, his wife Jennie, and their kids Macy (2) and Kate (5) - ADORABLE.  We talked with them all night and fell asleep around 2 am.

Taylor, Macy, Kyle

Sailing. We woke up around 8 am after shivering all night...  Morgan and I almost resorted to spooning. We grabbed some breakfast and headed out to the marina.  Taylor's older brother, Chris, had connections with a friend with a huge sailboat.. so we went SAILING! We also met up with Taylor's sister Jen and her kids Kyle and Nolan.  The boat was beautiful inside - beautiful wooden interiors, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, leather, and a nice kitchen - but we spent most of our time up top.  We sailed across the bay from Concord to San Fransisco in about an hour.  It was windy but stunning!  The sun was out, the weather was warm (compared to Utah), the water was glistening, the city was shining, and I was with some of my favorite people ever! We were so lucky!! The four of us hopped off at Pier 3 and spent the rest of the day in the city.

City Life.What a day! We walked to Ghirardelli Square and back - about 3 miles each way.  On the way we ran into street acrobats that were mmm,mmm,mmm... tastey.  Morgan and I were drooling - the main guy was from Australia and had the hottest accent, along with body! Phew....  After the show ended we realized how famished we were and headed to Boudin's Bakery where we we snarfed down delicious clam chowder.  Nearby, the famous arm wrestling machine that was used in The Princess Diaries was on display, so we made our way over to find it.  It was in a way cool arcade place called Musée Mécanique.  It had old wooden arcade machines from the beginning of time that actually worked! Almost an hour later, our fortunes had been told, our palms had been read, our strength had been tested, and our stomachs were hurting from laughing so hard.  It was getting cold, but we continued walking and found the famous bush man.  He's a man that sits by the side of the road and hides behind two "shields" of bushes.  He would move them right before an unsuspecting victim would walk by, and he would stick his head out between them and scream.  The bystander would jump five feet in the air and everyone standing by waiting and watching would get a great laugh.  As we were watching, I overheard a man talking to his wife about how this guy makes over 3 figures. Go figure.  Maybe I should just drop out of college and be a bush woman instead.

The "bush man"

Sunset. Next, we wandered down to Ghirardelli Square and enjoyed the rolling waves of the ocean crashing down on the beach as the sun was setting... can you say breathtaking?  We walked up to Ghirardellis and got a sample piece of chocolate, yum!  The music, people, and atmosphere was so chill.  My yearning to live in California hit an all time high.  The sun was going down so we headed back to the BART (we learned this meant "bay area transit system") and stopped by to see the sea lions. Two of them ended up getting in a fight! We continued onward, and got lost on our way back, but somehow made it to the BART.  Taylor managed to keep me awake for the most part of the transit ride by explaining to me what relativity is, how time slows down in motion, and time travel.  But after our great intellectual discussion ;) I was mentally and physically exhausted! Morgan fell asleep on Ryan's shoulder, and I fell asleep on Heyman's. We got back to Chris's house and ate pizza that they bought for us - they are the PERFECT hosts.  We ended up watching heavy weights and falling asleep.

Taylor, Jen, Chris

Temples. The next day we woke up, got ready, ate yummy breakfast and made our way to Chris and Jennie's church. Their neighbors were outside as we walked to the car and it was fun to see their reaction as 7 adults and 4 little kids all dressed in church clothes shuffled out the door.  The spirit touched me and made me realize how important it is to be a good example for our church everywhere I go, you never know who you will  make an impression on or who you will influence.  After church we relaxed and then drove to the Oakland temple.  The temple grounds were beautiful! And the view from the temple was amazing as well, you could see all of San Fransisco.  We also visited the visitor's center there and listened to "The Christus" in English, Spanish, and French.  Ryan and Taylor will be serving LDS missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Ryan will be serving in the Dominican Republic of the Congo speaking French, and Taylor will be serving in Chile Concepcion mission speaking Spanish.  Talking with the missionaries there brought the spirit so strongly and made me want to serve a mission more than ever!  I only have to wait 2 more years... We returned from the temple and enjoyed a delicious dinner of steak, homemade roles, berry salad, and baked potatoes.  We also had cake and ice cream to celebrate both Kate and Taylor's birthdays.

Oakland Temple

Road Bumps. We were trying to wake up by 6:30 and leave by 7 am, just enough time to say good bye to the bed bugs - Taylor's nieces and nephews.  We slept in until 7:10 somehow though, and ended up leaving by 8.  Jenny made a great breakfast of waffles and strawberries!  Yum (they are too nice!).  We got on the road and what a trip.  I slept for the first three hours and then decided to get some school work done.  About an hour or two later we fly past a cop and the lights go on and we get a ticket... $200! I guess a road trip isn't complete without one, right? We kept driving and made our way to Winnemucca, NV - a small town where Ryan's Aunt and and Uncle lived. Ryan's uncle is legit.  He is a wrestler and his kids are the perfect display of it - we watched his 8 year old daughter and 3 year old son almost kill their brand new kitten, as well as tackle and take down Morgan.  Intense.  We got back on the road again and tried to make good time.  Soon enough, our tire blew out.  Even worse, we were literally almost out of gas. Ryan and Taylor put the spare on and we limped our way 20 miles into Wells - a small town with a few fast food places and luckily a tire store.  They threw on a good tire for us - it wasn't cheap either! ($130) - got gas, and grabbed McDonald's.  The road welcomed us back and we slowly made our way back to good old Provo, UT. Even though this road trip put a nice ding in our wallets, I wouldn't take it back for anything.  The people met, the sites seen, and the memories built were 100% worth it! Now... time to get back to school and real life....

Taylor and Ryan changing
 the tire

On the road again, can't wait to be on the road again.....

Pureolgoy Review

I've found it. Finally. A shampoo and conditioner to be loyal to.

My aunt recommended it to me for years but I had become disillusioned with different hair care brands that all promised amazing results - but still left me with dry, damaged hair.  Each time I switched products my hair would look better for about a week or so, but then it would fall back into it's old habit - dry and damaged. So I never thought to really try this brand.

About six months ago I melted my hair which literally fried the ends - I'm a natural brunette.  Bleached ends + sun from the summer = really fried hair.  I went back to my stylist and begged her to show my hair some mercy.  She died it back to a darker color and added red to it.  I love it! She also recommended I try pureology - so I finally did.  

Wow.  Why had I not found this sooner???  I seriously am mad that I hadn't listened to my aunt before.  After one wash, it was like hello shampoo commericals - soft, shiny, healthy - check check check.  The ends of my hair were healthy and they have stayed that way since, in fact they are healthier than before I ever melted my hair.

I use the hydrate shampoo. It is concentrated (big bottles last up to 80 washes) so you don't have to use a ton.  I use a nickel sized amount. It is sulfate free (which is good for you and the environment!) so it doesn't lather up like I was used to, but it cleans just as well, even better than other brands I'd say.  All of Pureology's products have color protectant in them as well - keeps colored hair shiny, full of depth, and happy.

The conditioner is amaaaazzzing.  I leave it in for about 5 minutes and rise with cold water.  It has a slight tingling/minty feeling.  My hair is instantly softer and more manageable (I have curly hair).  In fact, I don't use other products anymore, except for Aveda's Brilliant Damage Control.   My hair keeps it shape after styling without hairspray and is soft, shiny, and healthy.  No lie.  Seriously, TRY this product.  It is a little bit more pricey, but it's worth it.  If you don't trust me, get a sample bottle from your nearest beauty supply store - Ulta is great. 

Conclusion:

Pros:

• Soft, Shiny, Manageable, Healthy Hair
• Color Protection for colored hair
• Environmentally friendly - sulfate free (no cancer!), concentrated (less product being made = less waste in factory)

Cons:

• More expensive

Gals, you have to at least try this product, even if you don't have colored hair.  It changed my life! Never switching shampoo or conditioner again.  Pureology is more than worth it!!! Trust me!

Hangers Galore!

Alright Ladies, here is your tip of the day:

velvet hangers

Why are these so great?

1- They have no-slip grip so they actually hold your clothes!!

2- They are thin so they allow you to cram more clothes into your closet, and ladies, you will need it in college, trust me. The regular plastic ones are NOT helpful at all - clothes fall off all the time and I they take up way too much space. 

3 -They are cute! Come in all different colors/types. Definitely worth the investment. Trust me.

Why are they not so great?

1- If you aren't careful, they can break really easily. But, if you can hold yourself back from waking up in 

a frenzied tornado late for class, grabbing your clothes half-blindly, and leaving your room like a mad woman, chances are they will be just fine. But don't take my word for it, get some!

Other space savers you might want to try in the hanger department:

Couture Belt Hanger: Looks legit!! Another tip, you could use this as a jewelry hanger for those extra long necklaces you don't want to get tangled up.

Pant Holder from Ikea:  No more creases!

Couture Boot Hangers:  Save your boots from stupid folds near the ankles!!   Word of caution:  These will take up a lot of space in your closet, so if you are in college and living in an apartment the size of a bathtub, you might want  to save these for sometime in your future when you can afford a little extra space.

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Ah sleep. 

Those heavenly zzzz's seem like the hardest thing to get in college!! Sadly, for the time pressed college kid,  it is also one of the most important.  Without it, the rest of your life will lag.  Seriously. So think about focusing in on sleep next time you want to amp up your grades or boost your social life.  

Did you know?

• Students with symptoms of sleep disorders are more likely to receive poor grades in classes such as math, reading and writing than peers without symptoms of sleep disorders.
• College students with insomnia have significantly more mental health problems than college students without insomnia.
• College students with medical-related majors are more likely to have poorer quality of sleep in comparison to those with a humanities major.
• College students who pull “all-nighters” are more likely to have a lower GPA.
• Students who stay up late on school nights and make up for it by sleeping late on weekends are more likely to perform poorly in the classroom. This is because, on weekends, they are waking up at a time that is later than their internal body clock expects. The fact that their clock must get used to a new routine may affect their ability to be awake early for school at the beginning of the week when they revert back to their old routine.
• Exposure to dim lights when it should be dark may contribute to depression.

Jane: "I'm stuck in some really bad sleeping habits. I can't fall asleep until 2 or 3 am, and I have to wake up early for classes. I'm so exhausted by the end of the day that I end up falling asleep and taking a nap. Help!" 
What Jane should do:

• Work Out.  Physical exertion has a way of giving you energy when you need it - during the day - and making you tired when your body should rest - at night.  If you must work out at night, make sure it's at least 4 hours before your bed time.  
• Set a Bed Time. If you really are up until 3 or 4 am every night, start by going to bed a little bit earlier each night (15-30 minute increments).  3:00 am one night, 2:30 am the next night, and so on... 
• Wake Up.  Yeah, I know you heard the alarm go off for the 50th time.  And that snooze button looks so tempting.  Don't hit it.  Wake up - more importantly, wake up at the same time each day.  It will set your internal clock, make it easier to wake up in the consecutive days, and make it easier to fall asleep that night.
• Set The Mood.  Dim the lights, turn down the music, and shut off the TV. Heck, turn off your cell phone.  See this link http://news.discovery.com/human/depression-night-light-exposure.html  to understand how falling asleep with lights on (from TVs or smart phones) can lead to depression, weight gain, and mental issues. Yucky stuff.
• Routine. 15 - 20 minutes before bed start a routine.  This could constitute taking care of hygiene, meditation, journal writing, reading, anything to calm your mind. 
• Tame The Tummy.  Falling asleep with a rumbling tummy can interfere with a good night's rest.  Eat a wholesome dinner about 4 hours before you plan on going to sleep. If you are still hungry before you need to sleep, snack on something small, preferably carbs 20-30 minutes before bed.  A slice of toast or a few crackers is perfect. The carbs are easy to digest and won't inhibit your sleep.
• Limit The Caffeine.  If you must, use caffeine in the morning.  Even caffeine after 12 can cause sleep issues. 
• Don't Sleep In On The Weekends. What!? Yes, you heard me.  It will confuse your internal alarm clock and make it harder to get into good sleep habits.  

Moral of the Story??? Get sleep. It's important!!!!

Resources: 

http://www.aasmnet.org/articles.aspx?id=659

http://news.discovery.com/human/depression-night-light-exposure.html